News

Alligator Records Signs Christone "Kingfish" Ingram

RollingStone.com Premieres Fresh Out, New Track Featuring Buddy Guy

Showcasing at Tastemaker "NON-COMMvention" in Philadelphia

On The Road Opening for Buddy Guy and Vampire Weekend

A rising blues prodigy….A torchbearer.
--NPR Music

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

Alligator Records is pleased to announce the signing of 20-year-old guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Christone "Kingfish" Ingram. This 21st century bluesman's debut album, KINGFISH, is set for release on May 17, 2019. Today, February 19, RollingStone.com will premiere the album track Fresh Out, a sizzling duet featuring music legend Buddy Guy. The first radio single, Outside Of This Town, will be released on April 15. Additionally, on May 16, Kingfish will showcase at WXPN-FM's annual, influential NON-COMMvention in Philadelphia. The convention brings together public (non-commercial) radio music programmers and managers, music industry representatives, and music media from across the US. From there, Kingfish will tour, headlining his own shows and opening dates for Vampire Weekend and Buddy Guy.

Listen to Fresh Out here.

Recorded in Nashville and produced by two-time Grammy winner Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Susan Tedeschi, Joe Louis Walker, George Thorogood), KINGFISH 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. “A lot of folks know me for my covers,” he says of his many YouTube videos, some with millions of views each. “That’s why it’s important for me to release original music."

Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer considers Kingfish a natural fit for the blues and roots label. “At the age of 20, Kingfish is one of the most exciting and passionate young artists I’ve seen in many years. He’s creating new music that feels like blues but doesn’t copy what’s already been done. His roots are firmly in the Mississippi Delta, and you can hear that raw Delta honesty in his playing and singing. His guitar work is technically dazzling, but it’s all about the emotions of the song and moving the audience. He’s perfectly capable of crowd-pleasing shredding, but his music is remarkably mature. He knows which are the important notes, the notes that tell the story and grab the audience, and he leaves out the extraneous ones. He sings with the intensity and directness of a seasoned blues artist. He venerates the blues masters of the past and present but is eagerly making his own statement, inspired by the music they created. I’m watching him become a young, visionary blues giant. He has an amazing future ahead of him, and I’m proud that he’s joined the Alligator family.”

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 doing.”  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, 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 immediately introduced him to a young audience. Kingfish recently performed in an NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert with rap legend Rakim, who also appeared in Luke Cage.

With the release of KINGFISH, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram is ready to blaze a trail with the blues torch that’s been passed to him. 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 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.”

Kingfish will be performing in concert across North America. He will be headlining his own shows as well as opening select dates for Buddy Guy and Vampire Weekend:

HEADLINING & FESTIVAL DATES:
Feb 24 - Clearwater, FL/Clearwater Sea-Blues Festival
Mar 1 - Oxford, MS/Proud Larry's
Mar 30 - Pearl, MS/Pearl City Park
April 6 - Jacksonville, FL/Springing The Blues
April 26 - Pittsburgh, PA/August Wilson Center For African American Culture
May 4 - Memphis, TN/Beale St Music Fest
May 5 - Dallas, TX/Intl Guitar Fest
May 15 - New York, NY/The Loft at City Winery
May 17 - Washington DC/Pie Shop
May 27, Asheville, NC/The Grey Eagle
May 31 - Atlanta, GA/Eddie's Attic
June 9 - Delaware City, DE/St Georges Blues Fest
July 6-7 - Portland, OR/ Waterfront Blues Fest
July 13 - Nescopeck, PA/Briggs Farm Blues Fest
July 21 - Winthrop, WA/R&B Fest
July 27 - Sisters, OR/R&B Fest
Aug 3 - Mammoth Lakes/Bluesapalooza
Aug 9 - Chattanooga, TN/Songbirds South Stage

DATES WITH BUDDY GUY:
Mar 21 - Orlando, FL/Hard Rock Live
Mar 22 - Fort Lauderdale, FL/Broward Center
Mar 29 - Houston, TX/House Of Blues
April 9 - San Juan Capistrano, CA/The Coach House
April 11 - Carmel, CA/Sunset Center
April 12 - Santa Rosa, CA/Luther Burbank Center
April 13 - San Francisco, CA/The Masonic
April 14 - Sacramento, CA/The Crest Theatre
May 1 - Nashville, TN/Ryman Auditorium
May 3 - LaGrange, GA/Sweetland Amphitheater


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 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

Alligator President Bruce Iglauer speaks with audiovisual music journalist Mako Funasaka on the Talkin' Blues podcast. They discuss the new book, Bitten By The Blues and Iglauer's life in music.

