News

Award-winning pianist/vocalist/songwriter Marcia Ball will release her new Alligator Records CD, The Tattooed Lady And The Alligator Man, on September 23, 2014. The Texas-born, Louisiana-raised Ball has earned worldwide fame for her ability to ignite a full-scale roadhouse rhythm and blues party every time she strolls onto the stage. Her groove-laden New Orleans boogie, deeply soulful ballads and rollicking Gulf Coast blues have made her a one-of-a-kind favorite with music fans all over the world.

On The Tattooed Lady And The Alligator Man, Ball draws listeners deep into her music with instantly memorable melodies and imaginative imagery. Her songs paint vibrant musical pictures, richly detailed with characters, flavors and scenes straight out of Louisiana and Texas. With raucous horns punctuating Ball’s legendary piano pounding and emotional, melodic vocals, the new CD mixes Ball's New Orleans R&B, swampy Louisiana ballads, and jumping, Tex-Mex flavored zydeco into a one-of-a-kind musical gumbo, a sound she has been perfecting over the course of her four-decade career.

From the poignant Just Keep Holding On to the fresh start of Clean My House to the surprising and timely The Squeeze Is On to the southern warmth of Human Kindness, Ball has delivered a set of songs so well written and so well performed, she’ll astound and delight her longtime fans and give newcomers plenty of reasons to join the party. Featuring her stellar, road-tested touring band, with help from friends Delbert McClinton and Terrance Simien and production by Grammy-winner Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Joe Louis Walker, James Cotton, Susan Tedeschi), The Tattooed Lady And The Alligator Man is happy, moving, joyful, stirring, thought-provoking, danceable and fun.

After a 1978 solo LP for Capitol and a successful series of releases on Rounder, Ball joined the Alligator Records family in 2001 with the release of the critically acclaimed Presumed Innocent. The CD took home the 2002 Blues Music Award for Blues Album Of The Year. 2004’s So Many Rivers, 2005’s Live! Down The Road, 2008’s Peace, Love & BBQ and 2010’s Roadside Attractions all received Grammy Award nominations as well as critical and popular acclaim. In 2010, Ball was inducted into the Gulf Coast Music Hall Of Fame and in 2012 into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. She’s received a total of seven Living Blues Awards and nine Blues Music Awards (and has earned a whopping 42 nominations).

The New York Times says, “Marcia Ball plays two-fisted New Orleans barrelhouse piano and sings in a husky, knowing voice about all the trouble men and women can get into on the way to a good time.” Living Blues declares, “Her originals sound like timeless classics and southern soul masterpieces that no one else can imitate.” Of the new album, Ball says, “I don’t make a record until I have something to say, stories to tell, messages to impart. I try to make records that are true to me,” she continues, “and this one couldn’t be truer.”

COTTON NAMED BLUES ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Alligator Records artists James Cotton and Marcia Ball received coveted Living Blues Awards, the magazine announced in its August 2014 issue.

Cotton, whose 2013 release Cotton Mouth Man received a Grammy Award nomination, received three Living Blues Critics' Poll Awards: Blues Artist Of The Year (Male), Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica), and Album Of The Year (for Cotton Mouth Man).

Ball received a Living Blues Readers' Poll Award for Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard). Her new CD,The Tattooed Lady And The Alligator Man, will be released on September 23, 2014. Four of Ball's previous five Alligator releases have been Grammy nominated.

"MAKING-OF" VIDEO FEATURES BISHOP, CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE AND MICKEY THOMAS

 Can't Even Do Wrong Right, the new CD from the legendary Elvin Bishop, will exclusively premiere as a full album stream at Relix.com beginning Wednesday, August 6. The stream will be available here: http://www.relix.com/media/audio/album_premiere_elvin_bishop_cant_even_do_wrong_right. The album will be released on August 19.

In an enlightening behind-the-scenes video, Bishop and his friends Charlie Musselwhite and Mickey Thomas are having the time of their lives making the record. The video can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omyYA2syhhk.

Bishop is currently riding high atop the charts, as his 1975 hit song, Fooled Around And Fell In Love (with vocals by Mickey Thomas) is included in the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack and film. This iconic musical pair joins forces once again on Can't Even Do Wrong Right, with Thomas' soaring vocals and Bishop's soulful slide guitar making Let Your Woman Have Her Way an instant classic.

