News

ALLIGATOR RECORDS PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - APRIL 21, 2010
CONTACT: MARC LIPKIN / 773-973-7736 x235
EMAIL: publicity@allig.com 
www.alligator.com

JANIVA MAGNESS' THE DEVIL IS AN ANGEL TOO DEBUTS AT #3 ON BILLBOARD BLUES CHART!

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL TOUR GETS UNDERWAY

Award-winning vocalist Janiva Magness' new CD, The Devil Is An Angel Too, debuted at #3 on the Billboard Blues Chart for the week ending April 18, 2010. The CD also debuted as the #1 blues CD at iTunes. Magness, the reigning B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year Blues Music Award holder, is embarking on an international tour in support of her new release. Magness is among the premier blues and R&B singers in the world today. Her voice possesses an earthy, raw honesty and beauty born from her life experience. A charismatic performer known for her electrifying live shows, Magness is a gutsy and dynamic musical powerhouse. USA Today calls Magness, "A blues star."

Although Magness is now a bona fide blues star, her rise to the top was far from easy. Born in Detroit, Magness was inspired by the blues and country she heard listening to her father's record collection, and by the vibrant music of the city's classic Motown sound. By her teenage years, though, her life was in chaos. She lost both parents to suicide by the age of 16 and lived on the streets, bouncing from one foster home to another. At 17, she became a teenage mother who gave up her baby daughter for adoption. One night in Minneapolis, an underage Magness sneaked into a club to see blues great Otis Rush, and it was there that she found her salvation and decided that the blues were her calling. Magness recalls, "Otis played as if his life depended on it. There was a completely desperate, absolute intensity. I knew, whatever it was, I needed more of it." Her rise to the top of the blues world is nothing short of amazing.

In addition to her musical accomplishments, Magness is reaching out to help others. She is a National Spokesperson for Casey Family Programs (her fourth consecutive year), promoting National Foster Care Month (May). "It is a huge honor and a daunting responsibility. But I am very excited to be a part of it, and I look forward to carrying the message of hope for youth in the foster care system," says Magness. "Casey Family Programs does groundbreaking work, and I am deeply honored to work with them again."  Magness has also reconnected with her daughter, and is now the proud grandmother of an eight-year-old boy. "Our fate doesn't have to be our destiny," she says. "I'm living proof of that. And I'm so very grateful."

CONFIRMED TOUR DATES:

Apr 30, 2010 Bradfordville Blues Club Tallahassee, FL

May 01, 2010 Blind Willie's Atlanta, GA

May 02, 2010 Beale Street Music Festival Memphis, TN

May 07, 2010 3rd & Lindsley Nashville, TN, with Gary Nicholson

May 08, 2010 Mackiavelli's Bristol, TN

May 09, 2010 Papa Mojo's Roadhouse Durham, NC

May 10, 2010 Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour Lexington, KY

