Young blues sensation Christone "Kingfish" Ingram has announced plans for his first-ever headlining tour this fall and winter. "Fish Grease: A Juke Joint Tour" will start in early August 2019 and run through the end of November with North American performances stretching from New York to San Francisco and from Texas to Canada. His debut CD, Kingfish, was released on Alligator Records on May 17, 2019.

With the first dates of the tour fast approaching, Ingram can't wait to get started. "I&rsq uo;m excited to continue to hit the road this year performing songs from my debut album. I’ve been fortunate to play live dates since I was young, but the opportunity to headline my first tour in some fantastic venues across the country is a dream come true.”

From mid-August through early September, Kingfish will open a series of 13 shows for Grammy Award-winning indie rock sensations, Vampire Weekend.

Additionally, World Cafe, the NPR program heard on more than 200 stations nationwide, will feature Kingfish with an in-depth interview and recent live performance recordings. The show will begin airing on July 25, 2019. After broadcast, the segment will be archived for on-demand streaming at WorldCafe.NPR.org.

Since the release of Kingfish, Ingram has been featured in newspapers, magazines, and on radio and television. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard "Blues" and "Heatseekers" charts and continues to receive regular airplay on radio stations across the country. Fans are lining up after each performance to meet him, and critics are equally ecstatic.

Sprung from the same earth as so many of the Delta blues masters, Kingfish, now just 20 years old, comes bursting out of Clarksdale, Mississippi, just ten miles from the legendary crossroads of Highways 61 and 49. Born to a musical family, Ingram fell in love with music as a small child, first playing drums and then bass. At age 11, he got his first guitar and quickly mastered it, soaking up music from Robert Johnson to Lightnin’ Hopkins, from B.B. King to Muddy Waters, from Jimi Hendrix to Prince, but all the while he kept developing his own sound and style. He played his first gig at age of 11 at Clarksdale’s famous Ground Zero Club. He performed at the White House for Michelle Obama in 2014 as part of a delegation of student musicians from the Delta Blues Museum. By age 16 he was turning heads and winning awards, including the 2015 Rising Star Award, presented by The Rhythm & Blues Foundation. With the release of Kingfish, Ingram hit the ro ad, performing a series of dates with Buddy Guy and appearing at festivals and clubs around the country. He is now set to headline his own months-long tour.

With his eye-popping guitar playing and his reach-out-and-grab-you-by-the-collar vocals, Kingfish delivers each song with unmatched passion and precision. Steeped in the rich, vivid history of the blues, he’s driven by his burning desire to create contemporary blues music that speaks to his generation and beyond. Kingfish is inspired by the music of Robert Johnson, but dreams of one day collaborating with Kendrick Lamar and soul-funk bassist Thundercat. “My core is blues,” he says, “but it’s important for me to create a sound and style that is uniquely my own. I have a lot to say, so please stay tuned.”

FISH GREASE: A JUKE JOINT TOUR

Aug 03 - Mammoth Lakes, CA, Mammoth Festival of Beers and Bluesapalooza
Aug 09- Chattanooga, TN, Songbirds South Stage
Aug 10- Jackson, MS, Bright Lights Belhaven Nights
Aug 31- Charlottesville, VA, The Southern
Sept 01 – Stanhope, NJ, The Stanhope House
Sept 05 - New York, NY, The Cutting Room
Sept 06 – Medford, MA, The Porch
Sept 07 – Burlington, VT, Nectar's
Sept 13 - Los Angeles, CA, El Rey Theatre
Sept 19 – Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada, Uxbridge Music Hall
Sept 20 - Cleveland Heights, OH, Grog Shop
Sept 21 – Pittsburgh, PA, Pittsburgh Blues Festival
Sept 22 – Baltimore, MD, The 8x10
Sept 26 – Sacramento, CA, The Sofia
Sept 27 - San Francisco, CA, Great American Music Hall
Sept 28 – Monterey, CA, Monterey Jazz Festival

Oct 02 – Knoxville, TN, Jackson Terminal
Oct 04 – Memphis, TN, Growlers
Oct 05 – Marks, MS, Mules & Blues Fest
Oct 06 – Birmingham, AL, Vulcan Park
Oct 10 – Vancouver, BC, Canada, Fox Cabaret
Oct 11 - Seattle, WA, Barboza
Oct 12 – Bellingham, WA, Wild Buffalo
Oct 13 – Portland, OR, Star Theater
Oct 15 – Boise, ID, Neurolux
Oct 17 – Boulder, CO, eTown Hall
Oct 18 - Fort Collins, CO, The Armory
Oct 19 - Denver, CO, Marquis Theater
Oct 20 - Santa Fe, NM, Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery
Oct 22 – Phoenix, AZ , The Rhythm Room
Oct 26 - San Diego, CA, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise #33
Oct 27 - San Diego, CA, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise #33
Oct 28 - San Diego, CA, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise #33
Oct 29 - San Diego, CA, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise #33
Oct 30 - San Diego, CA, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise #33
Oct 31 - San Diego, CA, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise #33

Nov 01 - San Diego, CA, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise #33
Nov 02 - San Diego, CA, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise #33
Nov 07 – Monroe, LA, Hub Monroe
Nov 08 - Little Rock, AR, Stickyz Rock 'N' Roll Chicken Shack
Nov 09 – Tulsa, OK, The Vanguard
Nov 10 - Oklahoma City, OK, 89th Street Collective
Nov 12 - San Antonio, TX, Sam's Burger Joint
Nov 13 – Dallas, TX, Gas Monkey Bar N' Grill
Nov 14 – Austin, TX, Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater
Nov 15 – Houston, TX, Continental Club
Nov 16 - New Orleans, LA, The Parish at House of Blues
Nov 22 – Reading, PA, Reading Blues Fest

DATES WITH VAMPIRE WEEKEND:
Aug 16 - Oklahoma City, OK, The Criterion
Aug 17 - Houston, TX, White Oak Music Hall
Aug 18 - Irving, TX, Toyota Music Factory - Texas Lottery Plaza
Aug 20 - Austin, TX, ACL Live at The Moody Theater
Aug 21 - Austin, TX, ACL Live at The Moody Theater
Aug 24 - Miami, FL, James L. Knight Center
Aug 25 - St. Augustine, FL, St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Aug 27 - Atlanta, GA, Fox Theatre
Aug 29 - Columbia, MD, Merriweather Post Pavilion
Aug 30 - Norfolk, VA, Constant Convocation Center
Sep 03 - Boston, MA, Agganis Arena
Sep 04 - Philadelphia, PA, Mann Center for the Performing Arts, 
Sep 08 - Montreal, QC, Canada, MTELUS

Alligator Records is pleased to announce the September 25, 2020 release of 100 Years Of Blues, the first-ever album by Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame guitarist Elvin Bishop and Grammy-winning harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite. 100 Years Of Blues is front-porch, down-home music with Bishop and Musselwhite trading licks and vocals on 12 rootsy, spirited songs, mixing nine originals with three reimagined classics.

The two history-making musicians – both Blues Hall Of Famers – are blues legends with over 100 years of professional musicianship between them. They are among the most famous bluesmen in the world. Although they’ve known each other since the early 1960s and recorded as guests with John Lee Hooker (and other friends), this is the first time that they ever teamed up to make a full record. According to Musselwhite, "This is us sitting down to play the music that we love and resonating together effortlessly because we’re 'coming from the same place'...on many levels."

The idea for the album was sparked in 2017 when the two icons laid down the original version of the song 100 Years Of Blues for Bishop’s Big Fun Trio album. They realized that, with their soul-deep understanding of the blues, they had a special musical chemistry between them. In 2019, Bishop and Musselwhite played a series of stripped-down shows – along with their mutual friend, master pianist/guitarist Bob Welsh – swapping songs and telling stories. The audiences went wild, and Elvin and Charlie had so much fun they knew they had to capture the magic in the studio.

100 Years Of Blues is blues at its deepest, warmest and most engaging. “It all fell together so quickly and easily,” says Bishop. “We each brought about half the songs and recorded them all in one or two takes.” As for his cohorts, Bishop says, “Charlie is the real deal. He didn’t learn his licks off of records; he lived them. He’s always himself. And Bob Welsh is so versatile on guitar and piano. When you play with people who are real good, it ups your game too. I just did the best job I could.” Of Bishop, Musselwhite says, “Elvin is always a joy to play music with. We see things pretty much the same. Musically it’s like fallin’ off a log. It’s so easy and it just makes sense.” 

The album was recorded at Kid Andersen’s Greaseland Studios and Bishop’s Hog Heaven Studios in northern California. It was produced by Andersen and co-produced by Bishop, Musselwhite and Welsh. The laid-back, spontaneous nature of 100 Years Of Blues highlights the heartfelt passion of each performance. The richly detailed, autobiographical title track (freshly recorded for this album) tells Elvin’s and Charlie’s tales with sly good humor, recalling specific times and locations in their amazingly colorful lives. The potent What The Hell? finds Bishop taking on current events, winking an eye while speaking truth to power. Throughout the album, the interplay of guitar, vocals, harmonica and piano is virtually telepathic.

Both Bishop and Musselwhite got their start in the early 1960s on Chicago’s blues-rich South Side. Bishop, from Oklahoma, befriended and was taught by guitarist Little Smokey Smothers. Musselwhite, from Memphis, was mentored by his pals Delta bluesman Big Joe Williams and harmonica master Big Walter Horton. Although they were young, white newcomers, Bishop and Musselwhite were accepted by the Black blues fans and by the established musicians because they were, like the bluesmen themselves, “from down home", and also because they played the blues with real feeling. As Musselwhite explains, “It was great the way Elvin and I were not only welcomed but also encouraged by the blues giants of the day. When I first got to Chicago I was content just to hang out and socialize and listen to the great blues, but when Muddy Waters found out I played harmonica, he insisted that I sit in. That changed everything, because other musicians heard me and started offering me gigs. Boy, did that get me focused. I might not’ve ever had a career in music if men like Muddy hadn’t been so welcoming and encouraging.” Young Elvin was also welcomed onto South Side bandstands, gigging with Hound Dog Taylor, Junior Wells and J.T. Brown.

