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GUESTS INCLUDE GREGG ALLMAN, JOE BONAMASSA, RUTHIE FOSTER, WARREN HAYNES, DELBERT McCLINTON AND KEB MO

 

Rolling Stone says Grammy Award-winning blues harmonica legend James "Mr. Superharp" Cotton is "among the greats of all time....He blazes on harp with brilliant virtuosity." On May 7, 2013 Alligator Records will release Cotton Mouth Man, a joyous celebration of Cotton's 69 years as a professional musician (beginning at age nine). Recorded in Nashville and produced by Grammy-winning producer/ songwriter/ drummer Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Joe Louis Walker, Susan Tedeschi), the album is a trip through sounds and scenes from Cotton's long and storied career.

Cotton co-wrote seven of the tracks with Hambridge (who co-wrote five additional tracks). The songs were inspired by Cotton's colorful and sometimes perilous life and his memories of the Mississippi Delta, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Memphis, Sun Records, Chicago, and Muddy Waters. Throughout the CD Cotton's blast-furnace harmonica sound and larger-than-life personality are front and center.

Helping Cotton tell his stories and showcase his music are guests Gregg Allman, Joe Bonamassa, Ruthie Foster, Warren Haynes, Delbert McClinton, and Keb Mo. Other vocals are handled by Darrell Nulisch, who has been singing in Cotton's band for many years. Members of Cotton's road band -- Jerry Porter, Noel Neal, and Tom Holland -- are also on board for some songs. Forming the core of the backing band on the CD are Hambridge (drums), Rob McNelley (guitar), Chuck Leavell (keyboards), and Glenn Worf (bass). Tommy MacDonald and Colin Linden each add guitar to one track. Cotton, who after a bout with throat cancer turned the vocal duties over to others, was inspired by the sessions to return to the microphone, singing his own Bonnie Blue (the name of the plantation where he was born), and making Cotton Mouth Man the most personal, celebratory and just plain fun recording of his seven-decade career.

According to Cotton, "I feel so happy about the music in this album. The blues is all about feeling -- if I don't feel it, I can't play it. My hope is that everyone who listens feels it. I know I sure did!" Cotton has recently been signed by the prestigious Rosebud Agency and will be touring the world in support of the album.

Cotton's history is now the stuff of legend. Born on a cotton plantation in Tunica, Mississippi on July 1, 1935, he learned harmonica directly from Sonny Boy Williamson II (Rice Miller) as a small child. He toured with Howlin' Wolf, recorded for Sun Records, and spent 12 years with Muddy Waters before stepping out on his own. Leading his own band, he rose to the very top of the blues and rock scenes, touring non-stop and earning his reputation as one of the most powerful live blues performers in the world, a man who could literally suck the reeds out of the harmonica from the pure force of his playing.

He first recorded under his own name for the Chicago/The Blues/Today! series on Vanguard, and along with Otis Spann, cut The Blues Never Die! for Prestige. He made his first solo albums -- three for Verve and one for Vanguard -- in the late 1960s, with bands featuring outstanding musicians, including famed guitarist Luther Tucker. With his gale-force sound and fearless boogie band (later featuring Matt "Guitar" Murphy), it wasn't long before he was adopted by the burgeoning hippie audience as one of their own. Cotton shared stages with Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, B.B. King, Santana, Steve Miller, Freddie King and many others.

Cotton was universally renowned as one of the hardest-touring and most popular blues artists of the 1960s and 1970s. His acrobatic showmanship (he often did somersaults on stage) and full-throttle energy kept him in demand at concert halls all over the country. He played the Fillmore East in New York, the Fillmore West in San Francisco and every major rock and blues venue in between. During the 1970s, he cut three albums for Buddah and one for Capitol. He rejoined his old boss Muddy Waters for the series of Muddy albums produced by Johnny Winter, starting with Hard Again in 1977. Cotton also guested on recordings by Koko Taylor and many others. He was joined on his own albums by stars like Todd Rundgren, Steve Miller and Johnny Winter.