May 12, 2010 The Birchmere Alexandria, VA, with Roomful of Blues

May 13, 2010 Mexicali Live Teaneck, NJ

May 14, 2010 The Venue Freeport, ME

May 15, 2010 Narrows Center for the Arts Fall River, MA

May 16, 2010 Bobbique Patchogue, NY

May 18, 2010 BB King Blues Club New York, NY

May 19, 2010 Regattabar Cambridge, MA

May 20, 2010 Gerald Veasley's Jazz Base Reading, PA

May 21, 2010 Warmdaddy's Philadelphia, PA, 05/21/2010 - 05/22/2010

May 22, 2010 Warmdaddy's Philadelphia, PA

May 23, 2010 Moondogs Blawnox, PA

Jun 14, 2010 Brackins Blues Club Maryville, TN

Jun 16, 2010 Riverbend Festival Chattanooga, TN

Jun 18, 2010 Somers Point Concert Series Somers Point, NJ

Jun 19, 2010 Cannery Casino Music Festival Las Vegas, NV

Jun 26, 2010 Carnegie Hall Lewisburgh, WV

Jul 04, 2010 Waterfront Blues Festival Portland, OR

Jul 09, 2010 Oskar Blues Longmont, CO

Jul 10, 2010 Blues & Brews Festival Denver, CO

Jul 15, 2010 Mont-Tremblant Blues Festival Mont-Tremblant, Ontario, CANADA

Jul 17, 2010 Blues Festival Int'l London London, Ontario, CANADA

Jul 18, 2010 Blues Festival Int'l Windsor Windsor, Ontario, CANADA

Jul 25, 2010 Commons Beach Concert Series Tahoe City, CA

Jul 31, 2010 Mt. Baker Blues Festival Bellingham, WA

Aug 01, 2010 Bite of Salem Festival Salem, OR

Aug 06, 2010 Notodden Blues Fest Notodden, NORWAY

08/06/2010 - 08/08/10 with special guests Robin Rogers & Thornetta Davis

Aug 07, 2010 Notodden Blues Fest Notodden, NORWAY

Aug 08, 2010 Notodden Blues Fest Notodden, NORWAY

Aug 14, 2010 Heritage Blues Festival Wheeling, WV

Oct 17, 2010 Southern Arizona Blues & Heritage Festival Tucson, AZ

Jan 22, 2011 Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Caribbean cruise -- 1/22 - 1/29

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ALLIGATOR RECORDS SET MAY 25 STREET DATE FOR NEW RELEASE FROM SMOKIN' JOE KUBEK AND BNOIS KING

Alligator Records has set a May 25 street date for Have Blues, Will Travel from Texas guitar slingers Smokin' Joe Kubek And Bnois King. The two Lone Star guitarists -- one a hard-edged, hard rocking blues player and the other a jazzy, elegant rhythm player who delivers raw, spontaneous solos -- have taken their dual guitar attack from the heart of Texas to fans around the globe. Kubek and King's twin-frontman lineup is unparalleled on the blues scene. Backed by their rock-solid rhythm section, Kubek's fiery guitar work is perfectly matched by King's sophisticated rhythm playing and rough-edged, down-home soloing and his soulfully conversational vocals. Their new CD (their second for Alligator and the 12th of their careers), Have Blues, Will Travel, is a collection of fresh, original songs played with passion, taste and a white-hot intensity.

With Have Blues, Will Travel, Smokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King take a giant step forward. The chemistry between Kubek's blistering fretwork and King's savvy vocals and unpredictable, multifaceted guitar work creates a roadhouse blend of muscular blues-rock, hip-shaking shuffles and slow-burning blues. Each song is infused with deep, from-the-heart musicianship, carefully crafted, true-to-life lyrics and delivered with the occasional smile. King wrote or co-wrote every song on the album, with words that are clever and poetic. The slice-of-life lyrics, delivered with King's dry, storyteller's drawl, are honest, believable, wryly humorous and truly insightful.

Joe Kubek was born in Pennsylvania in 1956 but grew up just outside of Dallas. He was leading his own bands and gigging in clubs all around Dallas when he was only 14. Bowled over by the blues a short time after first hearing Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, Kubek soon discovered the music of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and other early blues masters including Freddie King, Johnny Copeland and Lightnin' Hopkins. By the time he was 19, he was backing many famous blues players in the area, including legend Freddie King. In 1976, Kubek was about to head out on tour with King when King died suddenly of a heart attack.

Kubek next worked with R&B singer Al "TNT" Braggs and made a host of new friends, including Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughan (with whom Kubek became close), B.B. King and many other blues icons. He often found himself jamming with these larger-than-life blues stars, while playing constantly around the Dallas area. He not only learned tips and techniques, but also soaked up stories and the lessons of being a professional touring musician.

Bnois (pronounced Buh-noice) King was born in Delhi, LA in 1943. He was inspired to play guitar by his high school music teacher. Before long, Bnois was playing blues cover songs with a local band. On his own, he traveled through Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado, finding local bands to gig with and also performing with carnival tent show groups. King made his way to Dallas in 1979, gigging with jazz combos until he hooked up with Kubek ten years later. A master storyteller, King didn't start writing and singing until he joined forces with Joe, when both duties fell on him. "We needed a singer so I sang," King recalls, "and every time I did the crowds went wild. We needed songs so I wrote about things that happened to me, to people I knew. That's what I still do today." In 1989, Kubek met King at a Monday night Dallas jam session. The two became fast friends, and melded their seemingly divergent styles into one of the most potent guitar combinations the Southwest had ever produced.

On the strength of their huge local following, Kubek and King signed to Bullseye Blues in 1991 and released their debut recording. After conquering the Dallas scene, the band began touring clubs, concert halls and festivals nationally and internationally. Following a successful series of Bullseye releases, they signed to Blind Pig Records in 2003. As their popularity continued to build on the strength of their recordings and the energy of their live shows, the band's touring schedule grew to over 150 dates per year all across the United States, Canada and Europe (where they have toured more than a dozen times).