Alligator Records president and founder Bruce Iglauer will appear on WTTW-TV's Chicago Tonight on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 to discuss his new book, Bitten by the Blues, The Alligator Records Story. The program airs locally at 7:00pm Central time. Co-authored by Patrick A. Roberts, the book was released on Tuesday, October 30, 2018 by The University of Chicago Press. The book is a memoir of a life immersed in the blues -- and the business of running an independent blues label. Bitten By The Blues takes readers behind the scenes, offering larger than life stories of musicians, recording sessions, and what it's like to work with the legends of the genre.

From first hearing Hound Dog Taylor at Florence's Lounge on Chicago's South Side to building Alligator Records one release at a time to running the biggest blues label in the world, Iglauer and Roberts take readers on a 50-year journey through the blues from local Chicago bars to festival stages across the globe.

According to Iglauer, "We wanted to paint vivid pictures of the charismatic blues immortals that I knew so well, like Hound Dog Taylor, Son Seals, Koko Taylor and Albert Collins, as well as to give insight into the creative process of planning and recording some of their classic albums. And we wanted to give the readers a close-up look at the exciting and visionary artists who are carrying the Alligator tradition into the future, like Marcia Ball, Shemekia Copeland, Selwyn Birchwood and Toronzo Cannon. It's also an insider's look at how the independent record business has changed over the last 50 years, and how those changes have impacted the artists who create the music."

The Chicago Tribune says, "Apart from the musicians themselves, few Chicagoans have done more for the genre – or witnessed more of its history from the inside – than Iglauer."

Bruce Iglauer is president and founder of Alligator Records, the largest contemporary blues label in the world. He is also a cofounder of Living Blues magazine and a founder of the Chicago Blues Festival.

Patrick A. Roberts is associate professor in the College of Education at Northern Illinois University. He is the coauthor of Give 'Em Soul, Richard! Race, Radio, and Rhythm and Blues in Chicago.

 

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New Album Killin' It Live Set For March 1 Release In US And Canada

"Castro’s aggressive, inspired attack on vocals and guitar is phenomenal."
–Washington Post

"Tommy Castro & The Painkillers showcase the power of the blues, soul and down-and-dirty rock ‘n’ roll...rousing and infectious. This is energizing, scorching, soul-shaking music….pure pleasure."
–Living Blues

Tommy Castro & The Painkillers have announced plans for their 2019 Killin' It Live North American tour. Killin’ It Live -- the band's new CD set for March 1 release in the US and Canada -- is a nonstop, spirited mix of blues, rock and soul, with rollicking, hypnotic grooves fueled by Castro’s fervent vocals and the band's muscular musicianship. On that same date, the band will begin their tour in Castro's longtime stomping ground of Northern California before making their way to Canada, and then heading to the Midwest and the east coast. Full dates and locations are below and can also be found here.

Guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Tommy Castro has released 15 albums ranging from horn-fueled soul and R&B to piping hot blues to fiery rock ‘n’ roll. He’s performed all over the world, earning countless fans with his legendary, sweat-drenched, exhilarating live shows. The Painkillers—bassist Randy McDonald, drummer Bowen Brown  and keyboardist Michael Emerson—have now been playing together over four years. After hundreds of live shows, they have coalesced into one of the telepathically tightest units Castro has ever assembled, making them one of the most in-demand live roots music acts performing today. Blues Revue said simply, “Tommy Castro can do no wrong."

