Dale Watson joins ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live tonight at SXSW; announces new album

DALE WATSON   Red House/Ameripolitan Records to release "Call Me Insane" on June 9 Catch Dale TONIGHT sitting in with Cleto & the Cletones on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live  NPR includes Watson’s "I Lie When I Drink" on podcast of SxSW artists to see Dale's complete SxSW schedule announced     Austin, TX:  Dubbed "the silver pompadoured, baritone beltin', Lone Star beer drinkin', honky-tonk hellraiser" by The Austin Chronicle, Austin's hometown hero Dale Watson is announcing the release of his new studio album, Call Me Insane.  The album was recorded in Austin with veteran producer Lloyd Maines (Robert Earl Keen, Jerry Jeff Walker) and will be released on June 9 in North America via Red House/Ameripolitan Records on CD, digital, and vinyl.  Watson is the torchbearer for "real" country music and has christened his brand of American roots music “Ameripolitan” to differentiate it from the current crop of Nashville-based pop country. Embracing Honky-tonk, Outlaw, Texas Swing and Rockabilly, Dale is a direct musical descendent of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard and all the great Texas roots artists. Dale’s song “I Lie When I Drink” was featured on NPRs All Songs Considered’s podcast of SxSW artists that they're excited to see and Dale has a full SxSW schedule, including an appearance TONIGHT on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live from SxSW when he’ll join the JKL house band Cleto and the Cletones broadcasting live from SxSW. The show will air this evening on ABC; check here for regional stations and air times: http://abc.go.com/shows/jimmy-kimmel-live. Dale will also MC the first SxSW “Ameripolitan” showcase featuring the best of Rockabilly, Texas Swing, Outlaw Country and Honky-tonk music. (Scroll down for a complete SxSW schedule and tour dates.)   Album highlights include “Jonesin’ For Jones,” a love song to the music of the legendary George Jones; “A Day At A Time,” a song about "getting by by barely getting by";  “Call Me Insane,” the album’s moody title track; “Bug Ya For Love,” a fun warning to all the single ladies;  “Mamas Don’t Let Your Cowboys Grow Up To Be Babies” is the only cover song on the album (written by Tony Joe White/Ed and Sally Bruce) and yes, it is an answer song to the Waylon Jennings/Willie Nelson hit. “Crocodile Tears” is a tear-in-your-beer country song that sounds like an instant classic and “Burden Of The Cross” reveals Watson’s serious side.   Call Me Insane was recorded in Austin by Watson and his ace touring band, “His Lone Stars”: Don Pawlak (pedal steel), Mike Bernal (drums & percussion), and Chris Crepps (upright bass & background vocals). Dale plays electric guitar throughout. They were joined in the studio by Danny Levin on piano,  Jon Blondell (trombone), Joey Colarusso (saxophone), and Ricky White (trumpet), aka the Honky-tonk horn section. “Doing over 300 shows a year and a plethora of recording projects through the years, the Lone Stars are a part of me as much as my right hand, he says. "They know what I want them to play on my songs before I even know.” Maines also added acoustic guitar as well as production ideas.   “Having known Lloyd over 20 years and worked with him as a musician, I knew he was a great guy and picker," Watson says. "But having Lloyd produce your record is like letting your mom in your kitchen. You know you gonna like what comes out and it's amazing how such basic ingredients can be made even better. He is an artists' artist.”   The admiration is mutual. "I've been a Dale Watson fan since I played steel guitar on some of his early records," Maines says of the sessions. "My early musical influences are the same as Dale's. We both grew up playing 'real' country music. Dale is one of a very short list of today's artists who still keeps it 'real country.' I'm honored that he asked me to produce his new record. I think he knew that I would maintain the integrity of his passion for the music."    