Kubek and King signed with Alligator in 2008 and released Blood Brothers. The fresh approach, the smoking hot playing and the original, slice-of-life lyrics all added up to a blues lover's delight. The Dallas Observer said, "An electric blast of twelve-bar heaven...they blow the roof off."

More than anything else, Smokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King love to perform live. With Have Blues, Will Travel and another massive tour planned, the band will hit the ground running as they gig from coast to coast, bringing their no-holds-barred brand of soul-charged, rockin' Texas blues to old fans and newcomers night after night. Have Blues, Will Travel is not just the name of the new album. For Smokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King, it's a way of life.

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This week will see Wendell Holmes of the Holmes Brothers featured in the NPR/WXPN weekly podcast A Musician's Life, hosted by Tracey Tanenbaum. This podcast, which gives a glimpse into his personal life, features interview footage with Wendell that gives a deeper look into the motivations behind their newest release, Feed My Soul, his recent battle with cancer as well as snippets of "Edge of the Ledge," "Feed My Soul" and "Fair Weather Friend."

This segment will air this week on WXPN.

You can subscribe to this podcast at iTunes or Yahoo through the links below

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=261620280

http://add.my.yahoo.com/rss?url=http://feeds.feedburner.com/amusicianslife

The Holmes Brothers' new CD, FEED MY SOUL, is the #1 album on this week's Billboard Blues Chart. The album, produced by Joan Osborne, is already being hailed as the best of the band's long career.

Click below to watch a very revealing video interview with band members Sherman Holmes, Wendell Holmes and Popsy Dixon, and producer Osborne. They talk about making the album and Wendell's triumphant victory over bladder cancer.

Long Form -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v_4qYRw5Zk&hl
Short form -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYKo4vNRzgw&hl

The band was featured on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition and has already received glowing reviews from Billboard, Paste, USA Today and many other national and regional publications.

Guitar Shorty's Bare Knuckle
Debuts At #3 On Billboard Blues Chart

Guitar Shorty's new CD, BARE KNUCKLE, debuted at #3 on this week's BillboardPaste calls it "a great blues record" and goes on to say, "Guitar Shorty is a guitar god." Blues Chart.

Shouts of encouragement have already come from Texas Monthly, Paste, Variety, Allmusic, Cleveland Scene and The San Francisco Examiner, with much more to follow.

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TWO JJ GREY SONGS TO APPEAR ON
FOX TELEVISION'S HOUSE

Two of songwriter and vocalist JJ Grey's recordings will appear in tonight's episode of FOX Television's medical drama, House. The episode, entitled "Private Lives," features the songs Lochloosa (the title track from JJ Grey & Mofro's second album, reissued by Alligator in 2008) and The Sun Is Shining Down (from the band's 2007 CD, COUNTRY GHETTO). Grey is currently at work on a new album, tentatively due for Fall 2010 release.

TOMMY CASTRO TO APPEAR ON THE HOUSE OF BLUES
RADIO HOUR

Guitarist/vocalist Tommy Castro, who is currently touring behind his recent Alligator CD, HARD BELIEVER, will appear on The House Of Blues Radio Hour the weekend of March 13 - 14. Castro will sit down with Elwood Blues (AKA Dan Aykroyd) to discuss his career and his new CD.

The House Of Blues Radio Hour airs nationally on over 200 radio stations around the country. For more info check out www.thebluesmobile.com.

THE BLUES FOUNDATION TO INDUCT LEGENDARY LONNIE BROOKS INTO THE BLUES HALL OF FAME

Blues legend Lonnie Brooks is among the 2010 inductees into the Blues Foundation's Blues Hall Of Fame. The induction ceremony will be held on May 5, 2010, at the Memphis Marriott Downtown in Memphis, Tennessee, the night before the 31st annual Blues Music Awards. Brooks, a Louisiana native, played with Clifton Chenier, recorded with Jimmy Reed, toured with Sam Cooke and recorded six groundbreaking albums for Alligator beginning in 1979.

