News

Is Christone “Kingfish” Ingram the future of the blues? The blues savior is one of the most exciting young guitarists in years, with a sound that encompasses B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Prince.

--Rolling Stone

Kingfish is the next explosion of the blues.
--Buddy Guy

The blues phenom plays guitar like he’s on fire.
--Guitar Player

Rising star blues sensation Christone "Kingfish" Ingram
will be featured in an October 2019 promotion by Guitar Center entitled "Guitar-A-Thon: Find The One." Promotional spots of various lengths featuring Kingfish talking about finding the right guitar will run on United States television, radio and worldwide on the internet. Additionally, spots will run inside of Guitar Center stores around the country. Kingfish is also featured on the cover of Guitar Center's October publication, and an in-depth interview is hosted at here. Guitar Center also produced a short video (available here) featuring Christone talking about his love for the blues, guitars and his gear.

Since the release of his debut album Kingfish, Ingram has gigged nonstop and has been featured in newspapers, magazines, and on radio and television. Within the last few months, Ingram has played shows across the country, opening for Buddy Guy and Vampire Weekend, and he will open for Jason Isbell at the famed Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on October 22. He is currently embarked on his first-ever headlining tour: "Fish Grease: A Juke Joint Tour", set to run through the end of November. Kingfish debuted at #1 on the Billboard "Blues" and "Heatseekers" charts and continues to receive regular airplay on radio stations around the world. He was recently interviewed by Sir Elton John on John's Apple Beats podcast. In addition to the interview, John played the song Outside Of This Town from the album Kingfish.

Sprung from the same earth as so many of the Delta blues masters, Kingfish, now just 20 years old, burst out of Clarksdale, Mississippi, just ten miles from the legendary crossroads of Highways 61 and 49. Born to a musical family, Ingram fell in love with music as a small child, first playing drums and then bass. At age 11, he got his first guitar and quickly mastered it, soaking up music from Robert Johnson to Lightnin’ Hopkins, from B.B. King to Muddy Waters, from Jimi Hendrix to Prince, but all the while developing his own sound and style. He played his first gig at age of 11 at Clarksdale’s famous Ground Zero Club. He performed at the White House for Michelle Obama in 2014 as part of a delegation of student musicians from the Delta Blues Museum. By age 16 he was turning heads and winning awards, including the 2015 Rising Star Award, presented by The Rhythm & Blues Foundation.

With his eye-popping guitar playing and his reach-out-and-grab-you-by-the-collar vocals, Kingfish delivers each song with unmatched passion and precision. Steeped in the rich, vivid history of the blues, he’s driven by his burning desire to create contemporary blues music that speaks to his generation and beyond. Kingfish is inspired by the music of Robert Johnson, but dreams of one day collaborating with Kendrick Lamar and soul-funk bassist Thundercat. “My core is blues,” he says, “but it’s important for me to create a sound and style that is uniquely my own. I have a lot to say, so please stay tuned.”

 

RICK ESTRIN & THE NIGHTCATS RELEASE CONTEMPORARY VIDEO

 New CD, Contemporary, Set For September 20 Release

"Hugely entertaining, intelligently conceived and executed roots rock with a wickedly cool and otherworldly twist on tradition. Estrin’s harp work is masterful."
–Living Blues

"Rick Estrin sings and writes songs like the brightest wiseguy in all of bluesland and blows harmonica as if he learned at the knee of Little Walter."
–DownBeat

Award-winning San Francisco Bay-area blues band Rick Estrin & The Nightcats today released a hilarious video for Contemporary, the title track from their decidedly unpredictable new album, which will hit stores on September 20. Watch the video here.

The video, directed by band guitarist Kid Andersen, is a funny, mind-blowing Zappa-esque mashup of Chicago blues, uptown funk, rock 'n' roll and tongue-in-cheek rapping. The full album is packed with originals that combine memorable, savvy songwriting and world-class musicianship, creating a potent and powerful modern blues sound.

Contemporary is the band's fifth album for Alligator Records. With Estrin's virtuoso harmonica and sly, soulful vocals, Christoffer "Kid" Andersen's wildly inventive guitar, Lorenzo Farrell's masterful keyboards and Derrick “D’Mar” Martin's funky, creative drumming, the band takes Estrin’s ingenious, original songs to new and unexpected places. With these musically fearless players kicking everything up a notch, Contemporary explores some different sounds, instrumentation and grooves from their previous releases, as they continue to reinvent traditional blues styles.

Produced by multi-instrumentalist Kid Andersen and Estrin and recorded at Andersen’s Greaseland Studio in San Jose, California, Contemporarydelivers twelve surprising, wise-cracking, foot-stomping songs, including nine by Estrin (one co-written with Andersen), one each by Andersen and Farrell, and one obscure cover. According to Estrin, “Contemporary is the most fully realized expression of who Rick Estrin & The Nightcats really are and what we’re capable of as a band. Recording at Greaseland, we all had so much fun and were so relaxed, the ideas just started pouring in from all sides. I really expect this record to blow some minds.” The UK’s Blues & Rhythm says, “Rick Estrin & The Nightcats have crafted an instantly identifiable sound. They serve up insightful, original blues combined with tough rock ’n’ roll. This band is superb.”