Since the release of El Rancho Azul in 2013, Watson’s profile has risen considerably via appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman (CBS), PBS series Austin City Limits and The Sun Sessions, and trading quips as a guest on NPR’s Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me. A veteran touring artist, he and His Lone Stars work hard, performing over 300 shows a year. Watson 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).  If not on the road, he and His Lone Stars perform at one of them each Sunday. Already in 2015, Watson was part of The BADDEST of the BAD Tour with the Reverend Horton Heat and has recorded segments for Sirius XM Outlaw Country, NPR’s Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour, Music City Roots, and NPR Mountain Stage. A national tour to support the record’s release will begin in late June.    The Alabama-born, Texas-raised Watson may be the hardest working entertainer today and is rapidly  approaching legendary status.  He carries the weight of his love for Ameripolitan music proudly on his shoulders and tirelessly spreads its gospel.  Call Me Insane is a well crafted example of an artist at the top of his game, having fun with every living moment of life’s experiences with a focus on that of the honky-tonks.  It’s the soundtrack of dance halls and beer joints - places Watson loves.  But beware, he lies when he drinks…   www.DaleWatson.com www.facebook.com/Official-Dale-Watson www.twitter.com/TheDaleWatson www.Ameripolitan.com www.twitter.com/ameripolitan   RECENT KIND WORDS: "I am Dale Watson's biggest fan." - Willie Nelson   “Country music’s a crazy, gold-diggin’ whore, and Dale Watson wants a divorce.”  - The Austin Chronicle    “Watson plays genuine roots music that would do Hank proud.  And Watson is proud to spread the word about keeping it real with the Ameripolitan Music Awards, named after the term he coined to describe American roots music.  The awards recognize artists whose work hours roots traditions  without conforming to the current watered-down definitions of ‘country’ music.” - KUTX   “Graced with a deep, fluid George Jones-ish voice, Watson was mesmerizing, whether making fun of The Voice’s faux-country judge on “Old Fart (Song For Blake)” or simmering through a train-chugging original such as “My Baby Makes Me Gravy.” - The Philadelphia Inquirer    “Nothing else is Dale Watson.  In he strode in a long black Cash-worthy coat with long leather cuffs and a tux shirt.  His white hair was ship’s prow, or perhaps a mighty iceberg.  And his Telecaster guitar, festooned with silver coins of every size and denomination, glinted in the footlights.  All through, Dale’s banter was loose and wry.  His guitar tone was just platonically perfect.  And his band, notably Don Pawlak on pedal steel, cohered into the very essence of country music.” - Music City Roots     “To call Dale Watson’s music country is like calling Ray Charles’ music soul ... both have an air of authenticity that transcends genres and demands that they be put into a class of one.  Ray Charles is gone, but you can see Dale Watson…"-  The Troy Record    "...he proved that he is the real deal,  and when it comes to tradition, sometimes you can't get too much of a good thing."   - Country Standard Time    "This songwriter prides himself on crafting authentic, old-school country music, which he does quite masterfully.  Watson definitely nails the old-school country star persona." - No Country For New Nashville    " He’s spent the past two decades proving there are still powerful tales to be told from the honky-tonk pulpit, and he's brought that message to the faithful.” - The Nashville Scene   For Dale’s full tour schedule, please visit www.dalewatson.com or www.redhouserecords.com.    