ALLIGATOR ARTISTS IN AUSTIN, TX,
AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST 2010

Alligator artists Guitar Shorty and Anders Osborne will perform in Austin, Texas during the South By Southwest Music Festival. Shorty's new CD, BARE KNUCKLE, was released on March 2, and is already being hailed as a highlight of his long career. Osborne will release his Alligator label debut, AMERICAN PATCHWORK, on April 27. Performance information is as follows:

Guitar Shorty:
Thursday, March 18
11:00pm
Valhalla, 710 Red River Street

Anders Osborne:
Wednesday, March 17
4:30pm
"Export NOLA Showcase"
Momo's, 618 West 6th Street

Thursday, March 18
12:00pm
"Only In Louisiana"
Brush Square Park, 409 E. 5th Street

ALLIGATOR RECORDS PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - MARCH 2, 2010
CONTACT: Marc Lipkin / Alligator Records / 773-973-7736 x235
EMAIL: publicity@allig.com
www.alligator.com

ALLIGATOR RECORDS SETS AN APRIL 13 STREET DATE FOR
JANIVA MAGNESS' THE DEVIL IS AN ANGEL TOO

Alligator Records has set an April 13 street date for The Devil Is An Angel Too, the new release from award-winning blues and R&B vocalist Janiva Magness. The CD is a hard-hitting collection of material that explores the depths of good and evil, with Magness' glorious, soul-baring vocals burning their way through twelve powerful songs. A charismatic performer known for her electrifying live shows, Magness received the coveted 2009 Blues Music Awards for B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year (she is only the second woman to ever win this award, Koko Taylor being the first) 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." In 2008, Magness performed in Iraq and Kuwait as a co-headliner of Bluzapalooza, the first-ever blues concert tour to perform for American troops in an active war zone.

Prior to her extraordinary 2008 Alligator Records debut, What Love Will Do, Magness released seven albums on various labels. The new CD, The Devil Is An Angel Too, co-produced by Magness and Dave Darling (Brian Setzer, Meredith Brooks, Dan Hicks), features Magness' dynamic voice wrapping around original material written especially for her, as well as songs from Julie Miller, Graham Parker, Nick Lowe, Joe Tex, Gladys Knight, Nina Simone, Ann Peebles and James Carr. Magness cuts to the heart of each song with fierce passion, making The Devil Is An Angel Too her most compelling release yet.

Although Magness is now a bona fide blues star, her rise to the top was far from easy. Born in Detroit, Magness was inspired by her father's blues and country record collection, and by the vibrant music of the city's classic Motown sound. By her teenage years, though, her life was in chaos. She lost both parents to suicide by the age of 16 and lived on the streets, bouncing from one foster home to another. At 17, she became a teenage mother who gave up her baby daughter for adoption. One night in Minneapolis, an underage Magness sneaked into a club to see blues great Otis Rush, and it was there that she found her calling. She began going to as many blues shows as possible, soaking up the sounds of her favorite artists, including Johnny Copeland and Albert Collins. She immersed herself in records by James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, and all the other R&B greats.

She moved to Los Angeles in 1986 and slowly began finding work there as a singer. She married musician and songwriter Jeff Turmes, with whom she recorded the album It Takes One To Know One. After three more releases, Janiva signed with Northern Blues in 2004, releasing two albums and increasing her national touring schedule. Blues Revue said, "Magness is a bold and potent artist with a powerful, soulful voice... impossible to forget."

Magness joined the Alligator family in 2008 and released her stunning label debut, What Love Will Do, to massive critical acclaim. The Chicago Sun-Times  raved, "Her songs run the gamut of emotions from sorrow to joy. A master of the lowdown blues who is equally at ease surrounded by funk or soul sounds, Magness invigorates every song with a brutal honesty." Fueled by all the positive press, National Public Radio's Weekend Edition profiled Magness, putting her in front of an audience of millions and expanding her ever-growing fan base.

In addition to her musical accomplishments, Magness is reaching out to help others. She is a National Spokesperson for Casey Family Programs (her fourth consecutive year), promoting National Foster Care Month. "Our fate doesn't have to be our destiny," she says. "I'm living proof of that. And I'm so very grateful."

Janiva Magness' deeply emotional music, sung with passion, conviction and soul, and her telepathic ability to connect with an audience, assure her place among the blues elite.  "We need real music now more than ever because it gives us strength to pull through tough times," says Magness. "We need it in a real bad way. Blues is a ray of hope. It articulates what's lacking in people's lives." With The Devil Is An Angel Too and her explosive live shows hitting cities across North America and Europe, Janiva Magness continues to spread her empowering message of hope through music.

