News

LIL’ ED APPEARS ON LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O’BRIEN ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 2006
5/10/2006
Blues guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Lil’ Ed Williams, the leader of Lil’ Ed and The Blues Imperials, will appear in both a filmed segment and live on stage when "Late Night With Conan O’Brien" broadcasts from the Chicago Theatre on Wednesday, May 10, 2006.
SAFFIRE-THE UPPITY BLUES WOMEN APPEAR ON NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO’S "TALK OF THE NATION"
4/26/2006
Saffire--the Uppity Blues Women appear live for a full hour on National Public Radio's "Talk of the Nation" on Thursday, April 27.

SAFFIRE-THE UPPITY BLUES WOMEN APPEAR ON NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO’S "TALK OF THE NATION"

SAFFIRE-THE UPPITY BLUES WOMEN APPEAR ON NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO’S "TALK OF THE NATION"

SAFFIRE-THE UPPITY BLUES WOMEN TO APPEAR ON NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO’S TALK OF THE NATION

 

Saffire--the Uppity Blues Women will appear live for a full hour on National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation tomorrow, Thursday, April 27. Most NPR stations air the show from 3:00pm to 4:00pm EST, but please check the Talk of the Nation website to confirm your local station's airtime: http://tinyurl.com/hxu4v.

 

Saffire will discuss their music and their brand new CD, DELUXE EDITION, and perform three songs.

 

Hosted by Neal Conan, Talk of the Nation offers call-in listeners the opportunity to join enlightening discussions with decision-makers, authors, musicians, and artists from around the world.  Talk of the Nation airs on over 250 stations nationally as well as on NPR Worldwide. 

 

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SOUL AND BLUES SINGER SHEMEKIA COPELAND TO HOST WEEKLY BLUES SHOW ON SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO
4/7/2006
Grammy®-nominated soul and blues singer Shemekia Copeland will host her own weekly blues radio show exclusively on SIRIUS satellite radio beginning April 22, 2006.

SOUL AND BLUES SINGER SHEMEKIA COPELAND TO HOST WEEKLY BLUES SHOW ON SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO

SOUL AND BLUES SINGER SHEMEKIA COPELAND TO HOST WEEKLY BLUES SHOW ON SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO

 

Shemekia Copeland’s Blues Show To Launch April 22

 

Grammy®-nominated soul and blues singer Shemekia Copeland will host her own weekly blues radio show exclusively on SIRIUS satellite radio beginning April 22, 2006. Shemekia Copeland’s Blues Show will air on Saturdays from 1:00pm to 7:00pm ET on SIRIUS Blues channel 74. Copeland couldn’t be more excited, saying, “What kind of crazy people are working at SIRIUS to let me loose with a microphone every Saturday afternoon?”

 

Copeland, the daughter of the late blues master Johnny Clyde Copeland, burst on the scene in 1997 with her debut CD, TURN THE HEAT UP when she was just 19. She followed that with the Grammy®-nominated WICKED in 2000, TALKING TO STRANGERS (produced by Dr. John) in 2002, and most recently, THE SOUL TRUTH (produced by Steve Cropper) in 2005.

 

For her SIRIUS show, Copeland will share stories of her life in the blues and play blues songs both familiar and obscure. “I warned them,” said Copeland. “I’m taking over the airwaves. It’s gonna be great.”

 

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ERIC LINDELL'S CHANGE IN THE WEATHER MOST ADDED AT AAA AND AMERICANA RADIO!
4/4/2006
"Give It Time," the first single from Eric Lindell's Alligator debut "Change In The Weather," is the #1 Most Added Record on the R&R AAA Indicator Chart, the #1 Most Added Record on the R&R Americana Chart, and the #2 Most Added Record overall on the FMQB AAA Chart.

ERIC LINDELL'S CHANGE IN THE WEATHER MOST ADDED AT AAA AND AMERICANA RADIO!

Give It Time, the first single from Eric Lindell's Alligator debut Change In The Weather, is the #1 Most Added Record on the R&R AAA Indicator Chart, the #1 Most Added Record on the R&R Americana Chart, and the #2 Most Added Record on the FMQB AAA Chart.

