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Taj Mahal & the Music Makers featuring Beverly "Guitar"
Watkins, Eddie Tigner, George Higgs, Albert White, Little Joe &
Mudcat! | |
| Fabulous Thunderbirds For the past 30 years, The Fabulous Thunderbirds have been the quintessential American band. The group's distinctive and powerful sound, influenced by a diversity of musical styles, manifested itself into a unique musical hybrid via such barnburners as "Tuff Enuff" and "Wrap It Up". Co-founder Kim Wilson, the sole original member; still spearheads the group as it evolves into its newest incarnation. | |
| Buckwheat Zydeco "Buckwheat leads one of the best party bands in America; he can pump out zydeco two-beats or shift into rolling 12-bar blues, steaming all the way." - The New York Times. Buck's First Studio Disc in Eight Years - "Jackpot!" - combines soulful original tunes, inspired playing and singing, and the trademark exuberance that's made him the world's best-loved zydeco artist, and has earned Buckwheat Zydeco the sobriquet "the world's greatest party band.” There's plenty of Buckwheat's signature accordion, and for the first time ever Buck specifically features his soulful mastery of the horizontal keyboard on a fantastic three-song Hammond B3 "Encore featuring Organic Buckwheat.” | |
| Mel Waiters Mel Waiters is one of today's most electrifying performers. His vocal style is classic soul. His fans are very committed and never miss a Mel Waiters show when he comes to town. The excitement that Mel creates at his concerts is like no other performer. Like the late, great Johnnie Taylor, Mel Waiters is an icon of the blues. Songs that he has written like, 'Hit It and Quit It', 'Suki Suki Man', and the ground breaking 'Hole In The Wall' have established a permanent place in the homes of blues lovers in the U. S. and abroad. His newly released 'A Nite Out' has been hailed as the most outstanding album of his career. "Hole In the Wall" Got My Whiskey," and "She Ain't Drunk" are siren songs for many women in the deep south. Waiters said, "I sing about real life from the experiences I've gone through and people respond because they've been through it too." Go to any juke joint, bar or house and if there is food, women and liquor flowing, yo can bet you'll hear these songs. | |
| Otis Clay Like most Blues vocalists, Otis Clay started in the Church. his first recordings were Gospel until a secular switch in 1964. His music always retained the Gospel tradition and spirit. Born in Mississippi, seasoned in Chicago, Clay's voice is a versatile Blues force. Gospel-trained Mississippi native who moved to Chicago as a youngster, recently released a rare new album, This Time Around (Bullseye Blues), which pairs him with Willie Mitchell, who produced most of Clay's output during his Hi Records glory years (1968-74). Clay joined the gospel/pop harmony group Blue Jay Quartet of Birmingham, and worked with a number of gospel groups in the late '50s and early '60s (by which time he was already known as one of the country's finest soul singers). Was a very influential R&B artist during the '60s and '70s -- hits like "That's How It Is (When You're in Love)" for the Chicago soul label One-derful and "Trying to Live My Life Without You" are monuments to the genre. | |
| Phantom Blues Band The Phantom Blues Band was formed as a studio band to backup Taj Mahal on his CD, 'Dancin' the Blues'. Having spent many years as part of the Texas blues community, the members of the Phantom Blues Band backed and recorded with many Texas blues greats including Stevie Ray Vaughan, Freddie King, Jimmy Reed, Albert Collins and Chicago legends Buddy Guy and Otis Rush. The Phantom Blues Band members are all in their own right successful session players, producers, arrangers, composers, songwriters and recording artists. The Phantom Blues Band are two time Grammy winners and 2001 W.C. Handy Award recipients as Band Of The Year with Taj Mahal. After circling the globe playing major Blues and Jazz Festivals in Europe, Japan and Australia with Taj Mahal, The Phantom Blues Band released their first CD, 'Limited Edition' in 2003. In spite of their busy individual schedules, The Phantom Blues Band members are making time to do more live dates. | |
