Clive Gregson

 

Born and raised in Manchester, England, Clive Gregson is an accomplished singer, musician and record producer. He led cult band Any Trouble. The group toured extensively in support of five critically acclaimed albums and a number of singles that became radio hits before disbanding at the end of 1984. Fondly remembered and greatly missed, the band have occasionally reformed since 2007, recording two brand new albums: “Life In Reverse” (2007) and “Present Tense” (2015). The band toured to support these releases and the three CD box set of “The Complete Stiff Recordings 1980-1981” (2013). Grown men cried!

In 1985, Clive released his first solo album and he has maintained a solo profile ever since. His solo recordings and tours have been one of the main outlets for his prolific songwriting and a solo “Best Of…” compilation was released in April 2009. Clive’s solo albums feature an eclectic mix of pop and folk styles, ranging from a stripped down one man and his acoustic intimacy to a full on electric band approach. Clive’s live shows are usually solo performances and the guitar skills that prompted Guitar to include him in their “1,000 Great Guitarists” are always well in evidence.

Along the road from pop frontman to singer-songwriter, Clive has followed many musical diversions. Between 1985 and 1992, he formed a partnership with Christine Collister that Rolling Stone called “the state of the art in British folk-rock”. They released five albums and toured the UK, USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Christine’s distinctive voice allied to Clive’s songs, instrumental and production skills created something truly special and their decision to call it a day left a huge gap in the roots music scene. The entire Gregson & Collister catalogue plus a “Best Of…” compilation were re-issued in 2009.

Clive has also toured and recorded with Richard Thompson (1982 to 1992), Nanci Griffith (1996 to 2007), Eddi Reader and Boo Hewerdine (1993 and 1999), Plainsong (1997) and he was the musical director for the Dennis Locorriere “Hits & History” tour in 2007, which resulted in a gold album and a concert DVD that also charted. His songs have been recorded by many artists, including Nanci Griffith, Kim Carnes, Fairport Convention, Claire Martin, Norma Waterson and Smokie. Nanci’s version of “I Love This Town” (performed as a duet with Jimmy Buffett) was released as a single in 2006 and became a radio hit in both America and the UK, receiving more than 5,000 spins in the USA.

Clive relocated to the USA in 1993. He continued to tour regularly, write prolifically and remain in demand as a record producer and session musician. Clive has decided to retire from solo touring at the end of 2020 in order to concentrate on writing and studio work. He will still consider live projects that capture his interest… but his days of sitting alone in the car in a Friday afternoon traffic jam on the M6 are now numbered!

https://clivegregson.com

Hilde Vos

 

 

Hilde Vos is an Americana roots singer songwriter born in 1986 in Nijmegen. She has already built up some fame with her voice and guitar. 

She sang together with Dick Van Altena, Ilse De Lange, Sandra Vanreys and Ruud Hermans. In 2012 she proudly played at various beautiful locations in Norway. In addition to artists such as Bobby Bare and Vince Gill, she sang the  Norsk Country Treff at the annual Country Festival.

With her very own sound, and sources of inspiration such as Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris and Bob Dylan, Hilde writes beautiful songs. She only touches the audience with a guitar and her voice.
She is a popular duo with her 'discoverer' Dick Van Altena, with whom she has performed a lot.

 https://www.hildevos.com

James Henry Cotton

 

 James Henry Cotton was an American blues harmonica player, singer and songwriter, who performed and recorded with many of the great blues artists of his time and with his own band. He played drums early in his career but is famous for his harmonica playing.

Cotton began his professional career playing the blues harp in Howlin' Wolf's band in the early 1950s. He made his first recordings in Memphis for Sun Records, under the direction of Sam Phillips. In 1955, he was recruited by Muddy Waters to come to Chicago and join his band. Cotton became Waters's bandleader and stayed with the group until 1965. In 1965 he formed the Jimmy Cotton Blues Quartet, with Otis Spann on piano, to record between gigs with the Muddy Waters band. He eventually left to form his own full-time touring group. His first full album, on Verve Records, was produced by the guitarist Mike Bloomfield and the singer and songwriter Nick Gravenites, who later were members of the band Electric Flag.

In the 1970s, Cotton played harmonica on Muddy Waters' Grammy Award–winning 1977 album Hard Again, produced by Johnny Winter.

Cotton was born in Tunica, Mississippi. He became interested in music when he first heard Sonny Boy Williamson II on the radio. He left home with his uncle and moved to West Helena, Arkansas, finding Williamson there. For many years Cotton claimed that he told Williamson that he was an orphan and that Williamson took him in and raised him, a story he admitted in recent years is not true. However, Williamson did mentor Cotton during his early years. Williamson left the South to live with his estranged wife in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, leaving his band in Cotton's hands. Cotton was quoted as saying, "He just gave it to me. But I couldn't hold it together 'cause I was too young and crazy in those days an' everybody in the band was grown men, so much older than me."

Cotton played drums early in his career but is famous for his harmonica playing. He began his professional career playing the blues harp in Howlin' Wolf's band in the early 1950s. He made his first recordings as a solo artist for Sun Records in Memphis in 1953. In 1954, he recorded an electric blues single "Cotton Crop Blues", which featured a heavily distorted power chord–driven electric guitar solo by Pat Hare. Cotton began working with the Muddy Waters Band around 1955. He performed songs such as "Got My Mojo Working" and "She's Nineteen Years Old", although he did not play on the original recordings; Little Walter, Waters's long-time harmonica player, played for most of Waters's recording sessions in the 1950s. Cotton's first recording session with Waters took place in June 1957, and he alternated with Little Walter on Waters's recording sessions until the end of the decade.

In 1965 he formed the Jimmy Cotton Blues Quartet, with Otis Spann on piano, to record between gigs with Waters's band. Their performances were captured by producer Samuel Charters on volume two of the Vanguard recording Chicago/The Blues/Today! After leaving Waters's band in 1966, Cotton toured with Janis Joplin while pursuing a solo career. He formed the James Cotton Blues Band in 1967. The band mainly performed its own arrangements of popular blues and R&B from the 1950s and 1960s. Cotton's band included a horn section, like that of Bobby Bland's. After Bland's death, his son told news media that Bland had recently discovered that Cotton was his half-brother.