 

The CD is receiving widespread press as well, with reviews and / or feature stories scheduled to run in Vintage Guitar, GuitarOne, OffBeat, Harp, Relix, Jambase, Singer & Musician, An Honest Tune, The Chicago Tribune, DownBeat, and many other regional and national outlets.

 

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MARCIA BALL APPEARS ON NATIONALLY SYNDICATED PROGRAM,
3/24/2006
Singer/pianist/vocalist Marcia Ball will appear on the nationally syndicated radio program Whad'Ya Know? on Saturday, March 25, 2006.

MARCIA BALL APPEARS ON NATIONALLY SYNDICATED PROGRAM,

MARCIA BALL TO APPEAR ON NATIONALLY SYNDICATED PROGRAM, MICHAEL FELDMAN'S WHAD'YA KNOW?

Singer/pianist/vocalist Marcia Ball will appear on the nationally syndicated radio program Whad'Ya Know? on Saturday, March 25, 2006. She will perform and talk with host Michael Feldman during the first hour of the show. Go to www.notmuch.com for local stations and broadcast times.

 
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ERIC LINDELL TO PLAY MAIN STAGE AT NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL
3/23/2006
Newly signed Alligator artist Eric Lindell, whose debut release Change In The Weather hits the streets on April 4, will perform on the main stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on May 5.

ERIC LINDELL TO PLAY MAIN STAGE AT NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL

ERIC LINDELL TO PLAY MAIN STAGE AT NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL

Newly signed Alligator artist Eric Lindell, whose debut release Change In The Weather hits the streets on April 4, will perform on the main stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on May 5. Early press and radio response to his CD is coming in and it's simply astonishing. OffBeat, New Orleans Times-Picayune, Singer & Musician magazine, Harp, Amazon.com, WXRT-FM radio, Santa Rosa Press Telegram, Vintage Guitar magazine and many others are already singing Lindell's praises.

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SOPRANOS STARS PAY A VISIT TO GUITAR SHORTY
3/23/2006
While performing in Chicago at Buddy Guy's Legends nightclub on Friday, March 17, Alligator recording star Guitar Shorty received a visit from cast members of the acclaimed HBO show The Sopranos.

SOPRANOS STARS PAY A VISIT TO GUITAR SHORTY

SOPRANOS STARS PAY A VISIT TO GUITAR SHORTY

While performing in Chicago at Buddy Guy's Legends nightclub on Friday, March 17, Alligator recording star Guitar Shorty received a visit from cast members of the acclaimed HBO show The Sopranos. Steven Van Zandt, James Gandolfini, Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa stayed the entire last set. "Little Steven," as he is known when playing guitar with Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, could not resist the temptation, and he joined Shorty on stage for an extended, impromptu jam session. Shorty is currently at work on a follow-up CD to his wildly successful Watch Your Back.

 
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ALLIGATOR RECORDS CELEBRATES 35th ANNIVERSARY WITH DOUBLE RELEASE
3/6/2006
Alligator Records, the country's largest contemporary blues label, is celebrating its 35th anniversary with two releases hitting the street on April 4, 2006.

ALLIGATOR RECORDS CELEBRATES 35th ANNIVERSARY WITH DOUBLE RELEASE

Alligator Records, the country's largest contemporary blues label, is celebrating its 35th anniversary with two releases hitting the street on April 4, 2006. The first is a one-of-a-kind 2-CD set: ALLIGATOR RECORDS 35 X 35 -- 35 SONGS, 35 YEARS OF GENUINE HOUSEROCKIN' MUSIC, in which Alligator president Bruce Iglauer and staff look back, in chronological order, at highlights from artists’ debut releases for the label. The other release, Eric Lindell’s CHANGE IN THE WEATHER, looks forward, with an album whose completely original, roosty, funky music and hook-filled, cliche-free songs will launch Lindell into the musical mainstream.

