Will Ludford returns

 We  are pleased to announce the release of the  new album   from Guitarist..Will Ludford. 

The album  is well written  and produced, and mastered by  TQ1 Media who did the Paul McCartney albums and the top rock band Free.

Will Ludford has worked with many top names in music, The Barron Knights, The Detroit Emeralds, George Harrison. Alton Ellis, and members of the Chart topping band Liquid Gold. he also did session work at the Legendary Chalk Farm Studios.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001862934361

Candance Woodson

Twenty-eight days after her 2014 breast cancer surgery, Candace Woodson was back to business-as-usual performing at the wedding of one of John “Cougar” Mellencamp’s daughters. This is a testament to Candace Woodson’s lifelong passion for performing and a talent for resilience she calls “stick to it-ness”. A survivor since 2014, she wrote the song “Free,” a funky old school dance anthem that conveys hope and positivity in the wake of adversity. 

This is a message she conveys stemming from her own experience and feeling after receiving her last cancer treatment at the Medical University of South Carolina. With the help of UK promoter Steve Ripley, who has worked on hits for Diana Ross, Luther Vandross, Maxwell, and Jody Watley, “Free” rose to #12 on the UK Soul Chart Top 30. This success laid the foundation for a handful of other chart-topping singles, including “The Answer Is No”, a defiant female empowerment ballad. “The Answer Is No” hit #1 on the UK Soul Chart Top 30 and has continued to receive airplay on Smooth Jazz Radio as well as other top stations. Woodson received Billboard’s “Most Added” designation and a “Best International Artist” nominee. Her highly anticipated full-length debut album “Desire” includes her UK hits as well as new tracks that would become international fan favorites. “I’m so grateful for the opportunities I have had in the UK, and it’s exciting now to work with some of the best in the business in expanding my fan base internationally.” “I have stopped and started the musical part of my life so many times, but this time I will not stop no matter how things play out. To me, my music is very authentic, and it reflects everything I’ve gone through and the soul of someone who has loved music all her life “.

http://www.candacewoodson.com/

Buzz Kiefer

In the tradition of “Santa Clause Wants Some Lovin’” and “Santa Baby”, “I Wanna Be the Christmas tree” is dripping with inuendo and double entendre.

Chicago style horns and doo-wop BGVs make this entry into the Christmas repertoire, an extravaganza. There’s ear-candy here to satisfy the sweetest of sweet-tooths, tastfully undercut by the eye-popping irreverence of its lyrics.

Sleigh bells (drummer, James Rogan) and horse whinnies (Jimmy Bowland on saxophone) take the listener on a sleigh ride, but the riding whip, implies something more naughty.

'I wrote these lyrics at a Christmas Party,' says singer/songwriter, Buzz Kiefer, 'I asked everyone there to say something sexy about Christmas. Then I wrote the music like it was for a strip tease.'

Holiday traditions like figgy pudding and tree-top angels become metaphors for that strip tease.

Complete with angel-choir modulation in the final chorus, this slippery 6/8 groove proves: Christmas is for lovers.

www.buzzkiefer.com

Bryan Dallas

Bryan Dallas is more than a musician; he's a living testament to a life well-lived and a versatile artist. 

Born in San Francisco, CA, he grew up in the heart of the Bay Area's rock 'n' roll scene, setting the stage for his musical journey. But Bryan's story is anything but ordinary. His life is a patchwork of unique encounters and experiences: 

* At 18, Bryan danced backstage with Drew Barrymore and Karen O at The Beastie Boys concert. 
* He had an impromptu show with ZZ Top at age 23. 
* In pro per won against city police for a traffic ticket that turned into wrongful arrest. 
* Was in a hardcore band when EMO was a trend. 
* Became the first (and possibly only) crew member to check Chrissie Hynde’s microphone at The Fillmore SF.
 * Got kicked out of a church Choir for wearing blue suede shoes. 

Beyond music, Bryan is a master mechanic, college radio programmer, and holds a Degree in day trading. He's an Anecdotalist, Epicure and has even left his mark on BURRN! Magazine, Japan. Bryan's journey isn't just a musical one; it's a celebration of life's diverse experiences.