Cotton signed with Alligator Records in 1984, releasing High Compression and Live From Chicago: Mr. Superharp Himself!!! (which earned him the first of his four Grammy nominations). In 1990 he joined fellow Chicago harp masters for the all-star release Harp Attack!. He won a Grammy Award in 1996 for his Verve album, Deep In The Blues, was inducted into the Blues Hall Of Fame in 2006, and was honored by the Smithsonian Institution, which added one of his harmonicas to their permanent collection. During the 2000s Cotton has continued recording and touring relentlessly, playing clubs, concert halls and festivals all over the world, electrifying audiences wherever he performs. Cotton's 2009 return-to-Alligator release, Giant, was Grammy-nominated. USA Today said, "Since 1966 James Cotton has been carrying the Chicago sound to the world. On Giant, he pours 75 years of living into that harmonica and out comes devastating and powerful blasts of notes."

In June 2010, Cotton was honored at New York's Lincoln Center, where his friends Hubert Sumlin, Pinetop Perkins, Taj Mahal, Shemekia Copeland and others paid tribute to him in an all-star concert. There James Cotton played to yet another sold-out venue, with fans cheering the man known worldwide as "Mr. Superharp," an undisputed giant of the blues. He is currently touring as part of Blues At The Crossroads II, a tribute to Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, and he continues to tour nationally and internationally with his own band. In March 2013, he played three nights in Tokyo, Japan.

The New York Daily News calls Cotton "the greatest living blues harmonica player." The New York Times adds, "Cotton helped define modern blues harmonica with his moaning, wrenching phrases and his train-whistle wails."

Cotton Mouth Man proves James Cotton's high-compression blues harmonica playing is a true force of nature, while his songs and stories are a living history of the blues. As The San Francisco Examiner says, "James Cotton is an inimitable blues legend. His wailing harmonica blows them away. His improvisations on the blues are full of fun and good humor. The blues don't get much better."

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On Wednesday, February 13, The Blues Foundation in Memphis named guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Joe Louis Walker to be a 2013 Blues Hall Of Fame inductee. The induction ceremony will be held Wednesday, May 8 at the Memphis Marriott Downtown in Memphis, Tennessee, the night before the 34th annual Blues Music Awards 

According to The Blues Foundation, "The Blues Hall of Fame is a historical record of those who have made the blues timeless through performance, documentation, and recording. Since its inception in 1980, The Blues Foundation has inducted new members annually into the Blues Hall of Fame for their historical contribution, impact and overall influence on the blues." Previous inductees include B.B. King, Hound Dog Taylor, Koko Taylor, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Etta James, Howlin' Wolf and other blues greats.

According to Walker, the induction is humbling. "I am honored to be in the company of the great artists already inducted. It's a dream come true. So many of the other inductees were not alive to appreciate the recognition. I hope to live up to the honor."

Walker is nominated for four 2013 Blues Music Awards including the coveted B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year Award. His 2012 Alligator Records debut CD, Hellfire, is nominated for Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year. Additionally, Walker is nominated for Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year and Gibson Guitar Guitarist Of The Year. Hellfire was recently named the #1 Blues CD of 2012 by Living Blues magazine.

The Chicago Tribune's Greg Kot declared Hellfire Walker's "most rock-oriented release," bringing "the kind of fierce embellishments that Jimi Hendrix might've conjured" and that his guitar playing "spins ever wilder and wider into outer space with each solo." The Wall Street Journal's Jim Fusilli says, "Walker's raspy, powerhouse voice is out front while his stinging guitar cuts through the uncluttered arrangements." Walker received massive amounts of radio play and critical praise for Hellfire, and appeared on Conan in March of 2012, where he performed the song Ride All Night.

 

U.S. TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED

Jacksonville-based singer/songwriter JJ Grey will release THIS RIVER on Tuesday, April 16, 2013. This is Grey's seventh album (his fifth for Alligator Records) and his first studio album since 2010's acclaimed Georgia Warhorse. The New York Times says Grey's singing is "impassioned" and the band plays "riff-based Southern rock, cold-blooded swamp funk and sly Memphis soul."

THIS RIVER, like his previous releases, was produced by Grey and Dan Prothero, and recorded at Retrophonics Studio in Saint Augustine, Florida, with additional recording done in Grey's home studio, known as "The Egg Room."

As proven by his previous albums, Grey is a meticulous storyteller. "Many of the new songs," says Grey, "are about being your own worst enemy, and about normal folks pushing themselves over the edge." Grey's lyrics and slice-of-life scenarios are filled with honest detail, helping to bring his emotionally complex characters to life in songs including Somebody Else, 99 Shades Of Crazy, The Ballad Of Larry Webb and This River. "I see a little bit of myself in these songs," Grey states. "The difference is in the choices people make."

