blues

Grace Woodroofe Announces New Album on Modular

Australian folk-blues chanteuse, Grace Woodroofe, has been championed by fellow artists since she was barely sixteen. LA based artist collective The Masses heard demos she had entered into an Australian radio contest, and invited her to come to the US and record. Through this invitation she ended up collaborating with Mark Eitzel (American Music Club), Carlos Nino (Dublab Collective) and performer/arranger Justin Medal-Johnsen (NIN, Beck, Gnarls Barkley). After finishing her studies in Perth, Grace returned to LA and started work on Always Wantwith Ben Harper, who produced the debut album.

Always Wantis a collection of soul-stirring compositions that manage to explore darkness and discomfort and yet retain a mesmerizing tranquility. The fuzzed out guitars and thud in “Transformer” offset Grace’s gently seductive vocal. The melancholic twinkling of “Battles” underscores its story of a middle-aged waitress’ unsuccessful hunt for companionship. The heart-wrenching single “Quicksand” makes the Bowie classic soar from an understated and delicate arrangement to a spectacular climax replete with lush strings. Title track “Always Want” speaks to a not-so-unusual desire to want what feels just out of reach. The snarling garage stomper “Bear” is a tough love anthem that finds Grace on the hunt.

Grace’s live shows have been garnering raves across the globe. The LA Weekly recently declared her live show “powerful, dynamic, and striking."  She has toured with Cat Power and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and will be on tour with Ben Harper throughout the Fall.

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Catch Grace Woodroofe On Tour This Fall

9/27: Montreal, QC  @ Metropolis
9/29: Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
9/30: Boston, MA @ House of Blues
10/1: New York, NY @ Terminal 5
10/4: Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
10/5: Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
10/7: Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
*all dates with Ben Harper

Bob Weir, Chris Robinson & Jackie Greene at Rocky Mt Folks Festival

There was some major speculation regarding the trio consisting of Bob Weir (front-man for the Grateful Dead), Chris Robinson (lead singer for the Black Crowes) and singer/songw

The Jam Stampede Remembers Ron “Pigpen” McKernan

The Jam Stampede remembers Pigpen and will do a healthy dose of Pigpen on the day of his birthday, September 8. Plenty of Dead tunes will abound and we do one more spin around the sun for Pig.

Starting a rock band was actually Ron McKernan's idea, and he was its first front man, delivering stinging harmonica, keyboards, and beautiful blues vocals in the early years of the Warlocks/Grateful Dead. Nicknamed "Pigpen" for his funky approach to life and sanitation, he was born into a family that was generally conventional, except for the fact that his (Caucasian) father was an R & B disc jockey. And that sound put Pig's life on the rails of the blues from the time he was 12. Liquor, Lightnin' Hopkins, the harmonica and some barbecue - it was an unusual life for a white kid from San Carlos, but it was Pig's life.

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Mexicali Live

Show Date: September 8, 2011

Tickets : $8.00 in advance

Doors: 6:00pm

Show: 8:00pm

Band website

201-833-0011

1409 Queen Anne Road

Teaneck, NJ 07666

Otis Taylor's Trance Jam Blues Festival | Nov 2011

The first annual Otis Taylor Trance Blues Jam Festival is a weekend of public workshops and jams for musicians and fans of all levels and ages who wish to join world-renowned guitarist Bob “Steady Rollin’” Margolin, Tony Trischka (International Bluegrass Music Association Banjo Player of the Year), multi-instrumentalist Don Vappie, bassist George Porter, Jr. (Meters), guitarist/vocalist Standing Bear, Cassie Taylor and renaissance bluesman Otis Taylor.

The event, held Friday-Sunday, November 25-27, begins with a pre-Trance Jam hosted by Taylor, Margolin and Vappie at the Boulder Outlook Hotel on Friday at 8 p.m.