With the group firing on all cylinders, Castro knew the time was right to answer his fans’ demands for a live album. Killin’ It Live captures the band at the peak of their creative and improvisational powers, and features one unforgettable, unpredictable performance after another. “This is the best band we’ve ever had,” says Castro. We really got something going on beyond just being good musicians. Every song we play live now has that right feel—all the dynamics. It allows us to jam out more on stage. Killin’ It Live is what you hear when you see us live.” Featuring songs from throughout Castro’s career, Killin’ It Live was produced by Castro and engineer/songwriter Ron Alan Cohen and recorded at venues in Texas, New York, Michigan and California during 2018. The album includes eight Castro originals spanning his entire career and two Castro-ized covers, each showing a slightly different side of his multifaceted musical personality.

KILLIN' IT LIVE 2019 North American Tour:

March 01, 2019   Yoshi's, Oakland, CA   
March 02, 2019   Crest Theatre (co-bill with Elvin Bishop), Sacramento, CA          
March 08, 2019   Jazzbones, Tacoma, WA  
March 09, 2019   Festival Place, Sherwood Park, AB, CANADA  
March 10, 2019   Mikey’s on 12th Avenue, Calgary, AB, CANADA        
March 12, 2019   The Triple Door, Seattle, WA    
March 13, 2019   Conway Muse, Conway, WA   
March 14, 2019   Alberta Rose Theatre, Portland, OR   
March 15, 2019   The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts, Eugene, OR    
March 22, 2019   Rancho Nicasio, Nicasio, CA    
March 23, 2019   Rancho Nicasio, Nicasio, CA    
March 29, 2019   Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts, Fond du Lac, WI          
March 30, 2019   Medina Entertainment Center, Medina, MN   

April 02, 2019   Shank Hall, Milwaukee, WI
April 03, 2019   The Castle Theatre, Bloomington, IL
April 04, 2019   City Winery, Chicago, IL
April 05, 2019   Music Box Supper Club (co-bill with Ronnie Baker Brooks), Cleveland, OH
April 06, 2019   Rhine Haus Bier Hall, Youngstown, OH
April 07, 2019   Moondog’s, Blawnox, PA         
April 09, 2019   The Loft at City Winery, New York, NY 
April 10, 2019   Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ   
April 11, 2019   Daryl’s House, Pawling, NY    
April 12, 2019   Bridge Street Live, Collinsville, CT
April 13, 2019   Narrows Center for the Arts, Fall River, MA 
April 14, 2019   City Winery, The Haymarket Lounge, Boston, MA     
April 16, 2019   Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA          
April 18, 2019   Sellersville Theater, Sellersville, PA
April 19, 2019   Pearl Street Warehouse, Washington, DC          
April 20, 2019   Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD
April 26, 2019   Callahan’s Music Hall, Auburn Hills, MI          
April 27, 2019   Franke Center for the Arts, Marshall, MI   
April 28, 2019   Natalie's, Worthington OH
April 30, 2019   The Southgate House Revival, Newport, KY   

May 01, 2019   Lincoln Theatre, Belleville, IL    
May 03, 2019   Rose Music Hall, Columbia, MO
May 04, 2019   Knuckleheads Saloon, Kansas City, MO 
May 05, 2019   Zoo Bar, Lincoln NE        

On Wednesday, January 9, 2019, The Blues Foundation announced the nominees for the 40th Annual Blues Music Awards, the blues world's highest honors. Seventeen Alligator recording artists received a total of 25 nominations. Shemekia Copeland leads all Alligator artists with five nominations, followed by The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling with three and one each additionally for Moss and Gruenling.
 
The coveted Album Of The Year category features four Alligator releases of the five nominees: Shemekia Copeland's America's Child, The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling's The High Cost Of Low Living, Joe Louis Walker, Bruce Katz and Giles Robson's Journeys To The Heart Of The Blues and Curtis Salgado and Alan Hager's Rough Cut. Three Alligator artists -- Rick Estrin, Selwyn Birchwood and Toronzo Cannon -- received nods for Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year. Both Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials and The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling were nominated for the top Band Of The Year award.