With his "so-loose-they're-tight" road band behind him, along with friends Thomas and Grammy Award-winning harmonica player Musselwhite (on Old School and No More Doggin’), Bishop has created one of the best albums of his career. Can't Even Do Wrong Right finds Bishop playing, writing and singing some of the most spirited and distinctive blues and roots music today.

Of the new album, Bishop tells Relix, "It was kinda lucky how everything happened for this project -- the tunes fell out of the sky and the people I wanted turned out to be willing and available -- Mickey and Charlie and the band --wow. And [producer] Steve Savage put a helluva sound together for us."

Can't Even Do Wrong Right proves that Bishop is as vital and creative an artist now as he was when he first hit the national scene in 1965 with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. He is as slyly good-humored and instantly crowd-pleasing as he was when he was scoring Southern rock-styled hits during the 1970s. For five decades, he has never stopped touring or releasing instantly recognizable music featuring his groundbreaking playing, easy-going vocals, witty lyrics and good-time humor.

Can’t Even Do Wrong Right, with hilariously spot-on cover art by musician/artist Paul Thorn, finds Bishop firing on all cylinders and having fun while doing it. With this album, Bishop has created another highlight in a career that covers 50 years and over 20 albums. Five of the songs are Bishop originals. An outstanding instrumental version of Jimmy Reed’s Honest I Do harkens back to Elvin’s childhood: this was the very first blues song he heard coming from Nashville’s WLAC, the late night R&B 50,000 watt powerhouse radio station, beaming all the way to his Oklahoma home. In the 1950s in Oklahoma, everything was racially separated except the radio (“They couldn’t segregate the airwaves,” Bishop recalls). Between the original songs, the well-chosen covers, Bishop's great band and his special guests, Can’t Even Do Wrong Right hits its target at every turn.

Confirmed tour dates through October 2014 follow:
Aug. 15, 2014     Fargo Blues Festival - Fargo, ND
Aug. 17, 2014     Cobb Mountain Concert Series - Cobb, CA
Sep. 06, 2014     San Diego Blues Festival - San Diego, CA
Sep. 12, 2014     SPACE - Evanston, IL     
Sep. 13, 2014     Liberty Bank Alton Amphitheater - Alton, IL     
Sep. 27, 2014     Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse - Berkeley, CA     
Oct. 04, 2014     Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise - Los Angeles, CA (through Oct. 11, 2014)
Oct. 17, 2014     Theatre Deville - Vacaville, CA    

Alligator Records founder and president Bruce Iglauer will receive the very first "Iconic Innovators" Award from AirPlay Direct. AirPlay Direct is among the leading secure digital file transfer systems for the music industry. AirPlay Direct president Michael Harnett explains that the award, new this year, "will be given to the AirPlay Direct member who best embraces the vision and opportunities that digital innovation in the music industry continues to create."

 Harnett says Iglauer was the first person who came to mind for this new award. "Bruce’s professional career is a road map for success and accomplishment. He is a passionate, committed and relevant leader in the ever evolving independent global music community. Bruce is undoubtedly an 'Iconic Innovator,' but more importantly he is the type of man that blazes trails and leads by example. Great pair of ears, great heart and a great partner.” 

Iglauer is equally thrilled to be receiving the award, which comes with a $50,000 AirPlay Direct Marketing And Awareness campaign. "I’m extremely honored to receive the first 'Iconic Innovators' Award from AirPlay Direct. Although Alligator is over 40 years old, we’ve always tried to make sure that we stayed on the technological cutting edge. We were the first Blues label to manufacture compact discs in 1984. We were selling online from our own website twenty years ago, and we were among the first independent labels to commit to streaming services and download stores."

 "More recently," Iglauer continues, "we began working with AirPlay Direct to deliver our music to radio and online programmers around the world. This has been a great decision for us, and the AirPlay Direct staff have been terrific to deal with. I also have to give kudos to Josh Lindner, Alligator’s Director of New Technology, who first connected Alligator and AirPlay Direct, as well as leading us to many other new technology opportunities."

About AirPlay Direct:
AirPlay Direct is a centralized, professional eco-system that connects artists, labels, radio stations, as well as equipment and services. All of their subscribers are qualified music industry participants. They have a national and international reach of 9,000+ radio station members in 90 countries with over 38,000 artist / label members. They give direct access to the primary target market of artists, musicians, labels, and radio stations of all musical genres. 