In the 1970s, Cotton recorded several albums for Buddah Records. He played harmonica on Waters's Grammy Award–winning 1977 album Hard Again, produced by Johnny Winter. In the 1980s he recorded for Alligator Records in Chicago; he rejoined the Alligator roster in 2010. The James Cotton Blues Band received a Grammy nomination in 1984 for Live from Chicago: Mr. Superharp Himself!, on Alligator, and a second for his 1987 album Take Me Back, on Blind Pig Records. He was awarded a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album for Deep in the Blues in 1996. Cotton appeared on the cover of the July–August 1987 issue of Living Blues magazine (number 76). He was featured in the same publication's 40th anniversary issue of August–September 2010.

In 2006, Cotton was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame at a ceremony conducted by the Blues Foundation in Memphis. He has won or shared ten Blues Music Awards.

Cotton battled throat cancer in the mid-1990s, but he continued to tour, using singers or members of his backing band as vocalists. On March 10, 2008, he and Ben Harper performed at the induction of Little Walter into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, playing "Juke" and "My Babe" together; the induction ceremony was broadcast nationwide on VH1 Classic. On August 30, 2010, Cotton was the special guest on Larry Monroe's farewell broadcast of Blue Monday, which he hosted on radio station KUT in Austin, Texas, for nearly 30 years.

Cotton's studio album Giant, released by Alligator Records in late September 2010, was nominated for a Grammy Award. His album Cotton Mouth Man, released by Alligator on May 7, 2013, was also a Grammy nominee. It includes guest appearances by Gregg Allman, Joe Bonamassa, Ruthie Foster, Delbert McClinton, Warren Haynes, Keb Mo, Chuck Leavell and Colin Linden. Cotton played harmonica on "Matches Don't Burn Memories" on the debut album by the Dr. Izzy Band, Blind & Blues Bound, released in June 2013. In 2014, Cotton won a Blues Music Award for Traditional Male Blues Artist and was also nominated in the category Best Instrumentalist – Harmonica.

Cotton's touring band included the guitarist and vocalist Tom Holland, the vocalist Darrell Nulisch, the bassist Noel Neal (brother of the blues guitarist and harmonica player Kenny Neal) and the drummer Jerry Porter. 

Cotton died of pneumonia on March 16, 2017, at the age of 81, at a medical center in Austin, Texas and was buried on July 11, 2017 in Texas State Cemetery in Austin.

Carie & the SoulShakers'

Carie & the SoulShakers' original music is a blend of blistering blues and sultry soul with New Orleans style and Memphis grit. Their covers include rare cuts from Allen Toussaint, Willie Dixon, Fats Domino, Johnny Taylor and Taj Mahal. 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6I99B6nDPjKeCx6dUF4jpl

Sleepy John Estes

 

John Adam Estes, known as Sleepy John Estes, was an American blues guitarist, songwriter and vocalist. His music influenced such artists as The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin.
Estes was born in Ripley, Tennessee, either in 1899 (the date on his gravestone) or 1900 (the date on his World War I draft card). In 1915, his father, a sharecropper who played guitar, moved the family to Brownsville, Tennessee. Not long after, Estes lost the sight in his right eye when a friend threw a rock at him. At the age of 19, while working as a field hand, he began to perform professionally, mostly at parties and picnics, with the accompaniment of Hammie Nixon, a harmonica player, and James "Yank" Rachell, a guitarist and mandolin player. Estes continued to work on and off with both musicians for more than fifty years. He also performed in medicine shows with Willie Newbern.

At the suggestion of Jim Jackson, Estes made his debut as a recording artist in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1929, at a session organized by Ralph Peer for Victor Records. He recorded the tracks "Drop Down Mama" and "Someday Baby Blues" with Nixon in 1935. He later worked with Son Bonds and Charlie Pickett. He went on to record for Decca Records and Bluebird Records, with his last prewar recording session taking place in 1941. He made a brief return to recording at Sun Studio in Memphis in 1952, recording "Runnin' Around" and "Rats in My Kitchen", but otherwise was out of the public eye in the 1940s and 1950s.

Estes sang with a distinctive "crying" vocal style. He frequently teamed with more capable musicians, such as Yank Rachell, Hammie Nixon, and the piano player Jab Jones. Estes sounded so much like an old man, even on his early records, that blues revivalists reportedly delayed looking for him because they assumed he would have to be long dead (and because the musician Big Bill Broonzy had written that he was dead). By the time he was tracked down by the blues historians Bob Koester and Samuel Charters in 1962, he was completely blind and living in poverty. He resumed touring with Nixon and recording for Delmark Records. Estes, Nixon and Rachell appeared at the Newport Folk Festival in 1964.

Many of Estes's original songs were based on events in his life or people he knew in his hometown, Brownsville, such as the local lawyer ("Lawyer Clark Blues"), the local auto mechanic ("Vassie Williams' Blues"), or an amorously inclined teenage girl ("Little Laura Blues"). In "Lawyer Clark Blues", about the lawyer and later judge and senator Hugh L. Clarke, whose family lived in Brownsville, Estes sang that Clark let him "off the hook" for an offense. He also dispensed advice on agricultural matters ("Working Man Blues") and chronicled his own attempt to reach a recording studio for a session by hopping a freight train ("Special Agent [Railroad Police Blues]"). His lyrics combined keen observation with an ability to turn an effective phrase.

Some accounts attribute the nickname Sleepy to a blood pressure disorder or narcolepsy. Bob Koester, the founder of Delmark Records, said that Estes simply had a "tendency to withdraw from his surroundings into drowsiness whenever life was too cruel or too boring to warrant full attention". Estes himself explained that the nickname was born of his exhausting life as both musician and farmer. "'Every night I was going somewhere. I'd work all day, play all night and get back home about sunrise. I'd get the mule and get right on going. I went to sleep once in the shed. I used to go to sleep so much when we were playing, they called me Sleepy. But I never missed a note.

Estes suffered a stroke while preparing for a European tour and died on June 5, 1977, at his home of 17 years in Brownsville, Haywood County, Tennessee.