He's an artist who defies conventions, always ready to follow his own unique path.

https://www.bryandallas.com/

Mark Easton

 

Mark Easton tackles all instruments and lead vocals by himself, with an emphasis on a guitar sound. The only assistance being from two occasional background vocalists. There is really nothing here approaching blues-rock, things are more in a rock vein. He blends electric and acoustic guitars to great effect. The drumming is pretty rudimentary but is just right for the music.

Indian tom-toms lead into what else but “Indian Summer”. An infectious beat is laid down by acoustic guitar. He contributes some nicely wailing harmonica. Loud guitar rock powers the self explanatory “Your Driving’s Driving Me Crazy”. He describes the foibles of bad drivers in a hoarse vocal delivery. “Rumour Has It” gets its’ kick off by driving drums. More intense harmonica over acoustic slide guitar.

“It’s Never Going To Be The Same” goes back and forth from slow acoustic guitar to heavy electric guitar. It’s a bit of a heavy metal ballad. The narrator tells of his dream of a H-bomb dropping and he’s the only man left among “13 Women”. He runs down a litany of bad manors on “I Don’t Hate You, I Just Hate Everything You Do” to the accompaniment of Led Zeppelin style ringing acoustic guitar.

“Highland Fling” contains a tricky electric guitar figure. The world situation is bandied about on the title track “Free Yourself”. More of the same is the subject of “Digging Your Own Grave”. The Foghat treatment with traded off guitar lines is given to “I Just Want To Make Love To You”. Mark rocks out in grand style with the backing vocalists along for the guitar ride.

Mark has managed quite effectively to become his own rock band. He has the ensemble sound down to a tee complete with a driving beat. This CD is a virtual Garden Of Eden for lovers of the classic rockers of the seventies. Mark makes it all sound so seamless. Rock on!

Markeaston.net

James Leeds

Following radio plays from renowned German radio station SWR3 as well as across the UK, US and Europe, composer and producer James Leeds returns with a brilliant pop song "Happy Days" featuring vocals from Australian Sora Lion.

"Happy Days" has a positive message and the melody and lyrics easily get stuck in your head. 

https://www.jamesleeds.com/

Rare Union

Rare Union is a band born during the pandemic. Their second album "Times They Always Change" is a deeply personal album, featuring a daring mix of percussion-driven Blues and Rock with reveling, soul-baring and heartfelt vocals.

The start of Rare Union began in 2019. It started with LA Smith from New York, percussionist. LA Smith had been wanting to produce a CD, with a lot of percussion. To pass percussion on to kids all over the world. After completing a national tour with The Randy Oxford Band in 2014, LA decided to play at festivals with headliners, and do percussion workshops, passing on 12 sets of bongos at each workshop to low-income kids all over the western hemisphere. At the same time, Martin Cage lead guitarist from Nemesis, was looking to put some of his original compositions into a CD. LA Smith now out of Columbia MO, and Martin Cage out of Salt Lake UT, decided to get together, and see what would happen. They went into El Centro studio in Columbia, Missouri and start recording. They added Jerry Russo, a local rhythm drummer and the three of them put together first six songs. Then the pandemic hit, and it was a challenge to bring any artists in to the studio. The studio added UV lighting, and slowly they started to work on the CD. Martin Cage had played with vocalist, guitar player, Max Soler from FT Myers, in the group Nemesis. 

So, when they called Max he was ready to go. Over the next year and a half, they had several recording sessions. They had Will Reeves on bass and Danny Carrol on drums, both from Columbia, MO. They played together in several groups. Before too long they had 9 more songs. The songs started to get real heart felt lyrics, guitar breaks and solos that bring out the original sound that Rare Union turned out to be. They did not go into the studio trying to produce a particular sound, just wanted to make good music. What happened was chemistry, with five artists, with all different backgrounds, from 5 different states playing together. As the songs Martin had composed evolved and began to take shape, Max would add lyrics, guitar. Both Martin Cage and Max Soler would switch off on lead and rhythm. LA Smith and Danny Carroll would build the structure of the songs and decide how to incorporate the drums and percussion. Will Reeves did the bass lines and engineered the CD. 