The 40th Annual Blues Music Awards will be presented in Memphis on May 9, 2019 at the Cook Convention Center.
 
Alligator artists and nominations are as follows:

SHEMEKIA COPELAND:
Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year
Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year: America's Child
Album Of The Year: America's Child
Song Of The Year: Ain't Got Time For Hate (by John Hahn & Will Kimbrough)
Best Instrumentalist - Vocals


THE NICK MOSS BAND FEATURING DENNIS GRUENLING:
Band Of The Year
Album Of The Year: The High Cost Of Low Living
Traditional Blues Album Of The Year: The High Cost Of Low Living
Traditional Blues Male Artist Of The Year: Nick Moss
Best Instrumentalist - Harmonica: Dennis Gruenling

 
LIL' ED & THE BLUES IMPERIALS:
Band Of The Year
Entertainer Of The Year: Lil' Ed Williams
 

TINSLEY ELLIS:
Blues Rock Artist Of The Year
Blues Rock Album Of The Year: Winning Hand


RICK ESTRIN & THE NIGHTCATS:
Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year: Rick Estrin
Best Instrumentalist - Guitar: Kid Andersen

 
LINDSAY BEAVER:
Traditional Blues Female Artist Of The Year (Koko Taylor Award)
Best Emerging Artist Album: Tough As Love


JOE LOUIS WALKER,
BRUCE KATZ, GILES ROBSON:
Album Of The Year: Journeys To The Heart Of The Blues
Acoustic Blues Album Of The Year: Journeys To The Heart Of The Blues
Best Instrumentalist - Piano: Bruce Katz

 
SELWYN BIRCHWOOD:
Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year
 

MARCIA BALL:
Best Instrumentalist - Piano


TORONZO CANNON:
Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year

 
CURTIS SALGADO & ALAN HAGER:
Album Of The Year: Rough Cut

Click here to see a full list of all Blues Music Award nominees:
https://blues.org/40th-blues-music-award-nominations-announced/

Alligator Records stands today as one of the most enduring and revered independent blues labels in the world.”   --Chicago Tribune

Beginning January 1, 2019, Alligator Records, the Chicago-based blues and roots label, will be represented for physical distribution in the U.S. by AMPED Distribution, a division of Alliance Entertainment. AMPED is one of the largest independent distributors in the country, representing over 150 labels. For the last 18 years, Alligator has been distributed by Ryko Distribution and ADA. 

According to Alligator Records founder and president Bruce Iglauer, “We’re sad to be leaving ADA, who have been great partners throughout this volatile time in the industry.  Alligator has been blessed with strong national distribution for many years, beginning in 2000 with Ryko Distribution, which later morphed into ADA. We look forward to continuing success as a member of AMPED’s family of labels.”

Dean Tabaac, head of AMPED Distribution, says "Bruce Iglauer and his staff have established Alligator Records to be one of the most iconic and important blues labels ever. AMPED is thrilled and honored to be entrusted as Alligator's new distributor and to become a part of their growing legacy for years to come. AMPED's ability to connect Alligator's impressive roster of quintessential artists with fans wherever they shop is the core of who we are and we are delighted Bruce Iglauer feels the same way."

Alligator's 2019 releases include The Kentucky Headhunters' Live At The Ramblin' Man Fair, Tommy Castro & The Painkillers' Killin' It Live as well as new releases from Toronzo Cannon, Coco Montoya, The Cash Box Kings, The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling and more.

"Castro’s aggressive, inspired attack on vocals and guitar is phenomenal."
–Washington Post

"Tommy Castro & The Painkillers showcase the power of the blues, soul and down-and-dirty rock ‘n’ roll...rousing and infectious. This is energizing, scorching, soul-shaking music….pure pleasure."
–Living Blues

Alligator Records has set a February 1, 2019 release date in Europe and the UK and a March 1, 2019 date in the US and Canada for Killin’ It Live, the blistering new live album from Tommy Castro & The Painkillers. Killin’ It Live is a nonstop, spirited mix of blues, rock and soul, with rollicking, hypnotic grooves fueled by Castro’s fervent vocals and the band's muscular musicianship.

Guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Tommy Castro has released 15 albums ranging from horn-fueled soul and R&B to piping hot blues to fiery rock ‘n’ roll. He’s performed all over the world, earning countless fans with his legendary, sweat-drenched, exhilarating live shows. The Painkillers—bassist Randy McDonald, drummer Bowen Brown  and keyboardist Michael Emerson—have now been playing together over four years. After hundreds of live shows, they have coalesced into one of the telepathically tightest units Castro has ever assembled, making them one of the most in-demand live roots music acts performing today.

With the group firing on all cylinders, Castro knew the time was right to answer his fans’ demands for a live album. Killin’ It Live captures the band at the peak of their creative and improvisational powers, and features one unforgettable, unpredictable performance after another. “This is the best band we’ve ever had,” says Castro. We really got something going on beyond just being good musicians. Every song we play live now has that right feel—all the dynamics. It allows us to jam out more on stage. Killin’ It Live is what you hear when you see us live.” Featuring songs from throughout Castro ’s career, Killin’ It Live was produced by Castro and engineer/songwriter Ron Alan Cohen and recorded at venues in Texas, New York, Michigan and California during 2018. The album includes eight Castro originals spanning his entire career and two Castro-ized covers, each showing a slightly different side of his multifaceted musical personality.

Born in San Jose, California in 1955, Tommy Castro first picked up a guitar at age 10. He fell under the spell of Eric Clapton, Elvin Bishop, Taj Mahal, Mike Bloomfield and other blues-rockers. Almost every major rock and soul act, from Ike and Tina Turner to Janis Joplin to Elvin Bishop to Taj Mahal, toured through the area, and Castro was at every show. He saw John Lee Hooker, Albert King and Buddy Guy and Junior Wells at the same local blues bar, JJ’s, where he often jammed, dreaming of one day busting out. Mixing the blues-rock he loved and the soul music he heard blasting out from his Mexican friends’ lowriders, Tommy started to create his own personal sound and style. He honed his guitar skills and intense vocals, learning how to capture an audience as he performed on San Jose&r squo;s highly competitive bar scene.

As his reputation spread, Tommy played in a variety of Bay Area blues and soul bands, soon making a name for himself as a hotter-than-hot live artist bursting at the seams with talent. He joined Warner Brothers’ artists The Dynatones in the late 1980s, gigging all over the country. After forming the first Tommy Castro Band in 1991, Castro released a series of critically acclaimed CDs for Blind Pig, Telarc and 33rd Street Records, as well as one on his own Heart And Soul label. He signed with Alligator Records in 2009, releasing Hard Believer to massive acclaim.

Castro formed the first incarnation of The Painkillers in 2012 and released The Devil You Know. By 2014 (with Brown and Emerson taking over drums and keys respectively) they had become a lean, mean four-piece lineup. The current band released Method To My Madness in 2015 and Stompin' Ground in 2017, with critics shouting praise and admirers cheering the group’s every move. Blues Revue said simply, “Tommy Castro can do no wrong.”

Tommy Castro & The Painkillers will perform in Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and France throughout February 2019 before touring throughout North America beginning in the Spring. European dates are below. US dates will be announced shortly.

February 2019 European tour:
13 Meisenfrei Blues Club - Bremen, GERMANY
14 Kulturwerkstatt Buer e.V. - Melle, GERMANY
15 Q-Factory - Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS
16 Groene Engel - Oss, NETHERLANDS
17 Musiktheater Piano - Dortmund, GERMANY
18 Die Kantine - Yard Club - Cologne, GERMANY
19 Spirit of 66 - Verviers, BELGIUM
20 Nachtleben - Frankfurt , GERMANY
21 Kofferfabrik - Fürth, GERMANY
22 Bürgerhaus Zum Vorfuß - Vollmersbach, GERMANY
23 Strandbar51 - Winterbach, GERMANY
24 Mühle Hunziken - Rubigen, SWITZERLAND
25 New Morning - Paris, FRANCE