Legendary blues guitarist/songwriter/vocalist Elvin Bishop returns to Alligator Records with Can't Even Do Wrong Right, set for release on Tuesday, August 19. With his "so-loose-they're-tight" road band behind him, along with friends Charlie Musselwhite and Mickey Thomas, Bishop has created one of the best albums of his career. Can't Even Do Wrong Rightfinds Bishop playing, writing and singing some of the most spirited and distinctive blues and roots music today. The CD proves that Bishop is as vital and creative an artist now as he was when he first hit the national scene in 1965 with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. He is as slyly good-humored and instantly crowd-pleasing as he was when he was scoring Southern rock-styled hits during the 1970s. For five decades, he has never stopped touring or releasing instantly recognizable music featuring his groundbreaking playing, easy-going vocals, witty lyrics and good-time humor.

Can’t Even Do Wrong Right, with hilariously spot-on cover art by musician/artist Paul Thorn, finds Bishop firing on all cylinders and having fun while doing it. With this album, Bishop has created another highlight in a career that covers fifty years and over 20 albums. Five of the songs are Bishop originals, including Let Your Woman Have Her Way, on which Bishop’s friend Mickey Thomas sings lead (this is the first time Thomas, the ex-Jefferson Starship singer, has recorded with Bishop since he provided vocals on Bishop’s classic hit Fooled Around And Fell In Love). An outstanding instrumental version of Jimmy Reed’s Honest I Do harkens back to Elvin’s childhood: this was the very first blues song he heard coming from Nashville’s WLAC, the late night R&B 50,000 watt powerhouse radio station, beaming all the way to his Oklahoma home. In the 1950s in Oklahoma, everything was racially separated except the radio (“They couldn’t segregate the airwaves,” Bishop recalls). With the addition of his Grammy Award-winning pal Charlie Musselwhite on Old School and No More Doggin’, Can’t Even Do Wrong Righthits its target at every turn.

Born in Glendale, CA on October 21, 1942, Elvin grew up on a farm in Iowa before relocating to Oklahoma when he was ten. He first got hooked on the blues listening to late night R&B radio as a teenager, and began collecting, listening to and absorbing blues music. Once Bishop realized that many of his favorite records were recorded in Chicago, he used his 1959 National Merit Scholarship as a way to get closer to his blues heroes by enrolling in the University of Chicago—its campus surrounded on three sides by the South Side black community. “The first thing I did when I got there,” Elvin recalls, “was make friends with the guys working in the cafeteria. Within fifteen minutes I was into the blues scene.” Leaving his physics studies behind, Bishop turned to blues music full time. He befriended bluesman Little Smokey Smothers and would hang out with him for hours on end. Smothers liked young Bishop and took the willing student under his wing, teaching Elvin how to really play—and live—the blues. In short order, Elvin became an accomplished and innovative player. Many years later, in 2000, Elvin and Smothers recorded their only album together, the appropriately titled That’s My Partner!, for Alligator.

After Elvin crossed paths with harmonica player and fellow University of Chicago student Paul Butterfield, the two began sitting in together at black blues clubs, often jamming with Buddy Guy and Otis Rush. They first formed The Paul Butterfield Blues Band in 1963, adding Jerome Arnold on bass, Sam Lay on drums and Mark Naftalin on keyboards. Prior to cutting their debut LP in 1965, Michael Bloomfield joined the group as second lead guitarist, and created a groundbreaking, all-star band. The self-titled The Paul Butterfield Blues Band introduced electric Chicago blues to the rock audience for the first time. With the release of East/West in 1966, the band's popularity hit an all-time high. Their straight Chicago blues sounds drifted further into progressive and experimental rock ‘n’ roll and—with two world-class lead guitarists on board—the band helped pave the way for groups featuring multiple virtuoso guitarists, like The Allman Brothers and Derek and the Dominos.

Towards the end of the 1960s, after recording three albums with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Elvin decided to move on, heading for the San Francisco area. “I liked it there. I didn’t have to look over my shoulder,” Bishop recalls. He became a regular at the famed Fillmore Auditorium jam sessions, playing alongside Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, B.B. King and many others before embarking on a solo career. He recorded first for Fillmore Records, then Epic and then for Capricorn, where his career took off. He charted with Travelin’ Shoes before scoring big in 1975 with Fooled Around And Fell In Love (the song reached number three on the pop charts).

