SaRon Crenshaw

Blues Twice !

SaRon Crenshaw is a bluesman, guitar man, traveling man, showman. He performs Blues full time with bands, trio, as well as acoustic solo. His soulful vocal and amazing guitar work have left unforgettable impression with many.In the 70's and 80's he made his living playing bass for several bands in New Jersey, New York and South Carolina. In 2009 his first self released effort, "Tigh Cranky & Loose" and the 2017 "Driven" are well aclaimed steps.

The Cash Box Kings

Chicago Workers

Joe Nosek founded The Cash Box Kings in Madison, Wisconsin in 2001 and, since 2007, has co-led the band with the charismatic, larger-than-life vocalist Oscar Wilson. Over 20 years apart in age and coming from vastly different backgrounds, the two form an unlikely pair, combining Wilson’s indisputably authentic inner city Chicago blues vocals with Nosek’s harmonica, songwriting and singing talents. With deep feeling and top-shelf talent, houserocking blues masters The Cash Box Kings play tough, real deal classic Chicago blues with boundless energy. They also deliver raw, passionate Delta blues, jumping proto-rock ‘n’ roll, and steamrolling “bluesabilly,” their original mix of Chicago blues and Memphis rockabilly. As anyone who has ever been to one of the band’s raucous performances will testify, The Cash Box Kings know how to throw a party.

"King" Solomon Hicks

They call him Little B.B.

Solomon Hicks twenty-two-year-old guitar prodigy and singer is known by some fans in Harlem as “King Solomon,” “‘lil B.B.” or “East Montgomery” - has been playing guitar for 16 years. He's now 22.

Solomon got his start performing at Harlem’s historic NAMA and on Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater. In 2008, Solomon won the Jazz Excellence Award/Scholarship from the Friendly 50 Club Organization. He is also the AUDELCO “Rising Star” Honoree for the 2009-10 VIV Award for Jazz/Music Performance. J. Walter Thompson's Differenter Committee chose Solomon as one of their nine "Innovators of Change" in 2012, filming him and four other recipients as the subject of a documentary on New York’s most accomplished and creative African-American citizens.
In 2013 Solomon began to headline his own “Blues” show and toured Denmark. In 2014 he played in Germany.
He has been featured (via harmonica/entertainer great, James Montgomery) at the renowned Scullers Jazz Club in Boston, MA, and at Terra Blues in Greenwich Village, NYC. When home in New York City, Solomon can still be seen regularly at the legendary Cotton Club with the All Stars Band, he joined the band as lead guitarist at the ripe age of 13,  and recorded his first album "Embryonic" in 2009. After 2 years of songwriting and recording with his producer/manager, Jeff Levine (a Joe Cocker veteran keyboardist), his new album entitled “Carrying on the Torch of the Blues” was due out in June 2015 on the Organic Recordings.

Solomon is sure to be the future face of the Jazz and Blues !

King Solomon Hicks (with guest Ernie Watts)
Jazz In Marciac Festival
Live at l'Astrada
MARCIAC - FRANCE
2 august 2017
Lineup :

King Solomon Hicks - guitar, vocals
Eric James - Hammond B3
Kirk Yano - bass
Norman Edwards - drums
Special guest 
Ernie Watts - sax

Setlist :

01 00:01 Everyday I Have The Blues
02 04:53 How Blue Can You Get
03 14:12 Baby Why Don't You Bring Home
04 22:48 Who Do You Love
05 26:00 Boom Boom
06 32:29 My Baby Cought The Train
07 37:19 Maybeline
08 41:55 Going Back To Memphis
09 49:10 Hoochie Coochie Man
10 52:52 Further Up On The Road
11 58:44 What'd I Say
12 65:54 And I Saw Her Standing There

Jontavious Willis

Young bluesman Jontavious Willis, born in Greenville, Georgia in 1996, plays all types of country blues: Delta, Piedmont, Texas, Gospel blues and he is equally adept as a fingerpicker, flat-picker and slide player.
Jontavious Willis is an autodidactic multi-instrumentalist, just 21 years old, he finished his studies at Columbus State University, majoring in sociology and anthropology. The emerging bluesman plays harmonica, 5-string banjo, and guitar. As his main influences he cites Muddy Waters for guitar, Sonny Boy Williamson on harmonica and Papa Charlie Jackson on banjo. His big breakthrough came in August of 2015 when Taj Mahal asked him to come on stage to play. From then Jontavious has toured the major festivals all across the US.
Willis recorded his first self released album in 2016 "Blue Metamorphosis", out on April of 2017.

