News

"Stratocaster-fueled, fierce slash-and-burn guitar work...dramatic, smoldering Southern soul-rooted intensity. Montoya’s voice is as expressive as his guitar." –Washington Post

"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." –Living Blues

Legendary blues-rock guitarist and vocalist Coco Montoya returns to Alligator Records with his new album, Hard Truth, set for March 24 release. Taught by the “Master of the Telecaster,” Albert Collins, and schooled by John Mayall, Montoya -- who cut three successful CDs for Alligator between 2000 and 2007 -- has a hard-edged sound and style all his own, mixing his forceful, melodic guitar playing and passionate vocals with memorable songs, delivering the blues’ hardest truths.

On Hard Truth, Montoya unleashes one career-topping performance after another, the music immediately ranking among the best he’s ever recorded. Produced by Tony Braunagel  (Eric Burdon, Curtis Salgado, Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt), the album features eleven songs, each delivering a hard truth of its own. From the radio-friendly, gospel-inspired celebration of love, I Want To Shout About It, to the haunting Devil Don’t Sleep to the icy-hot cover of Albert Collins’ The Moon Is Full, Hard Truth covers a lot of emotional ground. Montoya’s unpredictable guitar playing and smoking soul vocals blend effortlessly with a backing band featuring renowned musicians bassist Bob Glaub (Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Jerry Lee Lewis), keyboardist Mike Finnigan (Jimi Hendrix, Etta James, Taj Mahal), guitarists Billy Watts (Eric Burdon) and Johnny Lee Schell (Bonnie Raitt), and Braunagel on drums. Slide guitar master Lee Roy Parnell guests on Lost In The Bottle.

Montoya earned his status as a master guitarist and soul-powered vocalist through years of paying his dues as a sideman with Albert Collins (first as a drummer) and then as a featured guitarist with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, before launching his solo career in 1993. Five years of constant touring with Collins and ten years with Mayall turned him into a monster player and dynamic performer. Montoya has released eight previous solo albums to great critical and popular acclaim, and has played at clubs, concert halls and major festivals all over the world. Guitar Player says Montoya plays “stunning, powerhouse blues with a searing tone, emotional soloing, and energetic, unforced vocals.”

Montoya will hit the ground running in support of Hard Truth, with dates for a North American tour beginning in March (full tour dates will be announced in early February). Still an indefatigable road warrior, Montoya continues to pack clubs and theaters around the world, and brings festival 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, Czech Republic and Canada. Vintage Guitar says, “Coco just keeps getting better and better...rockin’ blues with guitar that cuts straight to the heart of the matter. His guitar playing is funky and blistering; it’s perfect. Whatever he plays, he does it with fire and passion rarely seen in this day and age.”

Crain’s Chicago Business, the influential Windy City publication, has taken up the cause of convincing local government and business leaders to develop the visibility of the city’s blues scene to promote tourism.

In a January 21 editorial, the weekly backs writer Mark Guarino's argument in his January 13 Crain's story that the city of Chicago can and should do more to promote one of its greatest creations and most recognizable exports.[NOTE: after clicking the links above, click on "ALREADY A MEMBER Login Here" to access full article.]

Although the city produces the largest free blues festival in the world every June, the government otherwise does almost nothing to acknowledge its internationally known blues music heritage. Nor does the city government support or publicize the local clubs dedicated to presenting blues year-round, as cities such as Memphis and New Orleans do to great success.

Internet powerhouse The Daily Beast included rising star Chicago bluesman Toronzo Cannon among their 30 Most Intriguing Musicians Of 2017. Writer Ted Gioia says, "Toronzo Cannon is a bus driver for the Chicago Transit Authority by day. But by night, he is one of the hottest blues performers on the Chicago scene."

Cannon was recently nominated for four Blues Music Awards, including Album Of The Year and Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year for his Alligator debut, The Chicago Way. He was also nominated for Song Of The Year (for Walk It Off) and Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year.

