Dale Watson "Call Me Insane" out today

DALE WATSON Austin's king of honky-tonk releases "Call Me Insane" today  Dale interviewed in the Wall Street Journal and Austin American Statesman Listen to the first single "Jonesin' for Jones" US Tour Dates Announced Austin's king of honky-tonk and torchbearer for "true" country music returns with Call Me Insane, a record full of instant classics ranging from his George Jones tribute, "Jonesin' for Jones," to to the soul-searching title track. Dale recorded this album in Austin with veteran producer Lloyd Maines (Robert Earl Keen, Jerry Jeff Walker, etc.) and brought in his ace touring band, "His Lone Stars," to capture his road-tested live sound. With over two decades as a performer, the Alabama-born, Texas-raised Watson is a country music maverick, a true outlaw who stands alongside Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and George Strait as one of the finest country singers and songwriters from the Lone Star State.  Since the release of El Rancho Azul in 2013, Watson’s profile has risen considerably via appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC), The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS), Austin City Limits and The Sun Sessions (PBS) and as a guest on NPR’s American Routes and Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me along with profiles on NPR All Things Considered, the New York Times and more.   A veteran touring artist and consummate entertainer, he is on the road more than 300 days a year. He also put his money where his heart is and took over ownership of two struggling Texas honky-tonks, the Little Longhorn Saloon in Austin (home of Chicken $#!+ Bingo) and The Big T Roadhouse in St. Hedwigs (outside San Antonio).   Available on CD, MP3, and vinyl (digital download card included). Order today! Dale Watson Online FACEBOOK TWITTER WEB SITE LABEL Dale Watson On Tour TH 6/11     Austin, TX - The Highball FR 6/12     Austin, TX - Cowboy Harley FR 6/12     Fredericksburg, TX - Luckenbach Dance Hall SA 6/13     Austin, TX - The Broken Spoke SU 6/14     Austin, TX - The Little Longhorn Saloon TH 6/18     Austin, TX - The Highball FR 6/19     Dripping, TX - Mercer Street SU 6/21     Amarillo, TX - Golden Light Cantina MO 6/22    Wichita, KS - Lizard Lounge TU 6/23      Lincoln, NE - Zoo Bar WE 6/24     Kansas City, MO - Knuckleheads TH 6/25      St Louis, MO - Off Broadway FR 6/26      Indianapolis, IN - Clarion Waterfront Hotel SA 6/27      Minneapolis, MN - Lee's Liquor Lounge SU 6/28      Sauk Rapids, MN - Rollie's MO 6/29     Rock Island, IL - Rozz Tox WE 7/1       Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon TH 7/2        Milwaukee, WI - Kochanski Concertina Beer Hall FR 7/3        Danbury, WI - St Croix Casino SA 7/4        Berwyn, IL - Fitsgeralds Chicago SU 7/5        Buffalo, NY - Sportsman Tavern MO 7/6       Columbus, OH - Woodlands Tavern TU 7/7        Cincinnati, OH - Cincinnati Fountain Square WE 7/08     Nashville, TN - The Grand Ole Opry TH 7/9        Baltimore, MD - Creative Alliance FR 7/10      Alexandria, VA - Birchmere SA 7/11      New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom MO 7/13     Albany, NY - The Linda TU 7/14      Sellersville, PA - Sellersville Theater WE 7/15     Cambridge, MA - Atwoods Tavern TH 7/16       Fall River, MA - Narrows Center for the Arts FR 7/17       Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom SA 7/18       Detroit, MI - Majestic Cafe SU 7/19       Pittsburgh, PA - Thunderbird Cafe MO 7/20      Louisville, KY - The New Vintage TU 7/21       Lexington, KY - Willie's Locally Known WE 7/22      Nashville, TN - Station Inn TH 7/23       Tulsa, OK - Mercury Lounge FR 7/24       Ft Worth, TX - Longhorn Saloon SA 7/25       Austin, TX - The Broken Spoke MO 7/27      Austin, TX - Continental Club TH 7/30       Austin, TX - The Highball FR 7/31       Horseshoe, TX - Horseshoe Bay SA 8/1         Silsbee, TX - Honky Tonk Texas MO 8/3        Austin, TX - JW Marriott Hotel MO 8/3        Austin, TX - Continental Club TH 8/6         Plano, TX - Courtyard Theater TH 8/13       Austin, TX - The Highball SU 8/16       Memphis, TN - Main Stage Memphis TH 8/20       Austin, TX - The Highball SU 8/23       Austin, TX - Fiesta Gardens TH 8/27       Austin, TX - The Highball SA 8/29       Austin, TX - Fair Market FR 9/4         Austin, TX - The Highball SA 9/5         Austin, TX - The Broken Spoke TH 9/10       Atlanta, GA - Smith's Olde Bar SA 9/11 - 13  Greensboro, NC - The 75th National Folk Festival SU 9/18       Bristol, VA - Historic Downtown SU 9/27       Columbia, MO - Stephens Lake Park TH 10/1        Echo Park, CA - The Echo SA 10/3        Placerville, CA - El Dorado County FR 10/9        Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern SA 10/10      Stanley, ID - Mountain Village MO 10/14     Salt Lake City, UT - State Room SA 10/17      Austin, TX - The Broken Spoke SA 11/28      Austin, TX - The Broken Spoke FR 12/18      Greenville, TX - The Texan Theater SA 12/19      Temple, TX - Cultural Activities TH 12/31       Kendalia, TX - Kendalia Hall  Get Social!