Eugene "Hideaway" Bridges

A Lick From Texas

Eugene Bridges is a nomadic musician living his life on the road. His home is wherever the next performance takes him, and every year this is from America through Europe, to Australia with many other stops in between.
Born in 1963 in New Orleans, the son of Otheneil Bridges Sr, also known as blues guitarist Hideaway Slim, Eugene is the fourth child of five. His mother was from the Bullock family (the same as Anna Mae Bullock better known as Tina Turner) and Eugene claims he got his guitar skills from the Bridges side and his voice from the Bullocks. At five he was already playing with his father around Louisiana; with his brothers as The Bridges Brothers he sang gospel and was the musician of his church and had formed his first R&B band The Five Stars. Aged sixteen Eugene joined the Air Force, playing in the Air Force band for the next three years. On leaving the Air Force he joined The New Chosen on guitar and vocals and went on to play with The Mighty Clouds of Joy.
Following a move to Houston, Texas in the 1980’s Eugene released Blues, Gospel and R&B recordings by the three bands he was running at the time. These included the first line-up of the Eugene ‘Hideaway’ Bridges Band. They toured the USA from coast to coast. A year later Eugene left to work under his own name again and formed The Eugene Hideaway Bridges Band. Signed to the Blueside label, Eugene recorded Born to be Blue, produced by Mike Vernon.
In 2000 Eugene signed to Armadillo Music with who recorded eight more cd's.

Noé Socha

Who's That Guy ?

Noé Socha is a guitar and harmonica player from the small town of Carpi, Italy. Influenced by artists such as Bob Dylan and Neil Young, and Blues musicians Mississippi John Hurt, Muddy Waters, and Lightnin’ Hopkins, Noé has created his own signature sound. He pairs a fiery guitar technique with virtuoso harmonica playing, channeling the sounds of the Mississippi Delta with a hint of Hendrix-esque flavor.

A graduate from Berklee College of Music on scholarship, he received many awards including the ”Jimi Hendrix Award” for the college’s leading guitarist and the “Billboard Magazine Endowed Scholarship” presented to the college’s top student. Noé was also mentioned in Rolling Stone about his standout performance at the Berklee Commencement Concert honoring Willie Nelson’s career.
After graduating, he earned the opportunity to perform his original music at the three most prestigious Jazz spots in Boston- Regattabar, Ryles Jazz Club, and Scullers.

In 2015, he played many Blues Festivals on the East coast, and had the honor to share the stage with Tower of Power at the beloved Lowell Summer Music Series. He was featured at the Commonwealth Awards at the Massachusetts State House, and at the 25th ADA anniversary on the Boston Common. A few months later he reached the semifinals at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN with The Vanessa Collier Band. In December 2016 he was a finalist at the prestigious online competition 7virtualjazzclub.

Noé has had the great honor of performing and recording with Nona Hendrix (Labelle), Vernon Reid (Living Color), and multi-Grammy winner Javier Limón, and has also toured extensively with Grammy award-winning artist Paula Cole.

Now living in New York City, Noé has been able to further his musical career by gaining regular performances at some of the city’s primary music clubs, including The Bitter End and Rockwood Music Hall in Manhattan, and Bar Lunatico, Radegast Hall, and Pete’s Candy Store in Brooklyn. He has also become recognized and recommended by some of the city’s most talented and regarded performers.

Incomprehensibly still not have any recording on his own.

Mike Wheeler Band

"Self Made Man"
Live at Kingston Mines, Chicago, IL, USA, April 13, 2017

Mike Wheeler

Working Blues Hero

Mike Wheeler (Michael Lewis Wheeler) was born in Chicago,IL on June 30, 1961. His music career spans more than 30 years. He played his first gig in 1984 with Muddy Waters' piano player, Lovie Lee, at Lilly's, a Lincoln Park bar in Chicago. His mother was his first musical influence by playing blues (such as Muddy Waters and B.B. King), R&B, and soul records in their home. He recorded and played on numerous Chicago blues. He performed with well-known blues artists such as Koko Taylor, Buddy Guy, Shemekia Copeland, Jimmy Johnson, Son Seals, and Willie Kent. He toured in Europe and he has played at the Chicago Blues Festival In 2014, he was inducted into the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame as a Master Blues Artist.
Wheeler formed his own band in 2001, the Mike Wheeler Band, and recorded three originals, Mick Wheeler Band (Chilla Records 2003)
Self Made Man (Delmark Records 2012) and Turn Up ! (Delmark Records 2016).

 
The Band :                                             The Music :

Mike Wheeler- Guitar & Vocals              "Mick Wheeler Band"
Larry Williams-Bass & Vocals                Chilla Records 2003
Cleo Cole - Drums                                  "Self Made Men"
Brian James - Keyboards & Vocals.       Delmark Records 2012
                                                                "Turn Up !"
                                                                Delmark Records 2016