 

ALLIGATOR RECORDS 35 X 35 is not just another best-of compilation. Alligator founder and president Bruce Iglauer and staff chose to spotlight songs from the Alligator debut release from each featured artist. From She's Gone (the very first track on the very first Alligator album, 1971's Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers) to the legendary Mavis Staples' chilling A Dying Man's Plea, 35 X 35 is effectively a chronological history of Alligator, a story told in music highlighting every style of blues and roots music the company has released. From the searing hard blues of Hound Dog Taylor, Son Seals, Albert Collins, Luther Allison, Koko Taylor and Buddy Guy to harmonica-driven workouts from Big Walter Horton, Carey Bell, James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite and William Clarke to the Gulf Coast piano blues of Professor Longhair, Katie Webster and Marcia Ball to the acoustic music of Saffire--The Uppity Blues Women and Corey Harris, it is clear that Alligator Records has been, and will remain, at the forefront of modern blues music in all of its many shades. With personal notes on each track from Iglauer in the accompanying 40-page booklet, 35 X 35 is proof of the staunchly independent label's single-minded vision for all these years: to record nothing but deeply rooted "Genuine Houserockin' Music."

 

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California-bred, New Orleans-schooled singer/ songwriter/ vocalist Eric Lindell is a roots rocker with dozens of original songs that combine soul-shaking rhythm & blues, reggae grooves and Louisiana swamp pop. Lindell is a fan favorite in his northern California turf and his adopted home of New Orleans (where he has been featured on the cover of OffBeat magazine and performed on the main stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2003. He will be playing the main stage at the Festival again this year). He is accomplished on guitar, harmonica, keyboards and bass, and has performed with some of the Crescent City's top musicians as well as some of the jam band community's biggest names (including members of Galactic). The winner of the 1999 John Lennon Songwriting Competition, Lindell is now ready to bring his rough-hewn voice and memorable original songs to the rest of the music-loving world with the release of his Alligator Records debut, CHANGE IN THE WEATHER.

 

CHANGE IN THE WEATHER will delight and surprise music fans hungry for an extraordinary, original artist who is just getting ready to explode. Lindell's songs are completely original and yet have an instant familiarity to them. The laid-back grooves and hook-laden melodies hint of 1970's-era Van Morrison and Bruce Springsteen, but are not throwbacks as much as they are powerful, rootsy, thought-provoking and danceable contemporary songs. Traces of Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, Ray Charles and Sly And The Family Stone can be found in Eric's originals, with foot-stomping grooves and horns punching in all the right places. Guests on the CD include War drummer Harold Brown, Ivan Neville and Galactic's Stanton Moore.

 

Born in San Mateo, California, in 1969, the former "skate-punk" spent countless hours in San Francisco, soaking up the musical sounds of the city, eventually leading him to pick up the bass, and then the guitar. Lindell listened to the music of Donny Hathaway and The Impressions as well as Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Jimmy Reed, Albert King and Stevie Wonder. Eric formed his own group in 1993 and quickly gained a loyal California audience thanks to countless performances and many late-night jam sessions. Established stars like Charlie Musselwhite and Tom Waits attended his gigs, as did overflow crowds of music fans.

 

Lindell gigged in New York in 1998 before heading down to New Orleans in 1999, where he discovered the Crescent City roots music scene. He gravitated toward the West Bank dive bars of Gretna and Algiers, Louisiana, befriending many older swamp pop musicians. Before long he met up with Galactic's Stanton Moore, and the two began playing together. Some of New Orleans' finest players, including Harold Brown and drummer Johnny Vidacovich, often joined him on stage. Galactic bassist Rob Mercurio began sitting in as well, and word of Lindell's immense talents began spreading around the city. Some of his famous friends and admirers include Branford Marsalis, The Neville Brothers, John Scofield, Chris Chew (North Mississippi Allstars), Vince Welnick (Grateful Dead) and Wally Ingram (David Lindley, Stockholm Syndrome). According to Lindell, "The fact that these amazing people are so complimentary to me and my music means the world to me."

 

With the release CHANGE IN THE WEATHER, Lindell and his band will tour heavily, giving the rest of the country the chance to discover for itself what a growing number of people already know: Eric Lindell is a musician bursting at the seams with talent, with enough original songs and inventive grooves to carry him as far as he chooses to go

 
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ALLIGATOR ARTISTS DOMINATE LIVING BLUES RADIO CHART’S 2005 TOP RELEASES
2/17/2006
Every 2005 Alligator release appeared on Living Blues’ Top 50 Blues Releases Radio Chart, with the label holding the top four positions.