“You don’t have to be a musician to get involved with the Trance Blues Jam Festival,” says Taylor, a Boulder resident and festival founder. “We would like to see the festival evolve to include artists hosting sessions slanted towards many different styles of music. The more types of participants we have, the better,” Taylor says. “The goal is to fill the hills with the sound of music of all genres: classical, blues, jazz, pop, world, rap, spoken word; [and] instruments of every type: horns, strings, percussion and even street instruments like cans and buckets.”

Taylor’s compelling style of path-forging and “trance-blues” sonic landscapes has won praise from The New York Times and NPR.  While drawing upon elements of early American blues and even earlier African music, Taylor has been called “arguably the most relevant blues artist of our time” by Guitar Player magazine.
Taylor and the visiting artists will lead weekend workshops both Saturday and Sunday, ranging in size from 40 to 60 students. Saturday’s Boulder Theater workshop culminates with the Saturday Night Trance-Blues Jam, an open-to-the-public audience-participation jam session with hundreds of musicians, steered by Otis Taylor beginning at 6 p.m.  A special concert will follow on Saturday night at 9p.m. at the Boulder Theater. Video of a similar workshop held last year can be found at otistaylor.com
Sunday’s Trance Blues workshops at the Boulder Outlook Hotel go from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Sunday workshops are geared towards younger performers and will conclude with a Family Jam in the afternoon. The first annual Otis Taylor’s Trance Blues Jam Festival is presented and sponsored by the Boulder Outlook Hotels & Suites, Goodbye Blue Monday, Mountain Ocean, Boulder Valley Velodrome, Cronin Jewelers and the Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Workshop and VIP Jam tickets are available by calling the Boulder Outlook Hotel at 303.443.3322. Saturday night only Jam tickets are available by calling the Boulder Theater box office at (303) 786-7030.
Tickets range from $15 for Friday’s event to $80 for full-day Saturday pass. Please visit event website for complete information.

Catch Rebelution on Summer Tour Now!

Santa Barbara based band Rebelution has officially announced they will be joining Slightly Stoopid on tour in July, August, and September, for The Seedless Summer 2011 Tour which will span over twenty-five cities in top outdoor venues, nationwide. The Seedless Summer 2011 Tour will stop at some of the country’s best outdoor venues, including Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO, The Greek Theater in Berkley, CA, and Cricket Amphitheater in San Diego, CA, to name a few.  Shwayze & Cisco Adler will also be on the bill.  Tickets went on sale to the public on Saturday May 14, 2011.

Some of Rebelution’s latest career highlights, include recently retuning from a tw week tour across Brazil, performances at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Wakarusa, Reggae Rising, Power to the Peaceful, and Ragga Muffins Tribute to Bob Marley Festival. They also headlined the US open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, CA.  On their 2010 headlining, national “Winter Greens” tour, the band played to sold out crowds across the country including selling tickets to upwards of 3,000 people in venues including: The House of Blues, San Diego, The Fox Theatre, Oakland, The House of Blues, Chicago, Irving Plaza in New York City, The House of Blues, Boston, The House of Blues in Orlando, Florida, and a sold out show at the renowned Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, California.  The band was also named one of the “Five Artists Your Should Know About” by Relix Magazine heading into 2011, one of the “Top 8 SoCal Bands” by Fashion 5.0 Magazine – and Music Connection Magazine said “ Rebelution’s guitar solos and horns give a breath of fresh air, to a played out style.  With guitar leads like the one showcased in ‘Outta Control,’ this four-piece is creating what it takes to stand out in a crowded room.”

Other upcoming Rebelution show dates, include the California Roots Music Festival, Wakarusa Music Festival, Crossroads KC with Ben Harper, four Hawaii dates supporting reggae legends Steel Pulse in Kona, Oahu, Maui and Kauai, the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, Dave Matthews Band's Caravan Festival, High Sierra Music Festival, Hollywood Park in Los Angeles, CA and the Klover Outdoor Pavilion in Billings, Montana.