 

"Deep, contemporary Chicago blues… razor-sharp guitar and compelling, forceful singing"
–Chicago Tribune

"Cannon is at the front rank of Chicago bluesmen. He creates wide-screen modern arrangements for wry, thoughtful songs, molding a sound that’s both tempestuous and scrupulously controlled."
–MOJO

"Toronzo Cannon is a beast. He lights up the room."
--Gary Clark, Jr.

On Tuesday, August 13, Chicago's own ambassador of the blues, Toronzo Cannon, released The Chicago Way, the first single (digital only) from his second Alligator CD, The Preacher, The Politician Or The Pimp. The full album will be out on Friday, September 20, 2019. With this release, the songwriter, guitarist, vocalist and Chicago Transit Authority bus driver continues to blaze his own visionary blues trail, fusing his original, keenly-detailed tales of everyday life with his fiery guitar playing. Blues Music Magazine says, "Cannon has all the fire and spontaneity of the Chicago legends. His songwriting is a timely and original look at the world he sees by day on a bus and in blues clubs by night, and his assertive voice is the perfect vehicle to deliver the message."

The Preacher, The Politician Or The Pimp features twelve Cannon originals, ranging from wryly sung, slice-of-life songs flavored with humor to burning social commentary. His broad-shouldered blues guitar work echoes the sounds of the city. His fervent vocals are filled with personality. His original songs are inspired by his deep Chicago roots, the wisdom of his grandparents and his years of observing the public while driving a bus. “It’s not about the solos,” Cannon says, “It’s about the songs. People get used to everyday life, so it’s easy to miss the things around them. I write about those things. I know the problems of Chicago, the hardship. But I love and respect the city. I'm proud to be carrying the Chicago blues tradition forward and honoring those blues giants who came here from the south and created the city's blues sound.”

With The Preacher, The Politician Or The Pimp, Toronzo Cannon continues to deliver his messages loud and clear. With his distinctive original songs, soulful vocals and guitar mastery, Cannon has grown from being a local attraction to become a world-renowned ambassador for Chicago blues. PBS Television’s Chicago Tonight says, "Cannon is just your typical CTA bus driver who moonlights as a sought-after Chicago blues musician. As a guitarist, singer and songwriter, he drives the sound of Chicago blues from the city to blues clubs and festivals around the world.”

###

"Hugely entertaining, intelligently conceived and executed roots rock with a wickedly cool and otherworldly twist on tradition. Estrin’s harp work is masterful."
–Living Blues

"Rick Estrin sings and writes songs like the brightest wiseguy in all of bluesland and blows harmonica as if he learned at the knee of Little Walter."
–DownBeat

Award-winning San Francisco Bay-area blues band Rick Estrin & The Nightcats will release their fifth Alligator Records album, Contemporary, on Friday, September 20, 2019. With Estrin's harmonica virtuosity and sly soulful vocals, Christoffer "Kid" Andersen's wildly inventive guitar, Lorenzo Farrell's masterful keyboards and Derrick “D’Mar” Martin's funky, creative drumming, the band takes Estrin’s ingenious, original songs to new and unexpected places. With these musically fearless players kicking everything up a notch, Contemporary explores some different sounds, instrumentation and grooves from their previous releases, as they continue to reinvent traditional blues styles.

Produced by multi-instrumentalist Kid Andersen and Estrin and recorded at Andersen’s Greaseland Studio in San Jose, California, Contemporarydelivers twelve surprising, wise-cracking, foot-stomping songs, including nine by Estrin (one co-written with Andersen), one each by Andersen and Farrell, and one obscure cover. According to Estrin, “Contemporary is the most fully realized expression of who Rick Estrin & The Nightcats really are and what we’re capable of as a band. Recording at Greaseland, we all had so much fun and were so relaxed, the ideas just started pouring in from all sides. I really expect this record to blow some minds.” The UK’s Blues & Rhythm says, “Rick Estrin & The Nightcats have crafted an instantly identifiable sound. They serve up insightful, original blues combined with tough rock’n’ roll. This band is superb.”

Rick Estrin & The Nightcats have performed at festivals and concert stages from San Francisco to Chicago to New York, and everywhere in between, plus tours of the United Kingdom, Norway, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Poland, Australia, Israel and recently Estonia and Russia. Their worldwide popularity helped Estrin win five Blues Music Awards, including two nods for Song Of The Year (1994 and 2018), Best Instrumentalist—Harmonica (2013) and Traditional Blues Male Artist Of The Year (2018). The full band, Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, won the highly coveted 2018 Blues Music Award for Band Of The Year. On stage, the band’s ability to deliver an unpredictable, no-holds-barred show is unmatched. The Chicago Sun-Times says, “These are serious musicians out to have a hotter than hot good time. It’s tough to stay in your seat when Estrin and his musical cohorts get cooking."  Says Estrin, “People don’t go out to see people who look like themselves. They want to see something special. I was schooled in this business to be a showman, and that’s what you get when you come to see us perform. We know how to put on a show. I feel sorry for anyone who has to follow us.”