The Mighty Cash Cats - The Ballad of Johnny and June - New release review

I just received the newest release, The Ballad of Johnny and June from The Mighty Cash Cats, a nostalgic trip through American folk, country and rock music through the eyes of The Mighty Cash Cats as Johnny and June Carter Cash. Opening with Carl Perkins' Long-Legged Guitar Pickin' Man, you can definitely hear the influences of the man in black in vocal and arrangement, really nicely adorned by Oliver Thin on chicken picken guitar. Title track, The Ballad of Johnny and June has the feel of midwest rocker with flavors of Seger and Frey. Although not mentally transported, Michael and Leticia nicely capture the spirit of Johnny and June on this track. Merle Travis' Sixteen Tons is a blend of Tennessee Ernie Ford, The Stray Cats and Johnny Cash. Jimmy Calire's addition on B3 and Leticia's bass work are tight. Dylan's It Ain't Me Babe is up next, again capturing the spirit of Johnny and June on a classic track. 40 Shades of Green is my favorite track on the release with a real slice of country. Vocal blending is smooth and the melody is super. Classic western track, Ghost Riders in The Sky is up next and the track is performed in traditional style. Bound to be a crowd favorite with the resurgence of cowboy music, this track is cool. Tennessee Flattop Box features Leticia on lead vocal and I think is her definite vocal showcase. Real nice acoustic country style track. Nine Inch Nails' penned Hurt is a simple dark ballad with Michael on lead vocal, acoustic guitar and Calire on piano. Unlike most of the tracks on the release, a nice quiet track. Wrapping the release is Johnny's trademark Ring Of Fire. Overall a pleasant trip through Americana music with a thick taste of Johnny Cash.

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NEW ALBUM | Bones

BONES // AVAILABLE AUGUST 7 We are very excited to announce that our new album, Bones, will be available on August 7th in the US and worldwide on September 4th. We've been hard at work on this for some time now, and recently teamed up with our new friends at Loud & Proud Records to help get it to your speakers. We'll be hitting the road soon in support of the album, including almost 100 shows in 10 countries. Stay up to date with the album release and tour dates at our brand new website.