DALE AT SXSW 2015:   WED 3/18 Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) - taping from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm; a limited number of tickets are available,  http://sxsw.com/jimmy-kimmel-live-austin    Austin, TX @ The Saxon Pub/Ameripolitan Official SXSW Showcase - evening Dallas Wayne (8pm) Earl Poole Ball (8:35pm) Rosie Flores (9:10 pm)  Mark Stuart (from The Bastard Sons Of Johnny Cash - 9:45pm) Ray Benson (of Asleep At The Wheel - 10:20pm) Amber Digby (10:55pm) Jesse Dayton (11:30pm) Bill Kirchen (12:05am) Suzy Boggus (12:40am) - doing a set of Merle Haggard songs backed by The Lone Stars Dale Watson & His Lone Stars, (1:15am) finale w/anyone left standing (1:40am)   TH 3/19 Austin, TX @ The Highball - 8pm KDRP Live At Mercado - 5pm Austin, TX @ Holy Mountain/Atomic Music Group Official SXSW Showcase - midnight   FR 3/20 Austin, TX @ The Broken Spoke - 9:30pm Atomic Music Group Day Party @ C-Boys Heart & Soul- 3pm  Sirius XM Outlaw Country w/Mojo Nixon  - 5 pm   SA 3/21 Luckenbach, TX @ Luckenbach Dance Hall - 12:30pm Mason, TX @ The Odeon Theater - 7pm   SU 3/22 Austin, TX @ The Little Longhorn Saloon (Chicken $#!+ Bingo)   ABOUT DALE WATSON Dale Watson is a honky tonk hero and country music maverick, a true outlaw carrying on where Waylon Jennings left off. A member of the Austin Music Hall of Fame, he stands alongside Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and George Strait as one of the finest country singers and songwriters from the Lone Star State.   Although Dale has made his name as a Texas artist, he actually was born in Alabama. Moving to Houston as a teenager, his musical journey began right out of high school as he started playing clubs and local honky-tonks. In 1988, it led him to move to Los Angeles on the advice of rockabilly singer-guitarist Rosie Flores. He played in the house band at the legendary Palomino Club in Hollywood for a couple years and recorded a few singles before moving to Nashville to write songs for a publishing company run by Gary Morris (writer of such country/pop hits as “The Wind Beneath My Wings”). Commercial country did not fit the fiercely independent songwriter so Dale relocated to Austin, Texas where he got a record deal and wrote several songs poking fun at the industry side of Nashville, including “Nashville Rash” from his Hightone debut Cheatin’ Heart Attack and “A Real Country Song” from his 1996 follow-up Blessed or Damned.    After making three albums with Hightone, Dale released The Trucking Sessions on Koch Records in 1998. Including 14 original driving songs, the album received high praise and caused critics to compare him to chart-topping writer Red Simpson, who was responsible for some of the most iconic trucking tunes in country music.   Just two years after this success, Dale’s fiancee died in a car accident. As chronicled in the Zalman King documentary Crazy Again (2006), he turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with her loss and nearly died of an overdose. Dale then checked himself into a mental institution and left a year later, releasing his tribute album to her called Every Song I Write Is For You (2001). After recording a few more albums, he decided to take a break from touring and moved to Maryland to be closer to his daughters.   Back in Texas and on the road in 2006, Dale has been trucking ever since, touring around the world and acting in films (The Thing Called Love, On the Borderline), on television (Friday Night Lights) and most recently, on stage in Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, a southern gothic musical by Stephen King and John Mellencamp . His rumbling baritone has also been heard on commercials for Shell, Monster.com and On the Border Restaurants.   Dale signed with Red House Records in 2011 to release his 20th album called The Sun Sessions. Hailed as “one of the best country albums of the year” (Atlanta Journal Constitution), it was recorded at Memphis’ legendary Sun Studios with The Texas Two (bassist Chris Crepps and drummer Mike Bernal) in the stripped-down style of Johnny Cash’s earliest recordings. He followed this with El Rancho Azul, 14 fresh honky-tonk originals about marriage, heartbreak and honkytonkin'.”