For more than 30 years and nine albums, Estrin fronted Little Charlie & The Nightcats, flawlessly combining his songs, vocals and harmonica with Little Charlie Baty’s one-of-a-kind guitar excursions. The band won international acclaim and toured the world repeatedly. With Charlie’s retirement from touring in 2008, Rick took over leadership of the band. He knew the only way to replace Baty’s mashup of blues, jazz and roots rock was to find someone with an equally daredevil guitar approach. As luck would have it, Kid Andersen, who had been working with another harp legend, Charlie Musselwhite, became available. “Kid’s a fearless nut on the guitar,” says Estrin. “He’s really the only guy who could fit in with us.” The new band charged out of the gate with Twistedin 2009, following up with One Wrong Turn in 2012, You Asked For It -- Live! in 2014 and Groovin' In Greaselandin 2016. As No Depression says, "This is a band that always delivers the goods."

Living Blues magazine has announced the winners for the 2019 Living Blues Readers' Awards. Three Alligator Records artists received a total of six awards. Shemekia Copeland won the Critics' Poll for Blues Artist Of The Year (Female), Most Outstanding Blues Singer and Album Of The Year (for America's Child). Additionally, Will Kimbrough, who produced America's Child, won for Producer Of The Year. Billy Branch won the Critics' Poll for Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica) and Marcia Ball won both the Critics' Poll and the Readers' Poll for Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboards).

Alligator president Bruce Iglauer and co-author Patrick A. Roberts won the Readers' Poll Award for Book Of The Year for Bitten By The Blues: The Alligator Records Story.

Alligator artists and awards are as follows:

SHEMEKIA COPELAND:
Critics' Poll:
Blues Artist Of The Year (Female)
Most Outstanding Blues Singer
Best Blues Album Of 2018 (New Recordings) - America's Child

Producer Of The Year (Will Kimbrough) - America's Child


MARCIA BALL:
Critics' Poll:
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboards)

Readers' Poll:
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboards)


BILLY BRANCH:
Critics' Poll:
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)



BRUCE IGLAUER and PATRICK A. ROBERTS:
Readers' Poll:
Best Blues Book Of 2018 -
Bitten By The Blues - The Alligator Records Story
 
 

"Deep, contemporary Chicago blues… razor-sharp guitar and compelling, forceful singing"
–Chicago Tribune

"Cannon is at the front rank of Chicago bluesmen. He creates wide-screen modern arrangements for wry, thoughtful songs, molding a sound that’s both tempestuous and scrupulously controlled."
–MOJO

Expectation-defying Chicago bluesman Toronzo Cannon will release his second Alligator album, The Preacher, The Politician Or The Pimp on Friday, September 20, 2019. The songwriter, guitarist, vocalist and Chicago Transit Authority bus driver blazes his own visionary blues trail, fusing his original, keenly-detailed tales of everyday life with his muscular guitar playing. Blues Music Magazine says, "Cannon has all the fire and spontaneity of the Chicago legends. His songwriting is a timely and original look at the world he sees by day on a bus and in blues clubs by night, and his assertive voice is the perfect vehicle to deliver the message."

With the release of The Preacher, The Politician Or The Pimp, Cannon builds upon the foundation he laid with his 2016 Alligator debut, The Chicago Way. The new album, produced by Cannon and Alligator president Bruce Iglauer, features twelve Cannon originals, ranging from wryly sung, slice-of-life songs flavored with a healthy dose of Cannon's sense of humor to burning social commentary. His gritty, rock-tinged blues guitar work echoes the sounds of the city. His impassioned vocals are filled with muscle and personality. His potent original songs are inspired by his deep Chicago roots, the wisdom of his grandparents and his years of observing the public while driving a bus. “It’s not about the solos,” Cannon says, “It’s about the songs. People get used to everyday life, so it’s easy to miss the things around them. I write about those things. I know the problems of Chicago, the hardship. But I choose to love and respect the city because of the Chicago blues giants that came here from down south. I’m proud to be standing on the shoulders of every great Chicago blues musician who came before me.”

Upon release of The Chicago Way, Cannon burst onto the international stage as one the most electrifying bluesmen to emerge from Chicago in decades. His live performances unfailingly earn him heaps of critical praise and hordes of wildly enthusiastic fans. Cannon has played major cities all over the U.S., Canada, and Europe, including stops in the UK, Germany, Spain, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Poland, and Japan, delighting and surprising audiences with one unforgettable gig after another. He has played the Chicago Blues Festival on ten separate occasions, initially as a sideman, then as a special guest, a sidestage band leader and finally as a main stage headliner. When he’s home, he drives a bus by day and performs by night. Using every vacation day and day off and working four ten-hour shifts a week, Cannon arranges his schedule to gig out of town as much as possible.

Now, with The Preacher, The Politician Or The Pimp, Toronzo Cannon continues to deliver his messages loud and clear. Between his distinctive original songs, endless guitar chops and soulful vocals, Cannon has grown from being a local attraction to become a world-renowned ambassador for Chicago blues. PBS Television’s Chicago Tonight says, "Cannon is just your typical CTA bus driver who moonlights as a sought-after Chicago blues musician. As a guitarist, singer and songwriter, he drives the sound of Chicago blues from the city to blues clubs and festivals around the world.”