UPCOMING TOUR DATES 6/10 - Vinyl Music Hall - Pensacola, FL 6/11 - Marlins Grill - Hattiesburg, MS 6/12 - Parish @ House of Blues - New Orleans, LA 6/20 - Wicker Park's Green Music Fest - Chicago, IL 6/26 - Kings Barcade - Raleigh, NC 6/27 - Port O Call - Kill Devil Hills, NC 7/6 - Alpenglow - Crested Butte, CO 7/7 - Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO 7/8 - Sunset Concert Series - Mountain Village, CO 7/11 - Seven Sisters Music Festival - San Luis Obispo, CA 7/14 - Black Sheep - Colorado Springs, CO 7/15 - Slowdown - Omaha, NE 7/16 - The Busted Lift - Dubuque, IA 7/17 - Party in the Park - Painesville, OH 7/18 - Joker's Live - Indianapolis, IN 7/24 - Camp House - Chattanooga, TN 7/25 - Bragg Jam - Macon, GA 8/1 - Bluesapalooza - Mammoth Lakes, GA 8/3 - Soda Bar - San Diego, CA 8/4 - The Mint - Los Angeles, CA 8/7 - Barboza - Seattle, WA 8/8 - Dante's - Portland, OR 8/10 - The Real Lounge - Missoula, MT 8/11 - Zebra Cocktail Lounge - Bozeman, MT 8/12 - Pub Station - Billings, MT 8/14 - Dempsey's Public House - Fargo, ND 8/15 - Light Up the Wild West - Williston, ND 8/17 - 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN 8/19 - The Frequency - Madison, WI 8/20 - Beat Kitchen - Chicago, IL 8/21 - Mac's Bar - Lansing, MI 8/22 - Musica - Akron, OH 8/23 - Club Cafe - Pittsburgh, PA 8/25 - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY 8/26 - Milkboy - Philadelphia, PA 8/27 - DC9 - Washington, D.C. 8/28 - Rumba Cafe - Columbus, OH 9/10 - Spirit of 66 - Verviers, Belgium 9/11 - Poppodium Victorie - Alkmaar, Netherlands 9/12 - Boerderij - Zoetermeer, Netherlands 9/13 - Die Kantine - Koln, Germany 9/15 - Hafenklang - Hamburg, Germany 9/16 - Albatros - Bordesholm, Germany 9/17 - Kulturrampe - Krefeld, Germany 9/18 - Blues Garage - Isernhagen, Germany 9/19 - Music Hall - Worpswede, Germany 9/20 - Breda Barst Festival - Breda, Netherlands 9/22 - Colos-Saal - Ashaffenburg, Germany 9/23 - Garage Deluxe - München, Germany 9/24 - Kulturfabrik - Kufstein, Austria 9/25 - KuFa - Lyss, Switzerland 9/26 - Salierhalle - Winterbach, Germany 9/27 -  Bluesnacht - Petershagen, Germany 9/29 - Kofferfabrik - Fürth, Germany 10/1 - De Post - Oostende, Belgium 10/2 - Ouvre Boîte - Beauvais, France 10/3 - Espace Confluences - Limoges, France 10/4 - OC De Djoelen - Turnhout, Belgium 10/29 - Underbara - Stockholm, Sweden 10/30 - Bjurfors - Avesta, Sweden 10/31 - Buckley's - Oslo, Norway 11/1 - Sticky Fingers - Goteborg, Sweden 11/3 - Grand Ol & Mat - Malmo, Sweden 11/5 - Paradiso - Amsterdam, Netherlands 11/6 - W2 - Den Bosch, Netherlands 11/7 - Schützi Olten - Olten, Switzerland 11/8 - Temps des Crises - Beaumont En Véron, France 11/10 - Stage Live - Bilbao, Spain 11/11 - Sala Lopez - Zaragoza, Spain 11/12 - Mardi Gras - A Coruña, Spain 11/13 - Salason - Cangas, Spain 11/14 - Centro Niemeyer - Avilés, Spain 11/15 - Espacio Vias - Leon, Spain 11/17 - Porta Caeli - Valladolid, Spain 11/18 - Sala Caracol - Madrid, Spain 11/20 - Sala Caja Negra de Las Cigarreras - Alicante, Spain 11/21 - Music Hall - Barcelona, Spain 11/22 - Rock City - Valencia, Spain For tickets & more information, visit our new website