Earl Gaines

 

 Earl Gaines Jr. (August 19, 1935 – December 31, 2009) was an American soul blues and electric blues singer. Born in Decatur, Alabama, he sang lead vocals on the hit single "It's Love Baby (24 Hours a Day)", credited to Louis Brooks and his Hi-Toppers, before undertaking a low-key solo career. In the latter capacity he had minor success with "The Best of Luck to You" (1966) and "Hymn Number 5" (1973). Noted as the best R&B singer from Nashville, Gaines was also known for his lengthy career.

Gaines was born in Decatur, Alabama, in 1935. After moving from his hometown in his teenage years, and relocating to Nashville, Tennessee, he found employment as both a singer and occasional drummer. Via work he did for local songwriter Ted Jarrett, Gaines moved from singing in clubs to meeting Louis Brooks. Brooks led the instrumental Hi-Toppers group, who had a recording contract with the Excello label. Their subsequent joint recording, "It's Love Baby (24 Hours a Day)," peaked at No. 2 on the US Billboard R&B chart in 1955. It was Gaines' biggest hit, but his name was not credited on the record.

Breaking away from the confines of the group, Gaines became part of the 1955 R&B Caravan of Stars, with Bo Diddley, Big Joe Turner, and Etta James Their tour culminated with an appearance at New York's Carnegie Hall.[2] Without any tangible success, Gaines recorded for the Champion and Poncello labels for another few years, as well as joining Bill Doggett's band as lead vocalist. In 1963, he joined Bill "Hoss" Allen's repertoire of artists, and by 1966 had issued the album The Best of Luck to You, seeing the title track reach the Top 40 in the US R&B chart. He appeared on the television program The !!!! Beat, and later released material for King and Sound Stage 7, including his cover version of "Hymn Number 5". Recordings made between 1967 and 1973 for De Luxe were reissued in 1998. On many of his De Luxe recordings in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Gaines was backed by Freddy Robinson's orchestra.

In 1975, Gaines recorded "Drowning On Dry Land" for Ace, before leaving the music industry for almost a decade and a half, to work as a truck driver. He finally re-emerged in 1989 with the album House Party.

In the 1990s Gaines worked with Roscoe Shelton and Clifford Curry. On Appaloosa Records, Gaines issued I Believe in Your Love (1995), and in 1997 he reunited with Curry and Shelton for a collaborative live album. He released Everything’s Gonna Be Alright in 1998. Gaines work was on the 2005 Grammy Award-winning Night Train To Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues, 1945–1970, an exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. His own albums The Different Feelings of Blues and Soul (2005) and Nothin’ But the Blues (2008) followed, the latter released on the Ecko label.

In late 2009 Gaines had to cancel a concert tour of Europe due to ill health, and he died in Nashville on the last day of that year, at the age of 74.

Kings & Associates

 

 

 

Since their humble beginnings winning the 2014 ARBA award for ‘Most Outstanding New Act KINGS  &  ASSOCIATES have truly developed into one of Australia’s most uniquely new and exciting neo blues acts. Within 2 short years The Kings had quickly become a regular at Australian festivals including Mordi, Blenheim, Echuca, Semaphore and Bendigo, along with premier venues such as the Cherrybar (Melbourne), Lazybones (Sydney), and the Gov (Adelaide).

Their debut album ‘Red Dress’ was tracked in various studios around Adelaide from April to June ’14, with the guys heading to Nashville for final production and mixing with Andrija Tokic in July. Tokic mixed the Grammy nominated smash debut album for the Alabama Shakes ‘Boys & Girls’. The album also features some of Nashville’s best musos including the late Ikey Owens from the ‘Jack White band’ & ‘The Mars Volta’ on hammond, rhodes & farfisa. Red Dress incredibly hit no.1 on the iTunes Blues charts in Australia.

K I N G S  &  A S S O C I A T E S are excited to announce the follow up to their debut album Red Dress…..TALES OF A RICH GIRL dropped on 6/10/17! This marks over 2 years of writing, touring and recording with 10 new original tracks on what is expected to be a land mark release….and going by the reputation of those who helped make this album a reality it’s no wonder expectation is high. This started with tracking in LA in August ’16 with 7 time Grammy winner Jim Scott as engineer and producer. Scott’s catalogue of hit albums and awards include the Rolling Stones, Tedeschi Trucks, Sting, the Chilli Peppers, Foo Fighters, Matchbox 20 and Crowded House. After initially making contact with the management of the industry legend Scott personally reached out to the band to confirm his interest and ‘book the session’. Bassist and co-songwriter Steve Portolesi rates this 6 day session in Scott’s studio PLYRZ in Valencia north of Hollywood as the musical highlight of his career. ‘Jim is the most down to earth guy we’ve met, and considering his massive list of successful recordings I have to say it was totally refreshing. He knew how to create the perfect environment to get the best out of you both in performance and creativity….but still having time to eat, hang and chat….’ Portolesi says, ‘at times Kelv and I had to pinch ourselves to remind us of where we were and who we were working with, this guy had worked with bands and artists who have sold millions of albums and influenced us personally, to have the opportunity to work with him and have him speak into our songs was humbling to say the least’. So, after a brief 9 day trip across the pacific the album was tracked and it was back to Adelaide Australia to finish editing.

But, the quality didn’t finish with Jim Scott and LA… the band secured the services of Nashville based Vance Powell to mix the album, another industry legend and multi Grammy winner. Powell’s credits include Grammys with the Dixie Chicks and Jack White and had just finished producing the breakthrough album for Chris Stapleton. So it was back to the States again to mix the album in Music City….this time the band used the trip to perform live including shows at the legendary Bourbon St Blues Club in Printers Lane Nashville, and a quick fire semifinal appearance at the IBC in Memphis….between tracking in LA with Jim Scott, and mixing in Nashville with Vance Powell the guys had travelled over 34,000 miles in 8 months to finish their album.