Both men went on to win fame by introducing blues music to the rock and roll audience – Bishop with The Paul Butterfield Blues Band and his own genre-bending Elvin Bishop Group, and Musselwhite with his wide-ranging and influential recordings as leader of his own band. Both performed with and made friends with countless blues giants. They immersed themselves in the blues tradition before blazing their own trails, beginning with their initial recordings. As Bishop and Musselwhite began adventurously expanding the boundaries of the genre, the new audience eagerly went along for the ride. Although they had only occasionally crossed paths in Chicago, by the late 1960s -- after Musselwhite and then Bishop relocated to California -- they began regularly running into each other and became occasional fishing buddies. In the 1980s, they toured Hawaii together. In 2002, they headlined a national tour of performing arts centers, further cementing their friendship.

Since then, Bishop and Musselwhite have continued touring with their own bands and creating critically acclaimed, award-winning music. Their stories – rich as they already are – are still being written, and this album is a new chapter. Their subtle, soulful musicianship and relaxed, conversational vocals fuel every song. Infused with their deep understanding of the blues tradition mixed with the good-time spirit these two old pals stir up, 100 Years Of Blues is one of the finest, most memorable recordings of either artist’s career.

On Monday, January 18, groundbreaking young blues visionary Selwyn Birchwood debuts his new video for the song Freaks Come Out At Night. The original track is featured on his highly-anticipated third Alligator album, Living In A Burning House, set for release on Friday, January 29, 2021.

Of the song, the rising singer, songwriter, guitar and lap steel player says, "Freaks Come Out At Night was written for, about, and filmed on-site at the last “real” Jook Joint in Florida: Bradfordville Blues Club. This song and music video capture the magic that happens at every show we play there. The song projects the rawness of the music, the sweatiness of the dance floor, the heat of the bonfire, and the greasiness of the fried catfish! The freaks definitely come out at night! And I wouldn’t have it any other way!"

Birchwood calls his original music “electric swamp funkin’ blues,” defined by raw and soulful musicianship played with fire-and-brimstone fervor. His gritty, unvarnished vocals draw his audience deep inside his unforgettable tales of love, passion, pain and pleasure. The Wall Street Journal says Birchwood is "a skilled, energetic and original artist...his songwriting is observant, clever and pointed. His voice is smooth; his singing on target. His guitar fluency generates new licks and rhythmic surprises. Expectations have been high for Mr. Birchwood—and he lives up to them."

No other band on the current blues scene is built quite like Birchwood’s. In addition to Selwyn’s electrifying guitar and lap steel playing, the other featured instrument is Regi Oliver’s driving baritone sax. The group is rounded out by bass, drums and, for the first time, keyboards.

Wanting to capture the power of the now larger band, Birchwood wrote and arranged 13 new songs, and brought in famed Grammy Award-winning musician Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Susan Tedeschi) to produce. From the rocking opener I’d Climb Mountains to the sweet soul of She’s A Dime and One More Time to the hair-raising Revelation, Living In A Burning House features some of the most vividly striking writing on today’s blues scene. Birchwood’s voice and vision are clear, his sound is edgy and compelling, and his stories are memorable and lasting.

“I write and sing what I know,” says Birchwood, whose musical innovations are as expansive as his influences are deep. “They say everything is better when it’s made with love,” says Birchwood. “That’s how we play our music and that’s how we made Living In A Burning House. I want my audience to say, ‘I know exactly what that feels like,’ when a song hits them. Because that’s when it stops just being music and starts being medicine. After all, we are all stricken with the condition of being human.”

World-renowned blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Chris Cain will release his Alligator Records debut album, Raisin' Cain, on Friday, April 9, 2021. The album features 12 originals, each showcasing Cain's fiery musicianship and deft, memorable songwriting skills. According to Cain, who recently received two Blues Music Award nominations (for Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year and Best Guitarist), "These are the best pack of tunes I've ever written."

Of Raisin’ Cain, Chris Cain says, “My songs are funky and danceable and my writing is now less personal diary than in the past. I want my songs to tell universal stories.” From the rocking opener Hush Money to the instantly relatable Too Many Problems to the late-night jazzy blues of I Don’t Know Exactly What’s Wrong With My Baby, the universal appeal of Cain's music is abundantly clear. His songs deliver uncommon, surprising hooks and riffs coming in rapid-fire succession. On four songs, Cain shows off his stellar keyboard skills, and on the far-out instrumental Space Force, he proves himself a funky and jazzy ARP Soloist player. Along with Cain is his road-tested band -- of bassist Steve Evans and keyboardist/organist Greg Rahn, with Chris’ touring drummer Sky Garcia and veteran D’Mar Martin (Little Richard, Rick Estrin & The Nightcats) sharing the skins. The album was produced and recorded by Kid Andersen (Rick Estrin & The Nightcats) at Andersen's Greaseland Studio in San Jose, California.

With more than three decades of worldwide touring and 14 acclaimed previous albums, Cain has earned his reputation as both a fan favorite and a musician’s musician. Since his first release in 1987, he has created his very own blues sound inspired by his heroes – B.B. King, Albert King, Ray Charles, Albert Collins, Grant Green and Wes Montgomery. His jazz-informed blues guitar playing is fiery, emotional and always unpredictable. His vocals – gruff, lived-in and powerful – add fuel to the fire. His indelible original songs keep one foot in the blues tradition and both eyes on the future. The pure joy Cain brings to his playing and singing is palpable, and draws fans even closer in.

Both the media and his fellow musicians rave about Cain. Guitar Player said, “Cain is an impressive, top-notch guitarist. His full-bodied tone and big voice pack a punch that had me reeling.” Guitar icon Robben Ford said, “Chris Cain is for real. He’s a great blues player with an intensity that keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering what he’s going to do next. Plus he knows how to write a song you haven’t heard before, full of humor and insight. If you like the blues, you’ll like Chris Cain. I am a stone fan."

Cain formed his first band in 1986 in his hometown of San Jose, California, and released his first album in 1987, Late Night City Blues, on the locally-based Blue Rock’It label. Almost immediately, booking agents came calling. Incredibly, he was touring Europe even before he started barnstorming the U.S. The album received four W.C Handy Award nominations (now the Blues Music Awards) and the offers to perform kept rolling in. He even opened for his heroes Albert King and Albert Collins, who both asked Chris to jam on stage. The more Cain toured and recorded, the greater his reputation grew. His releases include four albums on Blue Rock’It and three on Blind Pig Records, and his live performances number in the thousands.

Cain has toured all over North America and made repeated trips around the world. He’s performed at the Chicago Blues Festival, The Doheny Blues Festival, The Philadelphia Blues Festival, The Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland, and many others. He’s played concerts and festivals in Argentina, Uruguay, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Brazil, Belarus, Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Russia and Ukraine.

With Raisin’ Cain, Chris Cain says he is at a new point in his career. “I’m playing and writing better than ever before. I can say more with less,” he says, referring to his dynamic guitar playing and superb songwriting. “I’m as much a fan as a musician,” Cain says. “And I’m as excited to be making music today as I was when I was a teenager. More than ever before, I just play what I feel.”

Award-winning Texas guitar slinger, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Carolyn Wonderland will release her Alligator Records debut album, Tempting Fate, on Friday, October 8. The album, produced by famed master roots musician Dave Alvin, is the next chapter in Wonderland’s remarkable career, one that is already overflowing with countless, colorful, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. She spent the last three years as lead guitarist in blues legend John Mayall’s Blues Breakers, and has now joined the Alligator Records family as the first female guitar hero in the label’s storied 50-year history. But that's not all. Her spine-chilling, soul-deep singing matches her guitar prowess note for note. And she has a knack for writing songs that sound like instant classics.

Wonderland has been performing professionally since the age of 15. Her music is a bold mix of timeless original songs and reinventions of some of her favorites, ranging from blistering electric blues to deep, heartfelt ballads to cosmic country to soulful Tex-Mex. Every song is fueled by Wonderland’s forceful yet melodic Texas-flavored guitar work and her full-throated, heart-on-her-sleeve vocals.

Tempting Fate is Wonderland's 11th album, and it finds her delivering ten riveting songs, including five fiery originals and one co-write. Her vocals range from raw and fierce to subtle and gentle. Her guitar work, on both six-string and lap steel, is often explosive and always melodic. According to Dave Alvin, "Carolyn is unique, strong, soulful and sincere. She can pick and belt out the blues with the best of them, but her powerful, melodic vocals and six-string stylings are truly her own. Traditional yet innovative, tough yet tender, Carolyn always sounds like no one else but herself."

On every song—from the searing, guitar-heavy Broken Hearted Blues to the tender and poignant Crack In The Wall to the very Texan love song for her boot collection, Texas Girl And Her Boots, to the politically-charged Fragile Peace And Certain War to the take-no-prisoners version of the Grateful Dead’s Loser—Wonderland throws herself completely into the music. Her shining duet with Texas singing/songwriting legend Jimmie Dale Gilmore on Bob Dylan’s It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry redefines the song. Her explosive guitar work and commanding vocals on John Mayall’s The Laws Must Change makes his song hers.

In addition to her longtime road band—bassist Bobby Perkins and drummer Kevin Lance—who anchor every song, guests on Tempting Fate include Jimmie Dale Gilmore on vocals, Cindy Cashdollar on lap steel guitar, Marcia Ball on piano, Shelley King on background vocals, Jan Flemming on accordion and Red Young on organ and piano, with producer Dave Alvin playing guitar on three songs. “The joy was palpable, getting to play with my friends and heroes at Stuart Sullivan’s studio, and Stuart captured that joy in the recording. You can hear the smile on my face and tear in my eye on every track. And everyone sat up straight for Dave Alvin, who had great ideas as our producer.”

Wonderland has been a road warrior for over 20 years. She’s played all over the U.S. and in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Panama, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Canary Islands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Japan. In 2018, venerated musician and bandleader John Mayall chose Wonderland to be lead guitarist in his band, The Blues Breakers. She became the first woman ever to hold that position. (The all-star list of Mayall’s legendary guitarists includes Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor, Peter Green, Coco Montoya and Walter Trout.) She toured the world with Mayall, once playing 50 shows in 60 days in 19 countries. She recently left the band to tour in celebration of her new Alligator album.

Carolyn Wonderland was born in Houston, Texas and grew up in a house full of music and instruments. She first started playing guitar at age six. After she scratched up her mother’s vintage Martin guitar by imitating Pete Townsend’s famous windmill move, she was forbidden from using a pick. Because of that, she developed her aggressive, distinctive finger-picking guitar attack. Her early influences include her mom, Houston guitar legends Albert Collins, Jerry Lightfoot, Little Screamin' Kenny and Joe “Guitar” Hughes, as well as blues and soul vocalist Lavelle White. Singing came naturally, as did learning to play just about every instrument she got her hands on. She plays trumpet, accordion, lap steel, piano, and mandolin.
 