Cannon's songs – from searing blues anthems to swinging shuffles to soulful ballads to roof-raising rockers – tell timeless stories of common experiences in uncommon ways. MOJO magazine named his Alligator Records debut, The Chicago Way (produced by Cannon along with label president Bruce Iglauer), the #1 Blues CD Of 2016. The album earned the 2016 Living Blues Producer Of The Year Award for Cannon and Iglauer. The Chicago Way features all self-penned songs, inspired by Cannon's deep, homegrown Chicago roots and powered by his blistering guitar playing and soul-baring vocals.

Texas' Delaney Guitars recently built a signature model for Alligator artist Tommy Castro. The company has now announced the guitar -- "The CastroCaster" -- is available to the public.

The San Francisco Chronicle says Castro plays "“funky Southern soul, big city blues and classic rock… silvery guitar licks that simultaneously sound familiar and fresh.”

DownBeat calls the band's latest release, Method To My Madness, "a high water mark in their career."

Watch for a new album from Tommy Castro & The Painkillers later this year.

The major motion picture Fifty Shades Darker will feature the song Living Hand To Mouth by Alligator artists Little Charlie & The Nightcats. The song, written by vocalist and harmonica wizard Rick Estrin, will be heard during a bar scene. Living Hand To Mouth originally appeared on the band's 1987 label debut, All The Way Crazy.

The film, starring Bella Heathcote, Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan, is a follow up to Fifty Shades Of Grey, and is set to be released on February 10, 2017.

Toronzo Cannon Leads With Four, Followed By Curtis Salgado With Three

Lil' Ed Williams Receives Three Award Nominations

Shemekia Copeland and Moreland & Arbuckle Receive One Nomination Each

On Monday, January 9, 2017, The Blues Foundation announced the nominees for the 38th Annual Blues Music Awards, the blues world's highest honors. Five Alligator recording artists received a total of 12 nominations.

Chicago bluesman Toronzo Cannon received four nominations, including Album Of The Year and Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year for his Alligator debut, The Chicago Way. He was also nominated for Song Of The Year (for Walk It Off) and Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year. Cannon has one previous nomination.

Soul and R&B singer Curtis Salgado received three nominations including Soul Blues Album Of The Year (for The Beautiful Lowdown) and Song Of The Year (for Walk A Mile In My Blues). He also received a nod for Soul Blues Male Artist of The Year. Salgado has 13 previous nominations and five wins.

Lil' Ed Williams received three top nominations, one for B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year, one for Traditional Blues Male Artist Of The Year and one for the coveted Band Of The Year for Lil' Ed And The Blues Imperials. Williams has 20 previous nominations and two wins.

Singing sensation Shemekia Copeland received a nomination for Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year. Copeland has 34 previous nominations and has won a total of eight awards.

Moreland & Arbuckle received a nomination in the Best Blues Rock Album Of The Year category for their Alligator debut, Promised Land Or Bust. This is the group's first nomination.

The 38th Annual Blues Music Awards will be presented in Memphis on May 11, 2017 at the Cook Convention Center.

SHEMEKIA COPELAND DELIVERS ON CHRISTMAS EVE:

JOHNNY LEE COPELAND BORN IN CHICAGO

Alligator Records is excited to share the news: award-winning blues and roots vocalist Shemekia Copeland is the proud new mother to Johnny Lee Copeland, born in Chicago on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2016. Weighing in at 6 pounds, 11 ounces, Johnny Lee is said have his mother's pipes and does not like to be messed with.

Copeland's latest release, 2015's Outskirts Of Love received a Grammy nomination for Best Blues Album.

The prestigious UK publication The Blues says Outskirts Of Love is "a mature masterpiece of modern blues," and named it their 2015 #1 Album Of The Year. USA Today says, "Shemekia captures the timelessness of the blues while spinning it forward with remarkable maturity."

We wish the happy new family all the best.