ALLIGATOR ARTISTS DOMINATE LIVING BLUES RADIO CHART’S 2005 TOP RELEASES

ALLIGATOR ARTISTS DOMINATE LIVING BLUES RADIO CHART’S 2005 TOP RELEASES Every 2005 Alligator release appeared on Living Blues’ Top 50 Blues Releases Radio Chart, with the label holding the top four positions. Marcia Ball’s Live! Down The Road was number one, followed by (in order) Little Charlie and the Nightcats’ Nine Lives, Shemekia Copeland’s The Soul Truth, and Roomful Of Blues’ Standing Room Only. The Siegel- Schwall Band took the number 23 spot with Flash Forward, Tinsley Ellis came in at number 31 with Live: Highwayman, and Charlie Musselwhite’s Deluxe Edition held the number 32 spot.
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LEE ROCKER TO APPEAR ON THREE NATIONALLY SYNDICATED RADIO SHOWS
2/17/2006
Lee Rocker, whose new CD Racin’ The Devil is already the most successful solo album of his career, will appear on the syndicated radio programs Woodsongs, Mountain Stage, and Mancow’s Morning Madhouse.

LEE ROCKER TO APPEAR ON THREE NATIONALLY SYNDICATED RADIO SHOWS

LEE ROCKER TO APPEAR ON THREE NATIONALLY SYNDICATED RADIO SHOWS Lee Rocker, whose new CD Racin’ The Devil is already the most successful solo album of his career, will appear on the syndicated radio programs Woodsongs, Mountain Stage, and Mancow’s Morning Madhouse. He’ll be taping Woodsongs and Mountain Stage in the coming weeks, with airdates to be announced. He will appear live on Mancow’s Morning Madhouse on Thursday, March 2, 2006.
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CORKY SIEGEL TO APPEAR ON NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO’S WAIT WAIT… DON’T TELL ME!
2/17/2006
Harmonicist/vocalist/songwriter Corky Siegel will appear on the National Public Radio quiz program, Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! on Saturday, February 18.

CORKY SIEGEL TO APPEAR ON NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO’S WAIT WAIT… DON’T TELL ME!

CORKY SIEGEL TO APPEAR ON NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO’S WAIT WAIT… DON’T TELL ME! Harmonicist/vocalist/songwriter Corky Siegel (who boasted two 2005 Alligator releases – Corky Siegel’s Traveling Chamber Blues Show and Siegel-Schwall Band’s Flash Forward) will appear on the National Public Radio quiz program, Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! on Saturday, February 18. He’ll do a 15-minute interview that includes a series of multiple-choice questions and then top off the piece by playing a few songs on harmonica. For more information on airtimes and stations in your market, go to http://www.npr.org/programs/waitwait/. And for viewers in the Chicago area, he will appear on WTTW-TV’s Chicago Tonight for an extended interview the week of February 20.
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Alligator Records Signs Guitarist/Vocalist Eric Lindell!
1/23/2006
Alligator Records is proud to announce the signing of guitarist/ vocalist/ songwriter Eric Lindell. The California-born, New Orleans-schooled musician will release his Alligator debut, CHANGE IN THE WEATHER, in April 2006.

Alligator Records Signs Guitarist/Vocalist Eric Lindell!

Alligator Records Signs Guitarist/Vocalist Eric Lindell!

ERIC LINDELL

 

Stellar, sublime blue-eyed soul and romping New Orleans R&B, played at the same intersection of soul, blues and roots rock as Van Morrison.

--New Orleans Times Picayune

 

 

Eric Lindell is a natural. With impressive guitar chops, a worn, smoldering voice and a rocking rhythmic sensibility, his jam-friendly style converts blues purists and dyed-in-the-wool R&B fans as well as the tattooed and pierced crowd. His voice recalls Stax and Motown-era soul, with a laid-back, hipster charisma. Eric Lindell is poised for a breakout. He has turned heads everywhere he's gone, almost instantly becoming the talk of the town wherever his musical journey has taken him.