CHRISTONE "KINGFISH" INGRAM ANNOUNCES FIRST HEADLINING TOUR:
"FISH GREASE: A JUKE JOINT TOUR"

 Also Performing 13 Fall Dates With Vampire Weekend

Appearing on NPR's World Cafe on July 25

Is Christone “Kingfish” Ingram the future of the blues? The blues savior is one of the most exciting young guitarists in years, with a sound that encompasses B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Prince.
--Rolling Stone

Kingfish is the next explosion of the blues.
--Buddy Guy

The blues phenom plays guitar like he’s on fire.
--Guitar Player

Young blues sensation Christone "Kingfish" Ingram has announced plans for his first-ever headlining tour this fall and winter. "Fish Grease: A Juke Joint Tour" will start in early August 2019 and run through the end of November with North American performances stretching from New York to San Francisco and from Texas to Canada. His debut CD, Kingfish, was released on Alligator Records on May 17, 2019.

With the first dates of the tour fast approaching, Ingram can't wait to get started. "I’m excited to continue to hit the road this year performing songs from my debut album. I’ve been fortunate to play live dates since I was young, but the opportunity to headline my first tour in some fantastic venues across the country is a dream come true.”

From mid-August through early September, Kingfish will open a series of 13 shows for Grammy Award-winning indie rock sensations, Vampire Weekend.

Additionally, World Cafe, the NPR program heard on more than 200 stations nationwide, will feature Kingfish with an in-depth interview and recent live performance recordings. The show will begin airing on July 25, 2019. After broadcast, the segment will be archived for on-demand streaming at WorldCafe.NPR.org.

Since the release of Kingfish, Ingram has been featured in newspapers, magazines, and on radio and television. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard "Blues" and "Heatseekers" charts and continues to receive regular airplay on radio stations across the country. Fans are lining up after each performance to meet him, and critics are equally ecstatic.

"Astounding playing." -- NPR Music
"A blues prodigy." -- Billboard
"Swimming with the big fish." -- Guitar Player
"A stunning debut." -- No Depression
"Infinite promise." -- DownBeat
"A rare talent. Incendiary performances. The most promising blues debut of 2019." -- Blues Music Magazine
"Impossible to ignore. Tell everybody—the Kingfish is here." -- Living Blues

Sprung from the same earth as so many of the Delta blues masters, Kingfish, now just 20 years old, comes bursting out of Clarksdale, Mississippi, just ten miles from the legendary crossroads of Highways 61 and 49. Born to a musical family, Ingram fell in love with music as a small child, first playing drums and then bass. At age 11, he got his first guitar and quickly mastered it, soaking up music from Robert Johnson to Lightnin’ Hopkins, from B.B. King to Muddy Waters, from Jimi Hendrix to Prince, but all the while he kept developing his own sound and style. He played his first gig at age of 11 at Clarksdale’s famous Ground Zero Club. He performed at the White House for Michelle Obama in 2014 as part of a delegation of student musicians from the Delta Blues Museum. By age 16 he was turning heads and winning awards, including the 2015 Rising Star Award, presented by The Rhythm & Blues Foundation. With the release of Kingfish, Ingram hit the road, performing a series of dates with Buddy Guy and appearing at festivals and clubs around the country. He is now set to headline his own months-long tour.

With his eye-popping guitar playing and his reach-out-and-grab-you-by-the-collar vocals, Kingfish delivers each song with unmatched passion and precision. Steeped in the rich, vivid history of the blues, he’s driven by his burning desire to create contemporary blues music that speaks to his generation and beyond. Kingfish is inspired by the music of Robert Johnson, but dreams of one day collaborating with Kendrick Lamar and soul-funk bassist Thundercat. “My core is blues,” he says, “but it’s important for me to create a sound and style that is uniquely my own. I have a lot to say, so please stay tuned.”

 

FISH GREASE: A JUKE JOINT TOUR
Aug 03 - Mammoth Lakes, CA, Mammoth Festival of Beers and Bluesapalooza
Aug 09- Chattanooga, TN, Songbirds South Stage
Aug 10- Jackson, MS, Bright Lights Belhaven Nights
Aug 31- Charlottesville, VA, The Southern

Sept 01 – Stanhope, NJ, The Stanhope House
Sept 05 - New York, NY, The Cutting Room
Sept 06 – Medford, MA, The Porch
Sept 07 – Burlington, VT, Nectar's
Sept 13 - Los Angeles, CA, El Rey Theatre
Sept 19 – Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada, Uxbridge Music Hall
Sept 20 - Cleveland Heights, OH, Grog Shop
Sept 21 – Pittsburgh, PA, Pittsburgh Blues Festival
Sept 22 – Baltimore, MD, The 8x10
Sept 26 – Sacramento, CA, The Sofia
Sept 27 - San Francisco, CA, Great American Music Hall
Sept 28 – Monterey, CA, Monterey Jazz Festival

