New Interactive JACK WHITE Video + Olivia Jean Tour Dates + Grammy Awards!

JACK WHITE PREMIERES INTERACTIVE 3-IN-1 VIDEO FOR "THAT BLACK BAT LICORICE" VISIT JACKWHITEIII.COM  FOR THE FULL INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE "THAT BLACK BAT LICORICE" 7-INCH SINGLE AVAILABLE ON THIRD MAN RECORDS

Jack White has revealed his inventive and revolutionary new 3-in-1 music video for his latest single "That Black Bat Licorice". The video offers three original films of differing themes that can be interchanged based on viewers' interaction with their computer keyboard or tablet screen. The video trio also draws from the vision of three different directors – James Blagden, Brad Holland and White himself. See below for a listing of directors and the vignettes for which they presided over. View the video at jackwhiteIII.com from a computer or tablet for the full interactive experience. Animated video: Directed by James Blagden Live Action video: Directed by Jack White Headbang video: Directed by Brad Holland Last week, Jack White and Third Man Records announced the release of the 7-inch single version of "That Black Bat Licorice" which is taken from White's GRAMMY-winning album, Lazaretto. The 7-inch also comes with the non-album B-side "Blue Light, Red Light (Someone's There)", a cover of the original Harry Connick, Jr. song. The physical 7-inch is now available for pre-order from Third Man Records. Digital formats of "That Black Bat Licorice" are available through your favorite online retailer. For those of you who have yet to add Lazaretto to your collection, the ULTRA LP and CD are available for purchase at thirdmanstore.com/bands/jack-white. The digital version is available worldwide at iTunes. NEW OLIVIA JEAN TOUR DATES WITH BENJAMIN BOOKER  + NEW SINGLE "MERRY WIDOW" Third Man chanteuse Olivia Jean just announced a set of new tour dates this Spring with Benjamin Booker (who, incidentally, has a phenomenal new live record out on Third Man)! The tour will kick off March 26th from First Avenue in Minneapolis, MN and continue through April 5that the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC. For a complete list of tour dates, see below. For more details, visit Olivia's website.  Tour Dates with Benjamin Booker: March 26 — Minneapolis, MN — First Avenue March 27 — Milwaukee, WI — Turner Hall March 28 — Chicago, IL — The Metro   March 30 — Detroit, MI — The Magic Stick March 31 — Toronto, ON — Lee’s Place April 1 — Montreal, QC — La Sala Rossa April  3 — Brooklyn, NY — Music Hall of Williamsburg April 4 — Boston, MA — The Sinclair April 5 — Washington, DC — 9:30 Club Also, Olivia Jean's new single "Merry Widow" is officially available now, so pick up a copy of the vinyl 7" at thirdmanstore.com or get the MP3 version at iTunes.      GRAMMY AWARDS FOR JACK WHITE AND PARAMOUNT VOLUME 1!

We are so pleased to share the good news that not only did Jack White win the Grammy Award for "Best Rock Performance" with Lazaretto, but our labor of love, The Rise and Fall of Paramount Records, Volume One (1917-27) won "Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package!" What a proud moment! Congratulations to Susan Archie, Dean Blackwood, and Revenant Records for joining together with us and making something truly beautiful that didn't previously exist. We're glad you didn't have anything better to do. This past November, we released the second volume in this two part box set. If you haven't checked it out in all its chrome, machine age, art deco beauty, head here to explore further...

Edmonton Blues Festival on August 21, 22 & 23

 