Best Roots Gospel Album:

God Don't Never Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson

Best American Roots Performance:

Mother's Children Have A Hard Time - The Blind Boys Of Alabama

"God Don’t Never Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson succeeds brilliantly beyond all expectations. This is the best Americana album of the year. It reminds us all the way out here in 2016 that Blind Willie Johnson’s songs are still alive, and there is no better way to pay tribute to one of the finest American artists who ever lived."  —Paste

"God Don’t Never Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson pays tribute to the slide-guitar master by reaffirming the durability of his songs. Stripped-down arrangements mirror the starkness of Johnson’s original recordings."  —The Chicago Tribune

On Tuesday, December 6, 2016, the National Association of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) announced two Grammy Award nominations for God Don't Never Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson. The album received a nod in the Best Roots Gospel Album category, and the song Mother's Children Have A Hard Time, performed by The Blind Boys Of Alabama (with Jason Isbell on guitar), was nominated for Best American Roots Performance. Winners will be announced on Sunday, February 12.

God Don't Never Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson was released on February 26, 2016 and features newly recorded versions of the iconic slide guitarist/vocalist's most seminal material. Tom Waits, Lucinda Williams, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, Cowboy Junkies, Blind Boys Of Alabama, Sinéad O'Connor, Luther Dickinson featuring The Rising Star Fife & Drum Band, Maria McKee, and Rickie Lee Jones all deliver deeply moving interpretations of Johnson's otherworldly "gospel blues" music.

Upon release, critical reaction was swift and full of praise. Feature stories and reviews ran in The New Yorker, Paste, Texas Music, Rolling Stone Country, NPR's Fresh Air, Entertainment Weekly, Pitchfork, Vintage Guitar, No Depression, The Chicago Tribune, The Associated Press, American Songwriter, Stereophile and many others. "A job well done," said Living Blues."Impressive, milestone performances," agreed music critic Robert Christgau.

Produced by Jeffrey Gaskill (producer of the twice Grammy-nominated compilation, Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan), God Don't Never Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson highlights the music of one of the greatest and most influential slide guitarists and vocalists who ever walked the Earth. Johnson sang his sanctified gospel lyrics with overwhelming intensity, his deep, raspy voice accompanying his haunting, blues-drenched guitar playing. Rock fans will no doubt recognize many of his songs which have been recorded over the years by artists ranging from Led Zeppelin to Eric Clapton to Bob Dylan. Johnson's recording of John The Revelator was included in the Anthology Of American Folk Music, archivist Harry Smith's 6-LP collection released in 1952 that set the folk revival of the 1960s into motion. God Don't Never Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson is, according to Gaskill, "my life's work." The project was years in the making, and Gaskill is thrilled it's ready to be released. "You gotta serve somebody," he says, referencing his earlier compilation, "and I got the songs of Blind Willie Johnson."

Blind Willie Johnson recorded a total of 30 songs between 1927 and 1930 for Columbia, leaving behind a priceless legacy of the unforgettable music he created by marrying the raw, gospel fervor of his voice with the steely blues fire of his guitar. His songs were mostly traditional or came from hymnals, but when Johnson performed them, he transformed them with his soul-shaking voice and amazing slide guitar. Johnson was among the best-selling black gospel artists of the era, but the Great Depression ended his recording career.

Johnson’s life has been shrouded in mystery, but scholars, most notably the tribute album's liner notes author Michael Corcoran, have unearthed a few details. Born in Pendleton, Texas in 1897, Johnson grew up around Marlin, Texas. A legendary story has his stepmother, in a fit of rage, throwing lye in his face when he was seven, blinding him for life. He traveled the area as a street singer, moving between Dallas, Galveston, Houston, Corpus Christi, San Antonio and finally to Beaumont, where he thundered out his street corner evangelism, spreading his sacred message through his transfixing music. He died in 1945 in Beaumont, Texas at the age of 48.

Luther Dickinson calls Johnson's music "primitive modernism," his sound opening up "a whole other universe. He touches everybody. His music is so of the earth that it still sounds completely modern. It’s timeless and like nothing else ever recorded. If we could hip anybody to Blind Willie Johnson, their lives would be enriched for sure."

Derek Trucks wholeheartedly agrees, saying, "I never heard a slide player, even to this day, play with that much emotion. I've only heard a few things that have hit me quite that strongly. There's something so honest about his recordings. He's one of the few handful of musicians whose music really feels sacred to me. Johnson's songs, lyrics and the ability to pair the slide with the voice were amazing. It feels like it came out of a different world."