Oct 02 – Knoxville, TN, Jackson Terminal
Oct 04 – Memphis, TN, Growlers
Oct 05 – Marks, MS, Mules & Blues Fest
Oct 06 – Birmingham, AL, Vulcan Park
Oct 10 – Vancouver, BC, Canada, Fox Cabaret
Oct 11 - Seattle, WA, Barboza
Oct 12 – Bellingham, WA, Wild Buffalo
Oct 13 – Portland, OR, Star Theater
Oct 15 – Boise, ID, Neurolux
Oct 17 – Boulder, CO, eTown Hall
Oct 18 - Fort Collins, CO, The Armory
Oct 19 - Denver, CO, Marquis Theater
Oct 20 - Santa Fe, NM, Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery
Oct 22 – Phoenix, AZ , The Rhythm Room
Oct 26 - San Diego, CA, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise #33
Oct 27 - San Diego, CA, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise #33
Oct 28 - San Diego, CA, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise #33
Oct 29 - San Diego, CA, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise #33
Oct 30 - San Diego, CA, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise #33
Oct 31 - San Diego, CA, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise #33

Nov 01 - San Diego, CA, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise #33
Nov 02 - San Diego, CA, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise #33
Nov 07 – Monroe, LA, Hub Monroe
Nov 08 - Little Rock, AR, Stickyz Rock 'N' Roll Chicken Shack
Nov 09 – Tulsa, OK, The Vanguard
Nov 10 - Oklahoma City, OK, 89th Street Collective
Nov 12 - San Antonio, TX, Sam's Burger Joint
Nov 13 – Dallas, TX, Gas Monkey Bar N' Grill
Nov 14 – Austin, TX, Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater
Nov 15 – Houston, TX, Continental Club
Nov 16 - New Orleans, LA, The Parish at House of Blues
Nov 22 – Reading, PA, Reading Blues Fest

DATES WITH VAMPIRE WEEKEND:
Aug 16 - Oklahoma City, OK, The Criterion
Aug 17 - Houston, TX, White Oak Music Hall
Aug 18 - Irving, TX, Toyota Music Factory - Texas Lottery Plaza
Aug 20 - Austin, TX, ACL Live at The Moody Theater
Aug 21 - Austin, TX, ACL Live at The Moody Theater
Aug 24 - Miami, FL, James L. Knight Center
Aug 25 - St. Augustine, FL, St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Aug 27 - Atlanta, GA, Fox Theatre
Aug 29 - Columbia, MD, Merriweather Post Pavilion
Aug 30 - Norfolk, VA, Constant Convocation Center
Sep 03 - Boston, MA, Agganis Arena
Sep 04 - Philadelphia, PA, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, 
Sep 08 - Montreal, QC, Canada, MTELUS

"Pure blues at its most urgently expressive. A rollicking tour de force."
–Living Blues

"Dynamic excitement...Nick Moss is a major force in contemporary blues. Dennis Gruenling plays soaring harp...Infectious, finger-snappin’ R&B."
–Blues Music Magazine

 The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling has announced North American and European dates for their 2019 Lucky Guy!tour. Lucky Guy!, the highly anticipated new Alligator album, will be released on August 9, 2019.

Since the 2018 release of their Alligator Records debut, The High Cost Of Low Living, the band -- guitarist/vocalist Moss, harmonicist/vocalist Gruenling, pianist Taylor Streiff, bassist Rodrigo Mantovani, drummer Patrick Sealshas -- have toured relentlessly, playing for wildly enthusiastic fans and winning over critics and radio programmers worldwide. UK tastemaker magazine MOJO said, “Guitarist and singer Nick Moss shows the world his fearsome guitar chops and his complete familiarity with the great tradition of Chicago blues music. Partnered with harmonica-player Dennis Gruenling, Moss creates a two-headed monster that takes the band thundering through crisp originals.”

Lucky Guy! features the classic Chicago blues sound the band is known for. But, as Moss himself notes, there are also “a few other flavors,” including Louisiana swamp pop, West Coast blues, New Orleans funk, and even some proto-rock and roll. The album was produced by Kid Andersen (guitarist for Rick Estrin & The Nightcats) and Moss and recorded at Andersen’s Greaseland Studio in San Jose, California. All but one of the 14 songs are originals, with 11 by Moss and two by Gruenling.

Although Moss and Gruenling had known each other for 20 years and had jammed together often, it wasn’t until 2016 that they decided to team up full time. Moss’ expressive and expansive blues guitar playing flawlessly meshes with Gruenling’s monster harmonica chops. On stage, the two communicate seemingly telepathically, as Moss' raw, fiery guitar and Gruenling's whisper-to-a-roar harmonica feed energy to each other and the band. “When the band and I get on stage,” says Moss, “the music takes over. We can’t hold back and the energy just comes pouring out. We get carried away and the audience gets carried away with us.”

