News

FOUR ALLIGATOR ARTISTS RECEIVE SEVEN LIVING BLUES AWARDS!

Living Blues Magazine has announced the winners of the 2011 Living Blues Awards. This year, four Alligator Records artists received a total of seven awards. James Cotton won three awards, Marcia Ball won two, and Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials and Charlie Musselwhite each won one. Alligator artists and awards are as follows:

JAMES COTTON

Living Blues Critics' Poll Winner:

Blues Artist Of The Year (Male)

Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)

Best Blues Album, Giant

MARCIA BALL

Living Blues Readers' Poll Winner:

Blues Artist Of The Year (Female)

Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)

CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE

Living Blues Readers' Poll Winner:
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)

LIL ED AND THE BLUES IMPERIALS

Living Blues Critics' Poll Winner:
Best Live Performer

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JJ GREY SET TO RELEASE FIRST EVER LIVE DVD/CD, BRIGHTER DAYS, ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2011

Alligator Records continues its 40th anniversary celebration with the September 13 release of Brighter Days, the first-ever live DVD/CD from the master of "front porch soul," JJ Grey and his band Mofro. Over the course of five studio albums and thousands of live shows in the U.S. and abroad, JJ Grey has emerged from the backwoods of Florida to perform on concert stages across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia. Now, with Brighter Days, the galvanizing power of a JJ Grey & Mofro concert has finally been captured on film and CD. The 78-minute CD and 2-hour DVD were recorded at Atlanta's Variety Playhouse in January 2011. The film, directed by musician/filmmaker Spookie Daly, intersperses captivating live footage with band interviews and insightful commentary from Grey and others, recalling classic "rockumentaries" like The Last Waltz.

The New York Times praised JJ's "balance of wildness and cool" describing his music as "Southern swamp rock with undercurrents of Memphis soul. His songs chronicle ambiguous truths and unambiguous urges," delivered by Grey's "winningly uncontrived vocals." Likewise, Billboard touted Grey's "world-beating blend of Southern rock, blues and Florida swamp soul." Singing with a passion and fervor directly influenced by his classic soul heroes, Grey's deeply personal original songs are steeped in the rhythm of his native home outside Jacksonville, Florida.

Shot in stunning HD and boasting 5.1 surround sound, Brighter Days finds JJ (vocals, guitar and harmonica) and his band - Andrew Trube on lap steel and electric guitar, Anthony Farrell on organ and piano, Art Edmaiston on saxophone, Dennis Marion on trumpet, Todd Smallie on bass and Anthony Cole on drums -- swimming in and out of thick grooves and hot, funky riffs. JJ prowls the stage, ripping notes from his guitar, singing with preacher-like conviction, telling stories overflowing with organic truths, breaking down the wall between audience and performer. "I've always felt that music opens the door," says Grey, "but we've got to walk through it together."

Born into a family with generations-old roots in rural Florida, JJ Grey was raised with a combination of backwoods wisdom and old-school blue collar values. He heard music on neighbors' front porches and in local juke joints, all the while developing a deep love and respect for the land and its people. Inspired by Southern rockers like Lynyrd Skynyrd, soul greats like Otis Redding and Toots Hibbert, country stars like George Jones and Jerry Reed, as well as by the street preachers and tent show revivalists who crossed his path, Grey's music touches on classic soul, gritty funk, sweaty rock ‘n' roll and front porch blues. His songs blend home-spun realism with undeniable swamp beats and R&B rhythms. Whether it is a narrative passed down to him from his grandmother or the tribulations of a childhood friend, Grey's ear for detail rings through in true storyteller fashion.

Debuting in 2001 with Blackwater, following up in 2004 with Lochloosa (both albums reissued by Alligator), Grey steadily built an intensely loyal following. In 2007 Grey released his Alligator debut, Country Ghetto followed by 2008's Orange Blossoms, further growing his already large audience. With the release of 2010's Georgia Warhorse, Grey stepped further into the mainstream, making an album Paste described as "understated elegance...soulful and funky." The Philadelphia Inquirer said, "Georgia Warhorse is warm and organic with blasts of hard-edged rock, Memphis soul and gutbucket blues."