Balkun Brothers - ReDrova - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, ReDrova, from Balkun Brothers and it is a solid blues rocker. Opening with Last Jam (Oh Yeah!) this track has the solidity of early Sabbath and the attitude of Humble Pie. Guitarist/vocalist Steve Balkun has a solid voice and really knows how to grind out the riffs supported by ace drumming by Nick Balkun and heavy bass work of Caleb Battersby. This track rips! Excellent! Next up is title track ReDrova opening with a Peter Green like riff but with a lot of southern rock heavy grit. Steve shows a lot of finesse on slide work and Nick and Caleb drive the train. Very cool! Got My Boots On takes a different direction with a lively stripped down blues rocker. One of my favorite tracks on the release, it rocks! With a lot of the flavor of the new blues rockers with simple instrumentation, this track hits it square on the head. I really like Steve's vocals and stylistic guitar work on this track. Keep Me Warm has a 12 bar format but with a country rhythm. Quick paced and with howlin' slide work and finger pickin, this track blends pure blues, country and modern country rock coming up with a different sound altogether. Cool! Bippidee Bopp (name possibly taken from the drum riff), this track gets right into the Humble Pie - Road Runner groove... you got my attention! A funky blues with great bottom and slide.... what else could a guy ask for. This track is excellent! Keep It Up has a lot of the stye of Jeff's Boogie with a quick guitar riff over a fast paced boogie drive. Throw in a few jazz chords and a walking bass line and you've got it all! Sally's Blues digs down in the mud and pulls out that dark nasty blues that we all wait for. Steve's voice adapts nicely to this more bluesy styling and his quick guitar riffs under the vocals are really sweet. Larry "Buzzy" Fallstrom adds nice piano and organ work to this track for some warmth. Steve stretches out a little on this 6 plus minute track making him one of my new found blues guitar guys who I think have great chops that need to be heard! On Fried Pickle Party, Steve hits the resonator with a real nice slide riff joined by Dave Sadloski on harp. Slidin' Butt is a primarily an acoustic sliding session with a short atmospheric interlude creating a cool tension to the hard drive of the slide work. Nicely done. Tell Me (What's On Your Mind) has a real Elmore James style and is pure blues. A pure foot stomper with Steve just tearing up the resonator on slide this track is hot! Wrapping the release is Too Damn Long, more in the hill country style and a more rudimentary style. A great blues rocker, this is a perfect track to close a diverse album deeply infused in the blues and wild with slide. Do I recommend this release?.... you bet!

  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”

 

Arlen Roth Gets His Mojo Workin' On New Album Deal with King Mojo/Garage Door Records, Due Out April 14; Acclaimed Guitarist Convenes a "Slide Guitar Summit" on Latest CD

Arlen Roth Gets His Mojo Workin’ On New Album Deal with King Mojo/Garage Door Records, Due Out April 14

Acclaimed Guitarist Convenes a Slide Guitar Summit on Latest CD, with Special Guests Johnny Winter, Sonny Landreth, David Lindley, Rick Vito, Jimmy Vivino, Jack Pearson, Lee Roy Parnell, Cindy Cashdollar and Greg Martin,

Produced by Tom Hambridge

RIDGEFIELD, CT - Guitarist Arlen Roth announces that his new CD, Slide Guitar Summit, which teams the acclaimed musician with fellow slide guitar greats Johnny Winter, Sonny Landreth, David Lindley, Rick Vito, Jimmy Vivino, Jack Pearson, Lee Roy Parnell, Cindy Cashdollar and Greg Martin, will be released April 14 under the terms of a new deal signed with King Mojo/Garage Door Records, distributed nationally by Burnside Distribution. Slide Guitar Summit was produced by Grammy-winner Tom Hambridge, and recorded at studios in New York, Nashville and Connecticut.

Called “The Master of the Telecaster,” Arlen Roth recently celebrated the upcoming release of Slide Guitar Summit with a special show at the City Winery in Nashville, where he was joined onstage by album participants Rick Vito, Jack Pearson, Lee Roy Parnell and Greg Martin for an amazing night of music. Fans that night were also treated to an advance screening of the one-hour film, Glass, Brass and Steel: The Making of Arlen Roth's Slide Guitar Summit Album.

“This Slide Guitar Summit album was a longtime dream come true for me,” recalls Arlen Roth about the recording sessions. “It's like a group of old friends getting together for a great time that is rooted in our serious and mutual love for what we do.”

Recording with the late Johnny Winter was also special for Roth, since it turned out be Winter’s last session before he passed away in 2014. “Getting to work with the legendary Johnny Winter was such an incredible feeling, and it got the album totally off on the right foot,” says Roth. “It was hard to believe that I was sitting there playing ‘Rocket 88’ with him, when I could remember being 16 years old and watching Johnny from the very front at Woodstock in 1969....this album is of course, dedicated to this slide and blues guitar master who always served to inspire us all.”