Outside of their two Billboard charting albums [Courage to Grow, Billboard Top Reggae Album Charts since its release in 2007 and Bright Side of Life which debuted at #54 on the Billboard Top 200, #6 on the Billboard Independent Albums, and #1 on the Billboard Reggae Charts] Rebelution is currently in the studio working on their forthcoming third, full-length album, with notable guests passing through the studio including AmpLive, The Aggrolites, and Kymani Marley.

For more information on Rebelution, the Seedless Summer 2011 Tour, or for a complete list of Rebelution tour dates please their website.  You can also visit Rebelution on Facebook - and follow the band on Twitter.

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Upcoming Tour Dates:

August 17 – Baltimore, MD - Pier Six Concert Pavilion

August 18 – Charlotte, NC – Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre

August 19 – Cocoa Beach, FL – Cocoa Beach Pier

August 20 – West Boca Raton, Fl – Sunset Cove Amphitheatre

August 21 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre

August 24 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade Music Park

August 25 – Raleigh, NC – Raleigh Amphitheatre

August 27 – Chicago, IL – Charter One Pavilion

Fabulous Thunderbirds to play the Rocky Mountain Music Fest

The Fabulous Thunderbirds will be performing at the Rocky Mountain Music Festival, at the Denver Botanic Gardens near Chatfield, 8500 West Deer Creek Canyon Road, in Littleton, CO, on August 28.  Admission to the Festival, is $48 at the gate for adults, $20 for youth between 12 and 17 years old, and free for children 11 and under.  VIP tickets for adults are $58 and for youth--$26.  The venue phone is 303-278-7799 and the website is therockymountainmusicfestival.com.

For over thirty years, The Fabulous Thunderbirds have been the quintessential American band. The group's distinctive and powerful sound, influenced by a diversity of musical styles, manifested itself into a unique musical hybrid via such barnburners as “Tuff Enuff” and “Wrap It Up.”

Founding member Kim Wilson spearheads the group as it evolves into its newest incarnation. “We started as a straight blues band.” vocalist and harmonica player Wilson says. “We now incorporate a mixture of a lot of different styles. We're an American music band and we're higher energy than ever before.” The Fabulous Thunderbirds features Jay Moeller on drums, Johnny Moeller and Mike Keller on guitar, and Randy Bermudes on bass.

Wilson’s musical talents have garnered him multiple Blues Awards and Grammy Nominations. The Blues Foundation 2008 blues Music Awards named Wilson "Instrumentalist - Harmonica" category.  In 2006, he was named “Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year” in 2006, and “Lookin’ for Trouble!” was named Blues Song of the Year in 2004. Wilson has contributed to the work of many other great artists such as the legendary Muddy Waters (who called him his “son”), contemporary artist Bonnie Raitt, guitar legends Stevie Ray Vaughan and brother Jimmie Vaughan, and Martin Scorsese’s movie “The Blues." With his current movie project “Cadillac Records,” Wilson continues to focus on the music he loves.

With over 20 albums recorded and millions sold, Kim Wilson and The Fabulous Thunderbirds tour the world performing their own unique style of music. Ranging from pop anthems like “Powerful Stuff” which was featured in the Tom Cruise movie “Cocktail," to the low down blues of "Chicago," this brand of honest music brings fans back time and again.

Having shared the stage with The Rolling Stones, Joe Cocker, Carlos Santana and blues legends BB King and Buddy Guy and countless others, The Fabulous Thunderbirds continue to tour Europe and the North America, bringing more great music to their fans worldwide.

2011 Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival

The Mayor of Morristown in northern New Jersey will host a free all day concert on the Town Green on Saturday, August 20th. The Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival will run from noon until 10:00 p.m. and features the Rusty Paul Band, the Duke Ellington Legacy Band, the Winard Harper Sextet, Baby Soda and the Jerry Vezza Quartet.