Delta Groove music artist: Rick Vito - Mojo On My Side - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Mojo On My Side, by Rick Vito and I think it's his best work to date. Opening with title track, Mojo On My Side, a warm swampy track with strong rhythm, cool slide, reverb and a handful of voodoo, this track is a great opener. Backed by Charles Mojo Johnson and Rick Reed on drums Vito on vocal and guitar is really nailing it! Sauntering, Easy baby, has a great feel joined by Jim Hoke on sax. Vito has a smooth voice and extremely effective slide style making this one of my favorite tracks on the release. Rocker Pretty Women, really moves fielding Hoke and Vito both showing just how warm an instrument can sound. Nice! R&B style My House has a great strut enhanced by Dan Serafini on B3. Nito's vocals are strong and clear and his slide work is cool. This is a great radio track for broad audience. Missy Brown has a lower key delta rhythm and acoustic slide work with an almost East Indian twist. Mesmerizing. Life Was Just A Struggle has the feel of a 50's R&B track with New Orleans influence. Vito really does a super job on vocals on this track and his slide guitar is always jolly on the spot with sweet melodic riffs. Femme Fatale is a rockin twist on the Booker T sound with Vito's guitar at the wheel. Very cool! Who Were You Thinking Of?, loosely based musically on SBW's Help Me with a bayou swell. Vito gives his slide the license to talk on this release and is is talking. Smooth! House Party is a real rocker with lead slide work on fire. This track almost sounds like it should be in a 60's movie (except it's well done). Slide guitar fans should be more than satisfied with the overall amount of guitar on this release. Super! Let A Woman Be A Woman gets so funky you can smell James Brown getting ready to thrown off his cape! Heavily reinforced by Mojo on sax, Vito's bass playing and the tight groove laid down by Reed... this track just needs some "Hot Pants". She's Got It All is a slinky shuffle with tandem slide and sax lead. Vito breaks loose and plays great lead work that makes me think of the great Danny Gatton. Very cool! Help Me Lord is an excellent delta style track with John Lee Hooker style riffs and Vito doing a great authentic take off on the real deal. Excellent! You Can Run has a revival/gospel feel with a great uplifting sound. I can see Vito on slide jamming with Robert Randolph on the next cruise. Wrapping the release is River of Blues with Vito doing a pretty amazing job of sitar sound on fretless guitar (I think). With a primitive Mali kind of beat this is a great tribute to Vito's talent as a musician and expansive listener. This is really a pretty hot release and one that I think should be exceptionally well received.

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Stony Plain Records Announces Next in Its "Best of" Series with New Compilation from Jeff Healey, "Vintage Jazz, Swing and Blues," on July 17

Stony Plain Records Announces Next in Its “Best of” Series with New Compilation from Jeff Healey,

Vintage Jazz, Swing and Blues, on July 17

EDMONTON, AB – Stony Plain Records announces a July 17 release date for the latest in its series of Best of the Stony Plain Years compilations with a set from the late guitarist extraordinaire, Jeff Healey, Vintage Jazz, Swing and Blues. Compiled with the participation of Jeff’s widow, Cristie, as well as long-time friend Roger Costa, Jeff Healey’s Best of the Stony Plain Years CD includes 11 tracks from his four Stony Plain albums of vintage jazz and swing projects, as well as “Sweet Georgia Brown,” a track previously released on a promotion-only CD sampler that also features jazz legend Chris Barber on trombone. The CD carries a special reduced list price of $12.98.

“Stony Plain was honored to release Jeff Healey’s four vintage jazz/swing projects, plus a DVD with his beloved Jazz Wizards,” writes Holger Petersen, Stony Plain president and a close friend of Healey’s, in the album’s liner notes. “This music was his first love allowing him to play guitar and trumpet in addition to having a career as one of the worlds most acclaimed and innovative electric blues and rock musicians.