Roth has fond memories of all the tracking sessions. “Each player brought something unique to this project and the interaction between me and them is what I was looking for in making each track truly unique” he says. “And Tom Hambridge and I go way back together as musicians and as friends, so I was really happy to be able to see this great producer lend his magic touch to this project. I also loved how so many of the artists came in with some very strong choices for the songs for us to do, and how we got to pay tribute to many of the great slide players before us such as Lowell George, Elmore James and Duane Allman. I suppose the thing about this album that intrigues me the most is how with the common thread of slide guitar we were all able to touch upon so many styles, emotions, traditions and also break new ground at the same time!”

Guitar legend Arlen Roth is considered one of the most influential guitarists of all time, and during the course of his 45-year-career has toured the world and recorded with an amazing list of artists, including Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, John Prine, Phoebe Snow, Levon Helm, Ry Cooder, Eric Andersen, Dusty Springfield, Janis Ian and The Bee Gees, among others. His teaching and creation of the Hot Licks Video pioneered music and guitar education all over the world, with his videos having sold in excess of 2.5 million copies. His current online lessons and blogs for Gibson.com have over 1 million followers. Arlen was also the man behind the legendary blues film, Crossroads, creating the guitar parts, directing the guitar scenes and working alongside fellow guitarist Ry Cooder and actor Ralph Macchio during the film’s production. He was voted in the “Top 50 Acoustic Guitarists of All-Time” by Gibson.com and in the “Top 100 Most Influential Guitarists of All-Time” by Vintage Guitar Magazine. He has eight best-selling books to his credit, and his book, Hot Guitar, is a compilation of 10 years of his wildly popular column for Guitar Player Magazine.

Roth’s first album Guitarist, won the Montreux Critics Award for “Best Instrumental Album of the Year” in 1978, and his last album, All Tricked Out!, garnered four Grammy nominations. His new Slide Guitar Summit CD is similar in approach to his classic and legendary album, Toolin’ Around (1993), which featured duets with guitar greats such as Danny Gatton, Duane Eddy, Brian Setzer, Duke Robillard, Albert Lee, Sam Bush and Jerry Douglas, and which also became a film documentary. He followed up that album with Toolin’ Around Woodstock, with Levon Helm, Sonny Landreth and Bill Kirchen.

Arlen Roth continues to record and tour all over the world. His current band, The Cordobas, features Eddie Denise on bass, Shannon Ford on drums and Chris Foley on second guitar. His daughter, Lexie Roth, also sings with the band, and has become a superb recording artist, vocalist and songwriter in her own right, with many credits to her name, such as singing on the recent Les Paul tribute album (she sang "Vaya Con Dios”), plus singing the blues classic, “Night Life,” on the album with Levon Helm.

With songs that cover multiple genres of music, Slide Guitar Summit promises to reach a wide ranging audience of fans and promises to be one of the most celebrated albums of the year.

Arlen Roth is also the founder and CEO of the “International Guitar Hall of Fame and Museum,” which has been a long-time dream for him to create.

To download a hi-res color photo of Arlen Roth (photo credit: Diana), click here:

http://www.markpuccimedia.com/ArlenRoth.jpg. For more information, visit www.arlenroth.com, www.facebook.com/arlenroth and www.guitarhalloffame.com

Passenger, Joan Armatrading, Frank Turner, Joan Baez / Cambridge Folk Festival - First names announced

CAMBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL 2015 - FIRST NAMES ANNOUNCED “For sheer class and integrity, it can’t be beaten.” THE INDEPENDENT Joan Baez (Sat), Passenger (Sun), Frank Turner (Fri), Joan Armatrading (Sun) John Butler Trio (Sat), Nick Mulvey (Fri), Wilko Johnson (Fri) The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain (Sun), The Unthanks (Sat) Show of Hands (Sat & Sun), Katzenjammer(Thurs), Altan (Fri) Treacherous Orchestra (Sat), Danú (Sun), Shooglenifty (Sat & Sun) Martin Simpson, Andy Cutting & Nancy Kerr (Sun), Peggy Seeger (Fri) Bella Hardy (Sun), Amsterdam Klezmer Band (Fri), The Lone Bellow (Sat & Sun) Chris Smither (Fri), Angaleena Presley (Fri), Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker (Thur & Fri) Jim Moray’s Silent Ceilidh (Sat), Keston Cobblers Club (Sun) The Stray Birds (Sat &Sun),Rura (Fri & Sat), Goitse (Sat & Sun) De Temps Antan (Days tbc), Lynched (Thurs) WATCH A VIDEO TRAILER FOR THIS YEAR'S FESTIVAL BELOW An eclectic range of performances will include: legendary folk singer and activist Joan Baez, in her only UK appearance for 2015; international chart-topper Passenger, progressing from his 2011 debut on emerging talent stage The Den in its inaugural year to headlining Stage 1; a special solo appearance from hugely popular folk/punk singer songwriter Frank Turner, to coincide with the release of his book; the incomparable Joan Armatrading, accompanying herself on guitar and piano as part of her first ever worldwide solo tour; a welcome return for acclaimed Australian roots band John Butler Trio; Mercury Prize nominated Nick Mulvey, originally from Cambridge, garnering rave reviews and sell-out audiences worldwide for his fresh, hypnotic take on the acoustic singer-songwriter genre; a return to the city that gave him life-saving treatment for renowned rock and R&B guitarist Wilko Johnson, with crack touring band of Blockheads’ bassist Norman Watt-Roy and drummer Dylan Howe; irresistible entertainment juggernaut The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, celebrating 30 plucking years; Northumberland’s The Unthanks, breaking new ground with their complex combination of traditional stories and modern sonic arrangements; leading lights of the folk scene for over two decades, Show of Hands, featuring Miranda Sykes; Norwegian alt-folk-country-rock mavericks Katzenjammer, famed for their genre-mixing, riotous shows; venerable Irish traditional band Altan, re-energised by their new Appalachian-influenced CD; thrilling folk big band Treacherous Orchestra, with a rousing blend of rock and traditional Celtic sounds; one of Ireland’s leading traditional bands Danú, celebrating their 20th anniversary; Scots acid croft pioneers Shooglenifty, fusing exquisite traditional sounding tunes to devilishly dirty rhythms in their silver anniversary year; three of Britain’s finest folk musicians and interpreters, each vituosos in their own right, Martin Simpson, Andy Cutting & Nancy Kerr; doyenne of American folkPeggy Seeger, who played first ever Festival; BBC Folk Singer of the Year 2014 Bella Hardy, showcasing an innovative new sound from her ‘With The Dawn’ album; seven-pieceAmsterdam Klezmer Band, mixing klezmer, balkan, ska, jazz, gypsy and hiphop; fast-rising US alt-country band with a dazzling live reputation The Lone Bellow; highly respected American folk/blues singer songwriter and guitarist Chris Smither; Kentucky’sAngaleena Presley (also a member of Pistol Annies), impressing with her modern and powerful country songs about contemporary American rural life; BBC Folk Award nomineesJosienne Clarke & Ben Walker, ingeniously combining original and traditional songs with stunning musicality and skill; back by popular demand Jim Moray’s Silent Ceilidh; joyous five-piece Keston Cobblers Club with their foot-stamping mod-folk music; sensational close harmony American folk and bluegrass trio The Stray Birds; one of the hottest young bands on the Scottish traditional music scene Rura; contagiously energetic Irish quintetGoitse, winners of Live Ireland’s Trad Group of the Year 2015 Award; French Canadian trioDe Temps Antan, multi-instrumentalists exploring the magnificent traditional music of Quebec; Dublin four-piece Lynched, with their anarchic, punk-influenced take on traditional Irish ballads. More names to be announced. Joan Baez Frank Turner Joan Armatrading Passenger Having started life in 1965, the 14,000 capacity Festival draws acclaim for its combination of internationally renowned headline artists and support for up and coming young performers and continues to enjoy sell-out crowds year on year. Popular for its unique parkland setting, great facilities and family friendliness, the Festival offers something for everyone with four covered stages, street theatre, music workshops and sessions, raucous ceilidhs, open stages, a youth area, internet café, kids’ ceilidh, storytelling, free creche, paddling pool and playground, real ale bars. In 2014 Cambridge Folk Festival won the highest possible environmental honour at the Greener Festival Awards, becoming one of only nine festivals worldwide and one of only two in the UK to achieve the Outstanding category. Tickets: Full Festival £150; Thursday £25.50; Friday £55.50; Saturday £65.50; Sunday £65.50. Camping: (Full Festival tickets only, per 2-3 berth tent) Cherry Hinton £61.50, Coldham’s Common (second site) £42.50.  All ticket prices include booking fees.Facebook / Twitter / Snapchat: camfolkfest Box Office 01223 357851 or www.cambridgefolkfestival.co.uk Cambridge Folk Festival is promoted by Cambridge Live with support from Cambridge City Council