Both as a film and a live concert CD, Brighter Days perfectly captures Grey's power as a writer, his passion as a vocalist and his mesmerizing stage presence. As old fans know well and new ones keep finding out, a JJ Grey & Mofro show is a joyous musical celebration shared between Grey and his audience, with each driving the other to greater heights. With Brighter Days and an overflowing tour schedule, the bond between Grey and his fans grows deeper as JJ Grey's future looks brighter and brighter with each passing day.

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TASTE OF CHICAGO CELEBRATES ALLIGATOR RECORDS' 40TH ANNIVERSARY

The City of Chicago celebrates Alligator Records' 40th Anniversary with an all-star show on Sunday, July 3, 2011, as part of this year's Taste of Chicago. Alligator blues masters Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials and Texas blues guitar heroes Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King, will be joined throughout the afternoon by some very special guests who have appeared on Alligator over the years. Lil' Ed And The Blues Imperials will jam with guitarist/vocalist Lurrie Bell and sax player/vocalist Eddie Shaw during their set, and Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King will hook up with Shaw as well as guitarist/sax player/vocalist Maurice John Vaughn for a full throttle, good-time blues party commemorating 40 years of Alligator Records.

On February 22 the label released The Alligator Records 40th Anniversary Collection to widespread critical and popular acclaim. The two-CDs-for-the-price-of-one set received a glowing four-star review from Rolling Stone. Label founder and president Bruce Iglauer was featured on NPR's Weekend Edition, in addition to national and regional media attention from other outlets, including a two-part, four-hour interview and feature on XM/Sirius B.B. King's Bluesville Channel 74, hosted by Bill Wax.

SOUTHERN CROSSROADS RADIO AND THE HOUSE OF BLUES RADIO HOUR CELEBRATE ALLIGATOR RECORDS 40TH ANNIVERSARY

Southern Crossroads Radio, the syndicated blues program, will feature a special broadcast to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Alligator Records. The program, which airs during the July 4th weekend, features an extended interview with Alligator's founder and president Bruce Iglauer.

The House Of Blues Radio Hour will also celebrate Alligator's 40th anniversary with a special episode airing the weekend of July 9-10 featuring Dan Aykroyd's (AKA Elwood Blues) interview with Iglauer. Local air times can be found here.

CITY OF CHICAGO HONORS ALLIGATOR RECORDS AND LEGENDARY BLUESMAN LONNIE BROOKS AT THE CHICAGO BLUES FESTIVAL

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel honored the 40th Anniversary of Alligator Records with a congratulatory letter presented to Alligator president and founder Bruce Iglauer on Sunday, June 12, at the Chicago Blues Festival. Emanuel and the City Council also honored legendary Alligator recording artist, Lonnie Brooks, with a proclamation, declaring June 12, 2011 "Lonnie Brooks Day" throughout Chicago. The presentation took place in between songs during Brooks' blistering set, and caught both Igaluer and Brooks by complete surprise.

In his letter to Iglauer, Mayor Emanuel stated, "Chicago is proud to be the home of Alligator Records. Guided by your vision and determination, Alligator Records has produced some of the finest blues talent."

The Lonnie Brooks proclamation declares Brooks "a worldwide icon of Chicago blues" and "encourages all Chicagoans to recognize his many achievements and contributions."

The Blues Festival's Sunday evening main stage was turned into a virtual rollicking roadhouse as Brooks, along with Alligator stars Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater, Michael "Iron Man" Burks, and Rick Estrin all celebrated Alligator's anniversary. The overflow crowd was treated to an evening of raucous, hard-edged, houserocking music.

Powerhouse singer Shemekia Copeland, who began her career on Alligator opened the show, and joined everybody on stage for the triumphant finale. In an emotional ceremony near the end of Copeland's set, Cookie Taylor Threatt, daughter of the late Koko Taylor, presented Copeland with Taylor's crown and declared Copeland the reigning Queen Of The Blues.