After a seven-year recording hiatus, Elvin returned to his blues roots in 1988, signing with Alligator and releasing Big Fun to critical and popular acclaim. He followed in 1991 with Don’t Let The Bossman Get You Down!and in 1995 with Ace In The Hole, delivering no-holds-barred sets of rootsy blues fueled by Elvin's wicked guitar playing and tongue-in-cheek originals. With 1998’s The Skin I’m In, serious guitar playing and humorous looks at aging made the album a true blues statement for the end of the 20th century. Entertainment Weekly described the album as “sheer, unpretentious joy.”

As Bishop continues to tour and release new music, his stature continues to grow. Through the years his music has appeared in film and television, including the 1997 use of She Puts Me In The Mood (from Big Fun) in Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown. In 2005 he performed on the internationally televised Grammy Awards broadcast alongside Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Gretchen Wilson, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Allman Brothers’ guitarist Dickey Betts. He recently appeared in the documentary Born In Chicago. In 2012 and 2013 he was nominated for inclusion into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a member of The Paul Butterfield Blues Band.

Now, with Can’t Even Do Wrong Right, Bishop again is ready to share his happy-go-lucky vibe with his fans around the world. His guitar/vocal/songwriting triple-threat talent, along with his ability to deliver a rollicking good time wherever he goes, assures his not-to-be-missed live performances are consistently packed to the gills with cheering fans. The Chicago Tribune says Bishop plays “good-time music guaranteed to put a smile on your face...serious playing, potent slide guitar and razor-sharp licks.”

Selwyn Birchwood: Don’t Call No Ambulance (Alligator)

"Recently issued by the distinguished blues label Alligator and garnering repeated plays in this household is the remarkable debut album by young guitarist/singer Birchwood--a powerhouse player and emotive performer whose work respects blues tradition but could not be more contemporary. From Orlando, Florida, Birchwood made an early ally of Texas bluesman Sonny Rhodes and at 29 has already made his name onstage opening for artists like Buddy Guy and Robert Cray. His band, his material, and both his skilled guitaring and soulful vocals are the essence of fully-formed; Birchwood is a major player, the sort of artist that assures his blues-devoted label many more years of prominence to come, and most importantly, a damn fine listen through and through. Highly recommended."

Since the June 10 release of Don't Call No Ambulance, Birchwood, the winner of the 2013 International Blues Challenge, has been wowing club and festival audiences and garnering piles of critical praise. He was recently featured, along with Alligator's other young signing Jarekus Singleton, in a major Washington Post feature story. The two were heralded as leading forces in a new wave of blues for a new generation of listeners.

"Fervent, inspired and joyful blues, R&B, soul, roadhouse rock and gospel
...beautiful harmonies, true magic." --NPR

On Wednesday, June 25, The National Endowment For The Arts (NEA) announced that soul/blues/gospel legends The Holmes Brothers (Wendell Holmes, Sherman Holmes and Popsy Dixon) will receive a coveted and prestigious National Heritage Fellowship.

According to the NEA, "The National Heritage Fellowship is the highest honor that our nation bestows upon its folk and traditional artists. NEA National Heritage Fellowships recognize the recipients' artistic excellence and support their continuing contributions to our nation's traditional arts heritage."

The Holmes Brothers, as 2014 NEA National Heritage Fellows, will be honored along with the other recipients at an awards ceremony on Wednesday, September 17, 2014 and a concert at George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium on Friday, September 19, 2014. Both events will be open to the public and the concert will be streamed live at arts.gov. More information, including how to obtain free tickets to the concert, will be available later this summer.

The Chicago Tribune described the amazing musical team of Wendell Holmes, Sherman Holmes and Popsy Dixon as "a gift to the world of music." Melding blues, soul, gospel, traditional hymns, spirituals, country, R&B, and rock and roll, The Holmes Brothers blend American roots music with their telepathic musicianship and trademark three-part harmonies. The Tribune declared that the three men together “become a mystical fourth entity, inexplicable yet sublime.”

