News

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.”

Blues Blast magazine has announced the nominees for the 2019 Blues Blast Music Awards. Eight Alligator Records artists received a total of nine nominations. Tommy Castro & The Painkillers received two nominations. The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling, Elvin Bishop, Shemekia Copeland, Toronzo Cannon, Lindsay Beaver and Christone "Kingfish" Ingram each received one. Joe Louis Walker, Giles Robson & Bruce Katz's acoustic blues album Journeys To The Heart Of The Blues received one.

Fan voting to determine the winners begins July 1, 2019 and continues until August 16, 2019 at http://www.BluesBlastMagazine.com.

The Blues Blast Music Awards are presented by Blues Blast magazine. Awards will be announced on September 13, 2019 at ceremonies to be held at The Tebala Event Center in Rockford, Illinois.

Alligator artists and award nominations are as follows:

TOMMY CASTRO:
Blues Band Of The Year
Live Blues Recording - Killin' It Live

THE NICK MOSS BAND FEATURING DENNIS GRUENLING:
Blues Band Of The Year

SHEMEKIA COPELAND:
Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year - America's Child

ELVIN BISHOP'S BIG FUN TRIO:
Traditional Blues Album Of The Year - Something Smells Funky In Here


TORONZO CANNON:
Male Blues Artist Of The Year

CHRISTONE "KINGFISH" INGRAM:
Sean Costello Rising Blues Star Award

LINDSAY BEAVER:
Sean Costello Rising Blues Star Award

JOE LOUIS WALKER, GILES ROBSON, BRUCE KATZ:
Acoustic Blues Album Of The Year - Journeys To The Heart Of The Blues

Alligator Records artists Shemekia Copeland and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram will perform with blues icon Buddy Guy as he is inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall Of Fame. In an all-star concert event to be held on October 24 at ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin, Texas, Guy, along with Shawn Colvin and Lyle Lovett, will be honored. Copeland and Ingram will perform with Guy as he celebrates his induction. Last year, Alligator's Marcia Ball was inducted.

Additional guests will include for this year's event include Jackson Browne, Jimmie Vaughan, Bruce Hornsby, Sarah Jarosz and Willis Alan Ramsey. The program will be hosted by Robert Earl Keen, and will be broadcast nationwide by PBS television on New Year's Eve.

Award-winning blues, R&B and Americana vocalist Shemekia 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. 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."

Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, the head-turning 20-year-old blues guitarist and vocalist from Clarksdale, Mississippi, is currently celebrating the release of his debut album, Kingfish, on Alligator Records. 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. NPR Music calls him a “rising blues prodigy…a torchbearer.” The album showcases Ingram’s blistering, raw and inspired guitar playing, soulful, deep vocals and memorable songwriting. On the highlight track, Fresh Out, Kingfish is joined by his friend and mentor, Buddy Guy, who adds vocals and guitar on the song. According to Guy, "Kingfish is the next explosion of the blues." Sprung from the same earth as so many of the Delta blues masters, Kingfish comes bursting out of Clarksdale, Mississippi, just ten miles from the legendary crossroads of Highways 61 and 49. A student of the Delta’s musical history, he is acutely aware of the musicians and the music that emerged from his corner of the world. “I do think I have an old soul, that I’ve been here before,” he says. “I’m moving forward with one foot in the past."

Label President Bruce Iglauer Receives Nomination for book,
Bitten By The Blues: The Alligator Records Story
 
Living Blues magazine has announced the nominees for the 2019 Living Blues Readers' Awards. Seven Alligator Records artists received a total of 12 nominations. Shemekia Copeland received four nominations; Marcia Ball received three; Tinsley Ellis, Tommy Castro, Billy Branch, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials and The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling each received one. Additionally, Alligator president Bruce Iglauer and co-author Patrick A. Roberts received a nomination for their book, Bitten By The Blues: The Alligator Records Story.

The public -- Living Blues subscribers and non-subscribers alike -- can vote at www.livingblues.com by July 15, 2019.

Winners will be announced in August.