Deceptively loose but always tight…the raspy chuckle in Bishop’s singing and the sharp sting of his guitar are forceful and fresh, enduring and fun.
–Fresh Air, NPR

Raw and simple and utterly endearing.
--RELIX

Elvin Bishop has always been big fun and is the ringmaster in his own blues circus. With Willy Jordan and Bob Welsh, Bishop whomps out tough, muscular and rollicking boogie-infused blues.
--No Depression

Legendary guitarist, singer and songwriter Elvin Bishop and his Big Fun Trio -- Bob Welsh on piano and guitar and Willy Jordan on cajón (a hand-played Peruvian drumbox) and vocals -- received a Grammy Award nomination in the Best Traditional Blues Album category for their 2018 Alligator Records album, Something Smells Funky 'Round Here. Living Blues calls it "joyously raunchy, fun-loving music." The album is a follow up to the group's 2017 Grammy-nominated self-titled debut.

Something Smells Funky ‘Round Here mixes rousing new originals, reinventions of three Bishop classics and some unexpected, soul-shaking covers. The potent title track – a tongue-in-cheek State Of The Union address as only Elvin can deliver -- kicks the album off with Bishop aiming his lyrical truths at those in power. The humorous but piercingly direct lyrics take aim at the current political scene while Bishop’s deep blues guitar playing drives the point home. “This album fell together easily,” says Bishop. “Everything I visualized about the songs – from Bob’s playing to Willy’s singing, came true. Bob and Willy are great musicians.”

Rock & Roll and Blues Hall Of Famer Elvin Bishop formed The Big Fun Trio in late 2015 with his friends Welsh and Jordan. After playing just a handful of live dates, the group’s instantly crowd-pleasing music and undeniable chemistry took the blues world by storm. With the release of their self-titled CD in 2017, media and fan response was immediate and overwhelming. According to Bishop, “With a trio there’s no place to hide­—you’ve got to be pourin’ everything you got right out front. You need to be totally into it all the time. It’s really cool to see how people react to the goin’-for-it feel of the music.”

Rolling Stone calls Bishop “a legendary guitarist” whose playing is “impeccable and spirited…a distinguished American player.”

[Although Jody was not an Alligator artist, he was a vital and important member of the blues community and we felt this information was important to share.]

Famed Chicago blues guitarist/vocalist and Blues Hall Of Fame member Jody Williams, who recorded with legends including Howlin’ Wolf, Otis Spann and his childhood friend Bo Diddley, as well as under his own name, died of cancer at the Munster Med Inn in Munster, Indiana on December 1, 2018. He lived in nearby St. John, Indiana. He was 83.

One of the last and most accomplished practitioners of the golden 1950s era of Chicago blues, Williams was well-known for his instantly recognizable stinging guitar tone, a keen vibrato and a sensibility that straddled the turf between gutbucket blues, sophisticated jazzy West Coast stylings and even vintage rockabilly, along with solid vocals and thoughtful songwriting. His often-replicated guitar parts were crucial to some of the most iconic songs of the genre, including on Bo Diddley’s Who Do You Love and I’m Bad, Howlin’ Wolf’s Evil and Forty Four, Billy Boy Arnold’s I Wish You Would and I Ain’t Got You, and Sonny Boy Williamson’s Don’t Start Me Talking.

Joseph Leon (Jody) Williams was born in Mobile, Alabama on February 3, 1935 and moved to Chicago around age five. After he began exploring music on harmonica and jaw harp, he met Ellas McDaniel (the future Bo Diddley) at a talent show. Bo taught him an open guitar tuning and they began working the streets together in 1951. Williams began playing clubs at age 17 and went on to record under his own name (including his influential instrumental anthem Lucky Lou). Williams was the first Chicago blues guitarist to master B.B. King’s stringbending-based approach and influenced the young modernists of the day such as Otis Rush and Buddy Guy. He served for years as the house guitarist at Chess Records and backed a varied list of artists including Jimmy Witherspoon, Floyd Dixon, Dale Hawkins and Bobby Charles. He played on Buddy Morrow’s big band version of Rib Joint, and dueled with B.B. King on an Otis Spann 45 for the Checker label. He also played on multiple rock ‘n’ roll package tours. In 1958 he was called to the army, serving his tour of duty in Germany. Returning to Chicago, Williams studied computers and engineering. He left the music business in the 1960s.