They ended up with a new blues rock sound. The addition of Micael Kott on Cello, from Santa Fe NM, was added. His recording was done at Frogville Studios in Santa Fe, NM. Michael Kott plays cello all over the world with Peter Buffet. His cello is on “Won’t Be Lost” and “Brother of Mine”. With the CD getting produced, and final vocals getting finished the band needed a name. That’s where Dawn Smith suggested Rare Union. It described this band, born in a pandemic, from five states, with all new original music. Dawn set up all the production of the CD, web site, Domain, copywrite and trademarks. Naming the CD was easy, Max Soler and Martin Cage had a friend who passed, and he was considered a brother. So, the band named the CD, “Brother of Mine”. Rare union is now setting dates to do three videos and the start of the next CD in March. Wanting to have it out by the middle of October. They have been invited to several festivals, and are lining up festivals around the world to play. Hopping for 2023, but with the pandemic may be 2024.

Rareunionband.com

Moe Joe

Moe Joe, now respectively known as “the ever first electric blues band in Turkey” was founded by Feramerz Ayadi, İzi Ergil and Vefa Karatay in 1994, in Istanbul. Instead of other contemporary blues rock bands which were keen to cover the scholastic repertoire of 60’s and 70’s alumnis, Moe Joe chose a different path to follow by putting an emphasize on covering the milestones of post-war Chicago blues repertoire thus, choosing to struggle hard on the club scene for finding a venue in late 90’s. Hence, in time, the venues hosting the performances of the band in various cities in Turkey became a shelter for local purist audiences.

In 1996, Sarp Keskiner (vocal, guitar, harmonica) and İlhan Babaoğlu (alto and soprano saxophone) joined the band; both were until then well – known members of phenomenal Istanbul Blues Company. Under guidance of Keskiner and Ayadi, Moe Joe centered upon Chicago Southside & Westside standards, spicy Detroit style boogies, early Texas shuffles and dark Louisiana grooves.

Between 1998 and 2001, the band set the heights for the musical quality of this genre on the national scene by adding harmonica virtuoso – flautist Tuğrul Aray to its line-up and back from NYC, enter Ergin Özler to take over the drum stool aiming at to bring the swinging authenticity to the sextet.

After releasing the “all originals” debut album, “Chicago Istanbul Mainline” in 2000, Moe Joe received rave reviews from national and international music media; having been interviewed and guested on various magazines, web sites, radio and TV channels.

From 2001 Caribbean, Brazilian and Afro - Cuban beats into their well-established sound, while stabilizing the line up as a quintet; with addition of Özün Usta (conga, djembe, cajon). Within this context, live recordings compiled in this album which were recorded in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir direct to DAT tapes feature the diversity of a veteran Turkish blues band, which is set to celebrate its 30th anniversary of foundation in 2024.

https://boneunionrecords.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-2002-2009

The Lethargics

 

The Lethargics music stakes claim and establishes residence in the abandoned and undiscovered music landscapes of what Rock & Roll can be.

Born in the hard beauty of the hills and hollers of Appalachia…steeped in the histories and mysteries of Rock, Blues, Punk, Country, Folk, and Americana…

informed and inspired by the likes of Dylan, Springsteen, Knopfler, Ely, The Clash, The Replacements and The Stones…

The lethargics are simply not like any band you’ve ever heard before.

TheLethargics.com

Paul Bibbins

Paul Bibbins is a guitarist/songwriter and independent musician from Dallas, Texas. Paul is a solo artist, and he has been playing guitar and writing songs for decades. He plays high-energy, Jimi Hendrix-styled, original guitar rock ‘n roll.

Paul’s new single “Bold, Beautiful…and Long Gone!” was recently reviewed by Luke Wolk of Radio Guitar One, which prides itself as being ‘the ultimate online radio guitar network’. Luke Wolk wrote that, “Bold, Beautiful and Long Gone picks up right where Jimi Hendrix left off. This cut has some unexpected turns from the jump that keep the listener engaged. The intro comes in loud and proud and then takes a sharp turn into the verse that somehow manages to flow, despite its hard change in direction. It is a masterclass in how 100% commitment to the sound can allow the song to go almost anywhere.”