LUCKY GUY!Tour:
Jul 31    97LAV Scully’s Statewide Moving Summertime Blues Concert Series, Grand Rapids, MI

Aug 02   Athens Performing Arts Corp. Summer Concert Series, Athens, NY
Aug 03   Bull Run Restaurant, Shirley, MA
Aug 04   Musikfest, Bethlehem, PA
Aug 06   Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA
Aug 07   Chan's, Woonsocket, RI
Aug 09   Festival de Blues de Donnacona, Donnacona, QC, CANADA
Aug 10   Heritage Music BluesFest, Wheeling, WV
Aug 12   WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour, Lexington, KY
Aug 14   Knuckleheads Saloon, Kansas City, MO
Aug 15   SPAH Convention, Tulsa, OK
Aug 16   BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, St. Louis, MO
Aug 17   La Porte County Blues Festival, La Porte, IN
Aug 18   High Noon Saloon, Madison, WI
Aug 23   Bean Blossom Blues Festival, Bean Blossom, IN
Aug 24   Crossroads Blues Festival, Rockford, IL at Lyran Park

Sep 01   Alonzo's Memorial Picnic, Rosedale, MD
Sep 06   Blind Willie's, Atlanta, GA
Sep 08   Capitol Oyster Bar, Montgomery, AL
Sep 20   Jazz & Blues in the Village, Sarnia, ON, CANADA
Sep 27   Ignition Music Garage, Goshen, IN
Sep 28   New Albany Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival, New Albany, IN

Oct 10   Canal Bank Shuffle, Thorold, ON, CANADA
Oct 11   Rock Star Music Hall, Windsor, ON, CANADA
Oct 12   KBD Hall, Chatham, ON, CANADA
Oct 17   Move 2 Blues, Hasselt, BELGIUM
Oct 18   Sang a Klang, Luxembourg, LUXEMBOURG
Oct 19   The Odeon Scene Jean-Roger Caussimon, Tremblay-en-France, FRANCE
Oct 20   Keeping The Blues Alive, Deurne-Vlierden, NETHERLANDS
Oct 26   Blues Station Concerts, Tournon-d'Agenais, FRANCE
Oct 27   Café Zaal De Gouden Leeuw, Dongen, NETHERLANDS

Nov 01   Blues Paradise 2019, Næstved, DENMARK
Nov 02   Blues Heaven Festival, Frederikshavn, DENMARK
Nov 04   Rockhouse Salzburg, Salzburg, AUSTRIA
Nov 05   Reigen Live, Vienna, AUSTRIA
Nov 08   Bischofsmühle Cyclus 66 e.V., Hildesheim, GERMANY
Nov 09   Blaublues Festival, Haringe, BELGIUM
Nov 10   Haus Windheim No2, Petershagen, GERMANY
Nov 22   Reading Blues Fest, Reading, PA

On Tuesday, July 9, prior to leaving for Japan to headline at the Japan Blues Festival in Aomori City (Japan's largest blues event), Alligator Records recording artist Toronzo Cannon and celebrated blues vocalist Nora Jean met with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot at her City Hall office. Lightfoot presented Cannon and Nora Jean with a letter to personally deliver to the Mayor of Aomori City. The Chicago blues musicians performed at the Japan Blues Festival on July 13, with additional performances in Utsunomiya, Matsumoto, Yokohama and Sakai, Osaka.

In the letter to the mayor of Aomori City, Mayor Lightfoot thanks the Aomori City Chamber of Commerce for bringing blues musicians as cultural ambassadors of Chicago, sharing Chicago’s music with the world. Cannon and Nora Jean personally delivered the letter to the mayor of Aomori City upon their arrival.

The Chicago Tribune says Toronzo Cannon plays “deep, contemporary Chicago blues [with] razor-sharp guitar and compelling, forceful singing." The Chicago Sun-Times calls him, "one of Chicago's new greats.” The blistering guitarist, soulful vocalist, singular songwriter and Chicago Transit Authority bus driver fuses his muscular, rock-inspired blues guitar playing with his original, keenly detailed slice-of-life songs, blazing his own blues trail.

With the 2016 release of his Alligator Records debut, The Chicago Way, Cannon burst onto the international stage as one the most electrifying bluesmen to emerge from Chicago in decades. His live performances unfailingly earn him heaps of critical praise and hordes of wildly enthusiastic fans. Cannon has played major cities all over the U.S., Canada, and Europe, delighting and surprising audiences with one unforgettable gig after another. This is his first trip to Japan. With his next release, due later this fall, Cannon builds upon the foundation he’s laid, creating and defining his vision of contemporary blues.

 

"In a world of blues guitar pretenders, Coco Montoya is the real McCoy. He exudes power and authenticity. Be prepared to get scorched by the real thing."
–Billboard

"Coco Montoya sings and plays with passionate abandon."
–The Boston Globe

White-hot blues guitarist and soulful vocalist Coco Montoya will release his new Alligator Records album, Coming In Hot, on Friday, August 23. In a career that spans almost four decades, Montoya has gone from drumming for blues icon Albert Collins to holding the lead guitar spot in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers to leading his own band and touring worldwide. 

Coming In Hot features 11 songs by writers including Montoya and Dave Steen, Tom Hambridge and Richard Fleming, Warren Haynes, Frankie Miller, Jeff Paris, and Albert Collins. The tracks range from blistering, hard-rocking blues to potent shuffles to fervent, moving ballads. Montoya delivers each song with uncompromising, dynamic energy. His unpredictable guitar playing and smoking, soulful vocals are inspired by a backing band featuring renowned musicians including bassists Bob Glaub (Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Jerry Lee Lewis) and Mike Mennell (Jimmy Buffett, John Fogerty), keyboardist Mike Finnigan (Jimi Hendrix, Etta James, Taj Mahal), rhythm guitarists Billy Watts (Eric Burdon) and Johnny Lee Schell (Bonnie Raitt), and Tony Braunagel (who produced the album) on drums.