According to Rickie Lee Jones, recording Dark Was The Night--Cold Was The Ground -- Johnson's best-known performance -- was life-changing. She incorporated lyrics to the tune which dated back to the late 1700s. "The blues is everyman's cry," she says. "The song is part of me now."

Blind Willie Johnson's recording of Dark Was The Night--Cold Was The Ground is now also a part of the cosmos. It was included -- along with Beethoven and the sound of a human heartbeat (among other tracks) -- on a gold disc sent into outer space on the Voyager 1 space probe back in 1977, a timeless representation of Earth's humanity for other sentient beings to one day discover.

God Don't Never Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson

1) The Soul Of A Man (Tom Waits)

2) It's Nobody’s Fault But Mine (Lucinda Williams)

3) Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning (Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi)

4) Jesus Is Coming Soon (Cowboy Junkies)

5) Mother’s Children Have A Hard Time (The Blind Boys of Alabama)

6) Trouble Will Soon Be Over (Sinéad O'Connor)

7) Bye And Bye I’m Going To See The King (Luther Dickinson featuring The Rising Star Fife & Drum Band)

8) God Don’t Never Change (Lucinda Williams)

9) John The Revelator (Tom Waits)

10) Let Your Light Shine On Me (Maria McKee)

11) Dark Was The Night--Cold Was The Ground (Rickie Lee Jones)

Blues Man By Night, Bus Driver By Day, the four-minute WGN-TV feature on Chicago's Toronzo Cannon (which originally aired in March 2016), won a Chicago/Midwest Emmy Award, presented by The National Academy Of Television Arts And Sciences on December 3, 2016. The piece, produced by Pam Grimes with Mike D'Angelo and anchored by Steve Sanders, helped introduce Cannon's music and winning personality to a city always hungry for well-crafted, original blues.

Cannon’s songs – from searing blues anthems to swinging shuffles to soulful ballads to roof-raising rockers – tell timeless stories of common experiences in uncommon ways. MOJO magazine named his Alligator Records debut, The Chicago Way (produced by Cannon along with label president Bruce Iglauer), the #1 Blues CD Of 2016. The album earned the 2016 Living Blues Producer Of The Year Award for Cannon and Iglauer. The Chicago Way features all self-penned songs, inspired by Cannon's deep, homegrown Chicago roots and powered by his blistering guitar playing and soul-baring vocals.

Through the sheer force of his music, his songs and his live charisma, Cannon has become one of the city's most popular and recognizable blues artists. He’s battled his way to the top of the ultra-competitive Windy City blues scene, has already played multiple tours of Europe and continues to drive his bus by day and deliver roof-raising performances around the world by weekend night.

On Monday, November 28, 2016, Johnnie Johnson, famed pianist and Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Famer, posthumously received the Congressional Gold Medal for his service as a U.S. Marine during World War II. The award, presented to Johnson's widow, Frances Johnson, by Congresswoman Claire McCaskill at The National Blues Museum in St. Louis, is the highest civilian honor awarded in the United States, going to people whose achievements had an impact on American history and culture. With his service, Johnson helped to integrate the previously all-white Marine Corps, inspiring social change.

Johnson is best known for his work with Chuck Berry. Many of Berry's hits, including Maybellene, Nadine, Carol and School Days, were fueled by Johnson’s ferocious two-fisted piano playing.

Johnson, who died in 2005, was most recently heard on Meet Me In Bluesland, an album released in 2015 but cut in 2003 with his friends, Grammy-winning Southern blues rockers The Kentucky Headhunters.The album features not only Johnson's famed piano playing but also his very last vocal recording on the song, She's Got To Have It.