His gritty vocals and punchy horn arrangements add even more depth to the lyrical album. Grey's fervent delivery and the expert musicianship of the band pull the listener deep inside each track, making THIS RIVER a deeply moving and engaging musical statement. "I took my time and I'm happy for it," says Grey.

For THIS RIVER, Grey brought the whole band in to the studio and cut most of the tracks live. To JJ, the result was a bit more like their live show. "It adds so much more to the dynamic of a recording. It's so different when you get to play off each other rather than overdub each track," says Grey.

JJ Grey & Mofro will appear at SxSW in Austin, Texas in March and then head out on a massive cross-country tour. Grey and the band have been road-testing the new songs at sound-checks for a while now, and they're ready to hit the ground running. "This time around there's no learning curve," he says. "We'll be ready from the git-go."

Initial tour dates are as follows:

Apr-05 Fri - Lake Buena Vista, FL - House of Blues
Apr-06 Sat - St. Augustine, FL - Rhythm & Ribs
Apr-09 Tue - Kansas City, MO - Knuckleheads
Apr-10 Wed - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
Apr-11 Thu - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall
Apr-12 Fri - Bloomington, IN - Bluebird

Apr-13 Sat - Nashville, TN - Exit/In
Apr-16 Tue - Pittsburgh, PA - Mr Smalls Theatre
Apr-17 Wed - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall
Apr-18 Thu - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall

Apr-19 Fri - Sewanee, TN - Lake Cheston

Apr-20 Sat - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
Apr-24 Wed - Northampton, MA - Pearl Street
Apr-25 Thu - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
Apr-26 Fri - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
Apr-27 Sat - New York, NY-  Irving Plaza

May-16 Thu - Worpswede, Germany - Worswede Music Hall
May-17 Fri - Dortmund, Germany - FZW
May-18 Sat - Schoppingen, Germany - Grolsch Blues Festival
May-19 Sun - Raalte, Netherlands - Ribs & Blues Pinksteren
May-20 Mon - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos-Saal

May-24 - May-27 Fri - Mon - George, WA - Sasquatch Music Festival

Jun-8 Sat - Greeley, CO - Greeley Blues Jam

BLUES PIANIST/SINGER/SONGWRITER ANN RABSON, 1945 - 2013

CO-FOUNDER OF SAFFIRE--THE UPPITY BLUES WOMEN

Blues pianist/singer/songwriter/guitarist Ann Rabson died on Wednesday, January 30, 2013 in Fredericksburg, Virginia after a long battle with cancer. She was 67. Co-founder of the hugely successful trio Saffire--The Uppity Blues Women, Rabson was a legendary force on the keyboards as well as being a deeply soulful vocalist. She recorded eight albums with Saffire and one solo CD for Alligator Records, and released three solo albums for other labels. Her most recent was 2012's Not Alone (VizzTone Records). Rabson's prodigious talent, along with her take-no-guff attitude, struck a chord with music fans around the world. Considered one of the finest barrelhouse blues pianists of her generation, Rabson -- an accomplished guitarist since she was a teen -- didn't start playing piano until she was 35. DownBeat magazine said that "Rabson plays bluesy, honky-tonk piano with staggering authority."

Alligator president Bruce Iglauer, Rabson's long-time friend and producer, says Ann was a driving force in the blues world. "Our dear friend Ann Rabson was an extraordinary blues singer, pianist and guitarist and a delightful, smart and funny person. As a founding member of Saffire--The Uppity Blues Women, a solo recording artist and a live performer, she brought her talent, intelligence and intense love for the blues tradition to every piece of music she played and sang. Ann never gave her music or the rest of her life less than 100% of her commitment. She was a loyal friend, a dedicated champion of the blues, a loving partner to her husband George, and an unforgettable woman. We were blessed to have known her."

Rabson was born in New York on April 12, 1945 and raised in Ohio. As a child she was touched by the blues. "Blues speaks to me directly. It wasn't a choice, I was drawn to it naturally, sort of like a sheepdog with sheep," she said. She received a guitar from her father when she was 17 and found role models in Big Bill Broonzy and  Memphis Minnie, one of the few early female blues guitarists. Ann quickly became an accomplished guitar player and first sang professionally while still in high school. By age 18 she was performing around the Midwest. In 1971, Ann moved with her daughter to Fredericksburg, Virginia, where she performed full-time and gave music lessons on the side. During this time, Ann and her guitar student, Gaye Adegbalola, decided to perform together and the seeds of Saffire--The Uppity Blues Women were sown.