With four albums already under her belt, Wonderland moved to Austin, Texas in 1999, where she quickly earned a large and loyal following, creating plenty of press buzz and radio attention. Then one day in 2003, legendary musician Ray Benson (of Asleep At The Wheel) was having lunch with his friend Bob Dylan, who had heard Wonderland’s music. Dylan asked Benson, “Hey, have you heard Carolyn Wonderland? She’s something else.” Dylan wanted to meet Wonderland, so Benson got her number from a mutual friend and called her in Houston, telling Wonderland to get to Austin immediately to meet with Dylan. She drove the 165 miles at record speed to spend some time with him. They’ve crossed paths since, sometimes jamming, sometimes just talking about music (“He’s a true musicologist,” she says of Bob). “Sometimes he’ll just call,” Wonderland says.“It's always a pleasant surprise to me when he does, so I’ll likely never change my number.”
 
Benson went on to produce Wonderland’s next four albums, all critically acclaimed fan favorites. According to Benson, “Carolyn’s got that unbelievable, incredible voice, one of the great voices of our times. She’s got the range, the emotion. She’s also an incredible guitar player and a great person. The combination is disarming and totally real. That’s magic.”
 
The Boston Herald describes Carolyn as “a dollop of Janis Joplin, a slice of Stevie Ray Vaughan, and a big load of soulful individuality. That’s Wonderland, a seething-hot Texas singer-guitarist. And she can write, too.” Now, with Tempting Fate and a major tour in the works, Carolyn Wonderland is excited to get back out on the road and reconnect with her fans and friends. “We will play dang near anywhere that’ll have us,” she says. Of her chosen profession, the effervescent Wonderland told NPR Music’s Mountain Stage, “I wouldn’t recommend it for the faint of heart, but it sure is a good time.”

Groundbreaking young blues visionary Selwyn Birchwood today announced the premiere of his attention-grabbing new video for his original song, Searching For My Tribe. The passionate, thought-provoking track appears on Birchwood's recently released third Alligator album, Living In A Burning House. Living Blues declared, "With Living in a Burning House, the guitarist may have made his most fully realized artistic statement to date."

According to Birchwood, Searching For My Tribe is about his personal journey for self-actualization. "I had always been a loner from a very young age. At 19 years old, I discovered an entire world of blues music that felt like 'home'. I knew then where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do. Just when I thought I had found my place in the sun, it appears as though all of the people and sounds that brought me in have been replaced with other trends. This music video allows me to tell that story, visually, from a different perspective as it  showcases the state of the 'art' in the environment we see today."

Birchwood calls his original music “electric swamp funkin’ blues,” defined by raw and soulful musicianship played with fire-and-brimstone fervor. His gritty, unvarnished vocals draw his audience deep inside his unforgettable tales of love, passion, pain and pleasure. No other band on the current blues scene is built quite like Birchwood’s. In addition to Selwyn’s electrifying guitar and lap steel playing, the other featured instrument is Regi Oliver’s driving baritone sax. The group is rounded out by bass, drums and keyboards.
 
Since the 2014 release of his Alligator Records debut, Don’t Call No Ambulance, Birchwood’s meteoric rise from playing small Florida clubs to headlining international festival stages is nothing short of phenomenal. The album received the Blues Music Award and Living Blues Critics’ Award for Best Debut Album Of 2014, and he won the 2015 Blues Blast Rising Star Award. Rave reviews ran in publications from Rolling Stone to The Wall Street Journal, from The Chicago Tribune to The San Francisco Chronicle.He followed in 2016 with Pick Your Poison. DownBeat said, “There’s a deep-seated power about Birchwood’s singing and six string/lap steel guitar work...and there’s an unmistakable emotion and honesty linking him to forebearers like Muddy Waters.”

On Friday, January 21, 2022, world-renowned guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Tinsley Ellis will release his new Alligator album, the propulsive, soul-searching, raw and cathartic Devil May Care. The album, Ellis' 20th, will be available on CD and on red vinyl LP, as well as on all major streaming and download services. That same day, Ellis will kick off his coast-to-coast North American tour from his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.

Devil May Care features ten of Ellis’ most dynamic original compositions, mixing muscular rock ‘n’ roll and hard blues into his own instantly recognizable sound. The emotionally-charged guitar solos soar in full service to the songs, as if Ellis is living and breathing the sound rather than simply playing the notes. “The goal,” says Ellis, “was to make the guitar sing.”

Relix says Ellis' music contains "powerful spine-tingling guitar and gritty, soulful vocals …an inspired and passionate fusion of blues and Southern rock." Guitar World declares, "Ellis’ playing sparkles with depth and subtlety. Whether playing deep, slow blues or uptempo rockers, Ellis rides a gorgeously fat, pure tone."

While the worldwide pandemic and subsequent shutdown profoundly affected every musician (and every person), Ellis used his time off the road to write over 200 new songs. In March 2020, Ellis was forced to cancel the tour promoting his previous release, Ice Cream In Hell, only six weeks into the 60-date run. He almost immediately began composing on amps and guitars that he hadn’t used for decades. He explored obscure studio and live recordings from some of his greatest musical heroes, such as the Allman Brothers, Freddie King, Michael Bloomfield, B.B. King and beyond, and was inspired by his favorite artists all over again. Somehow, in the most unlikely of times, Tinsley Ellis committed to growing his already formidable talent.

As early as April 2020, he began regularly releasing his new material online, keeping his fans engaged and soaking up their comments and responses. He knew, thanks to the reactions of his fans to his new songs, that he needed to make a record and get back on the road as soon as possible. Ellis whittled the 200-song list down to ten, enlisted his friend and co-producer, keyboard master Kevin McKendree, and headed for Franklin, Tennessee’s famous Rock House recording studio. The result is Devil May Care, a record Ellis says, "is for the fans as much as for me.”

Tinsley Ellis has been immersed in music his whole life. Born in Atlanta 1957 and raised in southern Florida, he acquired his first guitar at age seven, inspired by seeing The Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show. He took to guitar instantly, developing and sharpening his skills as he grew up. Like many kids his age, Ellis discovered the blues through the back door of British Invasion bands like The Yardbirds, The Animals, Cream and The Rolling Stones as well as Southern rockers like the Allman Brothers. One night in 1972, he and a friend were listening to Al Kooper and Michael Bloomfield’s Super Session record when his friend’s older brother told them that, if they liked Super Session, they should go see B.B. King, who was in town that week. Tinsley saw that show from the very front row. As fate would have it, King broke a guitar string while playing, and after changing it without missing a beat, he handed the broken string to young Tinsley. And yes, he still has that string.

Today, Ellis is among the world’s most celebrated blues-rock performers, and one of the genre’s most original and prolific songwriters. Blues Music Magazine says he plays “perfect, and perfectly Southern, blues-rock.” Vintage Guitar says, “He delivers blistering blues-rock, soul romps, minor-key blues and shuffles—and it all sounds great.” Ellis has toured the world non-stop for 35 years. He has captivated and amazed fans in all 50 United States, as well as in Canada, all across Europe, Australia and South America. He’s earned a massive, fervent fan base that can never seem to get enough of Ellis and his music. Fueled by his blazing, every-note-matters guitar work and his gruff, spirited vocals, Ellis delivers one imaginative and memorable song after another. Now, with Devil May Care and a new tour booked, Ellis is more than ready to make up for lost time.

According to Allmusic.com, “Ellis’ playing underscores the emotional depth in the lyrics. His meaty solos dig deep.” With Devil May Care, Ellis proves that true again, with ten jaw-dropping, career-topping performances. As he continues adding more dates to his already packed tour schedule, Ellis will bring his high-energy Southern blues-rock to fans all across the country. "It’s been a long 18 months,” he says, “and now folks are ready to have some fun.”

On Tuesday, November 23, The Recording Academy announced the nominees for the 2022 Grammy Awards. Three Alligator Records albums were recognized.

Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite's acclaimed 100 Years Of Blues received a nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album. Bishop has been nominated for three previous Grammy Awards. Musselwhite has been nominated 13 times, and won a Grammy Award in 2013.

Shemekia Copeland's groundbreaking release, Uncivil War, received a nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Copeland has received three previous Grammy Award nominations.

Christone "Kingfish" Ingram's sophomore release, 662, also received a nomination in the Best Contemporary Blues Album category. His debut, Kingfish, received a Grammy Award nomination in 2019.

The 64th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony will be held in Los Angeles on January 31, 2022.

Today, Monday, January 3, Tinsley Ellis -- recognized as one of the world’s most astounding and accomplished blues-rock guitarists and performers, and one of the genre’s most original and prolific songwriters -- announced dates for his 2022 Devil May Care tour in support of his new album of the same name. Devil May Care launches on Friday, January 21. That same day, the tour kicks off from Ellis' hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. See full dates below.

Also today, Ellis released One Less Reason, the first single and lead track on Devil May Care, to all major download and streaming services. The song received its world premiere on Sirius/XM's B.B.King's Bluesville in December, and has remained one of the station's most played tracks ever since. According to Ellis, "We wanted to open the album with a rollicking shuffle. It's been a rough two years, and everyone is ready to rock again. We are very excited to be hitting the road. It's been much too long."

Devil May Care, Ellis' 20th album, features ten of his most dynamic, original compositions, mixing muscular rock ‘n’ roll and hard blues into his own instantly recognizable sound. Created during the pandemic, Ellis wrote over 200 new songs, choosing his favorite ten for the album. The emotionally-charged guitar solos soar in full service to the songs, as if Ellis is living and breathing the sound rather than simply playing the notes. “The goal,” says Ellis, “was to make the guitar sing.”

Relix says Ellis' music contains "powerful spine-tingling guitar and gritty, soulful vocals …an inspired and passionate fusion of blues and Southern rock." Guitar World declares, "Ellis’ playing sparkles with depth and subtlety. Whether playing deep, slow blues or uptempo rockers, Ellis rides a gorgeously fat, pure tone." Blues Music Magazine says he plays “perfect, and perfectly Southern, blues-rock.” Vintage Guitar says, “He delivers blistering blues-rock, soul romps, minor-key blues and shuffles—and it all sounds great.”