Johnnie Johnson was born on July 8, 1924 in Fairmont, West Virginia. He began playing piano at age five and never stopped. While serving in the Marines, he joined The Barracudas, a Marines servicemen’s band. He moved to Detroit and then Chicago, eventually playing with Muddy Waters and Little Walter. He landed in St. Louis in 1952 where he formed The Sir John Trio, playing jazz, blues and pop standards. Chuck Berry, an ambitious local guitarist and songwriter, was added to the group the same year and eventually took over leadership of the band. After Berry scored a contract with Chess Records, the hits came fast and furiously.

When Chuck wasn’t touring, Johnson played with Albert King, and recorded a number of singles with him for the Bobbin label. Tired of the road, Johnson left Chuck’s band in 1973 and returned to St. Louis to become a bus driver. With the 1987 release of the Chuck Berry documentary, Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll, Johnson found himself back in the spotlight, reintroduced to the world by his friend-to-be Keith Richards. After three solo recordings, Johnson joined his musical cohorts The Kentucky Headhunters for 1993’s That’ll Work. In 1996 and 1997 he toured with Ratdog, the band fronted by The Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir. Johnson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001 and continued to perform and record until his death in 2005. His 2003 sessions with The Kentucky Headhunters, released in 2015 as Meet Me In Bluesland, are some of the most spirited and organic recordings of his remarkable and still influential career.

TORONZO CANNON & LIL' ED & THE BLUES IMPERIALS MAKE MOJO'S TOP TEN BLUES ALBUMS OF 2016

Cannon's The Chicago Way Is #1 Blues Album Of 2016

The Big Sound Of Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials Is #7

New releases from world-renowned Chicago blues stars Toronzo Cannon and Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials both made MOJO magazine's influential list of Top Ten Blues Albums Of 2016. Cannon's The Chicago Way landed at the #1 spot. Williams, who recently guested on TBS-TV's CONAN, hit #7 with The Big Sound Of Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials.

ABOUT TORONZO CANNON:

MOJO says, "Toronzo Cannon rises to the front rank of Chicago bluesmen. Old School he may be in some ways, but there is nothing conventional about his songwriting.  Cannon and co-producer Bruce Iglauer have created wide-screen modern arrangements for these wry, thoughtful songs, molding an ensemble sound that’s both tempestuous and scrupulously controlled."

Cannon’s songs – from searing blues anthems to swinging shuffles to soulful ballads to roof-raising rockers – tell timeless stories of common experiences in uncommon ways. The Chicago Way earned the 2016 Living Blues Producer Of The Year Award for Cannon and Iglauer. The Chicago Way features all self-penned songs, inspired by Cannon's deep, homegrown Chicago roots and powered by his blistering guitar playing and soul-baring vocals.

Through the sheer force of his music, his songs and his live charisma, Cannon is among the city's most popular and recognizable blues artists. He’s battled his way to the top of the ultra-competitive Windy City blues scene, has already played multiple tours of Europe and continues to drive his bus by day and deliver roof-raising performances around the world by weekend night.

ABOUT LIL' ED & THE BLUES IMPERIALS:

Blues & Rhythm writes, "What’s not to like about the raucous sound of Chicago slide guitar maestro Lil' Ed Williams and his long serving trio? Great music that often seems spontaneous will have you bopping like crazy. Superlative guitar and piercing slow-burn slide will surely gain your immediate attention. Enthusiastic and passionate."

Currently celebrating 27 history-making years together, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials ply their musical talents with skills that have been honed to a razor's edge. They have won many awards over the years, including the Living Blues Critics' and Readers' Awards for Best Live Performer and the coveted Blues Music Award for Band Of The Year. The Chicago Sun-Times says, “Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials are the hottest purveyors of bottleneck boogie to come out of Chicago since Hound Dog Taylor.”

The Big Sound Of Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials mixes smoking slide guitar boogies and raw-boned shuffles with the deepest slow-burners. Lil' Ed Williams and his Blues Imperials -- bassist (and Ed's half-brother) James "Pookie" Young, guitarist Mike Garrett and drummer Kelly Littleton -- deliver gloriously riotous, rollicking and intensely emotional blues. The Chicago Tribune calls Lil' Ed "a guitarist extraordinaire" who plays "electrifying, raucous, pure Chicago blues."