Montoya is revered for his ability to move from subtly melodic guitar playing to slash-and-burn pyrotechnics. Equally forceful are his deep, soul-baring vocals. Years of constant touring, playing unforgettable shows at clubs, concert halls and festivals, have earned him his position at the top of the contemporary blues world. And it all started with a chance meeting in the mid-1970s with legendary bluesman Albert Collins, who offered Montoya a spot in his band, where he stayed for the next five years. Coco was initially hired as Collins’ drummer and later—with Albert mentoring him on the guitar—became the band’s rhythm guitarist. A few years after leaving Collins’ band, British blues star John Mayall heard Coco jamming onstage and was so impressed that he hired him for the newly reformed Bluesbreakers.

When Montoya launched his solo career in 1993, he already had an instantly recognizable burning-hot sound and style all his own. His debut album solidified his stature as the blues’ newest rising star. Over the course of his nine previous solo albums, Montoya has consistently delivered piping hot blues, rock and soul. His new album (his fifth for Alligator), Coming In Hot, is another instant classic. Montoya’s fiery, melodic guitar playing and passionate vocals fuel one memorable song after another. Guitar Player says Montoya plays “stunning, powerhouse blues with a searing tone, emotional soloing, and energetic, unforced vocals.”

His debut as a leader, 1995’s Gotta Mind To Travel (originally on Silvertone Records in England and later issued in the USA on Blind Pig Records), became an instant fan favorite. In 1996, he won the Blues Music Award for Best New Blues Artist. Two more Blind Pig albums followed, and Coco was well on his way to the top of the blues-rock world.

In 2000, Coco’s Alligator debut, Suspicion, quickly became the best-selling album of his career, earning regular radio airplay on over 120 stations nationwide. After two more highly successful and massively popular Alligator releases—2002’s Can’t Look Back and 2007’s Dirty Deal—Montoya signed with Ruf Records, cutting both a live and a studio album. Returning to Alligator with 2017’s Hard Truth, Montoya delivered another fan and critical favorite.

Now, with Coming In Hot, Coco Montoya again turns the burners to high and cooks from start to finish. Still an indefatigable road warrior, Montoya continues to tour virtually nonstop, bringing audiences to their feet from New York to New Orleans to Chicago to San Francisco. Across the globe, he’s performed in countries including Australia, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Norway, England, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Mexico, Ecuador, Italy, Poland, Russia, the Czech Republic and Canada. He'll spend all summer and fall touring, brining his music to old fans and new all across the country. According to Living Blues, “Montoya is a show-stopper...heartfelt singing and merciless guitar with a wicked icy burn...he swings like a jazz man and stings like the Iceman, Albert Collins. He is one of the truly gifted blues artists of his generation.”

2019 Coming In Hot Tour:

Aug 24    Trois-Rivières en blues,Trois-Rivières, QC, CANADA

Sept 18   The Siren, Morro Bay, CA
Sept 19   The Rose, Pasadena, CA 
Sept 20   Strummer's, Fresno, CA     
Sept 21   Museum of Making Music, Carlsbad, CA  
Sept 22   The Canyon, Agoura Hills, CA         
Sept 24   The Sofia Tsakopoulos Center for the Arts, Sacramento, CA         
Sept 25   Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse with Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio, Berkeley, CA  
Sept 26   Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse with Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio, Berkeley, CA  
Sept 28   The Commonwealth Room, Salt Lake City, UT      
Sept 29   The Olympic, Boise, ID

Oct 10     Moxi Theater, Greeley, CO   
Oct 11     Soiled Dove Underground, Denver, CO    
Oct 12     Ute Theater, Rifle, CO        
Oct 15     WAVE,  Wichita, KS    
Oct 16     The Waiting Room Lounge, Omaha, NE     
Oct 17     J.R. Sullivan Theater at The Nordlof Center, Rockford, IL    
Oct 18     Club Arcada, St. Charles, IL
Oct 19     Thrasher Opera House, Green Lake, WI
Oct 20     Lefty's Live Music, Des Moines, IA
Oct 22     The Castle Theatre, Bloomington, IL
Oct 23     The Magic Bag, Ferndale, MI   
Oct 24     Sorg Opera House, Middletown, OH          
Oct 25     Thunderbird Café & Music Hall, Pittsburgh, PA
Oct 26     Kennett Flash, Kennett Square, PA    
Oct 27     The Lizzie Rose Music Room, Tuckerton, NJ 
Oct 29     The Iridium, New York, NY 
Oct 31     Music By The Bay Live – Live Blues Concert Series, Uxbridge, ON, CANADA