FIVE ALLIGATOR ARTISTS NOMINATED FOR NINE LIVING BLUES AWARDS

Living Blues magazine has announced its nominees for the 2011 Living Blues Awards. This year, five Alligator Records recording artists have been nominated for a total of nine awards. Marcia Ball, Janiva Magness, Guitar Shorty and Charlie Musselwhite each garnered two nominations. James Cotton received one. Winners will be announced later this year. Artists and nominations are as follows:

Marcia Ball:

Blues Artist of the Year (Female)
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)

Janiva Magness:

Blues Artist of the Year (Female)
Best Blues Album of 2010 (for The Devil Is An Angel Too)

Guitar Shorty:

Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)
Best Live Performer

Charlie Musselwhite:

Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)
Best Blues Album of 2010 (for The Well)

James Cotton:

Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)

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TOMMY CASTRO PRESENTS

THE LEGENDARY RHYTHM & BLUES REVUE -- LIVE!

RELEASED JUNE 7, 2011

NOW AVAILABLE

Alligator Records continues its 40th anniversary celebration with the June 7 release of TOMMY CASTRO PRESENTS THE LEGENDARY RHYTHM & BLUES REVUE -- LIVE!. Award-winning soul/blues/R&B vocalist and guitar dynamo Tommy Castro is the honorary Captain of the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruises, where internationally famous blues stars perform together on the open seas of the Pacific and the Caribbean. Inspired by the thrilling, no-holds-barred jam sessions on the ship, Castro decided to bring the excitement and musical spontaneity of these gigs on the road. Leading the Revue, he brings the spirit and energy of the onboard jamming to audiences all across the country.

TOMMY CASTRO PRESENTS THE LEGENDARY RHYTHM & BLUES REVUE -- LIVE! is a white-hot collection of the highest highlights from the Revue's recent live performances. In addition to Castro's stellar fretwork and blue-eyed soul vocals, the album features harmonica master Rick Estrin, charismatic vocalist Janiva Magness, guitar giant Michael "Iron Man" Burks, award-winning string-bender Debbie Davies, soul man Theodis Ealey, R&B belter Sista Monica Parker, acclaimed singer/guitarist Joe Louis Walker and the 2008 International Blues Challenge Award winners, rising stars Trampled Under Foot.

Since the start of his career, Tommy Castro has been on a non-stop mission to bring his blistering brand of blues and his stellar band to as many people as possible. Between his fiery, no-holds-barred shows -- supported by his two-time Blues Music Award-winning Band Of The Year -- and his leading role in The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue, Castro is succeeding beyond all expectations. In May 2010, he won four 2010 Blues Music Awards -- more than any other artist that year -- including, for the second time in his career, the coveted B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year Award (the very highest award a blues performer can receive) as well as the award for Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year and Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year (for his latest Alligator studio CD, HARD BELIEVER). The Tommy Castro Band won the award for Band Of The Year. Blues Revue, who put Tommy on the cover of the magazine, says, "Tommy Castro can do no wrong...soulful, heartfelt vocals, and exquisite, stellar guitar work. A seamless blend of blues, gospel-flavored R&B, soul and roadhouse rock.

The Revue gives Castro the opportunity to present a joyous, all-star R&B party. With guest stars changing with each performance, no two Revue shows are alike, but all are full of boisterous energy and stunning musicianship. With TOMMY CASTRO PRESENTS THE LEGENDARY RHYTHM & BLUES REVUE -- LIVE!, fans have an invitation to climb on board and embark on the never-ending blues and R&B party hosted by the amazing Tommy Castro.

On the record:

Janiva Magness won the coveted 2009 Blues Music Award for B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year and for Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year, an honor she also received in 2006 and 2007. USA Today declared, "Magness is a blues star."