Paulbibbins.com

Sanjay Michael

Rock ‘n’ roll never left the party – it was just getting a drink at the bar!

Based in Singapore, Sanjay Michael’s new album Rocking Into Midnight returns to the heyday of classic rock and hard-driving blues... With punchy riffs and large catchy choruses, the feeling you felt from great electric guitar music is sure to return!

Although growing up in exotic Malaysia and the vast expanses of Australia was an incredible experience, rock ‘n’ roll opened the door to another world. Through the years Sanjay has jammed down and dirty in greasy bars and professional studios. While he loved covering the classics and being part of the local music community, he felt that in recent years there were no fresh and fun new rock songs coming out. So when the world shut down in 2020 he decided that in these dead calm waters was the time to write his own songs with lots of heart.

Each song has its own vibe and place in the collection, but they’re all grounded in old-school rhythm and Sanjay’s musical instinct is to always take the groove back to basics.

His journey is clear: bring the holy trinity of the rhythm guitar wall of riffs, the classic searing blues lead and singer- songwriter narrative back to foot-tapping, fist-pumping domination.

Sanjaymichael.com

The Hillbilly Moon Explosion

A viral phenomenon reissue. After 23 million YouTube views, hundreds of tattoos, dozens of cover versions, eight sold-out 7” pressings, comes the NINTH 7” pressing. Spread by word of mouth – the entrancing romantic love song (or is it a murder ballad?), with its unique guest vocals from Sparky Phillips of psychobilly band Demented Are Go contrasting with HME’s Emanuela Hutter – has rarely been played on any radio.

The Hillbilly Moon Explosion continue with their gigging schedule, with gigs across Europe this fall, and plan a new album next year. The band are two Englishmen, a Frenchman and a Swiss/Italian chanteuse, resident in Switzerland, and are one of the classiest exponents of rockabilly alive today, subtlety mixing in swing, ska, country, blues and Europop without compromising their roots – making their rock'n'roll exciting and enduring.

https://www.hillbillymoon.com/

Inner Circle Blues Band

San-Ton Entertainment presents a band that has few equals, "Inner City Blues Band".

This group of talented professionals has an extensive resume as individuals, and collectively, a high energy Blues, R&B group who opened for such Legends as "Bobby Blue Bland", the late great "Johnny Taylor" Comedian John Hinton of "Living Color " fame. Little Milton, the late great "Bobby Womack. & "Grammy Award Winner "Buckwheat Zydeco" expect to make positive impression across the nation and around the world. "The "Inner City Blues Band" is a tight unit who treats R&B as tenderly as a newborn baby and pond out hard Blues with clarity and jackhammer strength.

https://www.innercitybluesband.com/

John Barry

John Barry was born on November 3, 1933 in York (England).

He was a trumpet player in a local jazz band: The Modernaires.

In the army he joined a military band and later worked as an arranger.

Together with some friends he founded the band The John Barry Seven in 1955. In 1957 they appeared on the program "Six Five Special". On television they play in shows like "Oh Boy", achieving great notoriety. They sign with EMI and record highly popular singles.

In 1960, John Barry made his first film work: "Beat Girl" and later for "Until Your Last Breath." Internationally recognized for his romantic soundtracks and for his extensive collaboration in the James Bond film series. In 1962, after acquiring the film rights to Ian Fleming's novels, Albert R. Broccoli presented the first film in the series: "Dr. No" and then an entire concept was born where music was a key element. Monty Norman was in charge of the music for this first installment. The show's producers called John Barry because they were apparently dissatisfied with Norman's work and wanted a new version of the theme song. Thus was born the true and unforgettable James Bond Theme, which to date has accompanied the British agent throughout his 18 films and which provoked legal disputes over the rights to the theme between Norman and Barry.