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The one-hour special aired on March 2nd.  There will be additional encore broadcasts on March 5 at 1:00pm ET and March 7 at 3:00pm ET on XM/SIRIUS Channel 74.

For additional info see

http://www.xmradio.com/bbkingsbluesville.

ALLIGATOR RECORDS SIGNS ANDERS OSBORNE

AMERICAN PATCHWORK SCHEDULED FOR
APRIL 27, 2010 RELEASE

Alligator Records is proud to announce the signing of award-winning guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Anders Osborne. Osborne's Alligator Records debut album, American Patchwork, is a moving collection of soul-baring roots rock, blues and ballads. Many of the songs on American Patchwork deal with healing and redemption, spirituality and acceptance. Often compared to Townes Van Zandt, Bruce Springsteen and Van Morrison, Osborne is an exceptional and singular talent. Paste Magazine says, "Osborne has an impossibly great voice and the songs to match." American Patchwork will be released on April 27, 2010.

According to Alligator president Bruce Iglauer, Anders is a perfect fit for the label. "We at Alligator are very excited to have a visionary artist like Anders Osborne join our roster. Having traveled over much of the world and honed his music in New Orleans, Anders combines a deep feeling for many genres of American roots music with straight-from-the-heart, deeply soulful songwriting. His voice has the unvarnished emotional honesty that we love. As a guitarist, he's simply thrilling. He's one of America's finest roots music artists, and we're honored to have him on Alligator."

Anders Osborne is in full agreement, saying, "I am very pleased to be working with such a reputable and classic American label like Alligator Records. This record, American Patchwork, means a helluva lot to both me and the guys helping me get it done. I wouldn't hand it over to just anybody. I am proud to call Alligator Records my label."

Osborne and friend Stanton Moore (Galactic) produced the album, with co-production by Pepper Keenan (of Down). Each track is delivered with soul muscle and contains unforgettable melodies. The ten original songs on American Patchwork are among the strongest Osborne has ever written. With musical assistance from Moore on drums, Keenan on percussion and guitar, and Robert Walter on keyboards, American Patchwork is a bright new chapter in Anders Osborne's remarkable journey. According to Osborne, "This is the healing, the patching back together, of a man scattered to the wind, broken and in pieces. The rebuilding of my home, a city under water and in ruins, friends lost, my community in disarray, all carefully patched and made whole again by the power of my America, and its endless source of inspiration to me. This is my American patchwork."

Since 1995 Osborne has released a series of successful albums for major and independent labels to wide critical and popular acclaim. His music mixes blues, soul, funk and R&B into a signature sound and style. Osborne is as well-known and well-loved for his songwriting as for his blue-eyed soul vocals and jaw-dropping guitar playing. Two songs co-written by Osborne appear on blues great Keb Mo's Grammy-winning 1999 release, Slow Down. Osborne's compositions have been covered by artists as diverse as Brad Paisley, Tab Benoit, Jonny Lang and Kim Carnes. Country superstar Tim McGraw scored a #1 hit with Anders' song Watch The Wind Blow. His song What's Going On Here appeared in the 1996 feature film Fled. Most recently, Osborne, along with Ivan Neville, wrote and will perform the title track for the upcoming Kate Hudson film, Earthbound.

Osborne was born in Sweden in 1966. His father was a professional jazz musician and, at an early age, Anders began playing guitar and discovering the musical power of the blues and the lyrical depth of songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and Jackson Browne. At 16, he was traveling across Europe, North Africa, Asia and the Middle East, earning money by performing at every opportunity. His grandfather, a sailor, had often told him vivid stories of New Orleans, so when he arrived there in 1985, he felt right at home. He effortlessly incorporated the sounds of New Orleans into his own music, and the city quickly became a large part of his soul.

In April Osborne will play three times at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (and make many more area appearances during the festival period), followed by a six-week tour of the U.S. on a double bill with The Stanton Moore Trio. With a new label, a new recording, and a new appreciation of life itself, Anders Osborne is ready to move forward. As a youth he traveled the globe before settling in New Orleans. Now, as a proud American, he'll travel from New Orleans, bringing his powerful original songs and soulful, bluesy, rock-fueled music to destinations all over the world.