The Nighthawks Invite You to a "Back Porch Party" with Their New CD Release, Coming April 21 on EllerSoul Records

The Nighthawks Invite You to a Back Porch Party with Their New CD Release, Coming April 21 on EllerSoul Records

America’s Seminal Roots Music Band Continues to Deliver the Goods 

WASHINGTON, DC – The Nighthawks, America’s seminal roots music band, are throwing a Back Porch Party on their new EllerSoul Records CD, coming April 21, and everyone’s invited. Following up the critical success of their 2014 label debut CD, 444, the Washington, DC-based quartet of Mark Wenner (harmonica/vocals), Paul Bell (guitar/vocals), Johnny Castle (bass/vocals) and Mark Stutso (drums/vocals) once again show that they can deliver the goods on a disc that’s destined to become a perennial favorite all around the world.

Recorded “Live and Acoustic” at Montrose Studio in Richmond, Virginia, the Blues Music Award-winning Nighthawks showcase an even-dozen set list of songs that run the gamut of roots music, touching all bases with excursions into blues, soul, rock ‘n’ roll, roadhouse country and rhythm and blues, all the while demonstrating that you don’t have to plug in to get electrified!

Along with five original songs from the band’s members, Back Porch Party includes scintillating covers of compositions by Muddy Waters (a band tradition), Lightnin’ Slim, Willie Dixon, Ike Turner and Jimmy Rogers, among others. Bandstand favorite “Down in the Hole” (the theme from the acclaimed TV series, “The Wire”) and “Walkin’ after Midnight,” a song immortalized by country great Patsy Cline, are just two tracks that demonstrate the breadth of The Nighthawks college of American musical knowledge, both live and in the studio.

“It started with a memorial service,” recalls founding member Mark Wenner about the genesis of the band doing acoustic recordings. “Thirty years after the robbery/murder of Daniel ‘Duke’ Hope, an old friend of the early band, the victim's mother asked the boys to play graveside. At first, it appeared to be a complicated situation: How to get electricity to the site.  However, since the participants were few in number, it was decided to play with a single snare drum, an upright bass, an acoustic guitar and harmonica, and the vocals would be straight into the air. It worked. After watching a video of the service, the band decided to try this format in smaller venues with tiny stages with minimal amplification. It worked. People even danced.”

Wenner goes on to explain how that unplugged path would lead The Nighthawks to some glorious results. “When Bill Wax, then head honcho at Sirius/XM's Bluesville Channel, heard about the occasional acoustic Nighthawks, he invited the band into their D.C. studios to record a couple of tunes for their homemade blues jam segments. With very sympathetic engineering, The Nighthawks knocked out an album's worth of mostly traditional blues in a couple of hours. A week later, Bill presented the band with a wonderfully mixed digital master with permission to use. Last Train to Bluesville was born. It went on to garner a surprising amount of national airplay and win the band's first Blues Music Award in Memphis in May 2011. It also helped put the band back into the national spotlight, and they followed with their first Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise performances and two successful subsequent releases, Damn Good Time and 444.”

After two solid, critically acclaimed electric recordings, The Nighthawks decided to go back to the unplugged route on their new CD. “Although the band mostly continues its amplified style, they are quick to take advantage of situations that warrant the acoustic format,” says Wenner. “Having enjoyed both the sound and father/son team of engineers in Montrose Studio in Richmond, Virginia, and mixing some acoustic numbers into the material on our 444 album, it seemed like the perfect place for another unplugged recording.  The band and EllerSoul execs also invited a small group of sympathetic listeners in for the recording session. The resulting totally live performance was captured by Bruce and Adrian Olsen and quickly mixed into this presentation of a truly fun event, a BACK PORCH PARTY.”  

True “road warriors,” The Nighthawks are booked by Blue Mountain Artists (www.bmatours.com). The band plans to continue their endless touring throughout the spring, summer, fall and winter in support of Back Porch Party. To download a hi-res color photo of
The Nighthawks, click on this link: http://www.markpuccimedia.com-Nighthawks-PR-Photo.jpg

For more information on the band, visit www.thenighthawks.com.

THE NIGHTHAWKS TOUR ITINERARY

3/20                       Benji’s Bluesdongle                                                                        New Smyrna, FL

3/21                       Buckingham Blues Bar                                                                    Ft. Myers, FL

3/22                       Funky Biscuit                                                                                      Boca Raton, FL

3/26                       Bradfordville Blues Club                                                                Tallahassee, FL

3/27                       Blind Willie’s                                                                                       Atlanta, GA

3/28                       Double Door Inn                                                                               Charlotte, NC

4/4                         The Hamilton                                                                                     Washington, DC

4/10                       Garfield Center for the Arts @ Prince Theatre                    Chestertown, MD

4/11&4/12           Ramshead on Stage                                                                        Annapolis, MD

4/17                       Harvester Performance Center                                                 Rocky Mount, VA

4/24                       Godfrey Daniels                                                                               Bethlehem, PA

4/25                       World Café Live @ the Queen                                                    Wilmington, DE

5/1                         The Tin Angel                                                                                     Philadelphia, PA

Additional dates forthcoming ….