‘Unlike Red Dress where we felt we were finding our feet stylistically, Tales is a lot closer to our heart’ says lyricist and vocalist Angie Portolesi. ‘This album was written for most from real life experiences…friends dying, relationships breaking up, overcoming personal tragedy, significant life changes, these are all the stories of our lives…these songs represent who we are today in so many respects, they speak back to us like kids, and we can say we’re proud of them’. 

By week 2 the album went to number 1 on the Australian blues and roots radio charts, and debuted at number 30 on the international charts which is compiled from global radio play lists. Reviews have been nothing short of astonishing with Huff Post’s Randy Radic labelling it “a humdinger from the land down under”, Chris Spector from Midwest Records describing it as “killer stuff that knows all the right moves….”, and from PBS Melbourne Peter Merrett stating “wow! I think I’ve just been to heaven and back delivered a new man….”.

Producing and performing music is not the sole focus or motivation for Kings & Associates. In conjunction with their new album the band continues their relationship with global NGO World Vision. This partnership was birthed from the 2016 Red Dress album which was produced as part of World Vision’s #nochildforsale campaign to help raise awareness of childhood sex slavery, specifically in Brazil. Kings & Associates have developed a close relationship with World Vision as a partner artist, the issue of sex slavery remains a driving passion for the band and a huge influence on their artistic direction. ‘We’re not about bashing people on the head with a social message or pointing the finger’ comments Angie, ‘our time in Memphis and specifically our visit to the site of the shooting of Martin Luther King reaffirmed in us how slavery has been with us for generations and the impact it’s had on humanity is something we need to continue to address. It’s not about saying “there are the bad guys over there”, but for us it’s about saying what in my life allows the repressed of this world to remain enslaved’.

Tales Of A Rich Girl is available on cd from kingsandassociatesmusic.com and the bands’ FB page along with iTunes, Amazon and most other on line outlets.

Kings & Associates will be performing a string of shows throughout Australia to support their new album.

Breaking news…the Kings have been added to the bill of the 2018 Womadelaide festival held in Adelaide annually in March. Womadelaide features acts from all over the globe with literally 10’s of thousands of people attending this mega event.

Dennis Burns

 

 Dennis Burns has been a performing and teaching musician in Boulder, Colorado for over 30 years. In 2005 his recording A Rose On The Lake was released on the Avant-Acoustic label. He is also the founder of BOLDER Sounds, a sound design company that specializes in the production of sample libraries (otherwise known as virtual instruments).

  https://www.dennisburnsguitar.com/

Bukka White

 

Bukka White was born south of Houston, Mississippi. He was a first cousin of B.B. King's mother (White's mother and King's grandmother were sisters).

Bukka is a phonetic spelling of White's first name; he was named after the African-American educator and civil rights activist Booker T. Washington.

He played National resonator guitars, typically with a slide, in an open tuning. He was one of the few, along with Skip James, to use a crossnote tuning in E minor, which he may have learned, as James did, from Henry Stuckey. He also played piano, but less adeptly.

White started his career playing the fiddle at square dances. He claimed to have met Charlie Patton soon after, but some have doubted this recollection.[4] Nonetheless, Patton was a strong influence on White. "I wants to come to be a great man like Charlie Patton", White told his friends.

He first recorded for Victor Records in 1930. His recordings for Victor, like those of many other bluesmen, included country blues and gospel music. Victor published his photograph in 1930. His gospel songs were done in the style of Blind Willie Johnson, with a female singer accentuating the last phrase of each line. From fourteen recordings, Victor released two records under the name Washington White, two gospel songs with Memphis Minnie on backing vocals and two country blues.
Nine years later, while serving time for assault, he recorded for the folklorist John Lomax. The few songs he recorded around this time became his most well known: "Shake 'Em On Down" and "Po' Boy". His 1937 version of the oft-recorded song "Shake 'Em on Down" is considered definitive; it became a hit while White was serving time in Mississippi State Penitentiary, commonly known as Parchman Farm. He wrote about his experience there in "Parchman Farm Blues", which was released in 1940.

He served in the US Navy from 1942 to 1944, after which he settled in Memphis, Tennessee, and worked outside music. Bob Dylan covered his song "Fixin' to Die Blues", which aided a "rediscovery" of White in 1963 by guitarist John Fahey and Ed Denson, which propelled him into the folk music revival of the 1960s. White had recorded the song simply because his other songs had not particularly impressed the Victor record producer. It was a studio composition of which White had thought little until it re-emerged thirty years later.

"Parchman Farm Blues" was about the Mississippi State Penitentiary.
Fahey and Denson found White easily enough: Fahey wrote a letter to White and addressed it to "Bukka White (Old Blues Singer), c/o General Delivery, Aberdeen, Mississippi"—presuming, given White's song "Aberdeen, Mississippi", that White still lived there or nearby. The postcard was forwarded to Memphis, where White worked in a tank factory. Fahey and Denson soon traveled there to meet him, and White and Fahey remained friends for the rest of White's life. He recorded a new album for Denson and Fahey's Takoma Records, and Denson became his manager. White was at one time also managed by Arne Brogger, an experienced manager of blues musicians.
Later in his life, White was friends with musician Furry Lewis. The two were recorded (mostly in Lewis's Memphis apartment) by Bob West for an album, Furry Lewis, Bukka White & Friends: Party! At Home, released on the Arcola label.

White died of cancer in February 1977, at the age of 70, in Memphis, Tennessee.

Jimmy Preston

 

James Alfred Smith Preston was an American R&B bandleader, alto saxophonist, drummer and singer who made an important contribution to early rock and roll.

Preston was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, and formed his own group in 1945. His first R&B top ten hit was with "Hucklebuck Daddy" in 1949, recorded for Philadelphia's Gotham Records. His main claim to fame was to record, as Jimmy Preston and His Prestonians, the original version of "Rock the Joint" for Gotham in 1949. The sax breaks on "Rock the Joint" were the work of tenor player Danny Turner (1920–1995). "Rock the Joint" was re-recorded by Jimmy Cavallo in 1951, and Bill Haley and the Saddlemen in 1952.

In 1950, tenor saxophone player Benny Golson and pianist Billy Gaines were added to his new line-up and recorded songs like "Early Morning Blues" and "Hayride". Preston moved to Derby Records and had a final R&B hit with a cover of Louis Prima’s "Oh Babe".