He did work for Bond with "From Russia with Love", and ousted the Beatles with the sale of his song for "Goldfinger". He combines cinema with works for television, such as the "Vendetta" series, documentaries about cities ("Elizabeth Taylor in London", "Sophia Loren in Rome" ...) or "The Persuasors".

He worked on "The Lion in Winter", the musical "Billy", "The Last Valley", "Mary, Queen of Scots" and great soundtracks to diverse genres, such as space ("Black Abyss", "Clash of Galaxies "), even western ("Monte Walsh") or adventure ("King Kong", "Robin and Marian"). "Moonraker" deserves special mention as a return to the Bond series. During the 80s he composed the music for "En Algún Lugar del Tiempo". He says goodbye to the Bond series with the scores for "A View to a Kill", "Octopussy" and "007 High Tension". "Out of Africa" earned him recognition from the Academy. After a long illness, he composed for "Bailando con Lobos", "Mi Vida" and "La Letra Escarlata". In "Chaplin" he does a magnificent job full of sensitivity, and in "The Specialist" he composes like the best Bond music.

Nominated 7 times for the Oscars, he won 5 statuettes: Born Free (1966), for which he won the award in the categories of Best Soundtrack and Best Song; The Lion in Winter (1968); Out of Africa (1985) and Dances with Wolves (1990).

John Barry died in Oyster Bay, New York, on January 30, 2011 of a heart attack.

Rare Union

 

 

The start of Rare Union began in 2019. It started with LA Smith from New York, percussionist. LA Smith had been wanting to produce a CD, with a lot of percussion. To pass percussion on to kids all over the world. After completing a national tour with The Randy Oxford Band in 2014, LA decided to play at festivals with headliners, and do percussion workshops, passing on 12 sets of bongos at each workshop to low-income kids all over the western hemisphere.At the same time, Martin Cage lead guitarist from Nemesis, was looking to put some of his original compositions into a CD. 

LA Smith now out of Columbia MO, and Martin Cage out of Salt Lake UT, decided to get together, and see what would happen.They went into El Centro studio in Columbia, Missouri and start recording. They added Jerry Russo, a local rhythm drummer and the three of them put together first six songs.Then the pandemic hit, and it was a challenge to bring any artists in to the studio. The studio added UV lighting, and slowly they started to work on the CD. Martin Cage had played with vocalist, guitar player, Max Soler from FT Myers, in the group Nemesis. So, when they called Max he was ready to go. Over the next year and a half, they had several recording sessions. They had Will Reeves on bass and Danny Carrol on drums, both from Columbia, MO. They played together in several groups. Before too long they had 9 more songs.The songs started to get real heart felt lyrics, guitar breaks and solos that bring out the original sound that Rare Union turned out to be. They did not go into the studio trying to produce a particular sound, just wanted to make good music. What happened was chemistry, with five artists, with all different backgrounds, from 5 different states playing together. As the songs Martin had composed evolved and began to take shape, Max would add lyrics, guitar. Both Martin Cage and Max Soler would switch off on lead and rhythm. LA Smith and Danny Carroll would build the structure of the songs and decide how to incorporate the drums and percussion. Will Reeves did the bass lines and engineered the CD. They ended up with a new blues rock sound.The addition of Micael Kott on Cello, from Santa Fe NM, was added. His recording was done at Frogville Studios in Santa Fe, NM. Michael Kott plays cello all over the world with Peter Buffet. His cello is on “Won’t Be Lost” and “Brother of Mine”.With the CD getting produced, and final vocals getting finished the band needed a name. That’s where Dawn Smith suggested Rare Union. It described this band, born in a pandemic, from five states, with all new original music. Dawn set up all the production of the CD, web site, Domain, copywrite and trademarks. 

Naming the CD was easy, Max Soler and Martin Cage had a friend who passed, and he was considered a brother. So, the band named the CD, “Brother of Mine”.Rare union is now setting dates to do three videos and the start of the next CD in March. Wanting to have it out by the middle of October.They have been invited to several festivals, and are lining up festivals around the world to play. Hopping for 2023, but with the pandemic may be 2024.

 https://rareunionband.com/

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Wilson T. King

Listen to Wilson T. King at JAM 66 Radio.