Rick Estrin ranks among the very best harp players, singers and songwriters in the blues world. After years on the road with guitarist Little Charlie Baty, Estrin now fronts the jumping, swinging California-based band Rick Estrin & The Nightcats.

Michael "Iron Man" Burks' powerful presence, riveting guitar work and soul-shaking vocals make him one of the blues' fastest-rising stars. Burks' first Alligator release, MAKE IT RAIN, was named as one of the Top 200 greatest guitar recordings by GuitarOne magazine.

Debbie Davies, former second guitarist for Albert Collins, has released eleven albums and become one of the finest blues players on today's scene. People magazine says, "Davies' playing is extraordinary, full of propulsion, energy and melodic invention." She won the Blues Music Award for Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year in 1997 and the 2010 award for Traditional Blues Female Artist Of The Year.

Sista Monica Parker's gospel-drenched R&B singing has won her international acclaim. Blues Revue declared, "She's star material all the way." She's shared stages with Koko Taylor, Etta James, The Neville Brothers and many others, while releasing nine CDs.

Kansas City-based Trampled Under Foot, made up of two brothers and a sister, has become one of the blues circuit's hottest bands since winning first place at the 2008 International Blues Challenge.

Atlanta-based Theodis Ealey's old-school soul vocals and guitar have made him a star on the "chitlin' circuit." He's released a series of critically acclaimed CDs and scored a major soul hit with Stand Up In It in 2004.

Joe Louis Walker's blues career began when he was still a teenager and has covered 40 years and over 20 albums. With his gospel-inflected vocals and high energy guitar work, he's won such awards as 2010's Living Blues Critics' Poll for Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar) and four Blues Music Awards.

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BLUES MASTER CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE WINS

TWO BLUES MUSIC AWARDS

On Thursday, May 5, 2011, The Blues Foundation awarded blues master and Alligator Records recording artist Charlie Musselwhite with two coveted Blues Music Awards.

Musselwhite, whose latest CD The Well has been hailed as the best of his long career, received the awards for Traditional Blues Male Artist Of The Year and Best Instrumentalist--Harmonica.

The Well is the first full-band recording in Musselwhite's almost 50-year career in which he wrote every track on the album, and it is the most personal and emotionally open cycle of songs he has ever created. The revealing, autobiographical songs recall specific events and places in Musselwhite's amazingly colorful life. His worldly-wise vocals and masterful harmonica work are perfectly matched with the stories he tells.

The Chicago Tribune said, "The Well is among the best Charlie Musselwhite releases in a career that stretches back to the explosive Chicago blues scene of the 1960s. He is in top form with his deeply personal tales... a formidable talent, he defines the cutting edge in contemporary blues, putting a Chicago accent on his rural Southern harmonica chops."

The 32nd Annual Blues Music Awards were presented in Memphis at the Cook Convention Center.

BLUES GUITARIST AND VOCALIST LACY GIBSON, MAY 1, 1936 - APRIL 11, 2011

Famed Chicago bluesman Lacy Gibson died on April 11, 2011 as a result of a heart attack. Known for his sophisticated, jazz-influenced guitar style and robust vocals, Gibson was a musician's musician. He recorded three albums under his own name and appeared on scores of recordings. His rich, flashy guitar style was featured in dozens of bands, including those of Son Seals, Otis Rush, Willie Dixon, Jimmy Reed, Billy "The Kid" Emerson, Billy Boy Arnold, Sun Ra and many others.

Born on May 1, 1936 in Salisbury, North Carolina, Gibson headed to Chicago with his family in 1949. He gravitated to the city's blues scene, where he met Willie Dixon, Matt "Guitar" Murphy,  Sunnyland Slim and Muddy Waters, learning directly from the masters.  By the mid-1960s, Gibson was an in-demand session player for local labels, including Chess, where he worked with Buddy Guy and sang My Love Is Real with Buddy on guitar. He cut two 45s for the tiny Repetto label in 1968, one of which also features Guy on guitar. His first LP, Wishing Ring, was released on his brother-in-law Sun Ra's El Saturn label in 1971.