Preston gave up playing music in 1952, but as Reverend Dr. James S. Preston, he founded the Victory Baptist Church in 1962. He died in Philadelphia in 1984, aged 71.

 

Targetspot

 

Targetspot is a global AdTech company pioneer in digital audio advertising and marketing solutions that connect brands with their target audience through a premium portfolio of publishers across all dimensions of digital audio. 

Targetspot inserts publicity on worldwide radio stations and other media.

Thanks to a proprietary set of technologies, it provides convenient end-to-end integration between brands and publishers for direct and programmatic advertising, lasersharp cookieless targeting, and advanced attribution. 

www.targetspot.com

Mavis Staples

 

Mavis Staples was born in Chicago, Illinois, on July 10, 1939. She began her career with her family group in 1950. Initially singing locally at churches and appearing on a weekly radio show, the Staples scored a hit in 1956 with "Uncloudy Day" for the Vee-Jay label. When Mavis graduated from what is now Paul Robeson High School in 1957, The Staple Singers took their music on the road. Led by family patriarch Roebuck "Pops" Staples on guitar and including the voices of Mavis and her siblings Cleotha, Yvonne, and Pervis, the Staples were called "God's Greatest Hitmakers".

With Mavis' voice and Pops' songs, singing, and guitar playing, the Staples evolved from enormously popular gospel singers (with recordings on United and Riverside as well as Vee-Jay) to become the most spectacular and influential spirituality-based group in America. By the mid-1960s The Staple Singers, inspired by Pops' close friendship with Martin Luther King Jr., became the spiritual and musical voices of the civil rights movement. They covered contemporary pop hits with positive messages, including Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" and a version of Stephen Stills' "For What It's Worth". 

During a December 20, 2008, appearance on National Public Radio's news show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, when Staples was asked about her past personal relationship with Dylan, she admitted that they "were good friends, yes indeed" and that he had asked her father for her hand in marriage.
The Staples sang "message" songs like "Long Walk to D.C." and "When Will We Be Paid?," bringing their moving and articulate music to a huge number of young people. The group signed to Stax Records in 1968, joining their gospel harmonies and deep faith with musical accompaniment from members of Booker T. and the MGs. The Staple Singers hit the Top 40 eight times between 1971 and 1975, including two No. 1 singles, "I'll Take You There", produced by Al Bell and recorded and mixed by Terry Manning, "Let's Do It Again," and a No. 2 single "Who Took the Merry Out of Christmas?"
Mavis made her first solo foray while at Epic Records with The Staple Singers, releasing a lone single "Crying in the Chapel" to little fanfare in the late 1960s. The single was finally re-released on the 1994 Sony Music collection Lost Soul. Her first solo album would not come until a 1969 self-titled release for the Stax label. After another Stax release, Only for the Lonely, in 1970, she released a soundtrack album, A Piece of the Action, on Curtis Mayfield's Curtom label. A 1984 album (also self-titled) preceded two albums under the direction of rock star Prince; 1989's Time Waits for No One, followed by 1993's The Voice, which People magazine named one of the Top Ten Albums of 1993. Her 1996 release, Spirituals & Gospels: A Tribute to Mahalia Jackson, was recorded with keyboardist Lucky Peterson. The recording honours Mahalia Jackson, a close family friend and a significant influence on Mavis Staples' life. 

Staples made a major national return with the release of the album Have a Little Faith on Chicago's Alligator Records, produced by Jim Tullio, in 2004. The album featured spiritual music, some of it semi-acoustic.

In 2004, Staples contributed to a Verve release by legendary jazz-rock guitarist, John Scofield. The album, entitled That's What I Say, was a tribute to the great Ray Charles and led to a live tour featuring Staples, John Scofield, pianist Gary Versace, drummer Steve Hass, and bassist Rueben Rodriguez. A new album for Anti- Records entitled We'll Never Turn Back was released on April 24, 2007. The Ry Cooder-produced concept album focuses on gospel songs of the civil rights movement and also included two new original songs by Cooder.

Her voice has been sampled by some of the biggest selling artists, including Salt 'N' Pepa, Ice Cube, Ludacris, and Hozier. Staples has recorded with a wide variety of musicians, from her friend, Bob Dylan (with whom she was nominated for a 2003 Grammy Award in the "Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals" category for their duet on "Gonna Change My Way of Thinking", from the album Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan) to The Band, Ray Charles, Prince, Nona Hendryx, George Jones, Natalie Merchant, Ann Peebles, and Delbert McClinton. She has provided vocals on current albums by Los Lobos and Dr. John, and she appears on tribute albums to such artists as Johnny Paycheck, Stephen Foster and Bob Dylan.

In 2003, Staples performed in Memphis at the Orpheum Theater alongside a cadre of her fellow former Stax Records stars during "Soul Comes Home," a concert held in conjunction with the grand opening of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music at the original site of Stax Records, and appears on the CD and DVD that were recorded and filmed during the event. In 2004, she returned as guest artist for the Stax Music Academy's SNAP! Summer Music Camp and performed again at the Orpheum with 225 of the academy's students. In June 2007, she again returned to the venue to perform at the Stax 50th Anniversary Concert to Benefit the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, produced by Concord Records, who now owns and has revived the Stax Records label.

Staples was a judge for the 3rd and 7th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists.

In 2009, Staples, along with Patty Griffin and The Tri-City Singers, released a version of the song "Waiting For My Child To Come Home" on the compilation album Oh Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration.

https://mavisstaples.com/

Luther Dickinson

 

“Most of the work was in getting the spark lit,” Luther Dickinson says of assembling the all-star cast for his extraordinary new project, Luther Dickinson and Sisters of the Strawberry Moon. “It was sort of like throwing a party. Once you manage to get everybody together, you can just step back and let it all happen.”