Sherman and Wendell Holmes were born and raised in Christchurch, Virginia. Both sang in church and played piano. Sherman also learned clarinet and Wendell took up trumpet and organ. In addition, both taught themselves to play the guitar. Sherman studied theory and composition at Virginia State University for two years before dropping out and moving to New York. A few years later his brother joined him there and throughout the 1960s and '70s, the brothers performed together and in a variety of bands. In the early '70s, Wendell met and performed with drummer Willie "Popsy" Dixon, who was also a native Virginian. Dixon sat in with the brothers at a blues jam session in 1980, marking the beginning of The Holmes Brothers band with Sherman on baritone vocals and bass guitar, Wendell on tenor vocals, guitar, and piano, and Popsy on falsetto vocals and drums.

At first the band primarily played at Dan Lynch's, a club in New York that featured weekly jam nights and performances by blues acts. There The Holmes Brothers acted as role models and mentors to younger aspiring musicians, including Joan Osborne and members of Blues Traveler. In 1989, they released their first album for Rounder Records, followed by four more albums. In 1992, they were the first American group to sign with Peter Gabriel's Real World Records and in 1996 they recorded the soundtrack for the movie Lotto Land. For the last 13 years, they have recorded for Alligator Records, where they have released five albums, including their latest, 2014's Brotherhood.

The Holmes Brothers have toured internationally and have performed with artists such as Van Morrison, Peter Gabriel, Odetta, Willie Nelson, Rosanne Cash, and Levon Helm. In 2005, they won The Blues Music Award for Band of the Year from The Blues Foundation, followed by the award for Soul Blues Album of the Year in 2008 for State of Grace.

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Blues Blast Magazine, the online blues publication, today announced that five Alligator Records artists received a total of seven 2014 Blues Blast Music Award nominations. Harmonica giant James Cotton and blues rockers Tommy Castro & The Painkillers each received two nominations. Blues master Joe Louis Walker, houserockers Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials and jump/swing legends Roomful Of Blues each received one nomination.

Voting is open to subscribers and non-subscribers alike at www.BluesBlastMagazine.com beginning July 15, 2014 and continuing until September 15, 2014. Subscriptions to Blues Blast Magazine are free. Winners will be announced on October 23, 2014 at the awards ceremony to be held at The Fluid Events Center in Champaign, Illinois.

Artists and their nominations follow:

JAMES COTTON

Traditional Blues Album Of The Year: Cotton Mouth Man

Song Of The Year: He Was There by James Cotton, Tom Hambridge and Richard Fleming from Cotton Mouth Man


TOMMY CASTRO & THE PAINKILLERS

Rock Blues Album Of The Year: The Devil You Know

Blues Band Of The Year


LIL' ED & THE BLUES IMPERIALS

Blues Band Of The Year


JOE LOUIS WALKER

Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year: Hornet's Nest


ROOMFUL OF BLUES

Blues Band Of The Year

The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) honored Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer with the third annual Libera Awards Lifetime Achievement Award for both his work as a leader in the music industry as well as his humanitarian efforts. Iglauer received the award on June 19 at NYC's Highline Ballroom. Iglauer's acceptance speech is below:

I am extremely honored to be receiving this award. It means a great deal to me.

So--a nice Jewish hippie from Cincinnati and a six-fingered blues guitar player from Mississippi walk into a bar. The six-fingered guitar player is named Hound Dog Taylor and the hippie?—that’s me. That afternoon in 1970 in a bar called Florence’s Lounge on the South Side of Chicago, I heard the happiest, most energizing, soul-stirring and fun music I had ever experienced. And I knew it had to be recorded and shared with the world. And now, 44 years and 300 albums later, the spirit of Hound Dog Taylor lives on in everything Alligator Records releases.

I believe this is what binds us together as independent record people—we are driven first and foremost by our mutual passion for music, and the belief that music is more than a commercial product, that it’s something that can move people, inspire them, soothe their souls, make them understand and bond with their fellow humans and, of course, elevate us to higher levels of dancing and partying. Whether it’s Martin Mills championing a punk band called The Lurkers, Tommy Silverman being inspired by Afrika Bambatta, or me falling in love with Hound Dog Taylor, we are all first and foremost, passionate music fans. I mean, I assume we didn’t get into the record business for its job security, huge growth prospects, low stress levels and short hours.   We Indies are music driven; we understand music as a saleable product but, more important, as something that fills a deep and essential need in all of us.