They pooled their money and recorded a demo tape, which they then forwarded to Alligator Records. Their 1990 self-titled debut became one of the label's best-selling releases. With the addition of Andra Faye McIntosh in 1992, the trio continued to win over audiences around the world with their wholly original and captivating albums and joyous live performances. Their recordings for Alligator are among the best-selling in the label's catalog. Ann released her first solo album, Music Makin' Mama, in 1997. When Saffire--The Uppity Blues Women disbanded after 25 years in 2009, Rabson recorded three solo albums and continued to perform solo and with friends, including guitarist Bob Margolin. She appeared on recordings for numerous artists, including Cephas & Wiggins, Pinetop Perkins, EG Kight and Ani DiFranco.

Ann is survived by her husband George Newman, daughter Liz Rabson Schnore and granddaughter Georgia Rabson Schnore.

Information on funeral arrangements will be forthcoming.

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Statement from Ann's friend, gigging and recording partner, guitarist Bob Margolin:

"The blues world is sad to lose one of our bright lights. Ann Rabson passed at home in her sleep after years of quiet strength against deadly affliction. She knew it was coming and lived her life to its fullest. She loved to play blues for people more than anyone I ever knew, anyone! In 2012 our intense collaboration on recordings and shows together and hard road trips was deliberate and spirited. She gave Death the finger as long as she could, and gave Life ten fingers on her piano. Personally, Ann Rabson was a big sister to me. Now I'm going to do what she would want, play some blues for her and celebrate her life and hold her in my heart forever. If you see me on a bandstand, and half-close your eyes, you'll see her next to me."

ALLIGATOR RECORDS DEBUT CD ON MY MIND / IN MY HEART

TO BE RELEASED ON FEBRUARY 26

Boston-based soul singer/songwriter/guitarist Jesse Dee, whose Alligator Records debut CD On My Mind / In My Heart will be released on February 26, will open four concert dates for celebrated roots R&B artist James Hunter. Dee's warm and honest sound, his instantly memorable melodies and positive, slice-of-life lyrics (evoking the heyday of the Brill Building songwriters), expertly update soul music for contemporary audiences. Concert dates with Hunter are listed below:

22.February 2013 -- Narrows Center for the Arts, Fall River, MA
24.February 2013 -- Tupelo Music Hall, Londonderry, NH
27.February 2013 -- The Bell House, Brooklyn, NY
28.February 2013 -- World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA

Influential music magazine Blurt-Online.com premiered the title track on January 14. Dee recently opened three shows for Rickie Lee Jones at Seattle's Jazz Alley and will announce more tour dates shortly. He will host his record release party at Boston's Brighton Music Hall on Saturday, March 9.

The new album is a sweet soul masterpiece full of good vibes and funky, joyful music. Like Sam Cooke, Dee writes about real life with true emotional poetry. His lyrics are set to toe-tapping melodies with horn charts channeling The Memphis Horns and 1970s-era Van Morrison. "I'm a music fan first," Dee says, "so it's important to me to seek out and create with original ideas. That's why songwriting is so important, and why I mean every word I write and sing."

NEW EP THREE FREE AMIGOS SET FOR FEBRUARY 12 RELEASE

New Orleans' guitarist/songwriter/vocalist Anders Osborne received three OffBeat (the magazine of "Louisiana Music, Food & Culture") Best Of The Beat Awards on Friday, January 18. Osborne, whose new EP Three Free Amigos will be released on February 12, was named Best Guitarist for the third straight year. He won the prestigious Songwriter Of The Year award for the second year in a row. And he received the coveted Song Of The Year award for Louisiana Gold, from his 2012 Black Eye Galaxy album.

Beginning February 1, Three Free Amigos will stream exclusively at Relix.com. Rather than his famed high-energy electric guitar playing, the EP presents a semi-acoustic collection of original songs cut in Anders' hometown in a relaxed, easygoing atmosphere. Friends join him in various combinations, creating true musical magic. According to Osborne, the way this EP was recorded "is not what I usually do. I wanted to keep it loose and give fans something different."