Like any good party, Luther Dickinson and Sisters of the Strawberry Moon’s debut album, Solstice, comes complete with a great soundtrack and an impeccable guest list, one that boasts Amy Helm, Birds of Chicago, Amy LaVere, and Shardé Thomas among others. And like any good host, Dickinson manages to put the spotlight on his friends here, taking a step back from the microphone in order to focus his efforts behind the scenes and flex his considerable muscles as both a producer and a guitarist. The result is an album that stands apart in Dickinson’s extensive catalog, a collection that brings together some of the most captivating female voices in modern American roots music and filters each of their distinctive personalities through a singular vision of artistic community and musical exploration.

“The whole idea of this album was to introduce a bunch of friends and get them to collaborate with each other,” says Dickinson. “I wanted to let the chemistry flow, to create an environment where everyone’s flavors naturally blended together and each artist could just be themselves. I think you can feel that freedom in the music.”

Freedom has long been Dickinson’s sonic signature, both on the stage and in the studio. Growing up in Mississippi, he learned the power of artistic adventurousness firsthand from his father, who produced albums for Big Star and The Replacements in addition to recording with everyone from Bob Dylan and Aretha Franklin to Ronnie Hawkins and the Rolling Stones. Dickinson followed in his father’s footsteps, first earning a reputation as a fearsome session guitarist before breaking out internationally as a songwriter and performer with North Mississippi Allstars, the band he launched with his brother Cody in the late 90’s. The group earned a GRAMMY nomination for their critically acclaimed debut, ‘Shake Hands With Shorty,’ and went on to release a slew of similarly celebrated studio and live albums over the next two decades. NPR’s Mountain Stage called the band “modern-day torchbearers for the distinct, funky, Hill Country blues associated with their native state,” while the NY Times praised Dickinson as “an impressive player in the Southern guitar-hero mold,” and Rolling Stone hailed the group’s “­boogie blues and fuzzed-out funk.” The band toured with superstars like Robert Plant and Dave Matthews in addition to slaying festival stages from Bonnaroo to Newport Folk, and they topped the Billboard Blues Albums chart three separate times, most recently with 2017’s ‘Prayer For Peace.’ Dickinson’s restlessness and versatility, meanwhile, fueled an impressive solo career and landed him stints playing with the likes of John Hiatt and The Black Crowes in addition to studio work with Patty Griffin, Devon Allman, Seasick Steve, and more.

That same versatility lies at the heart of Solstice, a wide-ranging collection that harkens back to the era of the traveling revue, when a rotating cast of entertainers would take turns fronting a house band for a series of dynamic and unpredictable performances. Capturing that brand of authentic spontaneity meant taking a very hands-off approach in the studio, and Dickinson was careful to leave space for each song to develop organically. With nearly all of the album’s vocals recorded live in just one or two takes, there was no room for overthinking or second-guessing, only instinct and intuition.

“All of the artists on this album come from different backgrounds and have their own musical vernacular,” Dickinson explains. “That made it really exciting to just be in the moment and let the different melodic paths unfold. We’d be playing, and then suddenly, ‘Ahh, that’s a new avenue, let’s see where this takes us…’”

Commitment to living in the moment was key to keeping the album as cohesive as it is, no small task considering the broad array of songs and voices it encompasses.

“Recording the album in the same place at the same time with the same people really helped glue the whole thing together,” says Dickinson, who assembled the group for four days at his family’s Zebra Ranch studio in Independence, MS. “It wouldn’t have worked if we’d recorded all over the map at different times. We had to physically be present to share in those moments together.”

The record opens with a delicate take on Birds of Chicago’s “Superlover,” a gentle meditation on the power of human connection that’s woven together with meandering fiddle and fingerpicked guitar. It’s an ideal entry point for the album: contemporary but timeless, deeply personal but broadly universal, and fueled by a hypnotic feminine energy. It’s tempting to read a political statement into the supremacy of the female voice on this collection—even the simple act of releasing an album built upon the power of community and collaboration in these deeply divided times manages to feel quietly radical in its own way—but these are not songs of protest or discontent. These are songs of hope, of faith, of promise. These are songs that believe in our better angels and insist that dawn is coming even in the darkest of nights. “Build your hopes on things eternal,” Mississippi gospel legends The Como Mamas instruct on the old-time spiritual “Hold To His Hand,” delivering what could be a mission statement for the entire album in a single, stirring line.

“Each singer brought a handful of songs to the table,” Dickinson says of the album’s diverse source material. “Sometimes it was an old tune they wanted to reinterpret or something new they’d written that felt right for the cast of characters at hand, but no matter the track, all of our colors ended up mixing together on a communal palette.”

Thomas’s funky “We Made It” celebrates endurance and survival in the face of heartbreak and pain, while the soulful “Til It’s Gone” finds Birds of Chicago’s Allison Russell living for the present (“God bless this beautiful morning til it’s gone,” she sings), and the T Bone Burnett/Bob Neuwirth-penned “Like A Songbird That Has Fallen” is a tender ode to redemption and second chances in Helm’s capable hands. LaVere, meanwhile, offers up a sultry dose of Memphis romance on “The Night Is Still Young” and spins a charming folk allegory on the bouncing “Cricket (At Night I Can Fly),” both of which feature beautiful guitar work from her husband and musical partner, Will Sexton.

Varied as the performances on the album are, the songs are all stitched together elegantly by Dickinson’s subtly sophisticated production and the band’s peerless musicianship. Thomas’s drumming offers an R&B counterpoint to Russell’s legato clarinet, and LaVere’s deep grooves on the upright bass prove to be an ideal bedrock for Dickinson’s bluesy guitar work. While most of the album was recorded live in the studio, the band did invite a few special guests to contribute additional parts, including fiddler Lillie Mae Rische (Jack White, Jim Lauderdale), organist Rev. Charles Hodges (Al Green, Willie Mitchell), and GRAMMY-winning artist/producer Alvin Youngblood Hart.

“We believe music is a celebration of life, and folk music an expression of community and family,” Dickinson concludes. “Solstice is an artifact of our new friendship and musical fellowship.”