The music begins at noon with two sets by the Rusty Paul Band, led by the son of the legendary guitarist Les Paul. With a special blend of jazz, blues and funk, the six musicians will pay tribute to the great Les Paul as well as feature other popular tunes.

At 2:00, the Duke Ellington Legacy Band, under the leadership of Duke’s grandson Edward Kennedy Ellington II, takes the stage. With fresh arrangements by pianist Norman Simmons and sax great Virginia Mayhew, this 9-piece ensemble is dedicated to keeping Duke’s music alive and current. Most recently, the Legacy Band headlined the New Jersey Jazz Society’s Jazzfest 2011.

Following the Legacy Band will be the popular Winard Harper Sextet. Regarded as one of the elite jazz drummers on the current scene, Harper has performed with many jazz legends including Dr. Billy Taylor, Betty Carter, Dexter Gordon and Ray Bryant. Surrounding himself with extraordinary young musicians, Harper is an explosive drummer who is in demand all over the world.

At 6:00, five young musicians known as Baby Soda take the stage. On the forefront of a new movement known as street jazz, Baby Soda draws on an eclectic set of influences ranging from 30’s era swing, New Orleans jazz and gospel. The band maintains a busy schedule of performances which includes venues such as the Village Vanguard, the Knitting Factory and the Louis Armstrong House.

The festival closes with the Jerry Vezza Quartet featuring two of the regions’ most popular jazz musicians, pianist Jerry Vezza and singer/guitarist Grover Kemble. Joining Jerry and Grover will be Tom Sayek on drums and Rick Crane on bass.

The brainchild of Mayor Timothy Dougherty, the festival has been made possible by business sponsors including PSE&G, JCP&L, Riker Danzig, Brown and Brown Metro, The Metropolitan, 40 Park, Weichert Realtors, Roots, Trenk Depasquale, TSS Facility Services, Integra Management Corporation, Realty Management Associates, Belle Associates, Inglesino Pearlman and the Grasshopper Restaurant. Additional sponsors include WBGO, the Star-Ledger and the New Jersey Jazz Society.

The Morristown Jazz & Blues Festival will take place on the Green in Morristown rain or shine from noon until 10:00 p.m. Admission is free and many local restaurants will be offering specials for festival attendees. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets.


Introducing NYC Blues Rockers - Memphis Crawl

New York City based blues rockers, Memphis Crawl, recently released their debut album, “Falling Down Against The Sun” in the winter of 2011. The band will be hitting the road this summer, playing select dates in support of the new record. For more information, please visit: www.memphiscrawl.com

Formed in the summer of 2004 by songwriter and front man, Matty O’Brien, Memphis Crawl has been regarded as one of the best and most exciting live acts around. O’Brien himself has been described as “one of the most charismatic rock n roll frontmen of all time, with the voice and looks to back it up”. He amplified and perfected the sound with the addition of lead guitarist Bryan Stevens, bassist Mad Freik, drummer Mike Vincenti, and rhythm guitarist Nick Vincenti.

Memphis Crawl dropped their debut EP, “Falling Down Against The Sun”, in January 2011. The bands first studio effort received an enormously positive response from both music critics and fans alike, catapulting them to new career heights.

Having performed from New York to Los Angeles, sharing the stage with notable acts such as Leon Russell and Silvertide, the band built a solid following with their fusion of psychedelic rock-blues and hypnotic live performances. Their fans have become as infamous as the band with their wild behavior, and are often referred to as the Memphis Mafia or Crawl Dogs.

Memphis Crawl proves that rock n roll is alive and well and can hold its own on any stage in the land!