Ellis toured the world non-stop for 35 years, until the pandemic hit. He captivated and amazed fans in all 50 United States, as well as in Canada, all across Europe, Australia and South America. He’s earned a massive, fervent fan base that can never seem to get enough of Ellis and his music. Fueled by his blazing, every-note-matters guitar work and his gruff, spirited vocals, Ellis delivers one imaginative and memorable song after another. Now, with Devil May Care and a new tou

2022 DEVIL MAY CARE TOUR
January 21 - City Winery (Two shows: 6:30pm and 9:30pm), Atlanta, GA
January 22 - Songbirds, Chattanooga, TN
January 27 - Ponte Vedra Concert Hall (with Tommy Castro & The Painkillers), Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
January 28 - The Alley (with Tommy Castro & The Painkillers), Sanford, FL
January 29 - February 5 - Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, Fort Lauderdale, FL
February 05 - Heidi's Jazz Club, Cocoa Beach, FL
February 06 - The Funky Biscuit, Boca Raton, FL
February 09 - Historic Masonic Theater, Clifton Forge, VA
February 10 - Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD
February 11- Sellersville Theater, Sellersville, PA
February 12 - Arden Gild Hall, Arden, DE
February 13 - The Loft at City Winery, New York, NY
February 15 - Gateway City Arts, Holyoke, MA
February 16 - Daryl's House, Pawling, NY
February 17 - The Center for Arts in Natick, Natick, MA
February 18 - Spire Center for Performing Arts, Plymouth, MA
February 19 - Caffe Lena , Saratoga Springs, NY
February 20 - Infinity Music Hall,  Norfolk, CT
March 02 - Lafayette’s, Memphis, TN
March 03 - 3rd and Lindsley, Nashville, TN
March 09 - Woodlands Tavern, Columbus, OH
March 10 - Music Box Supper Club, Cleveland, OH
March 11 - The Jazz Kitchen, Indianapolis, IN
March 12 - C2G Music Hall, Fort Wayne, IN
March 13 - SPACE, Evanston, IL
March 14 - Dakota,  Minneapolis, MN
March 16 - Swallow Hill Music - Daniels Hall, Denver, CO
March 17 - Egyptian Theatre, Park City, UT
March 18 - Egyptian Theatre, Park City, UT
March 19 - Egyptian Theatre, Park City, UT
March 21 - The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano, CA
March 22 - MIM Music Theater,  Phoenix, AZ
March 23 - 191 Toole, Tucson, AZ
March 24 - The Historic Lobo Theater,  Albuquerque, NM
March 25 - Belle Isle Restaurant & Brewery (with Marcia Ball), Oklahoma City, OK
April 08 - The Grey Eagle, Asheville, NC
April 09 - The Reeves Theater & Cafe, Elkin, NCr booked, Ellis is excited to reconnect with his fans and play his new songs live. "It’s been a long 18 months,” he says, “and now folks are ready to have some fun.”

On Friday, January 14, internationally beloved blues and roots rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Tommy Castro announced dates for his 2022 30th Anniversary Tour, celebrating his new album, the critically and popularly acclaimed Tommy Castro Presents A Bluesman Came To Town. 2022 marks Castro's 30th year as a bandleader as well as his 30-year association with bassist Randy McDonald. Castro is also celebrating the 10th anniversary of the formation of his current band, Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, with McDonald, drummer Bowen Brown and keyboardist Michael Emerson. See full list of tour dates below.

Live, the band will perform material from A Bluesman Came To Town, along with fan favorites from throughout Castro's long career. The new album is a roots music odyssey. Through its 13 songs, Castro tells the tale of a young man, working on his family farm, who gets bitten by the blues bug. He masters the guitar and heads out on the road seeking fame and fortune, only to find what he’s left behind is the treasure he’s been looking for. "A Bluesman Came To Town isn’t a story about me," says Castro. "It’s pulled from some of my friends’ and my experiences, though. I’ve seen first-hand for a lot of years what it’s like out there on the road.”

The road is where Castro has made his mark over the past three decades. Talking about his 30 years as a bandleader, Castro says, "When Randy and I started out playing blues joints and bars in San Francisco in the early 90s, we had no idea what kind of a ride we were in for. I’ve always been inspired by all the old blues guys and now I’m one of them. I look forward to the next 30 years!" McDonald adds, "We’ve lasted longer than all our marriages combined, and we’re still rockin' somewhere nearly every night.”

The two have performed over 6000 shows together, including three seasons as the house band for NBC's Comedy Showcase, two summer-long tours with B.B. King and Buddy Guy, 40 music cruises (including 33 consecutive sold-out Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruises), and many of the world's largest music festivals. They have shared stages with legends including John Lee Hooker, Carlos Santana, Bob Weir, Gregg Allman, Dr. John, Willie Nelson, Jeff Beck, Joe Bonamassa, Elvin Bishop, Charlie Musselwhite, Magic Dick of The J. Geils Band, Taj Mahal and Los Lobos.

Throughout his long, constantly evolving career, Castro has always remained true to himself while exploring, growing and creating new music, and he has taken his thousands of devoted fans right along with him. Ranging from horn-fueled R&B to piping hot blues to fiery, stripped-down rock ‘n’ roll, each of his 16 albums is solidly built on Castro’s unshakable musical foundation—a dynamic mix of 1960s-influenced guitar-fueled blues, testifying Memphis-soaked blue-eyed soul and Latin-tinged East San Jose funk, all driven by Castro’s grab-you-by-the-collar vocals and passionate guitar work. Blues Revue declared, “Tommy Castro can do no wrong.”

Castro joined Warner Brothers’ artists The Dynatones in the late 1980s, performing all over the country. While in the band, he met and befriended McDonald. With McDonald on bass, Castro formed the first Tommy Castro Band in 1992 and has not stopped touring since. In 1995, soon after releasing his first album on Blind Pig Records, The Tommy Castro Band was selected as the house band for three seasons on NBC Television’s Comedy Showcase (airing right after Saturday Night Live). The show brought him in front of millions of viewers every week and cemented his reputation as a not-to-be-missed, nationally touring live performer.
 
After a series of successful releases on the Blind Pig, Telarc and 33rd Street labels, Tommy Castro joined Alligator Records in 2009. His label debut, Hard Believer, was released to massive popular and critical acclaim. With the album, Castro won four of his six career Blues Music Awards, including the coveted B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year Award (the very highest award a blues performer can receive).

In 2012, Castro formed The Painkillers and released The Devil You Know. The album was embraced by his legion of fans and discovered by hordes of new ones. He released Method To My Madness in 2015, Stompin’ Ground in 2017, and the irresistible Killin’ It–Live in 2019, with critics shouting praise and admirers cheering the group’s every move. The band has coalesced into one of the telepathically tightest units Castro has ever assembled, delivering soul-shaking, muscular music that makes them one of the most in-demand live roots music acts performing today.

Castro’s relentless road-dog approach—gig after gig, night after night—has won him loyal, lifelong fans everywhere he plays. The Washington Post says Castro is “phenomenal and funky” with “soulful vocals and inspired blues guitar.” The San Francisco Chronicle describes Castro’s music as, “funky Southern soul, big city blues and classic rock...silvery guitar licks that simultaneously sound familiar and fresh.” No Depression says “Castro plays gritty, string-bending blues like a runaway train...a glorious blend that rocks the soul and lifts the spirits.”

TOMMY CASTRO 30th Anniversary Tour

MARCH 2022
04 - Colorado Springs, CO, Stargazers
05 - Vallejo, CA, Empress Theatre
11 -  Redwood City, CA, Club Fox
12 - Sacramento, CA, Crest Theater *
17 - Kent, OH, Kent Stage**
18 - Buffalo, NY, The Tralf **
19 - Syracuse, NY, Lost Horizon **
20 - Saratoga Springs, NY, Caffe Lena **
22 - Holyoke, MA, Gateway City Arts **
23 - Fairfield, CT, StageOne **
24 - Fall River, MA, Narrows Center **
25 - Natick, MA, Natick Center for the Arts **
26 - Portsmouth, NH, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club **
27 - Concord, NH, Capital Center for the Arts **
29 - Norfolk, CT, Infinity Hall **
30 - Philadelphia, PA, World Cafe Live**
31 - Bethlehem, PA, Steel Stacks **

APRIL 2022
01 - Annapolis, MD, Rams Head **
04 - Alexandria, VA, The Birchmere ***
05 - Richmond, VA, The Tin Pan **
07 - Cincinnati, OH, The Taft
08 -Bloomington, IL, The Stable
09 - Stoughton WI, Stoughton Opera House
10 - Minneapolis, MN, The Dakota
11 - Lincoln, NE, Zoo Bar
13 - Austin, TX, Antone's ****
14 - Dallas, TX, The Kessler ****
15 - Houston, TX, The Heights ****
16 - San Antonio, TX, Sam's Burger Joint ****
21 - Phoenix, AZ, Rhythm Room **
22 - Joshua Tree, CA, Pappy & Harriet's **
23 - San Juan Capistrano, CA,Coach House **

MAY 2022
13 -  Petaluma, CA, Mystic Theatre

*co-bill with Elvin Bishop for Badass Blues Package
**with Deanna Bogart as special guest
***co-bill with Walter Trout and Deanna Bogart performing as special guest
****co-bill with Marcia Ball

Mississippi-born, Memphis-raised, Grammy Award-winning music legend Charlie Musselwhite will release Mississippi Son, his new Alligator Records CD and LP, on Friday, June 3. Musselwhite is renowned worldwide as a master harmonica player, a seasoned, truth-telling vocalist and an original songwriter rooted deep within the blues tradition. As many of his fans know, he’s also a country blues guitarist of great depth, warmth and subtlety. On each of Mississippi Son’s 14 songs, including eight powerfully stark originals, Musselwhite’s straight-from-the-soul vocals and deep blues harmonica playing are the perfect foil to his deceptively simple, hypnotic guitar work, which he features on every track. Mississippi Son's first single, the autobiographical original Blues Gave Me A Ride, will be released on Friday, May 6.

Having recently moved back to Mississippi from northern California, Musselwhite recorded Mississippi Son in Clarksdale, right in the heart of the Delta. His honest, soulful vocals, like his every-note-matters harmonica playing and idiosyncratic guitar work, overflow with hard-earned authenticity and lasting emotional intensity. Musselwhite calls his blues, “secular spiritual music,” a sound he’s been perfecting since he, as a young teenager, played his first E7 chord on his Supertone acoustic guitar. Upon hearing and feeling the chord’s blue note, the future blues master thought, “I have to have more of that.”