More than just an artifact, though, Solstice is a living, breathing monument to the power of collaboration, a timely reminder of our shared humanity and the ties that bind us. It’s a party, after all, and like any good party, everyone’s welcome.

 http://www.lutherdickinson.com

Lobos Negros

 

Born in the Castilian steppe, in Talavera de la Reina, Spain, land of swamps and pottery. These three Lobos Negros (Black Wolves) have been howling all over the planet for more than thirty years. There are fifteen albums behind them since they premiered at Rock-Ola, temple of the Movida Madrileña, becoming one of the most outstanding Spanish groups of the rockabilly revival at the end of the eighties. Their international tours have left their mark in Mexico, Finland, Estonia, France, England and Austria. As guest artists they have accompanied Brian Setzer, Eric Sardinas or The Meteors, among others. They have collaborated on dozens of albums, participated in multiple tributes to other artists, set poems to music and composed songs for films, especially by Álex de la Iglesia, with whom they have had multiple collaborations. Their music is considered an explosive cocktail of high caliber, rock & roll, psychobilly, garage, doses of southern rock, swampy blues. They are: Luis Martín Gil (composition, voice and guitar), José Luis Bielsa (bass and backing vocals) and Ricardo Virtanen (drums, percussion and backing vocals).

http://lobosnegros.es/home.html

Boogie Beasts

 

Dirty beats, hypnotising slide, screaming harmonica riffs and plenty of fuzz: all of these will be served by this four-men band from Liège-Limburg-Namur, Belgium.

Boogie Beasts translate their passion for (hill country) blues into a most characteristic sound of their own, which has a touch of The Black Keys jamming with John Lee Hooker at a rave in the wee hours of the morning, or Morphine on a psychedelic trip with Little Walter, or even RL Burnside backed up by the young Rolling Stones at a juke joint-gig.

The drive is infectious, the noise is pure filth, yet highly irresistible…
Are you ready to boogie with the Beasts? 

https://www.boogiebeasts.com/

Sonny Landreth and Derek Trucks

 

 

Sonny Landreth was born on Feb 1, 1951 in Canton Mississippi to Clide and Jeraldine (Jerry) Landreth. When Sonny was in the second grade, the family relocated to Lafayette Louisiana where Sonny was surrounded by the many musical and cultural influences that we can hear so much of in his music today. He is very much in demand as a session player as he never holds back and gives his all for whomever he is working with. He has played with many different artists including: Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Clifton Chenier, Steve Conn, Michael Doucet, Jerry Douglas, John Hiatt, Dr. John, Mark Knopfler, Kenny Loggins, John Mayall, Maria Muldaur, Dolly Parton, Zachary Richard and Junior Wells just to name a few. His haunting slide technique is quite different from anything I had ever heard before; sometimes he is able to coax sounds from his guitars that sound like other instruments. Sonny uses a style that combines finger picking, palming and slapping the strings and what looks to me like he’s trying to “excite the strings” like you would with a bow on a violin. His slide technique is quite unique in that he also frets behind the slide, giving him a different sound and “feel” than most slide players. Not only is he an incredible player but also a singer/song writer. 

Derek learned to play the acoustic guitar from the age of nine. He started playing professionally at the age of 11 in The Allman Brothers Band. In the mid-90s, he founded the Derek Truck Band. He has performed with Susan Tedeschi, whom he married in 2001. He has recorded with Frogwings, Buddy Guy and McCoy Tyner.

Derek Trucks is a winner of a Grammy Award, he is a member of The Allman Brothers Band, in addition to owning his own band. He is considered to be one of the most inspired slide guitar players today.

He began to stand out as a guitarist at a very young age, and by the age of 12 he had already worked with some of the great names in American music, such as Buddy Guy or The Allman Brothers Band. With the latter, he toured for several years before becoming an official member of the band in 1999. That same year he met blues singer Susan Tedeschi, whom he married two years later.

 sonnylandrethfan.com

Marty Christian

 

Marty Christian's music might best be described as Bluesicana: Americana with a deep root in the Blues. Christian has combined elements of many Southern genres including Blues, Funk, Soul and Swamp Pop to create a sound of his own. Through 5 original music CDs, Christian tells the story through his music of how he came to leave Cleveland, OH on a search for Southern Blues from his time immersed in the Blues world of Austin, TX to the Zydeco lands of Lafayette, LA and most recently in his current home in New Orleans.

Christian’s experience includes recording and touring as the guitarist for some of Louisiana’s musical greats: Henry Gray (Howlin’ Wolf), Carol Fran (Excello, BlackTop) and Thomas “Big Hat” Fields (Maison de Blues/Zydeco). On his latest CD, Rambling Blues, Christian is still following his own path as a writer and musician, blending the Blues with anything else that happens to pass his way on the journey. "Bottom line, Marty Christian makes beautiful music, and Rambling Blues is another fine showcase of his artistic gifts."

Marty Christian, Lee Zeno and Frank Kincel joined forces with the late Andy Cornett to create a sound of their own with the band Rue Boogaloo in 2012. Offbeat said their all original, self-titled debut CD had “Rue Boogaloo standing smack dab in the middle of where Jimmy Reed, R.L. Burnside and the Meters would all crash and smash”

https://www.martychristian.com/

Magic Sam

 

Magic Sam was an American Chicago blues musician. He was born in Grenada County, Mississippi, and learned to play the blues from listening to records by Muddy Waters and Little Walter. After moving to Chicago at the age of 19, he was signed by Cobra Records and became well known as a bluesman after the release of his first record, "All Your Love", in 1957. He was known for his distinctive tremolo guitar playing.

The stage name Magic Sam was devised by Sam's bass player and childhood friend Mack Thompson at Sam's first recording session for Cobra, as an approximation of "Maghett Sam". The name Sam was using at the time, Good Rocking Sam, was already being used by another artist.

Maghett moved to Chicago in 1956, where his guitar playing earned him bookings at blues clubs on the West Side. He recorded singles for Cobra Records from 1957 to 1959, including "All Your Love" and "Easy Baby". They did not reach the record charts but had a profound influence, far beyond Chicago's guitarists and singers. Together with recordings by Otis Rush and Buddy Guy (also Cobra artists), the Westside Sound was a manifesto for a new kind of blues. Around this time Magic Sam worked briefly with Homesick James Williamson.Magic Sam gained a following before being drafted into the U.S. Army. He served six months in prison for desertion and received a dishonorable discharge.