Tour Dates:

9.2.11 - The Velvet Lounge                    East Setauket, NY

9.15.11 - Trash Bar                                Williamsburg, NY

9.17.11 - The Brickhouse Brewery           Patchogue, NY

For more on Memphis Crawl, please visit: www.memphiscrawl.com

Dark Star Orchestra 2011 Summer/Fall Tour News

Dark Star Orchestra is currently on-tour. They'll be in Colorado in just another week, before heading up to the true Great Northwest.. in Alakska!  Check out a full list of tour dates below as well as updates to their current summer tour.

As the wheel of the year begins the slow downward turn into winter, it's time to think of the long nights and frosty stars. Where will we be when the snow starts to fall? On our Fly Through the Night tour, flying above the city lights of the East Coast, strung together like clusters of diamonds on the black planet below. Finding comfort in some of our usual haunts in DC and Virginia as well as touching down in some new venues in New England, we'll sing a little while for you, and then fly on. If you're in our fan club, tickets are already available; the general public can get tickets starting on August 5th. Visit our tour page for details.

Sometimes we visit your country

Wondering where we'll be carried away in March of 2012? To that great city of blended cultures and sidewalk cafes, clean canals and bicycles, Van Gogh and anything goes, the Venice of the North. It's Amsterdam, and we're thrilled to be playing for All Good and Vision International's 6th Jam in the Dam. Come see the silent seeds all burst into bloom and decay. Wait - don't visit our tour page for this one - go straight to the Jam in the Dam site, and check it out!

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DATE VENUE CITY DSO TICKETS
Hearts of Summer Tour
08/11 Santa Fe Brewing Company Santa Fe, NM TICKETS
08/12 Mishawaka Amphitheatre Bellvue, CO TICKETS
08/13 Mishawaka Amphitheatre Bellvue, CO TICKETS
08/14 State Bridge Lodge Bond, CO TICKETS
08/16 Quixotes *Terrapin Nation* Denver, CO TICKETS
08/18 Bear Tooth Theater Anchorage, AK TICKETS
08/19 49th St Brewing Company Healy, AK TICKETS
08/20 Blue Loon Fairbanks, AK TICKETS
09/10 Werk-Out Festival Bellefontaine, OH TICKETS
Last Rose of Summer Tour
09/22 House of Blues San Diego, CA TICKETS
09/23 El Rey Theatre Los Angeles, CA TICKETS
09/25 Majestic Ventura Theater Ventura, CA TICKETS
09/27 Yost Theater Santa Ana, CA TICKETS
09/29 River Theater Guerneville, CA TICKETS
10/01 Regency Ballroom San Francisco, CA TICKETS
10/02 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival San Francisco, CA
10/04 Montbleu Resort and Casino Lake Tahoe, NV
10/06 The Depot Salt Lake City, UT TICKETS
10/07 TBA TBA
10/08 Fillmore Auditorium Denver, CO
10/09 Pikes Peak Center Colorado Springs, CO TICKETS
10/11 Cain's Ballroom Tulsa, OK TICKETS
10/13 House of Blues Dallas, TX
10/14 Moody Theater Austin, TX
10/15 House of Blues Houston, TX
Fly Through The Night Fall Tour
11/17 Wilbur Theatre Boston, MA
11/18 Calvin Theatre Northampton, MA
11/19 State Theatre Ithaca, NY TICKETS
11/21 Harro East Ballroom Rochester, NY TICKETS
11/22 State Theater New Brunswick, NJ TICKETS
11/23 Penn's Peak Jim Thorpe, PA TICKETS
11/25 Best Buy Theater New York, NY
11/26 Best Buy Theater New York, NY
11/27 Bearsville Theater (Acoustic Show) Woodstock, NY
11/29 State Theatre State College, PA TICKETS
11/30 Carnegie Music Hall Pittsburgh, PA TICKETS
12/01 Jefferson Theater Charlottesville, VA
12/02 930 Club Washington DC TICKETS
12/03 930 Club Washington DC TICKETS
12/05 Capitol Center Chubb Theatre Concord, NH TICKETS
12/07 Lupos Providence RI
12/08 Klein Auditorium Bridgeport, CT
12/09 Palace Theatre Albany, NY
12/10 State Theatre Portland, ME TICKETS
Jam in the Dam VI
03/14 Jam in the Dam VI Amsterdam, NL TICKETS
03/15 Jam in the Dam VI Amsterdam, NL TICKETS
03/16 Jam in the Dam VI Amsterdam, NL TICKETS