Mariella Tirotto & the Blues Federation - Live In Concert - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Live In Concert, from Mariëlla Tirotto and the Blues Federation and they have a solid groove. Opening with Mose Allison's If You're Goin' To The City, Triotto wastes no time getting into a cool R&B groove. Heins Greten takes the lead on keys and John Kakiay drums and Arno Hagemans' bass keeps it solid. Onny Tuhumena really adds a nice Carribean flavor on percussion along with Micha Sprenger on guitar. Step By Step has a jazzy feel with a funky bottom. Tirotto's vocals are particularly strong on this track, Sprenger lays in a tasty guitar line and Greten give the melody a ride. All I Can Take has a bit of a New Orleans swampy flavor accented by Greten on Hammond. Hagemans and Kakiay set a really nice Miles Davis kind of groove and Greten leads the way with a really nice piano intro on Somewhere Down The Road. Triotta shows her adaptability on this track with super vocal phrasing. Hagemans and Greten take nicely assembled interludes building one of the nicest tracks on the release. Are You Ready has a strong work camp sound with strong gospel influences. Excellent! Matt Guitar Murphy's The Blues Don't Bother Me is up next and has a strong R&B feel. This track really hits that dance groove and features Sprenger stepping nicely on guitar. Too Blind To See is a cleanly executed bluesy ballad with strong vocals from Tirotto and an extended blues guitar solo from Sprenger and a calming piano solo from Greten. Very nice! Don't Talk Too Much has a Brian Auger kind of jazz funk feel. I really like the bass line laid down by Hagemans on this track complimented nicely by the percussion of Tuhumena. Boogie track Playing The Game almost has a Golden Earring sound with a hard driving rhythm. Kakaiy and Hagemans keep the bottom tight ans Sprenger lets the solos flow. Latin influenced House On The Hill has a cool jam feel with a nice balance of vocal and instrumental. Wrapping the release is solomn ballad, Window Of My Eyes. Arpeggiated piano formations lead this nice composition. I particularly like Sprenger's guitar attack on this track. Nice conclusion to a really nice concert performance.

  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”

 

New Releases! Igor Prado Band and My Own Holiday

Available February 17th! Pre-Order Now! Visit our online store or call 818-907-1600