Bob Lanza, Steve Krase Team at Blues Bash

Bob Lanza, Steve Krase Team at Blues Bash

Joe Hirsh Productions Presents Centenary Blues Bash Teaming Again: Bob Lanza, Steve Krase The folks at Joe Hirsh Productions have out done themselves again as the 6th annual Blues Bash rolls around this coming weekend. This year's event includes two blues stars that have witnessed phenomenal growth in 2014 and their individual successes continue to follow them as they move along into 2015.  Bob Lanza is the New Jersey hometown bluesman and blues rocker Steve Krase is traveling to Hackettstown from his home base of Houston, Texas to join Bob on stage.  Steve Krase commented, "Man, playing with Bob and his band gets me really fired up, these guys are real pros and they deliver the blues.  I guarantee you the place will be smokin..." There is a complete entertainment bill booked by Joe Hirsh Productions that will knock your socks off.  Here is what the Centenary Stage Company shares: The 6th Annual Blues Bash blends Blues, Americana, and other styles of music in a two - night extravaganza that is a real treat for music lovers.  This year's Bash features the Godfather of Americana, David Bromberg and his Quintet, Award - winning Todd Wolfe Blues Band with John Ginty, The Bob Lanza Band and MULEBONE! If you can still get a ticket you may want to go to this one!   http://www.centenarystageco.org/ To learn more about Bob Lanza and Steve Krase - For Bob - http://www.boblanzabluesband.com/ For Steve - http://www.stevekrase.com/

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Bob Lanza from the wilds of north New Jersey leaves no doubt as to motivation with a scorching second release Steve Krase's latest release climbed to number three on Billboard's Blues Album chart in 2014 and remains highly acclaimed by the press.  Buckle Up is worth the listen

Blowin' Smoke's Big 20th Birthday Bash Blowout at the Beach - You're Invited!

      

                                                

    Announcing Blowin' Smoke's Big 20th Birthday Bash Blowout

 At Harvelle's...And You're Invited!

Saturday, March 28, 2015 from 9:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m.

Blowin' Smoke Rhythm & Blues Revue Band Leader Larry "Fuzzy" Knight Proudly Fronts The Same 11-Piece Ensemble He First Started In 1995

    

  (Santa Monica, CA) - On Saturday, March 28, from 9:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m., there's going to be a huge 20th Birthday Bash Blowout presented by, and featuring, Larry "Fuzzy" Knight's Blowin' Smoke Rhythm & Blues Revue featuring The Fabulous Smokettes, at that Bastion of Blues by the beach, Harvelle's, located at 1432 4th St., in Santa Monica. Admission is $10. Info: (310) 395-1676 or http://santamonica.harvelles.com .

Do You Remember Where You Were & What You Were Doing In 1995, The Year Blowin' Smoke First Formed & Started Playing Live in SoCal?

  Two decades ago - 1995, to be exact - a gallon of gasoline was $1.09, a dozen eggs were 87 cents, postage stamps were 32 cents each, and the average cost of a new car was $15,500.00. Also that year, longtime Southern California musician Larry "Fuzzy" Knight formed the Blowin' Smoke Rhythm & Blues Revue, a unique, multi-instrumental band with a big lineup and an even larger sound, augmented by three superb female vocalists collectively known as The Smokettes.  Their debut album "Beyond The Blues Horizon" was hailed by the L.A. Times, L.A. Weekly, Music Connection and more for it's smart blend of blues, R&B, and soul, utilization of a rich-sounding horn ensemble and of course, those ever-present Smokettes on vocals.

  Two decades later, much has changed (especially those aforementioned prices!). but one thing has remained constant - Knight and Blowin' Smoke are still going strong, entertaining audiences at festivals and better nightclubs throughout the Southland, often accompanied onstage by renowned guest musicians. "Blowin' Smoke conveys a welcome reminder to all people with a beating heart that putting a full horn section in front of a smoking rhythm section, then layering three charismatic and powerful vocalists on top of that - all live and at the same time - is music at its most enriching," writes MUSIC CONNECTION. "Bandleader Larry "Fuzzy" Knight reminds all of us in the modern technological era that real people with real instruments and real personalities are playing music that hits the gut and forces the knees to bend."