Wilson T. King is the alias of multi-instrumentalist/songwriter and producer Tim Wilson.

He is the main exponent of the musical form he mentioned in his Blues Matters interview in May 2010, as "future blues." Both debut album, Follow Your First Mind and second release "Last of the Analogues" have received world-wide critical acclaim in such publications as Classic Rock, Guitar Player, Total Guitar, Blues Matters and "Blues Rock Magazine" . Wilson has caused debate amongst some in the blues/guitar community due to his comments about the state of modern blues; especially what he calls "karaoke blues" artists.

In an interview with Alternative Magazine Online and a BBC Radio interview, Wilson adopted an aggressive stance against "karaoke blues" artists, considering them nothing more than merchants of parody and pastiche.

His main guitar influences stylistically would seem to be Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Dave Gilmour, Albert King and Duane Allman, while his voice takes a more modern laid-back approach eschewing the typical blues sound.

His compositions tend to vary from the very simplistic to near avant-garde while maintaining a modern feel with the bass lines tending to be crucial to the minimalist approach.

Follow Your First Mind was released in February 2010 via 19 Miles High and distributed through Interscope Digital Distribution. The album was recorded in Manhattan and in Wilson's home town of Newark-on-Trent, England, and mastered at Abbey Road Studios by Christian Wright. Wilson has stated via his Facebook page that he is the final stages of recording his second album with an intended release date of mid-2011.

Last of the Analogues was released in October 2012 to universal critical acclaim. The album was recorded in the US and UK and featured Josh Lattanzi of Norah Jones on bass and Dan Whitley brother of the late Blues Great Chris Whitley on Harmonica as guest players. Grammy award winner Brian Lucey famed for his work with Dr John and the Black Keys mastered the record. Reviews included Classic Rock Magazine 8/10, Blues Rock Magazine 8/10 and part of their best of 2012, Guitar Player Magazine March 2013 " A psychedelic tour de force", Blues Matters "Probably Album of the year" as well as on-line reviews such as Music News 5/5, Blues Rock Review 9/10. Metal Discovery 10/10, Rock Guitar Daily "Blade Runner Blues". Wilson was featured artist again in Guitar Player 20edition of 13 March as well as Blues Matters.

In the Guitar Player March 2013 interview Wilson mentioned that this record was more widescreen with more focus on song writing and production.

According to an interview with Wilson in the December 2010 issue of Guitar Player Magazine, he is trying to push the blues in new directions by creating records that are void of the typical blues cliches. Lyrically and sonically adventurous, while still deeply embedded within the blues form, he calls the blues the DNA of his recordings.

Tinsley Ellis

A hard-rocking, high-voltage blues guitarist most often compared to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tinsley Ellis is hardly one of the legions of imitators that comparison might imply. Schooled in a variety of Southern musical styles as evidenced by his 1988 Alligator debut Georgia Blue (a label he has been signed to three different times), Ellis draws not only from fiery Vaughan-style blues-rock, but also Texas bluesmen like Freddie King and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, the soulful blues of B.B. King, the funky grit of Memphis soul, and numerous other electric bluesmen. Later offerings such as 1997's Fire It Up showcased fine hopped-up originals alongside striking covers penned by everyone from Mickey Newbury and Danny Kirwan, to Magic Sam and Los Lobos. Ellis has been praised in many quarters for the relentless, storming intensity of his sound. His early 21st century sides such as The Hard Way in 2004 (Telarc), 2013's Midnight Blue, and 2016's Red Clay Soul (on his own Heartfixer Music label) earned him the general acknowledgement that he has been a consistent and formidable instrumentalist and solid songwriting talent. The guitarist returned to Alligator for 2018's Winning Hand, and followed with Ice Cream in Hell in 2020 and his 20th album, The Devil May Care in 2022.