Before I continue, I need to thank four people who inspired me in my professional life, because this is a lifetime achievement award--

First, my mother, who showed me by example that, if you’re going to commit to something, you have to make a 100% commitment, and that being a little obsessive compulsive isn’t always a bad thing.  Or maybe more than a little.

Second, my mentor and my father in the record business, Bob Koester of Delmark Records. Bob really should be receiving this award. He began his label 61 years ago and is still running it today! In the two and a half years I worked for Bob, he showed me how to run a label that ALWAYS put the music first.  I walk in his giant shadow. 

Third, Lilian Shedd McMurry, the founder of Trumpet Records in Jackson, Mississippi. She ran a female-owned indie label recording blues and gospel artists in the early 1950s and cut great, iconic records. She was a musical inspiration and one of the most honest people I’ve ever known. She updated royalty statements for long-disappeared artists, songwriters and their heirs for her entire life, just in case they showed up. Then she left her publishing company to me, so now I have to do the royalty statements!

And finally, my wonderful wife, Jo Kolanda. She first noticed me at a Hound Dog Taylor concert, and Luther Allison, Koko Taylor, CJ Chenier and Dave Hole played at our wedding reception. She has never, ever, asked me to treat her as more of a priority than I treat Alligator, and has always said “Your work comes first”….and meant it.

I am so incredibly lucky to have her in my life.

I’m not a soothsayer or a visionary. I don’t know what’s going to happen in this insane, ever-changing business world we try to live in. Will copyright be respected or will its value go to hell? Will we be able to monetize streaming services so that we can afford to make records we’re proud of? Will we be able to open India and China as huge markets for American music? Will the majority of money and power in our industry be controlled by a small group of corporations, or in the diverse world of the Internet, will the playing field become more level, and will quality independent music kick the ass of the multinationals? I don’t have those answers.

I’m a nuts and bolts guy, and over 40+ years, I’ve learned a few things that I feel sure of. One is simple and we all live it every day--everything that I--and you--know about this business, except about music, that is more than five years old just doesn’t matter anymore. We must be constantly evolving and redefining ourselves to discover new and profit-making ways to bring the music to the people. And, as fast-moving, flexible independents, not tied down by huge corporate structures, we are well prepared to do this.

Second, never discount the value of the capable, smart and driven people who work for us and with us.  People are NOT interchangeable, replaceable cogs in a machine.  You can’t hire someone new (and cheap) to replace someone experienced and maybe more expensive. There is nothing more important (besides having great musicians on your roster) than to have smart, hard-working, dedicated and experienced people with you.  This award should also be going to the 15 quality people who work with me every day, many of whom have worked with me for more than 20 years and who never get the credit they deserve. None of their jobs rises or falls based on the success of one record, unlike so often happens with larger labels. Don’t think that you can downsize your quality staff to keep your company vital and alive.  That’s bullshit.  It’s hard times in the record business and this I know for sure—when your ship is taking water, and needs bailing and rowing, you don’t get it back afloat by telling your best crew members to jump overboard.

Third, we must constantly remember that we are not only independent, we are interdependent. We will never have the strength of the majors…on our own. But from the birth of NAIRD in 1971 that morphed into AFIM and then the creation of A2IM nine years ago, along with the efforts of our international independent friends at WIN, AIM, Impala, and Merlin working in behalf of many independents, we gain strength by working together, by teaching one another, by feeding information to one another, and by standing shoulder to shoulder whenever the indie sector is threatened, demeaned or treated as second class citizens. We know that our indie market share is the equal of any of the majors, and we must constantly remind those we are doing business with and the media – and the public too—that our music is every bit as popular, and our music has every bit as much value, as that churned out by the multinationals.

Speaking as a blues expert, I can tell you that we Indies don’t always have our Indie Mojo working, at least not at full force. I recently asked my granddaughter to describe the music she liked best. She said “Indie Rock.” I pointed out to her that Indie referred to label ownership, and her grandfather ran an indie label. She admitted she really had no idea what ‘indie’ meant, except that indie music was cooler than assembly line pop. And I was reminded that most of the public has no idea what “indie” means, except that they think indie is cool. Therefore, I propose that all of us should begin tagging all our print advertising and every other statement that each of our companies makes with the phrase “A proudly independent record label.” I doubt that majors will compete with a phrase like “The money-driven arm of a giant international media conglomerate.” Let’s get our indie mojo working, and remind the public over and over who are the coolest kids on the block.