Alligator artists and award nominations are as follows:

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


MARCIA BALL:
Blues Artist Of The Year (Female)
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboards)
Best Blues Album Of 2018 (New Recordings) - Shine Bright


TINSLEY ELLIS:
Blues Artist Of The Year (Male)


TOMMY CASTRO:
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)

 
BILLY BRANCH:
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)


LIL' ED & THE BLUES IMPERIALS:
Best Live Performer


THE NICK MOSS BAND FEATURING DENNIS GRUENLING:
Best Live Performer
 
 
BRUCE IGLAUER and PATRICK A. ROBERTS:
Best Blues Book Of 2018 -
Bitten By The Blues - The Alligator Records Story
 

CHRISTONE "KINGFISH" INGRAM RELEASES VIDEO FOR OUTSIDE OF THIS TOWN

DEBUT ALBUM, KINGFISH, SET FOR MAY 17 RELEASE

 RollingStone.com Premieres Video On May 16

Stop-Motion Video Created and Directed By Lyndon Barrois
Shot With One-Inch Miniatures Handmade From Gum Wrappers

Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, the 20-year-old blues guitar prodigy from Clarksdale, Mississippi, has today released his first video for the radio single, Outside Of This Town. His highly-anticipated debut CD, Kingfish, will be released on Alligat or Records on May 17.

RollingStone.com is premiering the video here.

NPR Music's First Listen is hosting a full album stream (until release date) here.

The video -- shot and edited using iPhones -- was created and directed by acclaimed visual artist and animator Lyndon Barrois (The Matrix Revolutions, The Matrix Reloaded, The PJs). For the video, Barrois created one-inch miniature sculptures handmade from chewing gum wrappers -- a medium he's worked with since age 10 -- and filmed using stop-motion animation, where the video is shot one frame at a time.

The Outside Of This Town video tells the story of miniature Kingfish living inside of a guitar at a music store and dreaming of one day taking his music all across the globe. Barrois mixes the gum wrapper miniatures with real world objects, drawing the viewer deep into this imaginary, complex universe. The short film took Barrois over six months to complete, and is the first music video he's created in over 20 years. "Kingfish operates at genius level," Barrois says."Offstage he's a sweet 20-year-old kid. Onstage he's much older. He channels the music."

Sprung from the same earth as so many of the Delta blues masters, Kingfish comes bursting out of Clarksdale, Mississippi, just ten miles from the legendary crossroads of Highways 61 and 49. A student of the Delta’s musical history, he is acutely aware of the musicians and the music that emerged from his corner of the world. “I do think I have an old soul, that I’ve been here before,” he says. “I’m moving forward with one foot in the past. You don’t see too many kids into blues music. In my town, every kid wants to be a rapper – I wanted to do something no one else was d oing.”  And although he grew up near the crossroads where Robert Johnson allegedly cut a deal with the devil, Kingfish insists he didn’t do any of that to make his guitar howl the blues. “I just practice all the time,” he says, “that’s the only deal I made, and it’s with myself."

Funk music superstar Bootsy Collins began sharing Kingfish’s YouTube videos online (some with millions of views each), telling his followers, “this is how a child can influence others.” Rapper The Game did the same. Christone’s appeal beyond blues was immediate. He appeared on The Rachael Ray Show as well as The Steve Harvey Show. He was cast in season two of the Netflix program Luke Cage after the series lead producer saw one of his videos. Two of his cover songs appear on the show’s soundtrack album, which introduced him to a young audience. Kingfish also performed in an NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert with rap legend Rakim, who also appeared in Luke Cage.

Kingfish was produced by two-time Grammy winner Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Susan Tedeschi, Joe Louis Walker, George Thorogood). It showcases Ingram’s blistering, raw and inspired guitar playing, soulful, deep vocals and memorable songwriting. He co-wrote eight of the album’s twelve tracks. Kingfish will be performing at festivals and headlining his own shows thi s summer as well as opening select dates for Vampire Weekend. Blues legend Buddy Guy says, "Kingfish is the next explosion of the blues."

SEVEN ALLIGATOR ARTISTS RECEIVESIX BLUES MUSIC AWARDS

 On Thursday, May 9, The Blues Foundation announced the winners of the 40th Annual Blues Music Awards, the blues world's highest honors. Seven Alligator recording artists received a total of six awards.

Powerhouse vocalist Shemekia Copeland won two awards for her groundbreaking 2018 album, America's Child: Album Of The Year and Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year. Legendary guitarist and soulful vocalist Joe Louis Walker, harmonica master Giles Robson and piano virtuoso Bruce Katz won the Acoustic Album Of The Year Award for their critically acclaimed 2018 release, Journeys To The Heart Of The Blues. Celebrated guitarist Nick Moss and harmonica giant Dennis Gruenling (of The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling) both won awards -- Moss for Traditional Blues Male Artist Of The Year and Gruenling for Best Instrumentalist -- Harmonica. Recent Austin City Limits Hall Of Famer Marcia Ball won for Best Instrumentalist -- Piano, the eleventh Blues Music Award of her career.