Williams returned to public performance in 2000. Focusing on being a band leader and songwriter, Williams recorded two very well-received CDs of predominantly original material, 2002’s Return Of A Legend and 2004's You Left Me In the Dark, both for Evidence Records. Living Blues said, "Williams is a modern-day standard bearer for a still-vital style that continues to impress, exhilarate and inspire fifty years after he first helped create it." The success of the CDs led him to play festivals all over the country in addition to dates overseas. He was inducted into the Blues Hall Of Fame in Memphis in 2013 and into the Chicago Blues Hall Of Fame in 2015.

Williams is survived by his wife Jeanne Hadenfelt, his daughters Marilyn Murphy and Sissy Williams, sons Anthony and Jason Williams, grandchildren Justin, Noel, Joseph, Joshua, River and Ethan Williams and Gerold Murphy, and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral arrangements are as follows:
Sunday, December 9
Leak & Sons Funeral Home, 7838 S. Cottage Grove Avenue, Chicago, IL
2:00PM - Wake
3:00PM - Service

MOJO says:

#1 America's Child:
"Shemekia Copeland’s voice is rich, soulful and totally commanding. Authoritative, passionate Stax-styled stirrers, raw Chicago blues and countryish folk rockers."

#2 Journeys To The Heart Of The Blues:
"Joe Louis Walker, Bruce Katz and Giles Robson are three master instrumentalists taking a stroll through old Bluesville. But this is no studious re-creation: Walker's rich, flexible voice remains his own invention, while Katz (piano) and Robson (harmonica) always play themselves rather than ghosts."


#4 The High Cost Of Low Living:
"Guitarist and singer Nick Moss shows the world his fearsome guitar chops and his complete familiarity with the great tradition of Chicago bar-blues-band- music. Partnered with harmonica-player Dennis Gruenling, Moss creates a two-headed monster that takes the band thundering through a program of pieces from the past and crisp originals."


#7 Rough Cut"
"This is almost as stripped-down as you can get, just voice and harmonica with acoustic guitar and a few drop-ins on drums, bass or piano. But Salgado and Hager have the skill and taste to play exactly what’s required by a programme of old songs and quirky originals."


*Journeys To The Heart Of The Blues was released in North America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand by Alligator, and in all other territories by Munich Records, a division of V2 Records Benelux.

Includes Three Recently Discovered Studio Tracks Featuring Legendary Blues Pianist Johnnie Johnson

Rowdy, twanging, wild-eyed Southern rockers perform songs that insist on down-home roots. The Headhunters bring a sense of bar-band recklessness, riffing with unchecked muscle, combining country roots with ferocious, bluesy hard rock.
–The New York Times

Substantial, guitar-driven Southern rock…crunching guitars and aggressive percussion.
–Rolling Stone

One of the best and most influential country rock bands. Seamless harmonies, genre-bending, Clapton-esque guitar work. Potent and unique.
–NPR Music

Alligator Records has set a January 11, 2019 release date for Live At The Ramblin' Man Fair, the new album from Grammy-winning band The Kentucky Headhunters. The band -- guitarist/vocalist Richard Young, his brother drummer Fred Young, guitarist Greg Martin and bassist/vocalist Doug Phelps --- had never before been to Europe in their 30-plus year career. This set, recorded at The Ramblin' Man Fair in Maidstone, UK, captures them at the height of their powers.

Live At The Ramblin' Man Fair finds the band blazing through a 10-song set in front of 25,000 screaming UK fans. Combining old-school blues and blistering Southern rock with country overtones, The Kentucky Headhunters cross borders and genres with ease, as the elated UK audience roars its collective approval throughout the concert. The album closes with three recently rediscovered studio tracks from the legendary Meet Me In Bluesland sessions featuring late blues piano icon Johnnie Johnson (known for his seminal piano work driving Chuck Berry’s most famous songs).