Charlie Musselwhite doesn’t just sing and play the blues; he is, in every sense of the word, a bluesman. Growing up, he not only learned the music first-hand from many of the genre’s most influential artists, he also absorbed the lifestyle. “It’s an attitude,” Musselwhite says of playing the blues. “A way of living life.” Musselwhite's life story reads like a classic blues song: born in Mississippi, raised in Memphis and schooled on the South Side of Chicago. A groundbreaking recording artist since the 1960s, Musselwhite has never stopped creating trailblazing music while remaining firmly rooted in the blues.

Over the years, Charlie has released nearly 40 albums on a variety of labels, his exploratory recordings including straight blues but often mixing in elements of jazz, gospel, Tex-Mex, Cuban and other world musics. Four of those albums—1990’s Ace Of Harps, 1991’s Signature, 1994’s In My Time, and 2010’s The Well—were released on Alligator Records and remain among his best-selling titles.

In 2020, Musselwhite joined up with his friend Elvin Bishop and released the Grammy-nominated, Blues Music Award-winning 100 Years Of Blues on Alligator. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart. DownBeat named it the Best Blues Album Of The Year. It was named the #3 Best Blues Album of 2021 by UK tastemaker magazine MOJO, who declared, “These are exquisite harmonica-guitar duets like Muddy Waters and Little Walter, or Johnny Shines and Big Walter Horton…mature, masterly, endlessly rewarding.”

In addition to his own albums, Musselwhite has been featured on recordings by Tom Waits, Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, John Lee Hooker, Bonnie Raitt, The Blind Boys of Alabama, INXS, Cyndi Lauper, and many others. He was inducted into the Blues Foundation’s Blues Hall Of Fame in 2010, has been nominated for twelve Grammy Awards (winning one) and has won numerous Living Blues Awards and Blues Music Awards. The Chicago Tribune says his music is “imaginative and stunning…utterly convincing.”
 
Now, with Mississippi Son, Musselwhite has come full circle, returning home to Mississippi after decades in Memphis, Chicago, San Francisco and points in between. Amalgamating all he’s learned and absorbed throughout his years of worldwide touring, Musselwhite imparts sage wisdom in every song he writes, sings and performs. “Blues tells the truth in a world that’s full of lies,” he intones in Blues Gave Me A Ride, at once telling his own story and plainly summing up the genre’s timelessness. Through his evocative vocals, masterful harmonica playing, and note-perfect Southern country blues guitar, Charlie Musselwhite, on Mississippi Son, leans forward and delivers the blues’ honest truth.

Living Blues magazine, in its May 2022 issue, announced the nominees for the 2021 Living Blues Readers' Poll Awards. This year, ten Alligator artists received a total of 16 nominations. Leading all artists with four nominations is Grammy Award-winning guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Christone "Kingfish" Ingram. He is nominated for Blues Artist Of The Year (Male), Best Live Performer, Most Outstanding Musician - Guitar, and Best Blues Album for 662. Award-winning vocalist Shemekia Copeland received nominations for Blues Artist Of The Year (Female), Most Outstanding Blues Singer and Best Live Performer. West Coast guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Chris Cain received nominations for Blues Artist Of The Year (Male) and Best Blues Album for Raisin' Cain.

Guitarist/lap-steel master Selwyn Birchwood, Southern blues rocker Tinsley Ellis, roots rock guitarist Tommy Castro, Texas pianist/vocalist Marcia Ball, and harmonica masters Charlie Musselwhite, Rick Estrin and Billy Branch each received one nomination.

Living Blues fans may vote at www.livingblues.com before June 15, 2022. Alligator artists and their nominations follow:

Blues Artist Of The Year (Male)
Best Blues Album: 662
Best Live Performer
Most Outstanding Musician - Guitar

Blues Artist Of The Year (Female)
Most Outstanding Blues Singer
Best Live Performer

Blues Artist Of The Year (Male)
Best Blues Album: Raisin' Cain

Blues Artist Of The Year (Male)

Most Outstanding Musician - Guitar

Best Blues Album: Living In A Burning House

Most Outstanding Musician - Keyboards

Most Outstanding Musician - Harmonica

Most Outstanding Musician - Harmonica

Mississippi-born, Memphis-raised, Grammy Award-winning music legend Charlie Musselwhite will release Blues Gave Me A Ride, the first single from his upcoming album, Mississippi Son, on Friday, May 6. “Blues tells the truth in a world that’s full of lies,” Musselwhite sings in the original song -- on which he also plays guitar and harmonica -- and is at once telling his own story and plainly summing up the genre’s timelessness. Blues Gave Me A Ride made its worldwide premier on SiriusXM Radio's B.B. King's Bluesville station on Friday, April 29. Mississippi Son will be released on Friday, June 3 and available on both CD and translucent blue vinyl LP.

Charlie Musselwhite is renowned worldwide as a master harmonica player, a seasoned, truth-telling vocalist and an original songwriter rooted deep within the blues tradition. As many of his fans know, he’s also a country blues guitarist of great depth, warmth and subtlety. On each of Mississippi Son’s 14 songs, including eight powerfully stark originals, Musselwhite’s straight-from-the-soul vocals and deep blues harmonica playing are the perfect foil to his deceptively simple, hypnotic guitar work, which he features on every track.

Having recently moved back to Mississippi from northern California, Musselwhite recorded Mississippi Son in Clarksdale, right in the heart of the Delta. His honest, soulful vocals, like his every-note-matters harmonica playing and idiosyncratic guitar work, overflow with hard-earned authenticity and lasting emotional intensity. Musselwhite calls his blues, “secular spiritual music,” a sound he’s been perfecting since he, as a young teenager, played his first E7 chord on his Supertone acoustic guitar. Upon hearing and feeling the chord’s blue note, the future blues master thought, “I have to have more of that.”

Charlie Musselwhite doesn’t just sing and play the blues; he is, in every sense of the word, a bluesman. Growing up, he not only learned the music first-hand from many of the genre’s most influential artists, he also absorbed the lifestyle. “It’s an attitude,” Musselwhite says of playing the blues. “A way of living life.” Musselwhite's life story reads like a classic blues song: born in Mississippi, raised in Memphis and schooled on the South Side of Chicago. A groundbreaking recording artist since the 1960s, Musselwhite has never stopped creating trailblazing music while remaining firmly rooted in the blues.

Over the years, Charlie has released nearly 40 albums on a variety of labels, his exploratory recordings including straight blues but often mixing in elements of jazz, gospel, Tex-Mex, Cuban and other world musics. Four of those albums—1990’s Ace Of Harps, 1991’s Signature, 1994’s In My Time, and 2010’s The Well—were released on Alligator Records and remain among his best-selling titles.

In 2020, Musselwhite joined up with his friend Elvin Bishop and released the Grammy-nominated, Blues Music Award-winning 100 Years Of Blues on Alligator. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart. DownBeat named it the Best Blues Album Of The Year. It was named the #3 Best Blues Album of 2021 by UK tastemaker magazine MOJO, who declared, “These are exquisite harmonica-guitar duets like Muddy Waters and Little Walter, or Johnny Shines and Big Walter Horton…mature, masterly, endlessly rewarding.”

In addition to his own albums, Musselwhite has been featured on recordings by Tom Waits, Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, John Lee Hooker, Bonnie Raitt, The Blind Boys of Alabama, INXS, Cyndi Lauper, and many others. He was inducted into the Blues Foundation’s Blues Hall Of Fame in 2010, has been nominated for twelve Grammy Awards (winning one) and has won numerous Living Blues Awards and Blues Music Awards. The Chicago Tribune says his music is “imaginative and stunning…utterly convincing.”
 
Now, with Mississippi Son, Musselwhite has come full circle, returning home to Mississippi after decades in Memphis, Chicago, San Francisco and points in between. Amalgamating all he’s learned and absorbed throughout his years of worldwide touring, Musselwhite imparts sage wisdom in every song he writes, sings and performs. Through his evocative vocals, masterful harmonica playing, and note-perfect Southern country blues guitar, Charlie Musselwhite, on Mississippi Son, leans forward and delivers the blues’ honest truth.

World-renowned blues guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and Alligator Records recording artist Chris Cain has won the 2021 International Songwriting Competition in the Blues category for his original song I Believe I Got Off Cheap. The song originally appeared on Cain's 2021 Alligator Records debut album Raisin' Cain. UK tastemaker magazine MOJO named Raisin' Cain the #3 Best Blues Album of 2021. Upon winning the award, Cain said, "I'm just really honored that my tune would even be considered in the running for the Songwriting Competition. It means a lot to me."

With more than three decades of worldwide touring and 15 acclaimed albums, Cain has earned his reputation as both a fan favorite and a musician’s musician. Since his first release in 1987, he has created his very own blues sound inspired by his heroes – B.B. King, Albert King, Ray Charles, Albert Collins, Grant Green and Wes Montgomery. His jazz-informed blues guitar playing is fiery, emotional and always unpredictable. His vocals – gruff, lived-in and powerful – add fuel to the fire. His indelible original songs keep one foot in the blues tradition and both eyes on the future. The pure joy Cain brings to his playing and singing is palpable, and draws fans even closer in.
 
Both the media and his fellow musicians rave about Cain. Guitar Player says, “Cain is an impressive, top-notch guitarist. His full-bodied tone and big voice pack a punch that had me reeling.” Guitar icon Robben Ford says, “Chris Cain is for real. He’s a great blues player with an intensity that keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering what he’s going to do next. Plus he knows how to write a song you haven’t heard before, full of humor and insight. If you like the blues, you’ll like Chris Cain. I am a stone fan."  Blues star Joe Bonamassa says, "Chris Cain is hands down my favorite blues player on the scene today. He’s an absolute blinder of a guitarist, with the voice of B.B. King and the chops of Albert King."
 
“I’m playing and writing better than ever before," Cain says. "I can say more with less,” he adds, referring to his dynamic guitar playing and superb songwriting. “I’m as much a fan as a musician, and I’m as excited to be making music today as I was when I was a teenager. More than ever before, I just play what I feel.”