| Tommy Castro Tommy Castro is pegged as the next big star of the blues. Long a favorite among Bay Area music fans, Castro has taken his music around the world and back again with a sheaf of praise from critics and old-time blues musicians alike. His music is a combination of soul-inflected rockers with the occasional slow blues or shuffle thrown into the mix to keep it honest. His vocals are laidback and always a hair behind the beat, while his scorching guitar tone is Stevie Ray Stratocaster-approved. Crossover success does not seem out of the question. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Castro started playing guitar at the tender age of ten. Initially inspired by Mike Bloomfield, Eric Clapton and Elvin Bishop, he started the inevitable journey into the roots of his heroes and discovered and quickly became enamored of B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Elmore James, Muddy Waters and Freddie King. His vocal styling came from constant listening to Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, James Brown and Otis Redding. | |
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Tab Benoit | |
| Commander Cody Band The band was first conceived in 1968, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but arrived in San Francisco in 1969, just in time to catch the tale end of the summer of love. They were 8 pieces strong, with the Commander himself (a.k.a. George Frayne) on the piano, 3 guitarists, fiddle/sax, pedal steel guitar, bass and drums - out of which 4 sang lead. The repertoire stretched from old time rock and roll; 20 FLIGHT ROCK, red neck country; TRUCK DRIVIN' MAN, boogie-woogie; BEAT ME DADDY 8 TO THE BAR, Cajun; DIGGY LIGGY LO, swing/jazz; and SMOKE, SMOKE, SMOKE THAT CIGARETTE. Eventually, they signed to Paramount Records, and the twangy HOT ROD LINCOLN was a runaway hit, reaching the top ten in 1972. A few more tunes breached the top 40 as they hit the concert trail, playing the legendary Fillmore Auditorium, and finding themselves on bills with the Grateful Dead, The Doors, The Jefferson Airplane, Alice Cooper, Led Zeppelin and The Eagles. They also backed up legends Gene Vincent, Link Wray and John Lennon. Later, their 1974 album "Live From Deep in the Heart of Texas" was named as one of Rolling Stones 100 Greatest of all time! Today the Commander Cody Band is closely knit with the legendary George Frayne a.k.a. "The Commander" (leader /keyboards/vocals), Steve Barbuto (drums/vocals), Rick Mullen (bass) and Mark Emerick on lead guitar and vocals. This new edition of the band harks back to the instrumental virtuosity and spontaneity of the original band. | |
| Little Charlie & The Nightcats Charlie Baty was born in Alabama in 1953, moved to California at the age of 8, and began playing harmonica at the age of 12. Fascinated by the sound of the harmonica and a chance gift of a classic record 'The Best of Little Walter', Charlie quickly learned harmonica well enough to front his own high-school band and compete in a few San Francisco Bay Area battle-of -the-bands. By the age of 18, while attending UC Berkeley, Charlie was performing in Bay Area blues clubs and happened to meet Rick Estrin through a mutual friend--harmonica player, Gary Smith. A few years later (in 1976), Rick Estrin telephoned Charlie and suggested forming a musical union and 'Little Charlie & the Nightcats' was born. Charlie switched from harmonica to guitar and Rick took over the singing and harmonica playing. In these early years 'Little Charlie and the Nightcats' backed up Big Mama Thornton, Tiny Powell, Charles Brown, Sonny Rhodes, Albert Collins, Floyd Dixon, John Lee Hooker, Gatemouth Brown, Pee Wee Crayton, in addition to performing their own shows at festivals. Little Charlie's guitar playing was recognized by Robert Cray in an early interview he did with Rolling Stone Magazine, and eventually the band signed with Alligator Records and released 'All the Way Crazy' in 1987. Charlie has recorded 10 records with Alligator, 3 records with John Hammond on Point Blank, and appeared as a guest on records by Joe Louis Walker, Kid Ramos, and others. | |
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Mitch Woods' Big Easy Boogie featuring New Orleans Legends Herb
Hardesty and the Blue Monday Horns, Reggie Houston, Brian "Breeze"
Cayolle, Tim Green, Mark Brooks, Jimmy Moliere & Bernard "Bunchie"
Johnson. | |
| Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials From smoking slide guitar runs to raw-boned Chicago shuffles to the deepest blues the five-foot-one-inch Lil' Ed and his blistering, road-tested band, the Blues Imperials, get wild and crazy every time they hit the stage. Between their wonderfully raucous music and Ed's flying leaps, his duck-walking through the audience and his sliding across the stage on his knees, it's no wonder The Boston Globe called Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials "the world's #1 house rocking band.” And his rags to riches story takes him from working in a car wash to entertaining thousands of fans all over the world. Lil' Ed Williams, although small in stature, is a true giant of the blues. On their new Alligator release, Get Wild!, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials get wild and then some, with all the band's legendary live energy captured on disc! Lil' Ed's raw, husky vocals and romping sizzling guitar playing, his half-brother, James "Pookie” Young's snapping bass, Mike Garrett's feral guitar workouts and Kelly Littleton's foot pounding drumming create a blues firestorm steeped in tradition. With the momentum from Ed's wild shows, the new album and an intense touring schedule, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials are wild and getting wilder, blazing a path from the Red Carpet Car Wash to the hearts and souls of blues fans all over the world. | |
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Sue Foley w/ JW Jones Band |
| Michael Burks Like a freight train rolling through the night, guitarist/vocalist Michael Burks plows through the blues with relentless power and a full head of steam. Combining his remarkable talent with an intense dedication to his craft, Michael has earned well-deserved national recognition and become one of the blues world"s fastest rising blues stars. Although he was a W.C. Handy Award nominee for Best New Artist 2000, Michael is a seasoned veteran in every sense. His first gig came at the age of six, when, during a family trip to southern Arkansas, the fledgling Burks took the stage with his cousin"s band and thrilled an unsuspecting audience. Today, each live performance is a testament to Michael"s thirty-plus years of playing the blues. His hard-driving fretwork and captivating showmanship have ignited a legion of fans, as audiences from coast to coast can"t help but jump on the Michael Burks train. | |
| Deanna Bogart Down Beat magazine describes Deanna Bogart as "an extravagant entertainer"-- and entertain is what Bogart does best. The Maryland-based blues and boogie pianist / saxophonist combines the energy of 1930's style boogie piano blues with contemporary blues sounds emanating from places like New Orleans, Chicago and Memphis. "The goal when we play live," says Bogart, "is to create a fusion of all these different musical styles with the blues and boogie genuinely at the core." Bogart has become much more than a splashy unforgettable performer– she has established herself as a unique artistic spirit. Bogart has appeared on stage with the likes of BB King, Brian Setzer, Buddy Guy, James Brown, Doctor John, They Might Be Giants, Spyro Gyra, Ray Charles, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, and the Neville Brothers. The recipient of no less than 20 Washington Area Music Awards–the "Wammies”–her most recent album, Timing is Everything, helped garner her five awards in one year, including Best Blues Vocalist, Best Group, Songwriter of the Year, Song of the Year, and Musician of the Year. Cashbox called Bogart a "butt-kickin' barrelhouse player that could give a good chase to old Jerry Lee." Blues Revue gushed that "A big part of what makes Deanna Bogart such a delight is her vivacious, charismatic live show. Whether displaying dazzling technical skills at the keyboard or playing soulful tenor sax, the ensemble sound Bogart and her band is skintight." | |
| Ruthie Foster Ruthie Foster’s songs are a remarkable hybrid of blues, gospel, roots and folk music rich with honest spirituality and emotion. Her simply amazing vocal abilities have critics comparing her to Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin. Ruthie’s passionate songs and scintillating live performances attract both the young and old for an uplifting experience of dancing, listening, laughing and even some crying; especially when Ruthie rounds out the joyous occasion with her versions of show-stopping gospel standards. Ruthie’s new international release “Stages” on Blue Corn Music is a collection of 14 songs recorded live in Austin, TX with Will Taylor and String’s Attached chamber ensemble at St. David’s Episcopal Church, Anderson Fair in Houston, TX and Club Passim in Boston, MA. The live performances include old favorites like “Crossover,” “Another Rain Song,” and “Real Love” as well as roof raising gospel standards “Death Came a Knockin’ (Travelin’ Shoes)” and “Walk On.” The CD finishes with the title cut to her breakthrough CD “Runaway Soul.” | |