Although The Kentucky Headhunters have been recording and touring together for over 30 years (and making music together for over 50 years), they had never, until 2016, performed overseas. That year, Richard—a notoriously uneasy flier—let his son John Fred (drummer for internationally beloved hard rock group Black Stone Cherry) talk him into bringing The Kentucky Headhunters to Europe. A tour of Sweden and the United Kingdom was booked, and the band was on its way to earning a whole new audience for their raucous and rowdy music.

Since their multiple award-winning debut album in 1989, Pickin' On Nashville (Mercury), the band has released 12 more albums with total sales reaching over 11 million. Constant touring has kept the band busy and each new release has kept them in high demand. 2015’s Alligator CD, Meet Me In Bluesland (recorded in 2003 with Johnnie Johnson), brought the band to the attention of many new fans. No Depression called the album, “A raucous, rockin’ romp that’ll put a big ole grin on your face. Johnson pounds out licks like a wrecking ball.” The Wall Street Journal called it, “a collection of rollicking, loose-limbed songs rooted in the blues and vintage-style rock ‘n’ roll.”

2016’s On Safari (Plowboy Records) led to the band’s first European tour and in turn to the album Live At The Ramblin’ Man Fair, their second career live album. “Truth is,” says Richard, “we didn’t even know we were being recorded. I found out later the festival folks recorded our whole set. After hearing it, I knew it captured us exactly as we really are, and I knew we had to release it.” With the new album and another UK/European tour in the works, The Kentucky Headhunters are excited to visit their new friends and fans across the ocean, as well as hitting the highway across the U.S. and Canada.

Whether they’re turning Southern rock fans on to blues or turning blues fans on to Southern rock, The Kentucky Headhunters are simply thrilled to be enriching the lives of so many music fans for so many years. According to Richard, “When the four of us get together, it’s a powerful thing. It makes people happy. It’s really good music.”

Rick Estrin and Shemekia Copeland Nominated for International Artist Of The Year

Lindsay Beaver Receives Nomination for Drummer Of The Year

The Toronto Blues Society has announced the nominees for the 2018 Maple Blues Awards. Three Alligator artists -- Rick Estrin and Shemekia Copeland, and Halifax native Lindsay Beaver -- were all recognized. Estrin and Copeland were nominated for the coveted B.B. King International Artist Of The Year Award. Beaver was nominated for the Drummer Of The Year Award.

The Maple Blues Awards are Canada’s National Blues Awards Program. The program promotes blues music across the country, and recognizes outstanding achievement in the field. Nominees are selected by a panel of 45 blues experts. The panel includes radio hosts, journalists, and festival organizers regionally distributed across Canada.Winners in instrumental categories — guitar, harmonica, piano/keyboards, horn, drum, and bass — will be determined by the Nominating Panel. Winners in all other categories will be selected by blues fans across Canada. Winners will be announced in a ceremony at Koerner Hall in Toronto on February 4, 2019.

Harmonicist/vocalist/songwriter Rick Estrin is leader of 2018's Blues Music Award-winning band Rick Estrin & The Nightcats. Their latest album is Groovin' In Greaseland. Blues Music Magazine says, "Rick Estrin is not like anyone else on the planet. He is a talented singer, a harmonica player and band leader, as well as one of the more resourceful and intriguing songwriters the blues has ever produced."

NPR Music called award-winning vocalist Shemekia Copeland's latest album, America's Child, "Head-turning and outspoken, America’s Child is a true hybrid of simmering, real-talking spirit and emphatic, folkie-and soul-style statement-making. Copeland sings slow-burning soul and rollicking country-blues with growling vigor and potent conviction."

Vocalist/drummer/songwriter Lindsay Beaver's Alligator Records debut, Tough As Love (released October 12, 2018), debuted at #1 on the Living Blues Radio Chart. Elmore says, "Lindsay Beaver stands apart. The fiery album brings gutsy, vintage rock n’ roll, rockabilly, punk blues, and straight ahead blues. Beaver’s emotive vocals soar."