Mississippi Son, the new Alligator Records album from Mississippi-born, Memphis-raised, Grammy Award-winning blues legend Charlie Musselwhite, was released today, June 3, 2022, on both CD and translucent blue vinyl LP. To celebrate, Musselwhite has released a recently-filmed video of a live solo acoustic performance of his original composition Blues Up The River from the new album. Shot by master videographer Jon R. Luni, the performance is powerful, sublime and deeply moving. Musselwhite calls his blues “secular spiritual music.” It's a sound he’s been perfecting since, as a young teenager, he played his first E7 chord on his Supertone acoustic guitar. Upon hearing and feeling the chord’s blue note, the future blues master thought, “I have to have more of that.”

Charlie Musselwhite is renowned worldwide as a master harmonica player, a seasoned, truth-telling vocalist and an original songwriter rooted deep within the blues tradition. As many of his fans know, he’s also a country blues guitarist of great depth, warmth and subtlety. On each of Mississippi Son’s 14 songs, including eight powerfully stark originals, Musselwhite’s straight-from-the-soul vocals and deep blues harmonica playing are the perfect foil to his deceptively simple, hypnotic guitar work. The album's first single, the original, autobiographical Blues Gave Me A Ride, was the #1 Most Played Song on SiriusXM's B.B. King's Bluesville channel in May.

Having recently moved back to Mississippi from northern California, Musselwhite recorded Mississippi Son in Clarksdale, right in the heart of the Delta. His honest, soulful vocals, like his every-note-matters harmonica playing and idiosyncratic guitar work, overflow with hard-earned authenticity and lasting emotional intensity.

Charlie Musselwhite doesn’t just sing and play the blues; he is, in every sense of the word, a bluesman. Growing up, he not only learned the music first-hand from many of the genre’s most influential artists, he also absorbed the lifestyle. “It’s an attitude,” Musselwhite says of playing the blues. “A way of living life.” Musselwhite's life story reads like a classic blues song: born in Mississippi, raised in Memphis and schooled on the South Side of Chicago. A groundbreaking recording artist since the 1960s, Musselwhite has never stopped creating trailblazing music while remaining firmly rooted in the blues.

Over the years, Charlie has released nearly 40 albums on a variety of labels, his exploratory recordings including straight blues but often mixing in elements of jazz, gospel, Tex-Mex, Cuban and other world musics. Four of those albums—1990’s Ace Of Harps, 1991’s Signature, 1994’s In My Time, and 2010’s The Well—were released on Alligator Records and remain among his best-selling titles.
 
Now, with Mississippi Son, Musselwhite has come full circle, returning home to Mississippi after decades in Memphis, Chicago, San Francisco and points in between. Amalgamating all he’s learned and absorbed throughout his years of worldwide touring, Musselwhite imparts sage wisdom in every song he writes, sings and performs. Through his evocative vocals, masterful harmonica playing, and note-perfect Southern country blues guitar, Charlie Musselwhite, on Mississippi Son, leans forward and delivers the blues’ honest truth.

On Friday, November 11, Alligator Records will release JJ Grey & Mofro's 2007 label debut, Country Ghetto, on vinyl LP for the very first time. 2022 marks the 15th anniversary of Country Ghetto, the best-selling album of Grey's career. The LP will feature all original music and artwork from the 2007 CD. Country Ghetto was the first of five albums Grey cut for Alligator.

Tastemaker UK music magazine MOJO raved, "Abundantly talented singer, guitarist, harmonica man, gritty-voiced JJ Grey delivers tuneful originals, funky good times, sinuous ballads, gospel and chunks of Southern rock spiced with moments of pure jazz …a pleasure."

2007 was a watershed year for Grey. The release of Country Ghetto brought widespread critical and popular acclaim, as the album garnered piles of positive press with reviews and features running everywhere from The New York Times and USA Today to The New Yorker and Paste magazines. Commercial and public radio embraced Grey as well, with songs from Country Ghetto receiving regular rotation on hundreds of stations across the country and around the world.
 
JJ Grey & Mofro played over 120 dates in 2007 to support Country Ghetto, building their audience one mind-blowing show at a time, headlining clubs and concert halls and performing at scores of festivals across the United States and Europe. Grey and his band have gigged constantly since first forming in North Florida in the late 1990s, and they continue to deliver over 100 shows a year. The New Yorker declared, "JJ Grey and his band Mofro stir up a Southern storm of soulful grooves that is more welcome than a cool downpour on a steamy summer day. They deliver a steady stream of Southern R&B with a rock edge. Simmering, funky and propulsive."

On Wednesday, January 4, award-winning roots, blues and Americana vocalist Shemekia Copeland will appear on the nationally broadcast NPR radio program, World Cafe. On the show, Copeland discusses her career with host Stephen Kallao and performs (along with her full band) songs from her Grammy-nominated 2022 album, Done Come Too Far. World Cafe originates from WXPN-FM in Philadelphia, where it airs daily at 2:00pm Eastern time. The show is broadcast on over 250 affiliate stations nationwide and is heard by more than 600,000 people each weekday before becoming available for on-demand streaming at WorldCafe.org.

In addition to receiving a Grammy Award nomination, Done Come Too Far was honored as the #1 Blues Album Of The Year by UK tastemaker magazine MOJO. The equally influential Americana music site No Depression named  the release among the top ten best albums of the year. Copeland continues to host her own popular daily blues radio show on SiriusXM’s Bluesville.

Done Come Too Far continues the story Copeland began telling on 2019’s groundbreaking America’s Child and 2020’s Grammy-nominated Uncivil War, reflecting her vision of America’s past, present and future. On Done Come Too Far,  she delivers her hard-hitting musical truths through her eyes, those of a young American Black woman, a mother, and a wife. But she likes to have a good time too, and her music reflects that, at times putting her sly sense of humor front and center.

The Philadelphia Tribune says, “Shemekia Copeland is an antidote to artifice. She is a commanding presence, a powerhouse vocalist delivering the truth.” The Washington Post declares, "Shemekia Copeland is the greatest blues singer of her generation." And Copeland's friend, music legend Mavis Staples shares, "I am so happy Shemekia is delivering these songs that the world needs to hear. Her voice is strong and soulful, and her message comes from her heart.”

On December 15, 2022, blues icon Charlie Musselwhite was honored with the coveted Charles Cros Academy Grand Prix Blues Award for his Grammy Award-nominated Alligator Records album, Mississippi Son. The Grand Prix Awards for Jazz, Blues and Soul Favorites were announced on France Musique (French national radio) on Alex Dutilh's Open Jazz show. The full list of jazz and soul winners can be found here.

Vintage Guitar magazine recently reviewed Mississippi Son, calling Musselwhite a "beloved blues harp great" with "formidable guitar chops" who, on the new album, "transports" the listener "straight to the Delta." Of this stark, acoustic performance video of the song Blues Gave Me A Ride – one of 2022's top ten tracks at SiriuxXM Radio's Bluesville channel – Vintage Guitar simply says, "It just doesn't get much cooler."

Charlie Musselwhite doesn’t just sing and play the blues; he is, in every sense of the word, a bluesman. Growing up, he not only learned the music first-hand from many of the genre’s most influential artists, he also absorbed the lifestyle.  “It’s an attitude...a way of living life,” Musselwhite says of playing the blues. Musselwhite's life story reads like a classic blues song: born in Mississippi, raised in Memphis and schooled on the South Side of Chicago. A groundbreaking recording artist since the 1960s, Musselwhite has never stopped creating trailblazing music while remaining firmly rooted in the blues.

Over the years, Charlie has released nearly 40 albums on a variety of labels, his exploratory recordings including straight blues but often mixing in elements of jazz, gospel, Tex-Mex, Cuban and other world musics. Four of those albums—1990’s Ace Of Harps, 1991’s Signature, 1994’s In My Time, and 2010’s The Well—were released on Alligator Records and remain among his best-selling titles.

Now, with Mississippi Son, Musselwhite has come full circle, returning home to Mississippi after decades in Memphis, Chicago, San Francisco and points in between. Amalgamating all he’s learned and absorbed throughout his years of worldwide touring, Musselwhite imparts sage wisdom in every song he writes, sings and performs. “Blues tells the truth in a world that’s full of lies,” he intones in Blues Gave Me A Ride, at once telling his own story and plainly summing up the genre’s timelessness. Through his evocative vocals, masterful harmonica playing, and note-perfect Southern country blues guitar, Charlie Musselwhite, on Mississippi Son, leans forward and delivers the blues’ honest truth.

On Monday, April 3, The City Of Chicago and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) announced the lineup for the 2023 Chicago Blues Festival, taking place Thursday, June 8 through Sunday, June 11 at Millennium Park.

Alligator Records' own Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials will perform on the Jay Pritzker Pavilion Stage on Sunday, June 11.

The largest, free Blues festival in the world returns to Chicago with four days of top tier talent performing in Chicago’s Millennium Park. Three stages set up across Millennium Park will welcome 45 performances and more than 250 artists celebrating the city’s renowned Blues legacy.

2023 Blues headliners include four-time GRAMMY® winners Los Lobos, Blind Boys of Alabama with Bobby Rush, Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials, Mud Morganfield, John Primer & The Real Deal Blues Band, Jimmy Burns Band, Sugaray Rayford, Jontavious Willis, Vasti Jackson, Eddie Cotton, O.B. Buchana, Super Chikan, and many more. Find more information here.

Commissioned projects include the Centennial Tribute to Albert King featuring Donald Kinsey, Larry McCray, Rico McFarland, Carl Weathersby and Tony Llorens; a Delmark Records 70th Anniversary Celebration, and a “Women in Blues” tribute featuring Deitra Farr, Katherine Davis, Sugar Pie DeSanto and more.

Further enriching the immersive Blues experience, Praize Productions, Inc. presents a photography installation, “The Rhythm Within Our Blues” featuring life-size photographs depicting the history and authentic culture of Blues music told via the lens of professional photographers of color from Chicago's South Side.

According to DCASE, "The festival elevates its food options this year with a Blues-inspired smokehouse experience called “Wally’s BBQ Pit” in the North Promenade Tent of the Park with delicious BBQ fare and specialty drinks catered by Eleven North Hospitality. In between Blues sets, guests can stop to enjoy their BBQ, cornbread and drinks on picnic tables alongside whiskey barrels and smokers."
 