Igor Prado Band - Way Down South Click here FEATURING: Kim Wilson - Sugaray Rayford Rod & Honey Piazza Mud Morganfield - Lynwood Slim Mitch Kashmar - Junior Watson and more! “Keeping the Blues Alive” is the ubiquitous mantra that’s become the battle cry of the modern-day blues community. To those unaccustomed with this tenet, the phrase can often imply that this enduring, beautiful and quintessential American music is hastily approaching its twilight years. One merely has to cast an eye southward, towards the Equator in São Paulo, Brazil, to find evidence that the blues is still a vital and thriving form of soulful communication, courtesy of the strikingly talented and notably youthful quartet, the Igor Prado Band. At 11-years old, Igor Prado fell in love with the guitar. Completely self-taught, this promising lefty learned to play a right-handed guitar upside down. Together with his brother Yuri Prado on drums, these two siblings embarked on a remarkable 15-year journey beginning in 2000, which encompasses numerous recording and production credits, in addition to sharing stages with many of the idioms most revered veterans. Bolstered by the auspicious talents of bassist Rodrigo Mantovani and saxophonist Denilson Martins, the Igor Prado Band eventually came to the attention of the well-traveled and finely-tuned ear of American blues harmonica player and vocalist, Lynwood Slim. A lifetime bond forged out of mutual respect and admiration was formed, culminating in the expertly crafted and highly acclaimed 2010 release, Brazilian Kicks on Delta Groove. Today, the Igor Prado Band has become one of the most popular and in demand blues outfits for any artist seeking mature and authoritative, yet sympathetic backing support in South America. Way Down South represents the very best of these frequent collaborations with recording sessions gleaned from south of the border and spanning 2011-2014. Here Igor and the boys are joined by a myriad of talent assembled from the Delta Groove roster and beyond including Kim Wilson, Sugaray Rayford, Mud Morganfield, Mitch Kashmar, Rod and Honey Piazza, Junior Watson, Monster Mike Welch, Wallace Coleman, Omar Coleman, JJ Jackson, Randy Chortkoff and Raphael Wressnig. Of special note are two songs featuring the late, great Lynwood Slim performing memorable renditions of Lowell Fulson’s Baby Won’t You Jump with Me and Paul Gayten’s You Better Believe It. Although it may be a long way from São Paulo to America, the passion and dedication found within the grooves of these recordings will most certainly make the distance between these two locales feel that much closer. Way Down South dispenses any notion that the blues is not only alive, but doing quite well indeed, thanks in large part to this incredible Brazilian ensemble. Igor Prado Band - Way Down South Click here My Own Holiday - Reason to Bleed Click here Don’t think of My Own Holiday as a blues/rock band, even though the duo of Joey Chrisman and Nick Bartolo claim that as a fair description. Don’t think of them as a White Stripes / Black Keys homage, even though their stripped-down, just-guitar-and-drums instrumentation might lead you to lump them into that category. And don’t think of My Own Holiday as this year’s flavor or a flash in the pan – they’re in it for the long haul. My Own Holiday hails from Lake Arrowhead, CA, an inland resort community far enough away from the superficial glitz and glamour of Los Angeles to have allowed the band to create their own unique sound unpressured by any of the trendy bandwagon jumping that is de rigueur in the showbiz mecca. Vocalist/guitarist Chrisman has been writing original songs since he was in sixth grade, and over the years has honed his craft to create an original voice that incorporates influences from classic rock, post-punk, pure pop, and Dylan-esque folk among others, often infused with a darkness and danger that belies the relatively bucolic surroundings of his upbringing. Drummer Bartolo meshes perfectly with Chrisman’s vision, laying down a rhythmic drive that is both in-the-pocket and dramatic enough to push the music into previously uncharted territory. Their self-described “broken-down” approach to their music emphasizes the propulsive drive and relentless groove at the core of their sound, while at the same time putting the focus on the songwriting. The band’s minimalist approach leaves little opportunity to hide flimsy material behind instrumental gymnastics and gimmickry – without great original songs, little else matters. And My Own Holiday has the ‘great originals’ category sewn up, with songs strikingly evocative of love, loss, hope, longing, sin and redemption – often in a single tune. My Own Holiday distills a large portion of the best that rock music has had to offer over the last half century into a compelling sound that is all their own. You could spend a lot of time picking out all the various influences, but in the end, it would be a pointless exercise, because My Own Holiday doesn’t really sound like anyone else. They’re an original band, with an original vision, and the only way to really ‘get’ them is to listen. That is most decidedly NOT a pointless exercise – in fact, it’s almost guaranteed to pay dividends. My Own Holiday - Reason to Bleed Click here

Walter Trout Announced Return To The Stage Following Recovery From Successful Liver Transplant

WALTER TROUT ANNOUNCES RETURN TO STAGE

FOLLOWING RECOVERY FROM SUCCESSFUL LIVER TRANSPLANT

Bluesman's First Appearance At Royal Albert Hall in London, U.K. On June 15

Trout Shares Heartfelt Appreciation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBZDTr_kbSA

Los Angeles, CA --- The day hundreds of thousands have waited for has arrived.  Walter Trout has announced his plans to return to stages across the globe in 2015. Following a liver transplant, and extensive rehabilitation, the esteemed Bluesman feels strong enough to resume his career of fifty plus years.  Trout shares, "The last year has been one where the blues truly came calling, and I came face to face with death more than once. My wife moved me to Nebraska to improve my chances of getting a life-saving liver transplant, and after a long wait, I got my new liver on May 26^th, 2014. Since then I have been filled with immense gratitude. Gratitude for the fans who supported me via fundraisers, cards, messages, thoughts and prayers, for the donor and his or her family, for medical science, for my family, and for life itself. Everything matters more to me now.  Now, 8 months after my transplant I feel like a new man. I have strength and energy. In some ways I feel like I am in my 20’s again! The past couple of years of playing I was getting dizzy spells, severe cramps in my hand and forearm and played many shows in severe pain. It turns out that was a result of my deteriorating liver. That is gone now! I am able to play better than I have in years. I feel reborn. I cannot wait to get back out on the road again and do what I love to do for my fans. The future looks great!”