--An Honest Tune

 

Born in 1969, Lindell is an "old soul" from California reinventing New Orleans R&B. He has a cool, genuine old school aura that is both natural and refreshing. Eric does his own thing in his own way and at his own pace. His melodic sensibility and fresh approach are most impressive.

--OffBeat 

 

Alligator Records is proud to announce the signing of guitarist/ vocalist/ songwriter Eric Lindell. The California-born, New Orleans-schooled musician will release his Alligator debut, CHANGE IN THE WEATHER, in April 2006. A roots-rocker with dozens of original songs that combine soul-shaking rhythm & blues, reggae grooves, swamp pop and blues, Lindell is a fan favorite in his northern California turf and his adopted home of New Orleans (where he was featured on the cover of OffBeat magazine and performed on the main stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival). Lindell is accomplished on guitar, harmonica, keyboards and bass. He has performed with some of the Crescent City's top musicians as well as some of the jam band community's biggest names (including members of Galactic). The winner of the 1999 John Lennon Songwriting Competition for his song Kelly Ann, Lindell is now ready to bring his rough-hewn voice and memorable original songs to the rest of the music-loving world.

 

CHANGE IN THE WEATHER will delight and surprise music fans hungry for an extraordinary, original artist who is just getting ready to explode. Lindell's songs are cliche-free, completely original and yet have an instant familiarity to them. The laid-back grooves and hook-laden melodies hint of 1970's-era Van Morrison and Bruce Springsteen, but are not throwbacks as much as they are powerful, rootsy, thought-provoking and danceable contemporary songs. Traces of Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, Ray Charles and Sly And The Family Stone can be found in Eric's originals, with foot-stomping grooves coming around every corner and horns punching in all the right places. Guests on the CD include War drummer Harold Brown, Ivan Neville and Galactic’s Stanton Moore.

 

Born in San Mateo, California, in 1969, the former "skate-punk" spent countless hours in San Francisco, soaking up the musical sounds of the city, eventually leading him to pick up the bass, and then the guitar. Lindell listened to the music of Donny Hathaway and The Impressions as well as Buddy Guy. He discovered blues greats Junior Wells, Jimmy Reed and Albert King on his own before drifting toward the R&B sounds of Stevie Wonder, soaking up the soul and learning how to craft a song. After performing at bars on the West Coast with a few short-lived bands, Eric formed his own group in 1993 and quickly gained a loyal California audience thanks to countless performances and many late-night jam sessions. Established stars like Charlie Musselwhite and Tom Waits attended his gigs, as did overflow crowds of music fans.

 

Lindell left for New York in 1998, gigging there regularly before heading down to New Orleans in 1999, where he quickly discovered the roots music scene. He gravitated toward the West Bank dive bars of Gretna and Algiers, Louisiana, where he befriended many older swamp pop musicians, who helped him get more regular gigs. Before long he met up with Galactic's Stanton Moore, and the two began playing together. Some of New Orleans’ finest players, including Harold Brown and drummer Johnny Vidacovich, often joined him on stage. Galactic bassist Rob Mercurio began sitting in as well, and word of Lindell's immense talents began spreading around the city. Some of the city's biggest stars began showing up at his gigs, embracing this fresh California kid's funky music. Some of his famous friends and admirers include Branford Marsalis, The Neville Brothers, John Scofield, Chris Chew (North Mississippi Allstars), Vince Welnick (Grateful Dead) and Wally Ingram (David Lindley, Stockholm Syndrome). According to Lindell, “The fact that these amazing people are so complimentary to me and my music means the world to me.”

 

Lindell's live shows draw as much attention as his material. His unstoppable grooves, rocking, deeply rooted, original songs and excellent musicianship always fill the dance floor. With the release CHANGE IN THE WEATHER, Lindell and his band will tour heavily, giving the rest of the country the chance to discover for themselves what a growing number of people already know: Eric Lindell is a musician bursting at the seams with talent, with enough original songs and inventive grooves to carry him as far as he chooses to go.

 

 

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