Daily performances begin at 12:00pm at the Promenade stages and 2:15pm at The Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Concerts will also be livestreamed at Youtube.com/ChicagoDCASE

Follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChicagoBluesFestival/
Follow on Twitter and Instagram: @ChicagoDCASE

On Friday, September 15, GRAMMY Award-winning guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Christone "Kingfish" Ingram surprised his legions of fans by dropping his third release, Live In London, at all digital services. The album was recorded on June 6, 2023, in front of a sweaty, sold-out, standing-room-only crowd at the famous UK club, The Garage. Live In London is the guitar-driven live album Kingfish’s diehard fans around the world have been clamoring for since they first watched him perform as a teenager on YouTube.

Live In London is now available at all streaming and download services, and can be experienced in Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos at Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal and Qobuz. The album will be released as a 2-CD set and a 2-LP set on Friday, October 13. Both the CD and LP will include encore performances as bonus tracks. Exclusive versions of the physical products with official merchandise from the concert will be available for pre-order on the Kingfish website today, including his signature Fender Kingfish guitar.

Filmed at the concert, a video of the first single from Live In London, the previously unrecorded track Midnight Heat, premieres today, September 15, at 12:00PM Eastern time, on Kingfish's official YouTube Channel.

“This album is a short lifetime in the making,” says Kingfish. “I’ve long had an interest in recording a live album and I finally felt the timing was right. Not only do I have a deeper catalog of music to choose from, but I also have been extensively touring with my band, both of which truly made recording a live album seamless. Sprinkle in the opportunity to perform in a city I love, it’s all a no-brainer and something that makes me deeply proud.”

Throughout the concert, Kingfish’s command over his instrument is awe-inspiring. He remains in the moment, at times raining down incendiary solos, other times picking poignant, blues-drenched licks, but always playing deeply from his heart. Along with his versatile, tight-knit band – bassist Paul Rogers, drummer Christopher Black and keyboardist Deshawn Alexander – he brings intensity and honesty to each song, moving the audience from hushed disbelief to spontaneous, extended ovations. Guitar World, describing a prior Kingfish live performance, declared, “Ingram sets the bar terrifyingly high, all but setting the fretboard ablaze with nimble but tasteful runs that impress while never losing sight of the song.”

Soul-stirring and steeped in energy and excitement, Live In London finds the internationally recognized guitar prodigy and vocalist performing 17 songs, with tracks including material from both of his previous studio albums, 2019’s GRAMMY-nominated debut, Kingfish, and 2021’s GRAMMY-winning 662. Live In London also includes two potent, new original songs, Midnight Heat and Mississippi Night, as well as a blistering version of Michael “Iron Man” Burks’ Empty Promises. Singing with the deepest soul feeling and playing guitar with searing, organic intensity, Kingfish immediately draws fans in via his explosive set opener She Calls Me Kingfish. From the reworked, funk-inspired Hard Times to the tender tribute to his late mother, Rock & Roll, to the electric encore, Long Distance Woman (one of the two bonus tracks), Live In London takes the listener on an unforgettable, exhilarating ride.

On Sunday, October 29 GRAMMY Award-winning guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, whose new album Live In London is being hailed as an instant classic, appeared on CBS Television's flagship news program, 60 Minutes. In the 10-minute segment, Kingfish shared his thoughts on music, blues and life with reporter Jon Wertheim, as they walked through Kingfish's hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi. The segment also included jaw-dropping live performance footage.

60 Minutes said Kingfish is "a new blues superstar… a guitar phenom who has been updating the blues for this century...he draws frequent comparisons to Hendrix, Clapton, and, B.B.King….a thoroughly modern bluesman updating the music in sound as well as subject matter."

“I really appreciate the 60 Minutes team for allowing me an opportunity to tell my story and for also highlighting the greater connection of blues and Clarksdale,” said Kingfish. “Shining a light on our pocket of the world is important and I’m grateful for the platform the show has given me, my friends and my hometown.”

As the excitement continues to build around Kingfish worldwide, the young musician will appear on the hit BBC2 television program, Later...With Jools Holland in the UK this Saturday, November 4. He'll perform the blistering first single from Live In London, Midnight Heat.

Live In London first hit on September 15, as Kingfish surprised his legions of fans by dropping it at all digital services. The album was released as a 2-CD and a 2-LP set on October 13. Live In London was recorded on June 6, 2023, in front of a sold-out, standing-room-only crowd at the famous UK club, The Garage. It is the guitar-driven live album Kingfish’s fans around the world have been clamoring for since they first watched him perform on YouTube when he was a teenager.

Live In London debuted on the Billboard Blues Chart at #8 even though it was a digital-only release, and has since climbed to #2. Press has fully embraced the album, with positive reviews across the board. Rolling Stone named Kingfish among the world's greatest guitarists, saying, "Kingfish’s playing evinces not just a startling fluency, seamlessly integrating an entire century’s worth of licks, but also a freshness that can make it feel like you’re hearing a searing blues solo for the first time. He’s a rare 21st-century guitar hero, and the undisputed future of the blues.”

Radio has also been sharing in the excitement. Live In London's first single, Midnight Heat, was the #1 Most Added track on the Americana Radio Singles Chart and among the most added singles at AAA and college radio. Ingram appeared live in the UK on the BBC’s Radio 2 Blues Show with host Cerys Matthews.

“The response to Live In London has been amazing. From positive press reviews, people praising the record while chatting with me at shows, to an avalanche of wonderful social media posts and DMs, I am truly overwhelmed at how people have embraced my first live album,” says Kingfish.

Kingfish has released two videos from Live In London, the searing new Midnight Heat, and the driving, funky Hard Times, both available for viewing on his YouTube channel.

In addition to the 2-CD and 2-LP sets, Live In London is available at all streaming and download services, and can be experienced in Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos at Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal and Qobuz. Exclusive bundles of the LP and CD sets with official merchandise from the concert are available on the Kingfish website, along with his signature Fender Kingfish guitar.

Renowned singer, songwriter and artist JJ Grey has unveiled plans for his highly anticipated new Alligator Records album, Olustee. The release is set for February 23, 2024 on CD, LP and at all digital services. JJ Grey & Mofro have also announced a massive, months-long tour to follow. Today, Grey premiered the album's lead track, The Sea, on all digital services. Grey previously released five groundbreaking, wildly successful albums on Alligator between 2007 and 2013.

On Olustee (Grey's first self-produced album), the North Florida-born and bred Grey sings his personal stories with universal themes of redemption, rebirth, hard luck, and inner peace. With his music, Grey also celebrates good times with lifelong friends, oftentimes mixing the carnal with the cerebral in the very same song. Fueled by his vividly detailed, timeless originals spun from his own life and experiences in the Northern Florida swampland, Grey’s gritty baritone drips with honest passion and testifies with a preacher’s foot-pounding fervor.

Alligator Records founder and president Bruce Iglauer is delighted to be working with Grey once again, saying, "I’m thrilled to welcome JJ Grey back to Alligator Records. He is one of the most creative and visionary roots artists, and Olustee is the best album of his career (so far!). He’s a major artist who should be heard by everyone who is moved by deeply rooted American music. It’s a profound and joyous record."

The lead track from Olustee, the riveting, lush and beautiful, The Sea, premieres today on all digital services. Of the song, Grey says, "Some of the quietest and most beautiful moments of my life were in and at the sea. Boat lights twinkling on the horizon or ducking down into the warmth of the water to knock the chill off of the late October wind. For me, the sea has always had a calming effect on my otherwise overactive mind. Once in the water, surfing or even fishing, all nail-biting would stop. All negative mental feedback loops evaporated. Blurring the line between the physical sea in front of me and the infinite sea all around me."

With Olustee, JJ Grey has once again pushed the boundaries of his own creative musical, lyrical and vocal talents, delivering an album that is destined to become a classic. Many of the songs are steeped in the mythical Southern stories of his ancestral Florida home and filled with people from JJ’s life. The songs overflow with the sights and sounds of the region as told through the eyes of a poet and sung with pure, unvarnished soul. The album’s eleven songs range from the raucous, celebratory first radio single, Wonderland, to an escape from an out-of-control wildfire in the title track, to the inward-looking closer, Deeper Than Belief. Singing of his own personal triumphs and struggles, his hopes and desires, his friends and family, Grey’s message is simple and strong -- respect the natural world and always try to live in the moment. And never forget the importance of having a good time.

AllMusic says JJ Grey’s music is “as authentic as the ground under your feet, because that’s where it comes from -- just before it moves, simply and directly, through the body of the listener, into the human heart.”

Now, with Olustee, JJ Grey & Mofro will bring their music directly to fans as they also announce the first set of dates of the 2024 Olustee Tour, along with ticket purchase information.

On Friday, November 10, 2023, The Recording Academy announced the nominees for the 2024 GRAMMY Awards. Guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Christone "Kingfish" Ingram's new album, Live In London, is nominated for a GRAMMY Award in the Contemporary Blues category. All three of Kingfish's albums – 2019's Kingfish, 2021's GRAMMY-winning 662, and now Live In London – have received GRAMMY nominations.

“To be nominated for another GRAMMY Award is fantastic. Thanks to the Recording Academy and all of the folks who bought and streamed Live In London. It is a real special album for me,” said Kingfish. “I also want to congratulate my friends and fellow nominees across the Contemporary and Traditional Blues categories. I’m very excited for us all and look forward to celebrating in person in February.”

The 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards ceremony and telecast will take place at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA, on February 4, 2024.

On Friday, February 9, 2024, Alligator Records will release Naked Truth, the first-ever solo acoustic album from world-renowned Atlanta-based guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Tinsley Ellis. The new album is steeped in the folk blues traditions of Muddy Waters, Skip James, Son House, Robert Johnson and even Leo Kottke. To the casual fan, this might seem to be a new direction, but for Ellis, it’s an extension of his music, as he taps into the raw essence of the blues. “This is a record I’ve always wanted to make, and one that my longtime fans have been asking for,” he says, noting he’s included an acoustic mini-set in his concert performances for years. In the last 12 months, Ellis has already performed over 100 solo shows, many as co-bills with his Alligator label-mate Marcia Ball. “I’m having so much fun playing these shows,” he says.

On Naked Truth (his 21st album), Ellis swaps his blistering, guitar-fueled full band workouts for equally passionate, soul-searching acoustic folk blues. His famed guitar chops and musical creativity are on full display throughout the album’s 12 songs, including nine newly written originals. Naked Truth was produced by Ellis, with the foot-stomping cover of Son House’s Death Letter Blues produced by Atlanta roots musician Eddie 9V. The album was recorded live in the studio using Ellis’ beloved 1969 Martin D-35 (a gift from his father) and his 1937 National Steel O Series guitars. Whether intricately fingerpicking the Martin or playing hair-raising slide on the National Steel, Ellis delivers each song with unvarnished intimacy.