Los Lonely Boys continue carving out their legend with 4th studio album

After proving themselves one of the most stunning and wonderful musical success stories of the last decade, Los Lonely Boys continue to carve out their legend with their fourth studio album, their first self-produced LP on their own LonelyTone/Playing In Traffic Records, Rockpango.
Supporting this newest release, Los Lonely Boys hit the road to share the utterly unique combination of blues, rock, soul, their Latino heritage and snippets of hip-hop found on Rockpango. For a preview of what to expect, check out the undeniably fun animated video for "16 Monkeys."
Since debuting in 2003 with a multi-chart gold single, selling millions of albums, winning a Grammy, racking up reams of critical praise, opening for the Rolling Stones and playing and recording with such legends as Willie Nelson and Carlos Santana, Rockpango further enforces All Music Guide's assertion that Los Lonely Boys are "one of America's premier rock bands."
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Los Lonely Boys Tour Dates
July 15 - Winstar Casino - Thakerville, OK *
July 16 - Fritz City Park Festival - Hutto, TX    
July 19 - George Lopez Show   
July 21 - Mill Bay Casino - Manson, WA *
July 22 - Emerald Queen Casino - Tacoma, WA *
July 23 - Yakama Nation Legends Casino - Toppenish, WA *
July 24 - Oregon Zoo Amphitheater - Portland, OR *
July 26 - Mountain Winery - Saratoga, CA *
July 27 - John Ascuaga's Nugget - Sparks, NV *
July 28 - Chukchansi Gold Resort Casino - Coarsegold, CA *
July 29 - Greek Theatre - Los Angeles, CA *
July 30 - Fantasy Springs Casino - Indio, CA *
July 31 - Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay - San Diego, CA *
Aug 2 - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Albuquerque, NM *
Aug 4 - Colorado River State Park - Fruita, CO *
Aug 5 - Arvada Center Amphitheater - Arvada, CO *
Aug 6 - Chautauqua Auditorium - Boulder, CO *
Aug 9 - Music In The Zoo - Apple Valley/Minneapolis, MN *
Aug 10 - Ravinia Pavillion - Highland Park/Chicago, IL *
Aug 11 - Frederik Meijer Gardens - Grand Rapids, MI    
Aug 12 - Meadow Brook Music Festival - Rochester Hills, MI    
Aug 13 - Dutch Mason Blues Festival - Truro, NS    
Aug 17 - Blues on the Green - Austin, TX
KGSR event
Aug 19 - Trails West 2011 - St Joseph, MO    
Aug 20 - Freeport Music & Art - Freeport, IL    
Aug 27 - Texas Music Theatre - San Marcos, TX
benefit for LULAC
Aug 28 - Eddy County Sheriff's Posse Arena - Carlsbad, NM    
Sept 2 - Crockett Civic Center - Crockett, TX    
Sept 3 - Summertime Blues Festival - Freeport, TX    
Sept 9 - House of Blues - New Orleans, LA    
Sept 10 - Library Theatre - Hoover, AL
acoustic - 2 shows
Sept 11 - Variety Playhouse - Atlanta, GA    
Sept 13 - The Orange Peel - Asheville, NC    
Sept 14 - The Bijou Theatre - Knoxville, TN    
Sept 15 - Live on the Green - Nashville, TN
WRLT event
Sept 16 - The Arts Center - Carrboro, NC    
Sept 18 - Ziggy's - Winston Salem, NC    
Sept 24 - Foster Communication Center - San Angelo, TX
w/ Los Lobos *