Walter Trout will make appearances across Europe and North America in the coming months.  His first public appearance will take place on June 15 in London at the Royal Albert Hall.  The appearance is part of Lead Belly Fest (http://www.leadbellyfest.com/).  Additionally, Trout will take the stage for the first in North America at a venue where he has long history - The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, CA on July 10.  His itinerary is a work in progress with dozens of additional dates planed for 2015.  Confirmed appearances include:

6/15     London, UK                                                   Royal Albert Hall

7/10     San Juan Capistrano, CA                                The Coach House

7/21     Davenport, IA                                                 Redstone Room

7/23     Sioux City, IA                                                Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

7/25     St. Paul, MN                                                   Lowertown Blues Festival

7/31     Norfolk, CT                                                    Infinity Music Hall

8/01     Wilmington, DE                                              Riverfront Blues Festival

8/02     Annapolis, MD                                               Ram's Head

8/04     New York, NY                                               B.B. King's

8/07     Niagara Falls, NY                                           Bear's Den @ Seneca Casino

8/08     Wheeling, WV                                                Heritage Blues Festival

8/14     Chicago, IL                                                     Buddy Guy's Legends

8/15     Wausau, WI                                                    Big Bull Falls Blues Festival

9/10     Las Vegas, NV                                               Big Blues Bender

9/11     Las Vegas, NV                                               Big Blues Bender

11/17   Stockton, UK                                                  Arc

11/18   Glasgow, UK                                                  ABC

11/20   Holmfirth, UK                                                Picturedrome

11/21   London, UK                                                   Forum

11/24   Leamington Spa, UK                                      Assembly

11/25   Frome, UK                                                      Cheese & Grain

11/28   Amsterdam, Netherlands                                Carre

12/01   Hamburg, Germany                                        Fabrik

12/02   Berlin, Germany                                              Kesselhaus

12/03   Bochum, Germany                                          RuhrCongress

12/06   Munich, Germany                                           Feriheiz

Walter Trout's 2014 release THE BLUES CAME CALLIN' captured Trout reflecting on his omnipresent thoughts about mortality and his renewed appreciation for being alive.  Amongst the twelve new songs, ten are originals.  One is written by John Mayall for the occasion, and the other is a J.B. Lenoir cover. Trout searches his soul on this album and lays it bare allowing the celebration of his career to be infused with new appreciation for life.  THE BLUES CAME CALLIN'  was produced by Walter Trout and Eric Corne.  An EPK can be screened here: http://youtu.be/btiS6ijncMk.

In 2014, Mascot Label Group's Provogue Records reissued multiple titles from Trout's career, presented a career spanning documentary, and released an official biography Rescued From Reality - The Life and Times of Walter Trout.  Co-written with British music journalist Henry Yates, the manuscript features previously untold stories, and is packed with rare photographs from the Trout's personal archive. It documents an initially blissful childhood, shattered by divorce, abuse, and violence.  As the story unfolds, it leads us through Walter’s life of heartache, poverty, living on the street and being “the only white guy” struggling in famous blues bands in LA in the late 1970’s.  Walter reflects on his time in the 1980’s when nobody cared to hear the blues, to being “discovered” and having long-time gigs as a hard-playing and hard-drinking and drugging globetrotting sideman with Canned Heat and John Mayall.  The book chronicles how Walter eventually became drug-free, broke out on his own and embarked on a solo career in 1989.

In 2014 Walter Trout shared, "To play my music for people has become even more important to me.  When I think about looking out into the crowds of people and connecting with everyone on a soul level, and sharing the experience of music with them, this is what keeps me fighting to get back: My family and my music is my lifeline.  These days, it means more to me than ever before."