“Jeff Healey (1966-2008) was a musicologist and serious record collector who eventually amassed 30,000 78s from the classic period of the twenties and thirties,” Petersen states. “He started playing guitar at age three and invented his own “lap” style of playing. By the age of 14, Jeff was already a highly respected jazz broadcaster on CBC Radio, and later JAZZ.FM91 in Toronto. He became one of Canada’s most acclaimed guitarists, singers and bandleaders with The Jeff Healey Band and sold millions of records worldwide. By the late ‘90s, Jeff tired of the constant travel and the life of being a “rock star.” He disbanded the JHB shortly after opening a club in Toronto called Healey’s and with the help of Colin Bray, formed Jeff Healey’s Jazz Wizards to play the music he loved on Saturday afternoons, in addition to regularly playing with his new blues rock band. 
 

“We started to work together in 2005 at a time when Jeff only wanted to record classic jazz. We promptly recorded the live album It’s Tight Like That with legendary British trombonist and band leader Chris Barber. We followed that up with reissues of his two previous jazz albums, plus a live DVD. Jeff eventually did go back to record two electric blues based albums for Stony Plain including Mess Of Blues, which won the Blues Foundation’s ‘Rock Blues Album Of The Year’ award in 2009. Jeff’s final studio album, Last Call, was released posthumously in 2010. 
“It was a stripped-down solo, duo and trio recording that could be called The Real Jeff Healey. It shows his love for all musical styles and features some of his best guitar and trumpet playing with heartfelt singing. His duet with violinist Drew Jurecka on ‘The Wild Cat’ is a highlight. 

“Seeing Jeff on stage with his friends, the amazing players in the Jazz Wizards, was a joyous experience filled with camaraderie and endless jokes. It was an honor working with Jeff and getting to know his fellow musicians and family.”

For more information about Jeff Healey’s The Best of the Stony Plain Years: Vintage Jazz,
Swing and Blues and other CDs in the series from Joe Louis Walker and Long John Baldry, visit www.stonyplainrecords.com.

Track Listing

1 Three Little Words 4:24

2 The Wildcat 2:35

3 Star Dust 4:52

4 Sheik of Araby 5:11

5 Guitar Duet Stomp 3:37

6 Sing You Sinners 5:05

7 I Would Do Anything for You 4:28

8 Pardon My Southern Accent 3:46

9 Some Of These Days 2:47

10 My Honey’s Lovin’ Arms 5:02

11 Hong Kong Blues 3:13

12 Sweet Georgia Brown 8:32

The most played record at blues radio!

THE CASH BOX KINGS "HOLDING COURT" AT #1 RADIO SPOT FOR FOUR WEEKS IN A ROW! Featured On "The Bluesmobile" This Weekend Holding Court, the new CD from The Cash Box Kings, remains the most-played record in the country at blues radio, holding court at the #1 spot on Roots Music Reports' blues chart for the fourth week in a row! And this weekend (June 6-7) The Bluesmobile, the nationally-syndicated radio show hosted by Elwood Blues (aka Dan Aykroyd), will feature "Gotta Move Out To the Suburbs," a song from the new release, as Elwood's Blues Breaker track.  For more info, including a list of affiliate stations, please click HERE. Says Elwood, "The Cash Box Kings are back, on their mission to keep old school Chicago blues alive and kicking. The Kings' releases are great, and if you get a chance to see them live, they put on quite a show. The spirit of forties and fifties Chicago blues that will get you boogeying, plus some Delta blues, jump and jive, and New Orleans in there as well. Besides the rip roaring covers, the Cash Box Kings also write their own songs.  Songs that might have been written in the heyday of Chess or Sun Records. Great stuff. This is one of their new ones. Sad story. “Gotta Move Out to the Suburbs.” The Cash Box Kings. Play ‘em, and weep." To see a video of "Gotta Move Out To The Suburbs" please click HERE. For more information visit www.blindpigrecords.com.