  Knight - whose impressive musical resume' includes a decade-plus stint as bassist for one of the great SoCal bands to emerge from the psychedelic era of the Sixties, Spirit - recently announced the addition of a new member to the Blowin’ Smoke lineup, Don Preston.  Preston is a former original member of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention and co-founder of the “GrandMothers”, of which he recorded a total of thirty-plus albums.

  

                            www.blowinsmokeband.com

              https://www.facebook.com/blowinsmokeband

Larry "Fuzzy" Knight Interview - Orange County Blues Society

Beyond The Blues Horizon - CD Review (BMans Blues Report)

Live Show Review - Los Angeles Beat

Larry "Fuzzy" Knight Feature - The Argonaut

Shaun Murphy - Loretta - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, Loretta, from Shaun Murphy and it's real romper. Opening with Don't Lie to Me, Murphy kicks out the stops with a high strung two stepper. Her vocals are solid and tight. Jack Pearson really winds the slide guitar up on this track with a country blues flavor. With a little funk in the mix, I Pity The Fool comes high stepping in. Rob McNelley throws down some hot lead guitar riffs and Murphy is on top of her game vocally backed by Mark T Jordan on keys Randy Coleman on bass and George Lilly on drums. Sultry, Kiss Me Like Whiskey, is a sweet track to show off Murphy's vocal style. Echoed by Pearson on lead guitar this track should have a lot of radio appeal. Title track, Loretta, has a rolling train country like feel with Pearson reinforcing train whistle sound effects on his slide. Very cool! Slow ballad, Strange Life, is well constructed and performed. Jimi Fiano screams out a real hot guitar solo on this track setting the tension. Hard Working Man is a hard driving track with a high tension solo by McNelley. This is one of my favorite tracks on the release with Murphy driving the train at high speed. Big Train Stops At Memphis opens with a flame thrower of a guitar opener from Fiano. A country two stepper, Murphy has a great feel in this groove (think Tulsa Time). Should Be Hard To Love You is a rockin boogie with Murphy playing lead vocals against Pearson's stinging guitar lead. Careful They Say shows a particularly warm vocal blenind between Murphy, Randy Coleman and Matt Workman. Larry Van Loon adds strong keyboard riffs to the track and Fiano knows just how to punch up the track on guitar. Very crisp. Go Away, another boogie track sets a nice bar lead by Coleman on bass and Pearson stabs a hot poker in just where it's needed. Murphy is always on top but gives the instrumentalists space for the music to breathe. Nice! The slinky, 24 Hours From Memphis, has a strong melody and could easily be a radio hit with a strong Robert Cray R&B blues style. Possibly the strongest effort by Murphy, this track is tight! Wrapping the release is Bettye Crutcher's How Strong Is A Woman, a straight up R&B rocker. With a Memphis strut, this track is an excellent closer for the release with a feel good groove.

  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”

 