Gibson played in Son Seals' band for two years, and appears on Seals' Live And Burning album on Alligator. His opening numbers at Son's shows were always highlights, which is why Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer recruited Gibson to cut four stand-out tracks for the label's Grammy Award-nominated Living Chicago Blues series, released in 1980

In 1983 Gibson released Switchy Titchy on the Black Magic label. During the 1980s and throughout the 1990s he continued to perform locally around Chicago, sometimes with his own band and other times backing Billy Boy Arnold and Big Time Sarah.

Along with his wife, Gibson ran Ann's Love Nest, an after-hours club on Chicago's west side. Over the years Gibson continued to hone his craft and perform as his health allowed. He appeared at the Chicago Blues Festival in 2004, performing his signature version of Drown In My Own Tears to thunderous applause from the crowd.

His most recent release was 1996's Crying For My Baby (Delmark), a first-issue of sessions originally recorded during the 1970s.

Survivors include his wife, Ann Gibson, son Erte Lacy Shaffer, daughters Coronto Shaffer, Synphia Shaffer, Verdonna Shaffer, B.B. Gibson, Tamika Gibson, 17 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

No funeral arrangements have been announced at this time.

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MARCIA BALL'S ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS DEBUTS AT
#5 ON THE BILLBOARD BLUES CHART

Alligator Records recording artist Marcia Ball's new CD, Roadside Attractions, debuted at #5 on The Billboard Blues Chart. All five of Ball's Alligator releases have debuted in the top five on the blues chart.

Last week, the CD was the #1 Most Added Track at Americana radio, and debuted at #25 on the Americana chart, representing her highest charting Americana debut of her career.

NPR Music writer Marc Silver, who selected Ball's Everybody's Looking For The Same Thing as a Song Of the Day, says, "The song should encourage America to create a Roots Music Hall of Fame and make Ball a charter member. Since her first recording in 1978 - and most likely since she began playing piano at age 5 - she's sung soulful, New Orleans-tinged music that's great fun to hear."

Ball is touring extensively in support of the CD, and will make her 32nd appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. She will perform in Poland in October. Tour dates are below:

4/6 -- World Cafe Live; Philadelphia, PA
4/7 -- B.B. King's Blues Club; New York, NY
4/8 -- Rams Head On Stage; Annapolis, MD
4/9 -- The State Theatre; Falls Church, VA
4/13 -- The Triple Door; Seattle, WA
4/14 -- The Upstage; Port Townsend, WA
4/15 -- Cozmic Pizza; Eugene, OR
4/17 -- Aladdin Theater; Portland. OR, Paul deLay Scholarship Benefit Concert
4/19 -- Yoshi's; San Francisco, CA
4/20 -- Sierra Nevada Brewing Company; Chico, CA
4/21 -- Kuumbwa Jazz Center; Santa Cruz, CA
4/22 -- Fox Theatre; Redwood City, CA. Also appearing: Tommy Castro
4/23 -- The Uptown Theatre; Napa, CA. Also appearing: Tommy Castro
4/28 -- New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation Gala; New Orleans, LA
4/30 -- The Ogden Museum of Southern Art; New Orleans, LA
5/4 -- Wednesday at the Square; New Orleans, LA
5/4 -- Snug Harbor; New Orleans, LA
5/6 -- Maple Leaf Bar; New Orleans, LA
5/7 -- New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival New Orleans, LA
5/8 -- Sunday In The Park; Baton Rouge, LA
5/12 -- The Ark; Ann Arbor, MI,
5/13 -- Old Town School of Folk Music; Chicago, IL
5/14 -- McAuley Performing Arts Center; Cincinnati, OH
5/15 -- Beachland Ballroom; Cleveland, OH
5/19 -- River Ranch Institute for the Arts; Lafayette, LA
5/21 -- Blind Willie McTell Blues Festival; Thomson, GA
5/28 -- The Acoustic Cafe Amphitheater; Haleyville, AL
6/10 -- Granada Theater; Dallas, TX
6/24 -- Loose Wheels Texas; Denison, TX
6/25 -- Riverfront Blues Festival; Fort Smith, AR
7/2 -- Levitt Pavilion; Bethlehem, PA
7/9 -- Sheldon Theater; Red Wing, MN
8/2 -- KJJZ Wine & Jazz Series; Hollywood, CA
8/3 -- Belly Up Tavern; Solana Beach, CA
8/4 -- Canyon Club; Agoura Hills, CA
8/5 -- The Coach House; San Juan Capistrano, CA
8/7 -- Rancho Nicasio; Nicasio, CA
8/11 -- Vail Jazz Festival; Vail, CO
8/12 -- Louisville Street Faire; Louisville, CO
8/13 -- Pearl Street Blues Festival; Denver, CO
8/27 -- Minnesota State Fair; St. Paul, MN
8/28 -- Minnesota State Fair; St. Paul, MN
9/10 -- Music Fest By The Bay; Texas City, TX
10/8 -- Rawa Blues Festival; Katowice, POLAND