Finally, I want to speak about what a lot of us independents do best. The two previous winners of this award have had great success in the mainstream pop market, nurturing the careers and visibility of artists who have won huge audiences. But many of us in the indie world are dedicated to one genre of music—blues, jazz, folk, world music, bluegrass, classical. Although we may sometimes achieve popular success, our commitment is to the niche music that we love. This is where the Indies can shine, and have shined for the last 70 years. We know how to find great niche music talent, how to nurture it, how to record it right, and how to bring it to the public. That’s why the independents have done so well making classic niche recordings that have stood the test of time. So, in closing, I’d like to say to my fellow specialized labels and also to the whole indie community—those of us who are driven by our love of the music above all, and are determined to bring the music we love to the world-- Operate from your position of greatest strength--the strength of the music you record. Record what you believe in, and battle side by side with your fellow Indies for recognition of the value of the music you love. Don’t try to be the majors; be the independents! Or, in the words of my favorite cartoon philosopher, the Wizard from Tooter and The Wizard—Be vat you iz and not vat you is not. Folks who iz what they iz iz the happiest lot.”

Living Blues magazine has announced the nominees for the 2014 Living Blues Readers' Awards. Four Alligator Records artists received a total of six nominations. James Cotton received three, including Blues Artist Of The Year (Male), Best Blues Album Of 2013 (New Recordings) for the Grammy-nominated Cotton Mouth Man, and Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica). Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials received the nomination for Best Live Performer. Joe Louis Walker was nominated for Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar) and Marcia Ball for Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard).

The public -- subscribers and non-subscribers alike -- can vote at www.livingblues.com.

Winners will be announced in August.

JAMES COTTON:

Blues Artist Of The Year (Male)

Best Blues Album of 2013 (Cotton Mouth Man)

Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)

LIL' ED & THE BLUES IMPERIALS:

Best Live Performer

JOE LOUIS WALKER:

Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)

MARCIA BALL:

Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)

Below is a complete listing of Alligator artist shows in the Chicago area surrounding this year's Chicago Blues Festival:

SELWYN BIRCHWOOD
Saturday, June 14, 2014
31st Annual Chicago Blues Festival
Grant Park – Bud Light Crossroads Stage
Jackson Blvd. and Columbus Dr.
Chicago, IL
312-744-3316
2:30pm
Free admission
www.chicagobluesfestival.us
*See website for complete festival line-up

EDDY "THE CHIEF" CLEARWATER
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Buddy Guy’s Legends
700 South Wabash Avenue
Chicago, IL
312-427-1190
11:00pm
$20
www.buddyguy.com
*See website for complete line-up

THE SIEGEL-SCHWALL BAND
Friday, June 13, 2014
31st Annual Chicago Blues Festival
Celebrate Centennial of John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson  
Grant Park – Petrillo Music Shell
Jackson Blvd. and Columbus Dr.
Chicago, IL
312-744-3316
8:25pm
Free admission
www.chicagobluesfestival.us
*See website for complete festival line-up

Alligator Records has set a July 8 street date for You Asked For It...Live!, the first live album from blues masters Rick Estrin & The Nightcats. Harmonica giant, songwriter, vocalist and Blues Music Award winner Rick Estrin, along with The Nightcats— jaw-dropping guitarist Chris “Kid” Andersen, singing drummer J. Hansen and dynamic multi-instrumentalist Lorenzo Farrell (electric and acoustic bass, organ and Moog synthesizer)—serve up innovative, rollicking contemporary blues. The songs are all injected with a solid dose of gritty roadhouse rock ‘n’ roll and Estrin’s trademark philosophical wiseguy humor.

Since the release of their celebrated Alligator Records albums Twisted in 2009 and One Wrong Turn in 2012, the band has toured non-stop, sharpening their musical skills to a razor’s edge. The band is known as one of the most dynamic and exciting live acts in the blues today. Their sound, while steeped in the blues tradition, continues to push the genre into new territory.