Benny Turner heads to SXSW

Ghost Town Blues Band - Hard Road To Hoe - New Release review

I just received the newest release, Hard Road To Hoe from Ghost Town Blues Band and I really like it. Opening with title track, Hard Road To Hoe, lead singer and guitar player sets up the track. With a loose slide vamp on cigar box he is backed by Preston Ewing on drums, Jeremy Powell on piano and Alex Piazza. Unexpected texture added by Suavo Jones on trombone and Richie Hale on tenor sax tips a great opener. Up next is boogie track Big Shirley with all of the fire of Jerry Lee Lewis from Powell on piano. A real rowdy rocker, this track cooks with a nice flash of electric guitar from Isbell to boot! Tip Of My Hat has a Rumba rhythm with Isbell, McEwen and Vicki Loveland on vocal. Super showman Brandon Santini steps up his crankin harp adding a nice bite to this track. Very cool! Santini takes the one leads on vocal on My Doggy, an easy walker with a clever story. Marry Dog Isbell adds an authentic howl to the track and Santini is also in on harp but the horns on this track shine instrumentally. On old time rag track, My Handy Man, the horns get together for a really hot Dixieland blowout. One of my favorite intro's on the release. Hate To See Her Go is a cool R&B/blues track with that clever play on words "I hate to see her go, but I love to see (watch) her walk away". Jones, Hale and Isbell each take hot solo's on this track making it one of my favorites on the release. Tied My Worries To A Stone has a cocky strut and Isbell's vocal/guitar interface is terrific on this track tightly reinforced by McEwen. Dead Sea is a gritty ballad with just a touch of country. Although easy on the slide work, this track puts me in minde of one of my old favorites, The Ballad of Curtis Lowe. Very nice! Nothing But Time travels into Gary Moore or Bonamassa territory with a slow screaming blues track. This has got to be the crowd favorite with a classic blues buildup and screaming guitar retort to a gritty but solid vocal melody. Powell on B3 adds a real nice tension to the track as well. Driving blues rocker, Dime In The Well, has vocal and guitar paired in a hard drive with MeEwen and Piazza chasing. Solid! Seventeen is totally different from the balance of the release but I really like it. Sounding like it was written to be a hit but with enough instrumental sophistication and guitar riffs that it attracts my attention with it's overall musical power and sting. Excellent! Road Still Drives The Same has an easy, JJ Cale like approach but with slick clean slide guitar work by Isbell and B3 by Powell. A well written and performed release that is quite interesting to listen to. Check it out!

  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”

 

Blues Condition - Moon Over Main Street - New Release review

I just received the newest release, Moon Over Main Street, from Blues Condition and they have put together quite an enjoyable release. Opening with Done Somebody Wrong, an old Elmore James track made popular by the Allmans but with more of an early british sound, this track sounds fresh. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Don't She Look Good, is a old NRBQ track and has that great snappy rock feel. Excellent! Tampa Red track, It Hurts Me Too, gets a bit of a R&B blues flavor and I think that it really takes on a new feel. Most every serious blues band has covered this track but I think that this particular arrangement is just different. Lucky Star, written by Larry Benade, lead singer and guitar player, backed by Bruce Thomas on vocal and bass and Kenny Gott on drums has a rockin' country feel. Robert Johnson's If I Had Posession Over Judgement Day gets a Muddy Waters, Rollin' and Tumblin' feel and Benade rides the slide nicely. Willie Dixon track, Howlin' For My Baby gets a cool rockin' twist with a simple guitar riff. Very Cool! John Lee Hooker's Dimples gets a bit more sophistication than originally by Hooker with chorded rhythm lines. I like this take on the track giving it a real guitar workout. Stepping into a jazz type mode without playing out the full chords gives it a nice touch. Chuck Berry's Oh What A Thrill seems a natural for this band with it's simple 3 piece attack and raw feel. The guitar soloing has a more controlled Keith style than all out Chuck flair. Another cool track. Eddie Boyd's Five Long Years takes BC into it's first slower blues venture on this release and they make good use of the time. Benade has a voice that is well suited for a track like this and he shows his blues chops without getting out too far. Nice job. Fairport Convention's One More Chance gets a redo that has the flavor of SRV or Chris Duarte. I like their spunk laying this track out flat. Nice! Brian Adler's Any Ordinary Man maintains a stable rock beat for a simple radio style track. Made Up My Mind, a track by one of my favorite old British blues bands, Savoy Brown, gets a great cover with a solid rhythm section and traditional guitar riffs. Ballad, How Do I Know, has a nice bluesy feel and solid guitar work. Nothing flashy but very solid. Older R&B track made popular by the Stones, Harlem Shuffle doesn't venture far from the path cut by Keith and Mick but it is very professionally done and enjoyable. The release is wrapped by a rockin' version of Jeannie & Jimmy Cheatham's Meet Me With Your Black Drawers On. A slice between Chuck Berry and ZZ Top, this is a great finisher.