On My Mind / In My Heart, the title track from the upcoming Alligator Records debut album from Boston's soul singing, songwriting, guitar playing Jesse Dee, will make its worldwide debut on Monday, January 14. The song will stream at Blurt-online.com, the website of the influential music magazine Blurt. The album will be released on Tuesday, February 26. Dee will tour extensively in support of the CD, with a show at New York's Iridium on Friday, March 8 and a hometown CD release party planned for Saturday, March 9 at Boston's Brighton Music Hall. The full tour schedule will be announced shortly.

With his warm and honest sound, his instantly memorable melodies and positive, slice-of-life lyrics (evoking the heyday of the Brill Building songwriters), Jesse Dee expertly updates soul music for contemporary audiences. The new album is a sweet soul masterpiece full of good vibes and funky, joyful music. Like Sam Cooke, Dee writes about real life with true emotional poetry. His lyrics are set to toe-tapping melodies with horn charts channeling The Memphis Horns and 1970s-era Van Morrison. "I'm a music fan first," Dee says, "so it's important to me to seek out and create with original ideas. That's why songwriting is so important, and why I mean every word I write and sing."

Guitarist/songwriter/singer Anders Osborne will release Three Free Amigos, his new six-song EP, on Tuesday, February 12. The entire EP will stream exclusively at Relix.com beginning February 1. Three Free Amigos is a semi-acoustic collection of original songs cut in Anders' hometown of New Orleans in a relaxed, easygoing atmosphere, with friends joining him in various combinations, creating true musical magic. According to Osborne, the way this EP was recorded "is not what I usually do. I may never do it again. I wanted to keep it loose and give fans something different."

Three Free Amigos, produced by Osborne and Warren Riker, ranges from the road-diary reminiscence of the title track to the Bo Diddley-flavored Jealous Love to the reggae-rocking Marmalade to the warmly philosophical We Move On. Osborne examines love's healing power and strength on It's Gonna Be OK (previously recorded by Theresa Andersson) and offers profoundly simple advice in Never Is A Real Long Time. He is backed on some tracks by his road band -- bassist Carl Dufrene and drummer Eric Bolivar -- and on others he's joined by friends Michael Burkhart on Hammond B3 organ, Johnny Sansone on harmonica and accordion, Billy Iuso on acoustic guitar and Maggie Koerne on background vocals. A few songs from the improvisational recording sessions even feature Osborne playing bass and drums.

Osborne released his first full album in 1989, but since the release of his 2010 Alligator Records debut, American Patchwork and his 2012 follow-up, Black Eye Galaxy, he has earned hordes of new fans. He tours virtually non-stop, either with his road-tested trio, as a solo artist, or as a guest with his countless musical admirers, including Toots And The Maytals, Stanton Moore, Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Keb Mo, and The Grateful Dead's Phil Lesh. He's appeared on Galactic's song Dark Water from their Ya-Ka-May album, and in 2011 produced and played on critically acclaimed albums by Tab Benoit, Johnny Sansone and Mike Zito.

With American Patchwork, Osborne's fame suddenly reached a whole new level. Critics went wild, with OffBeat saying, "The record is a focused and tuneful triumph. Osborne's gifts as a guitar player are significant. His voice is so emotionally intense it feels like an explosion. He writes with remarkable eloquence...this is the living definition of great art." 2012's Black Eye Galaxy raised the bar even higher. USA Today says, "Black Eye Galaxy contains fiery anthems and dark confessional songs punctuated with incessant, penetrating guitar runs. It sounds like a cry of thanks from a rescued man."

OffBeat magazine named Osborne the Crescent City's Best Roots Rock Artist and declared him the city's Best Guitarist for 2010 and 2011. The magazine recently nominated him for seven 2012 awards, including Best Guitarist, Best Songwriter, Song Of The Year (for Louisiana Gold) and Album Of The Year (for Black Eye Galaxy). Guitar Player calls him "the poet laureate of Louisiana's fertile roots music scene."

EXPECTED TO MAKE A FULL RECOVERY

Grammy Award-winning singer and accordionist Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural, Jr., leader of Buckwheat Zydeco, is being treated for early stage cancer on his left lung and a vocal cord. Dural will begin treatment immediately and doctors expect a full recovery. Buckwheat Zydeco will postpone current concert dates, but expects to return to touring this summer. "I feel fine," says Dural. "I'll beat this and be back on the road soon. And you can take that to your best bank!"