The opener, Ellis’ original song, Devil In The Room, premieres today. "Devil In The Room is musically a nod to the Hill Country Blues style of Mississippi Fred McDowell and R L Burnside," says Ellis. "Lyrically it’s based on something Col. Bruce Hampton used to tell us before we went on stage to back him up. He would tell us to 'put the devil in the room!' His call to arms has stuck with me for 40 years! On Devil In The Room I’m playing in open G tuning on my 1937 National O-Series steel resonator guitar with a brass slide."

According to Ellis, "Naked Truth is both a departure and an arrival.” He has been recording and traveling the world for over four decades, delivering his feral, guitar-fueled, original electric blues-rock to ever-growing audiences at concert halls, festivals, and clubs. From the original, Skip James-inspired Windowpane to the Delta-styled Tallahassee Blues, to the humorous Grown Ass Man, Ellis goes deep, singing and playing the blues’ honest truths. The inclusion of four introspective instrumentals (including a transcendent cover of Leo Kottke’s A Soldier’s Grave On The Prairie, a song he’s been playing live for almost 50 years) adds even more depth and substance to an album overflowing with riches. Each song carries the weight, experience and hard-earned wisdom Ellis learned over four decades on the road, infusing Naked Truth with an emotional authenticity that is palpable from start to finish.

Since his first Alligator album in 1988, Georgia Blue, Ellis has gone from local Atlanta club favorite to become an internationally touring blues rock giant, performing hundreds of nights per year. He has brought his music to fans live in person to all 50 United States, as well as in Canada, across Europe, Australia and South America. He’s earned the love and respect of many of his fellow musicians, having shared stages with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, The Allman Brothers, Warren Haynes, Oliver Wood, Buddy Guy, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Gov’t Mule, Widespread Panic, and more. Over the years, legends including Otis Rush, James Cotton, Gregg Allman, Jimmy Buffett, Son Seals, Koko Taylor and Albert Collins invited Ellis to join them on stage. Mega-star guitarist Joe Bonamassa calls Ellis “a national treasure.”

Rolling Stone declared, "Ellis plays feral blues guitar…non-stop gigging has sharpened his six-string to a razor’s edge…his eloquence dazzles…he achieves pyrotechnics that rival Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton.”

Now, with Naked Truth, Ellis will bring his music directly to his fans. “Two guitars and a car,” he says of the simplicity of his North American touring situation. “When folks come to see me, I’ll have the guitars I used on the record with me, so what fans hear on the album is what they’ll get live. It’s not easy. Now I’m the whole band and there’s nowhere to hide. It’s scary every single time I go up on stage alone. But nothing could be more honest.”

Naked Truth is a revelation. Stripped of the electric fervor that defined his previous works, Ellis' acoustic music carries a rawness that speaks directly from his soul. The songs unveil another side of Tinsley Ellis, but one that is totally recognizable to his fans. His gruff, full-throated vocals intertwine seamlessly with the bare, acoustic arrangements, creating an album that is both timeless and immediate. No Depression says, “Ellis shines. When the tempo slows, the intensity doesn’t waver.” Blues Music Magazine states, “Tinsley Ellis is a powerful and commanding presence. His music is impossible not to enjoy.”

On Friday, December 1, renowned singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist JJ Grey will premiere his intoxicating new song, "Rooster," the second track released from his upcoming album, Olustee. Olustee will be released on Alligator Records on February 23, 2024 on CD, LP and at all digital services. JJ Grey & Mofro have also announced a massive, months-long tour to follow. Grey previously released five groundbreaking albums on Alligator between 2007 and 2013.

On Olustee, Grey's first self-produced album, the North Florida-born and bred Grey sings his personal stories with universal themes of redemption, rebirth, hard luck, and inner peace. With his music, Grey also celebrates good times with lifelong friends, oftentimes mixing the carnal with the cerebral in the very same song. Fueled by his vividly detailed, timeless originals, spun from his own life and experiences in the Northern Florida swampland, Grey’s gritty baritone drips with honest passion and testifies with a preacher’s foot-pounding fervor.

Talking about "Rooster," Grey says, "I grew up with chickens all of my life. We had a rooster once named Jim-Jim who was a natural born badass. He was an absolute gentleman with the hens. He always called them to food, made sure the young ones got back in the coop before dark (our chickens roamed free), and never roughed the hens or other young roosters up. When the time came he ran at the danger instead of running away and paid the ultimate price (which was no price to him at all) to save his family. Reminds me of the men I grew up with."

Last month, Grey unveiled the album's lead track, "The Sea." Nationally syndicated radio program Acoustic Cafe aired the song across over 120 stations around the country. Additionally, The Sea was the #1 Most Added song across the Americana radio format.

With Olustee, JJ Grey has once again pushed the boundaries of his own creative musical, lyrical and vocal talents, delivering an album that is destined to become a classic. Many of the songs are steeped in the mythical Southern stories of his ancestral Florida home and filled with people from JJ’s life. The songs overflow with the sights and sounds of the region as told through the eyes of a poet and sung with pure, unvarnished soul. The album’s eleven songs range from the raucous, celebratory first radio single, Wonderland, to an escape from an out-of-control wildfire in the title track, to the inward-looking closer, Deeper Than Belief. Singing of his own personal triumphs and struggles, his hopes and desires, his friends and family, Grey’s message is simple and strong -- respect the natural world and always try to live in the moment. And never forget the importance of having a good time.

AllMusic says JJ Grey’s music is “as authentic as the ground under your feet, because that’s where it comes from -- just before it moves, simply and directly, through the body of the listener, into the human heart.”

Now, with Olustee, JJ Grey & Mofro will bring their music directly to fans as they also announce the first set of dates of the 2024 Olustee Tour, along with ticket purchase information.

GRAMMY Award-winning guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Christone "Kingfish" Ingram announced plans for the initial leg of his 2024 "Mor Fish" Tour. Kicking off on February 16, the announced headlining and festival dates run through April 6, with more dates to be added.

“I'm excited to get back out on the road with my “Mor Fish” tour. I think we have some really great stuff teed up musically for the audience, so this tour will definitely bring even more to the stage,” said Ingram. “I’m also looking forward to a few good friends joining me to open up these dates. All will be fun!”

Joining Kingfish on select tour dates will be three stellar, Blues Foundation-honored musicians: Houston, TX-based Mathias Lattin (2023 International Blues Challenge Band Winner and winner of the “Albert King Award" for Best Guitarist), Brazilian-born, Los Angeles, CA-based Artur Menezes (2018 International Blues Challenge winner of the “Albert King Award" for Best Guitarist), and St. Louis, MO-bred Dylan Triplett (2023 Blues Music Awards Best Emerging Artist Album winner).

Kingfish's latest album, Live In London, is currently nominated for a GRAMMY Award in the Contemporary Blues category. All three of Kingfish's albums – 2019's Kingfish, 2021's GRAMMY-winning 662, and now Live In London – have received GRAMMY nominations.

Not Gonna Lie, one of the most blistering musical and vocal performances on Live In London, was delivered to radio this week as the next single. The song first appeared on Kingfish's GRAMMY-winning album 662, and was reworked for his Live In London album performance. Not Gonna Lie is the follow up single to Midnight Heat, which reached chart success at the adult rock Triple-A format, roots-leaning Americana radio and college radio.

Rolling Stone, in naming Kingfish one of the 250 Best Guitarists In The World, said, "Kingfish’s playing evinces not just a startling fluency, seamlessly integrating an entire century’s worth of licks, but also a freshness that can make it feel like you’re hearing a searing blues solo for the first time. He’s a rare 21st-century guitar hero, and the undisputed future of the blues.”

In addition to his GRAMMY nomination, Kingfish recently appeared on CBS Television's flagship news program 60 Minutes in an in-depth 10-minute segment. He also performed on the UK tastemaker television show Later...With Jools Holland. Further, he appeared in a nationally broadcast Jack Daniel's commercial.

Live In London is available at all streaming and download services, and can be experienced in Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos at Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal and Qobuz. Exclusive bundles of the LP and CD sets with official merchandise from the concert are available on the Kingfish website, along with his signature Fender Kingfish guitar.

Kingfish has released two videos from Live In London, Midnight Heat and Hard Times.

On Friday, February 9, Atlanta-based guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Tinsley Ellis' new album, Naked Truth, was released on Alligator Records. On Naked Truth (his 21st album), Ellis swaps his blistering, guitar-fueled full band performances for equally passionate, soul-searching acoustic folk blues. His famed guitar chops and musical creativity are on full display throughout the album’s 12 songs, including nine newly written originals.

On Thursday, February 8, Relix magazine premieres the new video for the song Death Letter Blues. Originally recorded by blues icon Son House, Tinsley's take on the blues classic was produced by fellow Atlanta blues guitar slinger, Eddie 9V.

Of the song, Ellis says, "Son House’s Death Letter Blues is one of the greatest Delta blues songs of all time. It has been the centerpiece of my acoustic performances for a long time. Eddie 9V’s gritty, low-fi production gave it the perfect hard edge. On this song I’m playing my 1937 National O series steel resonator guitar with a brass slide."

Naked Truth is steeped in the folk blues traditions of Muddy Waters, Skip James, Son House, Robert Johnson and even Leo Kottke. To the casual fan, this might seem to be a new direction, but for Ellis, it’s an extension of his music, as he taps into the raw essence of the blues. “This is a record I’ve always wanted to make, and one that my longtime fans have been asking for,” he says, noting he’s included an acoustic mini-set in his concert performances for years. In the last 12 months, Ellis has already performed over 100 solo shows, many as co-bills with his Alligator label-mate Marcia Ball. “I’m having so much fun playing these shows,” he says.

According to Relix, "Naked Truth jockeys between impassioned in-the-moment spontaneity and a studied craftman's sense of nuance."

Ellis' massive, months-long solo-acoustic Naked Truth tour kicks off in Decatur, Georgia on Friday, February 9. "Two guitars and a car,” he says of the simplicity of his North American touring situation. “When folks come to see me, I’ll have the guitars I used on the record with me, so what fans hear on the album is what they’ll get live."