  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”

 

Stevie J - Blues Fundraiser & Listening Party at Underground 119

"BACK TO THE BLUES" FUNDRAISER AND LISTENING PARTY FOR

STEVIE J, MISSISSIPPI'S BEST-KEPT SECRET@UNDERGROUND 119  THURSDAY, APRIL 2

   (JACKSON, MS) - Stevie J, "Mississippi's Best-Kept Secret", holds a Fundraiser and Listening Party for his upcoming album "Back To The Blues"  at Underground 119, 119 S. President St., Jackson, Thursday, April 2. Showtime: 7 p.m. Info: (601) 352-2322 or http://www.underground119.com/. 

  A Platinum Rewards package (sponsorship of $1,000 or more) receive Executive Producer credits on the album; personalized EP plaque; Stevie J Blues custom varsity jacket; special thank- you on the album's inner jacket sleeve; and four (4) VIP tickets to the Album Release Party. Sponsorships of $500. receive a personalized EP plaque; two (2) VIP tickets to the Album Release Party; and two (2) Stevie J Blues t-shirts. Sponsorships of $250. receive four (4) Stevie J Blues t-shirts and two (2) VIP Tickets to the Album Release Party. $100. Sponsorship = two t-shirts and four CD Release Party tickets. $50. Sponsorship = 1 t-shirt and two CD Release Party tickets. View the link here: https://www.fundme.com/en/projects/16145-help-us-keep-the-blues-alive.

  "We are compiling a crossover album with radio format-friendly music capable of breaking boundaries of airplay for the blues," explains Stevie J. "Back To The Blues" is a celebration of music to expose the blues in every musical genre we touch. Face it - you can't play any modern music without playing the Blues. We as blues lovers, especially those who are in the industry, must try to do a better job of properly exposing this music to the masses," he concludes.

    The goal of the fundraiser is $2,000.00 to fund the recording of Back To The Blues, which will consist of four new songs and two tracks from Stevie J's Unstoppable LP. "This money will guarantee the album's awareness through allowing us to hire both a radio (and) public relations team," he says.

  The tracks on Back to The Blues (with Stevie J comments on each one):  Come See Me ("swamp-stomp blues with a pop beat"); Another Jody Song ("urban blues that speaks of the old familiar character made famous by the late blues-man Johnnie Taylor, with an R&B feel and soulful Albert King-style guitar"); Son Of A Saintified Preacher ("story of a conversation I had with my father. Cross of ZZ Top's 'La Grange' and John Lee Hooker's 'Boom Boom'"). Miss Apple Cheeks ("authentic New Orleans Second Line that captures the essence of that era); Down Hom People ("Soul, gospel, and blues at it's best. A song about Southern culture...from fish frys to backyard barbecues, horse rides to hog maul").

            

                         STEVIE J BLUES - SOME BACKGROUND

  Already hailed as the new face of the Delta Blues, Stevie J is well on his way to capturing the crown of Southern Soul as well. He is a supremely confident vocalist and skilled guitarist capable of wringing every nuance from any lyric in any genre. Yet Stevie J remains humble and true to his first love: The Blues. The son of pastor and native of Jackson, MS, Stevie J started his career in the gospel field playing for artists such as the Williams Brothers, The Five Blind Boys of Alabama, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, The Jackson Southernaires and the great Shirley Caesar, among others. Stevie J found his true calling when he teamed up with legends such as Bobby Rush, Pat Brown, Denise LaSalle and Shirley Brown. He recorded with Bobby Rush on the Folk Funk album and is also featured in the Martin Scorsese blues series, Live at Ground Zero. Stevie J has toured throughout Switzerland and France, performing at the Cognac Blues Festival. His talents have also taken him to Spain, Italy, Norway and Belgium. His album 2 Sides OF a Man featured the single “Because Of Me”, which reached #1 on the Southern Soul chart. Stevie J is also a yearly participant on the popular BB King All-Star Cruises, where he is the band's guitarist. 

                            

                             http://www.steviejmusic.com/

                                                             

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