The 40th Annual Blues Music Awards were presented in Memphis at the Cook Convention Center.

BILLY BRANCH & THE SONS OF BLUES' NEW ALBUM,

ROOTS AND BRANCHES--THE SONGS OF LITTLE WALTER,

SET FOR JULY 5 RELEASE

 

“A potent blend of rootsy integrity and exploratory zeal.” –Living Blues

“Branch has a warm, open vocal style and a full command of the blues harp, from wailing notes to chugging rhythms.” –The New York Times

 

Alligator Records has set a July 5 release date for Roots And Branches–The Songs Of Little Walter, the dynamic new release from Billy Branch & The Sons Of Blues. The album finds Branch and the band boldly reimagining the songs of the renowned Little Walter Jacobs. Jacobs was one of the principal architects of the Chicago blues sound and one of the most influential blues harmonica players who ever lived.

According to Branch, “We were determined not to make this a “typical” Little Walter tribute recording. We are proud to present an album with elements of soul, funk, and even a little bit of gospel. Our goal was to competently and respectfully produce a Little Walter-themed recording with a different twist, while preserving the integrity of Little Walter’s innovative style.”

Roots And Branches, recorded in Chicago and co-produced by Billy Branch, Rosa Branch and longtime Sons Of Blues pianist Sumito “Ariyo” Ariyoshi, features 15 songs written by and or made famous by Little Walter. Each song is played with equal amounts of Branch’s deeply rooted reverence and up-to-the-minute innovation. The music is as timeless in Branch’s and The Sons Of Blues’ interpretations as in Walter’s feral originals. Along with Branch and Ariyoshi, the band features guitarist Giles Corey, bassist Marvin Little and drummer Andrew “Blaze” Thomas. At the end of the album, Little Walter’s daughter, Marion Diaz, shares a few anecdotes of life with her legendary father.

Blues giant Billy Branch is among today’s greatest harmonica players. With his inventive, deeply rooted playing and gritty, soulful vocals, Branch carries on the Chicago blues tradition that he learned first-hand from icons including Big Walter Horton, James Cotton, Junior Wells, Carey Bell, Willie Dixon and many others. His famous teachers made it clear to anyone who would listen that Branch was the heir apparent to the Chicago blues harmonica throne. With his instantly recognizable sound and his band, The Sons Of Blues, Branch has traveled the world, creating his signature brand of Chicago blues for over four decades.

With a huge blues vocabulary and dynamic versatility, Branch incorporates soul, funk and rock elements to his playing. His upper register licks and his emotional, melodic ballad playing define his sound even further. He is a gruff and potent vocalist, a groundbreaking solo artist, an in-demand session player and consummate band leader. He is a three-time Grammy nominee, a three-time Blues Music Award winner, a two-time Keeping The Blues Alive Award winner (for Education) and a two-time Living Blues Critics’ Award winner. Branch has recorded eleven albums under his own name and has appeared on scores of other recordings.

In addition to his recordings, Branch is also a tireless educator. His Blues In The Schools program has earned him praise both inside and outside of the music world. Branch shares his knowledge of the music with students in Chicago and other cities around the world, where he teaches blues history as well as providing instrumental instruction to children. In 1996, members of his classes, with Branch at the helm, performed on the main stage at the Chicago Blues Festival, which was broadcast on NPR. He has appeared on NBC’s The Today Show and CBS’s Sunday Morning and can be seen in the feature films Adventures In Babysitting and Next Of Kin.

Billy Branch & The Sons Of Blues can be found performing in clubs, concert halls and festivals all over the world. From the United States and Canada to South and Central America, the Caribbean, China, Africa, Israel and all throughout Europe, Branch and his band soulfully deliver their music with a concentrated, raw Windy City authority. Now, with Roots And Branches–The Songs Of Little Walter, Billy Branch & The Sons Of Blues continue to spread the gospel of the blues, reigniting the magical, timeless power of the music of Little Walter Jacobs, and in turn the soul-cleansing power of the real, living, evolving Chicago blues, as only Billy Branch can play them.