          
Nov 01    Peter’s Players, Gravenhurst, ON, CANADA     
Nov 02    King Of Clubs, Syracuse, NY 
Nov 03    Bear’s Den Showroom/Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino, Niagara Falls, NY       
Nov 05    Port City Music Hall, Portland, ME   
Nov 06    Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA        
Nov 07    Bull Run Restaurant, Shirley, MA     
Nov 08    Putnam Fund Shows at Laconia High School, Laconia, NH    
Nov 09    Narrows Center for the Arts, Fall River, MA 
Nov 10    9 Wallis, Beverly, MA    
Nov 12    City Winery, Washington, DC         
Nov 13    Ashland Theatre, Ashland, VA    
Nov 14    The Blue Note Grill ,Durham, NC   
Nov 16    Arts Garage, Delray Beach, FL        
Nov 17    The Attic at Rock Brothers,Tampa, FL      
Nov 19    Red Dragon Listening Room, Baton Rouge, LA         
Nov 22    Antone's, Austin, TX
Nov 23    The Heights Theater, Houston, TX 
Nov 24    The Kessler, Dallas, TX
Dec 13    Flirting with the Blues 2019, Amersfoort, NETHERLANDS    

 

Award-winning blues, soul and Americana vocalist Shemekia Copeland is hosting her own blues radio program weekday mornings on SiriusXM's B.B. King's Bluesville channel. The show, which debuted on June 17, 2019, airs Monday through Friday from 9:00am until 3:00pm Eastern time, and features music, commentary and large helpings of Copeland's vibrant and inviting personality.

This is Copeland's second time at the helm of her own radio show. She hosted a weekly program on Sirius Radio in 2006. Says Copeland, "I’m thrilled and honored to be back with my friends at SiriusXM. And can’t wait to get back in touch with my wonderful fans. It’s gonna be great."

Copeland's recent album, America's Child, was named the #1 blues album of 2018 by MOJO magazine. The album is a courageous and fiery statement of purpose and a major step forward for the singer whose musical consciousness continues to expand as her star continues to rise. The album, with guests including John Prine and Rhiannon Giddens, bursts with Copeland’s bravado and embraces with her tenderness. Copeland recently received two Blues Music Awards for America's Child: Album Of The Year and Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year. Her instantly recognizable voice--capable of being sultry, assertive and roaring--delivers every song with unparalleled honesty and passion. In October 2019, she will perform with Buddy Guy as he is inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall Of Fame.

The three-time Grammy nominee’s wide-open vision of contemporary Americana roots and soul music showcases the evolution of a passionate artist with an up-to-the-minute musical and lyrical approach. The Chicago Tribune says, "Copeland is the greatest female blues vocalist working today."

 

"Pure blues at its most urgently expressive. A rollicking tour de force."

–Living Blues

"Dynamic excitement...Nick Moss is a major force in contemporary blues. Dennis Gruenling plays soaring harp...Infectious, finger-snappin’ R&B."
–Blues Music Magazine

 

Alligator Records has set an August 9 release date for Lucky Guy!, the highly anticipated new album from fiery, Chicago-based blues ensemble The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling.

Since the 2018 release of their Alligator Records debut, The High Cost Of Low Living, The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling has toured relentlessly, playing for wildly enthusiastic fans and winning over critics and radio programmers worldwide. UK tastemaker magazine Mojo said, “Guitarist and singer Nick Moss shows the world his fearsome guitar chops and his complete familiarity with the great tradition of Chicago blues music. Partnered with harmonica-player Dennis Gruenling, Moss creates a two-headed monster that takes the band thundering through crisp originals.”

Lucky Guy!—produced by Kid Andersen (guitarist for Rick Estrin & The Nightcats) and Moss and recorded at Andersen’s Greaseland Studio in San Jose, California—is a foot-stomping showcase featuring the classic Chicago blues sound the band is known for. But, as Moss himself notes, there are also “a few other flavors,” including Louisiana swamp pop, West Coast blues, New Orleans funk, and even some proto-rock and roll. All but one of the 14 songs are originals, with 11 by Moss and two by Gruenling. The band delivers each one with uncompromising skill and authority. Start to finish, Lucky Guy! is a joyous, sonic blast of pure blues power.

Lucky Guy! moves effortlessly from the rollicking title track to the potent shout-out to Chicago, 312 Blood, to the truth-telling slow blues, Sanctified, Holy And Hateful (featuring some of Moss’ most expressive vocals and extraordinary, every-note-matters guitar work). The band—pianist Taylor Streiff, bassist Rodrigo Mantovani, drummer Patrick Seals—are joined by Kid Andersen on five songs (playing rhythm guitar as well as taking a stellar mandolin solo). Blistering guitarist "Monster" Mike Welch joins Moss on The Comet, an emotional tribute to the late bluesman, Mike Ledbetter, a close friend of both Moss and Welch.

Although Moss and Gruenling had known each other for 20 years and had jammed together often, it wasn’t until 2016 that they decided to team up full time. Moss’ expressive and expansive blues guitar playing flawlessly meshes with Gruenling’s monster harmonica chops. On stage, the two communicate seemingly telepathically, as Moss lays down the deepest blues licks and Gruenling’s harmonica wails and howls in perfect response, with Moss’ top-notch band completing the ensemble with their energy and expertise.

With Lucky Guy! and upcoming North American and European tours in the works, The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling will prove it’s not luck but talent that earns them standing ovations night after night as they barnstorm clubs, concert halls, roadhouses and festival stages. “When the band and I get on stage,” says Moss, “the music takes over. We can’t hold back and the energy just comes pouring out. We get carried away and the audience gets carried away with us.”