Ellis was born in Atlanta in 1957, and spent most of his childhood in southern Florida. He began playing guitar in elementary school, first discovering the blues through the flagship bands of the British blues boom: John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, the Peter Green-led Fleetwood Mac, the Yardbirds, the Rolling Stones, and so on. He soon moved on to a wide variety of original sources, becoming especially fond of B.B. King and Freddie King. After high school, Ellis moved back to Atlanta in 1975 to attend Emory University, and soon found work on the local music scene, joining a bar band called the Alley Cats (which also featured future Fabulous Thunderbird Preston Hubbard). In 1981, Ellis co-founded the Heartfixers with singer/harmonica player Chicago Bob Nelson, and they recorded an eponymous debut album for the tiny Southland imprint. They soon signed with the slightly larger Landslide and issued Live at the Moon Shadow in 1983, by which point they were one of the most popular live blues acts in the South. However, Nelson left the group shortly after the album's release, and Ellis took over lead vocal chores.

The Heartfixers' first project in their new incarnation was backing up blues shouter Nappy Brown on his well-received 1984 comeback album, Tore Up. Ellis debuted his vocals on record on the Heartfixers' 1986 LP Cool on It, which brought him to the attention of Alligator Records. Ellis left the Heartfixers to sign with Alligator as a solo artist in 1988, and they picked up his solo debut, Georgia Blue, for distribution. The album helped make Ellis a fixture on the blues circuit, and he toured heavily behind it, establishing a hard-working pattern he would follow for most of his career. The follow-up, Fanning the Flames, appeared in 1989 and explored similar territory. Released in 1992, Trouble Time helped land Ellis on album rock radio thanks to the track "Highwayman," but it was 1994's Storm Warning that really broke Ellis to a wider blues-rock audience, earning more media attention than any of his previous recordings; additionally, guitar prodigy Jonny Lang later covered Ellis' "A Quitter Never Wins" on Lie to Me.

For 1997's Fire It Up, Ellis worked with legendary blues-rock producer Tom Dowd (the Allman Brothers, Derek & the Dominos), as well as Booker T. & the MG's bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn. Ellis subsequently left Alligator and signed with Capricorn; unfortunately, shortly after the release of 2000's Kingpin, Capricorn went bankrupt, leaving the album high and dry. Still, Ellis soon caught on with Telarc, releasing his initial disc Hell or High Water on the label in 2002, followed by The Hard Way in 2004. One year later, Ellis was back with Alligator, putting out the live set Live! Highwayman and 2007's Moment of Truth, the first studio album to contain original material since Hell or High Water. Ellis toured relentlessly behind the album, and reentered the studio in early 2009. Speak No Evil was released that October, but it would be another three and a half years before he issued another studio album, with Ellis choosing to focus on live performance for the intervening period.

When the all-instrumental Get It! did arrive in March 2013, it contained tributes to a number of his blues guitar heroes such as Freddie King, Bo Diddley, and Albert Collins. Before the end of the year he had also prepared another album with the same lineup as the Get It! sessions: Kevin McKendree on keyboards, Lynn Williams on drums, and Ted Pecchio on bass. Midnight Blue was released in January of 2014, followed quickly by Tough Love in 2015 and Red Clay Soul in 2016. In 2018, Ellis returned with Winning Hand, co-produced in Nashville with rhythm guitarist and keyboardist McKendree. The very same team of players reconvened in the fall to cut Ice Cream in Hell, released in January of 2020. During the worst of the pandemic, Ellis hunkered down in quarantine and wrote more than 200 songs. He chose ten for his 20th album, the Kevin McKendree-produced The Devil May Care, issued by Alligator in January 2022.

JAM 66 Radio. New fan site

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Inner City Blues Band

San-Ton Entertainment presents a band that has few equals, "Inner City Blues Band". This group of talented professionals has an extensive resume as individuals, and collectively, a high energy Blues, R&B group who opened for such Legends as "Bobby Blue Bland", the late great "Johnny Taylor" Comedian John Hinton of "Living Color " fame. Little Milton, the late great "Bobby Womack. & "Grammy Award Winner "Buckwheat Zydeco" expect to make positive impression across the nation and around the world. "The "Inner City Blues Band" is a tight unit who treats R&B as tenderly as a newborn baby and pond out hard Blues with clarity and jackhammer strength.

Innercitybluesband.com