Jason Ricci

Back To The Harp Hero

Jason Ricci was born February 3, 1974 in Portland, Maine. In 1995 Ricci began his international music career by moving to Memphis to study with former Johnny Winter sideman Pat Ramsey. That same year Ricci won the Sonny Boy Blues Society contest and played the King Biscuit festival at 20 years old. Since then Ricci has won dozens of blues and harmonica contests, toured the world and amassed an impressive collection of awards, honors and accolades. In 2010 Ricci’s album ”Done With The Devil” (Delta Groove) was nominated for a BMA Award. In 2010 Jason won the BMA Award for ”Best Harmonica Player” beating his childhood heroes: Kim Wilson, Billy Branch, Mark Hummel and Rick Estrin. .
Jason Ricci is well known for having one of the most exciting, energetic and unpredictable live shows on the circuit. His live performances are sweaty, sexual, intense and creative events. Ricci has been actively touring the Blues circuit in the USA and Europe for over twenty years.
As a sideman Jason Ricci has professionally gigged or toured with: Walter Trout, Nick Moss, Junior Kimbrough, RL Burnside, Big Al and The Heavy Weights, Damon Fowler, Sugar Ray Norcia,The Mark Hummel Harmonica Blow Off, The Johnny Winter Remembrance Project, Mike Zito, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Ana Popovic and many more.As a recording artist Jason Ricci has released nine solo albums
Additionally, Jason Ricci has one of the most popular harmonica related youtube channels with over 150 free harmonica lessons, 15,000 subscribers and and well over 4,500,000 total million views. Ricci is well known in the harmonica community as an early pioneer of the ”over-blow” technique (transforming the 10 hole diatonic into a fully chromatic instrument) invented/and popularized by Howard Levy, the mastery of this technique has earned Jason a variety of jobs recording and performing in musical situations where other players technically simply could not.

Out June 16, 2017

Shawn Holt & The Teardrops

Shawn Holt is the son of Blues Legend Magic Slim (Morris Holt). The high energy, hard-driving sound of The Teardrops is still alive and well and if you like what Magic Slim and The Teardrops have been doing for the last 35 years, you can continue to enjoy that unique sound and energy with Shawn Holt, a chip off the old block, fronting his dad's band.

Shawn started playing the blues at the age of 17, when he went on the road with this father and Slim's brother, Uncle Nick Holt and The Teardrops. Shortly after that tour with his father, Shawn realized his genetic destiny (all the Holt's are talented musicians) and formed his own band. He has been watching, learning and playing blues ever since.

Shawn Holt and The Teardrops are winners for Best New Artist Debut - Daddy Told Me by the Blues Foundation (BMA) 2014. And also won the 2014 Blues Blast Music Award for New Artist Debut Album - Daddy Told Me.

Debut CD - Blind Pig Records BPCD-5156 - 2013

 

The Teardrops :

Levi William - Guitar/Vocals
Russell Jackson - Bass.
Vern Taylor - Drums/Vocals  

Southern Avenue

Fresh Air In Memphis

While deeply rooted in the blues, the up-and-coming band – guitarist Ori Naftaly, vocalist Tierinii Jackson, drummer Tikyra Jackson and bassist Daniel McKee – explores soul, gospel, rock and even pop forms. Working with producer Kevin Houston (North Mississippi Allstars, Lucero, Patty Griffin) on what has been their debut full-length recording, the  album just scheduled on Stax Records in april 2017.

The band takes its name from a Memphis street that runs from the eastern-most part of the city limits all the way to Soulsville (the original home of Stax Records). It’s a fitting moniker for this diverse four-piece: two powerhouse sisters whose musical education came from the church (Tierinii and Tikyra Jackson), a jazz bassist (Daniel McKee) and an Israeli-born guitar virtuoso who grew up a student of the blues and funk (Ori Naftaly).

When Southern Avenue reached the finals at the 32nd International Blues Challenge, Naftaly and his bandmates knew they’ll be labeled "a blues band.” And they love the blues – but Naftaly says Southern Avenue is much more. "The genre brings diversity,” he says. "It brings together everything that came from the church and everything that came from popular music. It’s roots, Americana, soul and blues. It’s Memphis music.

Musicians :
Tierinni Jackson - vocals
Ori Naftaly - guitar
Tikyra Jackson - drums
Daniel McKee - bass
Jeremy Powell - keys

Tracklist :

Alexis P. Suter

From The Soul Of A Womam

Born in Brooklyn, NY, Alexis P. Suter came from a strong musical background. Alexis is the owner of that big, booming voice you can hear roaring out of Brooklyn into the heart of  North America and beyond. The Alexis P. Suter Band are on the rise as accolades pour in and they continue to captivate audiences from town to town.  APSB are a powerful and unique 5 piece ensemble who artfully blend the lines between Blues, Soul and Rock music. Alexis' voice ranges from a pained passion to explosive and soul bearing. Her band is also on fire manned by the power trio of Bennett, Bennett and Grappone. Jimmy Bennett is a guitar phenomenon with a fierce and ferocious tone. Drummer Ray Grappone and Peter Bennett on bass lay down the groove like a heavy duty Rhythm and Blues machine. Along with the trio is the very talented backing vocalist Vicki Bell.The band burst on to the music scene as regular performers in the late nineties at Levon Helm’s legendary Midnight Rambles in Woodstock, NY. Levon was captured by what he called Alexis’   wonderful spirit and had the band open for him nearly 100 times.