Shanachie/Yazoo Records artist: The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band - So Delicious - New Release Review

I just received the newest release (February 17, 2015), So Delicious, from the Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band and is quirky and cool. Opening with stripped down rocker, Let's Jump A Train it has the makings of classic rocker Born To Be Wild. With a driving rimshot by Birddog Bussell and rocking guitar riffs by Rev Peyton, this track rocks. Pot Roast and Kisses has a twist of country rock and a lighter touch but still a bright vibrancy with a rolling finger style guitar riff by the Rev. Dirt has a gritty, swampy feel ... a modern blues style. I really like Peyton's vocals on this track which he also nicely compliments with his slide work. This is one of my favorites on the release. Raise A Little Hell is a foot stompin' raw, sliding track with military like cadence drumming by Bussell and washboard by Breezy Peyton. Very cool! Scream At The Night is a rambling country blues style track with really nicely articulated acoustic guitar, harp and percussion. Peyton harmonizes nicely with Breezy and Bussell. A strong track with a catchy melody with strong cross air potential. Hell Naw has strong blues roots and nice acoustic slide work. Peyton shows strong vocal control and accompanying himself on harp and slide this is a cool track. Front Porch Trained is another track with a really stripped down feel. With thin slide guitar work and minimal percussion accompaniment, this track really captures the feel of hill country blues. Sweet. Picking Paw Paws is a really simplified blues track with finger picked guitar, washboard and minimal drums. Primitive blues in modern times. We Live Dangerous is a hot slide number with a lot of oomph. Peyton drives this train with his relentless slide style and Bussell just sits on the beat pushing him the entire way. Excellent! You're Not Rich has some of the nicest resonator work on the release with a lonesome sound and nice melody. Wrapping the release is Music and Friends with a nod to Libba Cotten. A nice rolling finger picking riff and snappy drum work complimented by Peyton and friends on vocal makes for a consistent conclusion to a pretty cool release.  

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”

 

Kubek-King ablum debuts on Billboard chart

KUBEK & KING RELEASE DEBUTS ON BILLBOARD CHART! "Fat Man's Shine Parlor" at #11 in First Week! The new Blind Pig release from celebrated guitar tandem Smokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King - Fat Man's Shine Parlor - debuted at #11 on this week's Billboard blues sales chart. Besides fans at retail, the album is being well received by critics and radio programmers.  Living Blues magazine said, "For a heavy dose of heavy-hitting Texas blues-rock, a visit to Fat Man's Shine Parlor is definitely in order." Blues Blast magazine added, "The new album finds Kubek and King doing what they do best, rocking out in Texas roadhouse style on a series of tough blues, boogies and rockers...another solid album with much to enjoy." At radio, the release was #7 on the Roots Music Report's Blues Radio chart, and jumped into the Top 20 on Living Blues' radio chart for January, despite being released on February 3rd. Here are some of the comments from radio programmers: “This is a very cool release.  These guys continue to set the bar with solid guitar based groovy blues.  – Brian Bourgoin (WCNI-FM ) “They never seem to stray from the great standard they have set of gritty vocals and power guitars. ” – Ray Hansen (BOB FM ) “They consistently provide a wonderful sound of the blues, that triggers strong feelings, with wonderful and solid lyrics.”   - Emm Thurston ( WVBR-FM ) “LOVE IT.  Will be playing it for several months. Great stuff!  – Richard Skelly (WRSU- FM) “I began playing it last week and I will continue playing it until the day I die.”                                                                       - John Gorny (WPNA- AM ) Kubek and King are a dynamic musical tour de force, with Joe's flame-throwing guitar work complemented by Bnois' cool, jazz-inflected playing and soulful vocals.  Their incendiary live shows feature two top flight guitarists intuitively locked in with each other and backed by a firepower rhythm section, making for a powerful and irresistible combination. Upcoming shows: March 6 Phoenix, AZ The Rhythm Room March 7 Tucson, AZ Boondocks Lounge March 8 Long Beach, CA Malarkey's Grill March 9 Tarzana,CA Maui Sugar Mill Saloon March 11 San Francisco, CA Biscuits and Blues March 14 Milwaukie, OR Winter Blues Festival March 15 Seattle, WA Highway 99 Blues Club April 1 Kansas City, MO BB's Lawnside BBQ April 2 Sioux City, IA Hard Rock Hotel & Casino April 9 Monroe, LA Bleu Bayou Harley Davidson Bike Rally April 18 Erie, PA Get The Winter Blues Out April 21 Del Ray Beach, FL Boston's On The Beach April 24 Goodland, FL Little Bar Restaurant April 25 Sarasota, FL Suncoast Blues Society April 27 Pensacola, FL Seville Quarter