10/16 -- Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival; New Orleans, LA

CHICAGO BLUES FESTIVAL CELEBRATES ALLIGATOR 

RECORDS' 40TH ANNIVERSARY

The City of Chicago will honor Alligator Records' 40th Anniversary with a no-holds-barred celebration on Sunday, June 12, 2011, as part of this year's Chicago Blues Festival. Legendary Chicago blues guitarist/vocalist Lonnie Brooks and his band will be joined throughout the evening by some very special guests, including guitarist/vocalist Michael "Iron Man" Burks, harmonica master/vocalist Rick Estrin, pianist/vocalist Ann Rabson, and guitarist/vocalist Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater.

The All-Star concert, which closes out the Chicago Blues Festival on the Petrillo Main Stage, will be preceded by a set from vocal powerhouse Shemekia Copeland, who began her career as an Alligator artist.

On February 22 the label released The Alligator Records 40th Anniversary Collection to widespread critical and popular acclaim. The two-CDs-for-the-price-of-one set received a glowing four-star review from Rolling Stone, and label founder and president Bruce Iglauer was recently featured on NPR's Weekend Edition, in addition to even more national and regional coverage, including a two-part, two-hour interview and feature on XM/Sirius B.B. King's Bluesville Channel 74.

To read a full history of the label, click Alligator Records.

Below is a short reminiscence from Iglauer:
When I created Alligator Records, the very first promo piece to promote that very first Hound Dog Taylor album was headed "Genuine Houserockin' Music." That became our slogan, and we wear it proudly today. "Genuine" because the music we record is deeply rooted in the blues tradition (even when it pushes the standard definition of blues) and is created by musicians who have honed their songs not on synthesizers in their bedrooms, but in front of real audiences, responding to the emotional needs of their listeners. "House" instead of "theatre" or "arena" or "stadium", because our music is ultimately intimate, even when it's big and loud. It's not meant to be presented. It's meant to be shared between the musicians and the audience, like everyone at Florence's shared the music with Hound Dog Taylor. And "Rockin'" because it's designed to move you. Most of Alligator's records will move your feet or your body, but we've tried to make records that will move that other part of you - your soul. Sometimes that can mean music that cleanses your inner pain by pulling it out of you, the "hurts so good" that is so special to the blues. And sometimes it just means the pure release and fun of musicians pouring their energy into a great groove.

Over the forty years, our definition of "Genuine Houserockin' Music" has expanded to include not only pure blues artists, but also musicians and songwriters who have taken the spirit of the blues and created their own sounds and styles, sometimes called roots rock or rockabilly or front porch soul or, in a few cases, gospel, the ultimate soul-rockin' music. But our mission has remained the same - to record honest, blues-infused music that moves the feet and soothes the soul, and hopefully makes you feel as good as a Sunday afternoon at Florence's Lounge.

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