Dural -- along with his band Buckwheat Zydeco -- is the preeminent ambassador of Louisiana zydeco music.He and his band have played presidential inaugurals and have performed on national television -- including multiple appearances on The Late Show With David Letterman and other major TV shows. They have played with the Boston Pops, were featured in the closing ceremonies of the Atlanta Olympics, and opened one of Eric Clapton's entire North American tours. The New York Times says, "Stanley 'Buckwheat' Dural leads one of the best bands in America." His 2009 Alligator Records CD Lay Your Burden Down, produced by Los Lobos' Steve Berlin, received the Grammy Award for Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album.

Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural, Jr. was born in Lafayette, Louisiana in 1947. His father was an accomplished, non-professional traditional Creole accordion player, but young Buckwheat preferred listening to and playing R&B. He became proficient at the organ, and by the late 1950s was backing Joe Tex, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and many others. In 1971 he formed a 16-piece funk band, Buckwheat and The Hitchhikers. Never a traditional zydeco fan when growing up, Buckwheat nonetheless accepted an invitation in 1976 to join Clifton Chenier's Red Hot Louisiana Band as organist. He quickly discovered the joy and power of zydeco music, and marveled at the effect the music had on the audience.

Buckwheat's relationship with the legendary Chenier led him to take up the accordion in 1978. After woodshedding for a year, he felt ready to start his own band under the name Buckwheat Zydeco, and began his recording career. Albums for Blues Unlimited, Black Top and Rounder followed. Buckwheat befriended New York-based journalist Ted Fox (who would later become his manager). Fox championed Buckwheat to Chris Blackwell at Island Records, and Buckwheat soon received a multi-record deal. He has toured the world and played with numerous music legends, including Paul Simon, Keith Richards, Robert Plant, Willie Nelson, Mavis Staples and many others.

Fans can leave messages and greetings for Dural on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BuckwheatZydeco?ref=ts&fref=ts.

NEW CD, ON MY MIND / IN MY HEART, TO BE RELEASED FEBRUARY 26, 2013 

Tough-but-tender soul and rollicking, rootsy R&B...infectious, revival-meeting furor.                                                            --Boston Globe

Alligator Records is pleased to announce the signing of Boston-based soul singer/songwriter/guitarist Jesse Dee. With his warm and honest sound, his instantly memorable melodies and positive, slice-of-life lyrics (evoking the heyday of the Brill Building songwriters), Jesse expertly updates soul music for contemporary audiences. Dee's label debut, On My Mind / In My Heart (AL 4952), will be released on February 26, 2013. He will kick off a national tour with a hometown CD release party on Saturday, March 9 at Boston's Brighton Music Hall.

The new album, eleven original songs produced by Dee and Jack Younger, is a sweet soul masterpiece full of good vibes and funky, joyful music. Like Sam Cooke, Dee writes about real life with true emotional poetry. His lyrics are set to toe-tapping melodies with horn charts channeling The Memphis Horns and 1970s-era Van Morrison. "I'm a music fan first," Dee says, "so it's important to me to seek out and create with original ideas. That's why songwriting is so important, and why I mean every word I write and sing."

Dee won the 2010 Boston Phoenix Music Poll Award For Best R&B Act, both for the strength of his live show and the aftershocks of his 2008 debut CD, Bittersweet Batch (7Not Records/Munich Records). Dee regularly plays to packed clubs in New England and has toured Europe multiple times, earning new fans at every gig. Dee has opened for soul greats Al Green, Solomon Burke, Etta James, Bettye LaVette, and blues rockers Los Lobos and the J. Geils Band, and has shared stages many times with fellow soul singer James Hunter. The Boston Herald declares, "Dee has an explosive voice. He possesses a powerful, raspy tenor and an uncanny phrasing ability that can't be taught."

Born in 1980 in Boston, MA, Dee grew up in nearby Arlington. He got his first taste of soul music from local oldies radio station WODS when he was eight years old. As a child, he was drawn to the sounds of The Drifters, The Shirelles, Smokey Robinson, Sam Cooke and other doo wop, Motown and R&B greats. He was playing guitar by age 18, and by 19 was fronting a band. During this time, Jesse immersed himself in the music of Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson, Solomon Burke, Etta James, James Brown and all the deep soul masters, listening, learning, writing and continuing to hone his craft by playing live every chance he could get.

