The Cash Box Kings Sign With Alligator – New CD ROYAL MINT Out on June 30
“One of the best blues bands in the land” –Living Blues
“Virtuoso musicianship…rocking and irresistible” –No Depression
“Gloriously retro with an inspiring eloquence and grace” –Vintage Guitar
Houserocking blues masters The Cash Box Kings have signed with Alligator Records and will release their label debut, ROYAL MINT, on Friday, June 30. With deep feeling and top-shelf talent, The Cash Box Kings play tough, real deal classic Chicago blues with boundless energy. They also deliver raw, passionate Delta blues, jumping proto-rock ‘n’ roll, and steamrolling “bluesabilly,” their original mix of Chicago blues and Memphis rockabilly.
The Cash Box Kings are fueled by the powerhouse harmonica work of Madison, Wisconsin-based songwriter Joe Nosek and the huge, gritty vocals of Chicago bluesman Oscar Wilson. Every song they perform – be it a striking original or a scorching Chess, Sun or Vee-Jay cover – explodes with contemporary authority and radiates old-school authenticity. According to Grammy Award-winning blues legend Charlie Musselwhite, “The Cash Box Kings play with real taste and feel. Not only is it good blues but it’s a jumping good time, too! I ain’t lyin’!”
ROYAL MINT features 13 hard-hitting songs, including six impressive originals. From the wry, politically-charged Build That Wall to the chilling Blues For Chi-Raq to the funny and too true If You Got A Jealous Woman Facebook Ain’t Your Friend to the timeless versions of songs by Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Clifton Chenier, Amos Milburn and Jimmy Reed, ROYAL MINT shuffles, jumps and gets down and dirty, fueled by the band’s unmatched musicianship.
According to Alligator president Bruce Iglauer, The Cash Box Kings are a natural addition to the label. “I love this band because they combine the classic Chicago blues style with contemporary lyrics, true blues vocals and terrific musicianship. Oscar Wilson’s voice is a soulful roar like Muddy Waters’ and Joe Nosek plays powerhouse harmonica in the James Cotton tradition. Billy Flynn and Joel Paterson are world-class blues guitarists. The whole band can deliver jumping party shuffles or down-in-the-alley gritty blues.”
Joe Nosek founded The Cash Box Kings in Madison, Wisconsin in 2001 and, since 2007, has co-led the band with the charismatic, larger-than-life vocalist Oscar Wilson. Over 20 years apart in age and coming from vastly different backgrounds, the two form an unlikely pair, combining Wilson’s indisputably authentic inner city Chicago blues vocals with Nosek’s harmonica, songwriting and singing talents.
Nosek refers to the group of top-notch traditional players who comprise The Cash Box Kings as “a blues collective.” Live and on record, members of the “collective” appear in different combinations for different performances, creating an anything-can-happen experience. In addition to co-leaders Nosek and Wilson, the full ensemble includes world-renowned guitarists Joel Paterson and Billy Flynn, drummers Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith and Mark Haines, bassist Brad Ber and newest member Lee Kanehira rounding out the band.
The Cash Box Kings have earned devoted fans in both Chicago and Madison, the two cities where band members live. They regularly headline Chicago venues like Buddy Guy's Legends and Rosa's Lounge and have played major festivals across the U.S. and Europe. They’ve blown away audiences at the Chicago Blues Festival, the Tampa Bay Blues Festival, the Doheny Blues Festival, the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Cincinnati Blues Festival, the Cambridge Folk Festival (UK), the Moulin Blues Festival (Netherlands), the Lucerne Blues Festival (Switzerland), the Baltic Blues Festival (Germany) and the Edmonton Blues Festival (Canada). They have also performed in Belgium, France, Spain and Uruguay.
With eight previous releases to their credit and hundreds of live performances under their belts, The Cash Box Kings have won widespread acclaim throughout the blues world. Their 2013 CD Black Toppin’ won the 2013 Blues Blast Music Award for Traditional Blues Album of the Year. It was also nominated for a 2014 Blues Music Award in the same category. Their last album, Holding Court, was nominated for two 2016 Blues Music Awards and the band was also nominated for the Band of the Year Award. They’ve been featured on NPR Music as well as in the pages of No Depression, The Chicago Tribune, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Living Blues, Vintage Guitar, Blues Blast and many other publications. Living Blues says The Cash Box Kings are “Straight from the golden era of the blues,” boasting “an impressive line-up of A-list players. Joe Nosek feels Little Walter and Slim Harpo in the essence of his soul. Singer Oscar Wilson could be right out of [Chicago’s famed] Checkerboard Lounge in its glory days. The Cash Box Kings are a dancing and listening pleasure.”
The band will tour heavily (including performances in Europe) in support of ROYAL MINT. Confirmed dates follow:
Saturday, April 29, 2017
TYRANENA BREWING COMPANY, Lake Mills, WI
Thursday, May 4, 2017
HET HUIS VERLOREN, Hoorn, Netherlands
Friday, May 5, 2017
MOULIN BLUES FESTIVAL, Ospel, Netherlands
Saturday, May 6, 2017
ROCK AROUND THE ATOMIUM, Brussels, Belgium
Sunday, May 7, 2017
SHAW'S CRAB HOUSE, Chicago, IL
Thursday, May 11, 2017
LISA LINK PARK, Madison, WI
Friday, May 12, 2017
BEALE ON BROADWAY, St. Louis, MO
Saturday, May 13, 2017
THIRD BASE SPORTS BAR, Springfield, IL
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
BUDDY GUY'S LEGENDS, Chicago, IL
Saturday, May 27, 2017
STEVIE RAY'S, Louisville, KY
Saturday, June 3, 2017
HARMONY BAR, Madison, WI
Sunday, June 4, 2017
SHAW'S CRAB HOUSE, Chicago, IL
Thursday, June 15, 2017
HILLTOP PAVILION, KORTH PARK, Lake Mills, WI
Friday, June 16, 2017
THE CALIFORNIA CLIPPER, Chicago, IL
Saturday, June 17, 2017
FRANKIE'S BLUE ROOM, Naperville, IL
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
BUDDY GUY'S LEGENDS, Chicago, IL
Friday, June 30, 2017
ALLERTON GARDENS, Monticello, IL
Saturday, July 1, 2017
KNUCKLE DOWN SALOON, Red, White, and Blues Festival, Madison, WI
Friday, July 7, 2017
MINERAL POINT OPERA HOUSE, Mineral Point, WI
Saturday, July 8, 2017
CENTRAL PARK, Bicycle, Blues & Barbeque Festival, Clear Lake, IA
Saturday, July 15, 2017
BUDDY GUY'S LEGENDS, Chicago, IL
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
LAKE PARK, Milwaukee, WI
Friday, July 28, 2017
GRANT PARK: SPIRIT OF MUSIC GARDEN, Chicago Summer Dance, Chicago, IL
Saturday, July 29, 2017
CALIFORNIA CLIPPER, Chicago, IL
Monday, July 31, 2017
EVANSTON, SPACE, Evanston, IL
Friday, August 4, 2017
TYRANENA BREWING COMPANY, Lake Mills, WI
Saturday, August 19, 2017
JACKSON RHYTHM AND BLUES FESTIVAL, Jackson, MS