| DuWayne Burnside DuWayne Burnside was born in the late sixties in Senatobia, Mississippi and grew up hearing his father, R.L. Burnside, and family, as well as neighbors play music; guitar driven Mississippi hill country blues. Along with his family and neighbors, the radio was another influence on Duwayne's evolving style. He picked up the guitar before he was old enough to hold it himself. Growing up, he played guitar behind his father, but more so backing local club owner Junior Kimbrough and the Soul Blues Boys. And with Memphis, Tennessee being as close as it was, Duwayne began playing and sitting in with seasoned and well known musicians that frequented town, such as Little Jimmy King, Albert King, B.B. King, Bobby Blue Band, and others. In mid 1998, Duwayne traveled to Los Angeles, California to record his first full length record Live at the Mint as Duwayne Burnside and the Mississippi Mafia. Members included Cedric Burnside, Eddie Batos, Joe Hill from Alien Ant Farm, and David Kimbrough, with Duwayne's father R.L. sitting in on a few choice tracks In the beginning of 2004, Duwayne formed a new band with a few old friends. The result is a heavy continuation of hill country and soul blues fusion that makes you thankful this music is still being made. | |
| Watermelon Slim Bill Homans, a.k.a "Watermelon Slim", has a storied past from which he draws experience and fodder for the fourteen tracks on the new Watermelon Slim & The Workers CD. The record is Slim's third in four years and his debut release for Toronto-based NorthernBlues Records, where it's the latest in a string of critically acclaimed projects by artists such as Otis Taylor, David Jacobs-Strain, Janiva Magness and others. Despite playing his first paid gig at 18 and spending more than 30 plus years as a musician, it was only recently Bill 'Watermelon Slim' Homans manifested his life pursuit. Watermelon Slim and his band The Workers are now exclusively represented by the agency representing Walter Trout, Tishamingo, Tinsley Ellis, John Lee Hooker, Jr., Kenny Neal, and others. While serving in Vietnam and laid up in an Army hospital Slim taught himself left-handed backward slide guitar using a $5 balsawood guitar using his Zippo lighter as the slide. Officially Homans first appeared on the music scene in the early 1970s as the only Vietnam veteran to record a full length LP album during the Vietnam War. It was a 1973 protest-tinged "underground" release entitled Merry Airbrakes, recorded and produced in Boston. In subsequent years, original material from that record was reissued and performed by anti-establishment icons such as Country Joe McDonald. | |
| Joey Gilmore Born in Ocala, Joey Gilmore came to South Florida in the ’60s and has been here ever since. Gilmore found his niche playing behind all the great soul, blues and R&B stars that passed through town, as well as leading his own successful bands and recording along the way. Joey Gilmore's career has spanned 40 years with performances throughout the United States and Europe. He has called South Florida home for the past twenty years. Joey is a true Blues and R & B master who incorporates new and varied styles in his music performing original compositions mixed with traditional standards in his high energy live show. His tenor/baritone vocals belt out tunes with a loss abandon reminiscent of Blues Legends from the 1940's and 1950's. This Bluesman's major influences are apparent without sacrificing his unique style. Artists Joey has shared the stage with include James Brown, Etta James, Bobby Bland, Little Milton, Johnny Taylor and numerous others. | |
| Tasha Taylor Tasha grew up in Dallas Texas and started writing songs at the age of 14. The daughter of "the wailer" himself, Johnnie Taylor, Tasha grew up influenced by legendary artists such as the Jackson Five, Natalie Cole and Johnnie Guitar Watson on the road with her dad. Growing up in the presence of music lead her to follow in her father's footsteps. She went o to record a duet with him on his hit cd "Good Love". The song they perfomed was "Ain't that Loving You." Now Tasha is continuing to branch out in soul music. Working on songs and production that create a hybrid of soul, funk, rock and blues. |