Dee attended Massachusetts College Of Art And Design, studying illustration, performance, production, mixed-media and composition. He played in bands and did some touring while in college before fronting his own band and releasing his first album, Bittersweet Batch, in 2008. The New York Daily News awarded the CD a rare four-star review, saying, "I am blown away by what's coming out of my speakers...remarkable... there isn't a bad song to be found...upbeat and soulful."

With his new relationship with Alligator Records, Dee will tour widely, bringing his modern, fun and timeless music to clubs, concert halls and festivals all over the world. Dee is proud of the songs on On My Mind / In My Heart, saying the music is a perfect representation of where he is as an artist. "Soul music is capable of touching the greatest and most diverse group of people," Dee says. "All the best soul music is based on shared experience. Songs have the ability to affect people, shine a light, lift them up, and push them forward. There's hope in these songs," he continues, "and people need that now more than ever."

Award-winning artist and vocalist Janiva Magness underwent successful surgery on Thursday, December 13 to repair damage to discs in her neck. Magness will be off the road for four to six weeks while she recovers, but will be back with a full touring schedule in early 2013. According to Magness, "I am feeling much better now (post surgery) and looking forward to sharing performances with friends and fans. It seems 2013 is going to be a very successful and exciting year!"

Just last week, Magness was honored with five Blues Music Award nominations, including the coveted B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year Award, a distinction Magness has won once before. She is the only female blues artist to receive this award other than blues legend Koko Taylor. Magness was also nominated for Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year, Album Of The Year and Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year for her 2012 Alligator CD, Stronger For It. In addition, Magness, for the first time in her career, was recognized for songwriting, with her composition (co-written with Dave Darling) I Won't Cry, getting the nomination for Song Of The Year. The 34th Annual Blues Music Awards will be presented by The Blues Foundation in Memphis on May 9, 2013 at the Cook Convention Center.

On Wednesday, December 12, 2012 The Blues Foundation announced the nominees for the 2013 Blues Music Awards live on Sirius XM's B.B. King's Bluesville. Six Alligator recording artists received a total of 23 nominations. Vocalist/songwriter Janiva Magness received five (tied for the most artist nominations), including one for the coveted B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year Award. Soul man Curtis Salgado, blues legend Joe Louis Walker, and guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Michael "Iron Man" Burks all received four nominations. Harmonica master/songwriter/vocalist Rick Estrin and his band The Nightcats received three nods. Chicago slide guitar hero Lil' Ed Williams received two nominations, one for Traditional Male Blues Artist, and his whole group, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials for Band Of The Year. Guitarist Kid Andersen of Rick Estrin & The Nightcats also received one nomination for the Gibson Guitar Award. In all, Alligator artists earned four of the five nominations for the B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year Award.

The Blues Music Awards are universally recognized as the highest honor given to blues artists. The 34rd Annual Blues Music Awards will be presented in Memphis on May 9, 2013 at the Cook Convention Center, and will be broadcast live in their entirety in Sirius XM's B.B. King's Bluesville.

Alligator artists and nominations are as follows:

JANIVA MAGNESS:

B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year

Album Of The Year - Stronger For It

Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year - Stronger For It

Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year

Song Of The Year - I Won't Cry (by Janiva Magness & Dave Darling) from Stronger For It

JOE LOUIS WALKER:

B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year

Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year - Hellfire

Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year

Gibson Guitar Guitarist Of The Year

 

MICHAEL "IRON MAN" BURKS:

Album Of The Year - Show Of Strength

Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year - Show Of Strength

Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year

Gibson Guitar Guitarist Of The Year

CUTRIS SALGADO:    

B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year

Soul Blues Album Of The Year - Soul Shot

Soul Blues Male Artist Of The Year

Song Of The Year - She Didn't Cut Me Loose (by Curtis Salgado, Marlon McClain & Dave Duncan) from Soul Shot

 

RICK ESTRIN & THE NIGHTCATS:

B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year

Band Of The Year

Instrumentalist Of The Year - Harmonica

KID ANDERSEN (of RICK ESTRIN & THE NIGHTCATS):

Gibson Guitar Guitarist Of The Year

LIL' ED & THE BLUES IMPERIALS:

Band Of The Year

Traditional Blues Male Artist Of The Year