You Asked For It...Live! was recorded on October 5, 2013, (Estrin's birthday) at San Francisco’s Biscuits & Blues. According to Estrin, “Cutting loose and stretching out in an intimate, nightclub-type setting is the natural environment for the Nightcats to kick maximum ass. The fact that it was my birthday, in the town where I was born and raised, only added more fuel to the fire.”

You Asked For It...Live! has the immediacy, feel and fun of a true Rick Estrin & The Nightcats performance. “No matter how much fun we have and how relaxed we can be in the studio, there’s still nothing like being in front of, and interacting with, our live audience,” Estrin says. The album features some of Rick Estrin’s best-loved and most-requested songs, dating back to his days as lead singer, songwriter and harmonica player of Little Charlie & The Nightcats (featuring Little Charlie Baty on guitar). The album is an up-to-the-minute and totally accessible slice of original, wry and witty blues with a simmering, funky rock edge fueled by Andersen’s blazing genre-hopping guitar and Farrell’s and Hansen’s dazzling keyboard and rhythm work. One listen makes it clear that this is a group comprised of four world-class musicians, who together form one of the tightest and most original bands in any genre.

Rick Estrin, who holds the 2013 Blues Music Award for Best Instrumentalist–Harmonica, is, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, “an amazing harmonica player, a soulful lead vocalist and a brilliant songwriter.” He ranks among the very best harp players, singers and songwriters in the blues world. His work on the reeds is deep in the tradition of harmonica masters Sonny Boy Williamson II and Little Walter Jacobs, while at the same time pushing that tradition forward with his unforgettable original songs. And his hipster, street-smart vocals are the perfect vehicle for driving those songs home. Blues Revue says, “Estrin has created some of the finest blues songs of any artist on the planet. His carefully wrought lyrics penetrate human weakness with the precision of a boxer, though more often than not, he chooses to leave you laughing after the blow’s been struck.”

Born in San Francisco, California in 1949, Estrin grew up following his own path. He discovered an entirely new world when, as a 10-year-old boy, he made his way to the tough Market Street area and befriended many of the neighborhood characters. He had another revelation when his older sister gave him a copy of Ray Charles’ The Genius Sings The Blues when he was 12. Albums from Jimmy Reed, Champion Jack Dupree, Mose Allison, Nina Simone and others soon followed. By the time he was a teenager, Estrin had completely identified with the urban, African-American culture surrounding him. He got his first harmonica at age 15, and by age 18 was proficient enough to begin sitting in at black clubs around the city. Estrin moved to Chicago when he was 19 and worked with South Side bluesmen Johnny Young, Eddie Taylor, Sam Lay and Johnny Littlejohn before meeting and jamming with Muddy Waters, who told Rick, “You outta sight, boy! You got that sound, boy! You play like a man, boy!” Muddy wanted Estrin to go on the road with him, but due to nothing more than a missed phone call, it never happened. Rick eventually moved back to the Bay Area, met Charlie Baty and formed Little Charlie & The Nightcats.

For more than 30 years and nine albums, Rick fronted the band, featuring Baty’s one-of-a-kind guitar acrobatics. The band won international acclaim and toured the world repeatedly. They were nominated four times for the prestigious Blues Music Award for Band Of The Year. With Charlie’s retirement from touring in 2008, Rick rededicated himself to his craft. Hansen and Farrell wanted to keep the band going. Estrin knew the only way to replace Baty’s crazed and unique guitar style was to find someone with an equally insane and individual approach, and he knew that would be a tall order to fill.

As luck would have it, Kid Andersen, who had been working with another harp legend, Charlie Musselwhite, became available. “Kid’s a fearless nut on the guitar,” says Estrin. “He’s really the only guy who could fit in with us.” With an unpredictable, no-holds-barred style that perfectly meshed with Estrin’s wildly imaginative original songs, the new band charged out of the gate with Twisted in 2009 and One Wrong Turn in 2012. Blues Revue raved, “Rick Estrin & The Nightcats are one of modern blues’ most versatile and original bands.”

As a testament to their talent, audiences at their consistently ask to go home with a CD that reflects what they just witnessed. Now, with You Asked For It...Live!, Rick Estrin & The Nightcats can satisfy their fans’ demands. Estrin recalls, “After shows, people are always asking, ’Are any of these CDs live? Which of your CDs is most like what you did tonight?’ Now, I can tell them, ‘This one right here. Thank you. We’ll be happy to sign it.’”