In 1963, his single "Feelin' Good (We're Gonna Boogie)" gained national attention. He successfully toured the U.S., Britain and Germany. He was signed to Delmark Records in 1967, for which he recorded West Side Soul and Black Magic. He continued performing live and toured with a band that included blues harp player Charlie Musselwhite, future Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen bassist "Buffalo" Bruce Barlow and drummer Sam Lay. Magic Sam's breakthrough performance was at the Ann Arbor Blues Festival in 1969, which won him many bookings in the U.S. and Europe.

His career was cut short when he suddenly died of a heart attack in December 1969. He was 32 years old. Magic Sam was buried in the Restvale Cemetery, in Alsip, Illinois. He was survived by his wife, Georgia Maghett. In February 1970, the Butterfield Blues Band played at a benefit concert for Magic Sam, at Fillmore West in San Francisco. Also on the bill were Mike Bloomfield, Elvin Bishop, Charlie Musselwhite and Nick Gravenites.

His guitar style, vocals, and songwriting have inspired and influenced many blues musicians. "Magic Sam had a different guitar sound," said his record producer, Willie Dixon. "Most of the guys were playing the straight 12-bar blues thing, but the harmonies that he carried with the chords was a different thing altogether. This tune "All Your Love", he expressed with such an inspirational feeling with his high voice. You could always tell him, even from his introduction to the music."

Sonny Morgan

 

Sonny Morgan was born and raised in Dallas Texas. From the early days of Sonny’s childhood, he was a Music lover. From the time he was able, he sang in his Church’s choir and played the Trumpet all the way through High School. His other passion was the Automobile business.

Throughout the years he became extremely successful in the auto business. Some of his Clients were Willie Nelson, Charlie Pride, Tom Landry and many others. Just a few years ago, one of Sonny’s Celebrity Clients, George Strait challenged him to pursue his passion of singing. After meeting Ray Benson, Ray had Sonny on stage with Asleep at the Wheel at one of his performances doing a duet. That’s all it took for performing on stage to get in Sonny’s blood.

Since that day with Asleep at the Wheel, Sonny has performed at numerous venues as well as his passion, to go sing to Seniors who don’t have the opportunity to come to his shows.

Sonny, his wife Karin and their rescued Greyhounds live in Granbury, Texas

An extremely talented Country Singer and Entertainer. Really has fun with his audience as well having an unbelievable voice. The many shows that he’s performed, Sonny’s audiences have always asked for encores because of his fun and entertaining performance. Can sing many songs of current or past Country singers! Has been on CBS Austin KEYE 42 TV, sang with Ray Benson and Asleep at The Wheel, sang at Ray Stevens “Cabaray” in Nashville and is endorsed by the Texas Country Music Association as a member in good standing. Has recorded at Nashville’s famed Ocean Way Studios on Music Row as well as the famous Hilltop Studios in Nashville! His first Album is titled “It’s a Beautiful World” and is available on CD or any of the Electronic Medias! His second Album is titled “I’m your Man” and available on electronic media. He’s been on the Texas Regional Chart with seven of his singles and on the World Country Chart with two songs at number 1 and 2 respectively!

 

 https://www.sonnymorganmusic.com

Mississippi Fred McDowell

 

 McDowell, known by his stage name Mississippi Fred McDowell, was an American hill country blues singer and guitar player. was born in Rossville, Tennessee, United States. His parents were farmers, who both died while Fred was in his youth. He took up the guitar at the age of 14 and was soon playing for tips at dances around Rossville. Seeking a change from plowing fields, he moved to Memphis in 1926, where he worked in the Buck-Eye feed mill, which processed cotton into oil and other products. In 1928, he moved to Mississippi to pick cotton. He finally settled in Como, Mississippi, in 1940 or 1941 (or maybe the late 1930s), where he worked as a full-time farmer for many years while continuing to play music on weekends at dances and picnics.

After decades of playing for small local gatherings, McDowell was recorded in 1959 by roving folklore musicologist Alan Lomax and Shirley Collins, on their Southern Journey field-recording trip. With interest in blues and folk music rising in the United States at the time, McDowell's field recordings for Lomax caught the attention of blues aficionados and record producers, and within a couple of years, he had finally become a professional musician and recording artist in his own right. His LPs proved quite popular, and he performed at festivals and clubs all over the world.

McDowell continued to perform the blues in the north Mississippi style much as he had for decades, sometimes on electric guitar rather than acoustic guitar. He was particularly renowned for his mastery of slide guitar, a style he said he first learned using a pocketknife for a slide and later a polished beef rib bone. He ultimately settled on the clearer sound he got from a glass slide, which he wore on his ring finger.[9] While he famously declared, "I do not play no rock and roll," he was not averse to associating with younger rock musicians. He coached Bonnie Raitt on slide guitar technique[8] and was reportedly flattered[citation needed] by The Rolling Stones' rather straightforward version of his "You Gotta Move" on their 1971 album Sticky Fingers. In 1965, he toured Europe with the American Folk Blues Festival, together with Big Mama Thornton, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, Roosevelt Sykes and others.

McDowell's 1969 album I Do Not Play No Rock 'n' Roll, recorded in Jackson, Mississippi, and released by Malaco Records, was his first featuring electric guitar. It contains parts of an interview in which he discusses the origins of the blues and the nature of love. His live album Live at the Mayfair Hotel (1995) was from a concert he gave in 1969. Tracks included versions of Bukka White's "Shake 'Em On Down," Willie Dixon's "My Babe," Mance Lipscomb's "Evil Hearted Woman," plus McDowell's self-penned "Kokomo Blues." AllMusic noted that the album "may be the best single CD in McDowell's output, and certainly his best concert release". McDowell's final album, Live in New York (Oblivion Records), was a concert performance from November 1971 at the Village Gaslight (also known as The Gaslight Cafe), in Greenwich Village, New York.

McDowell’s version of the folk song "John Henry" from 1969 is included on the Ann Arbor Blues Festival 1969: Vols 1&2, 2019 release.

McDowell died of cancer in 1972, aged 66, and was buried at Hammond Hill Baptist Church, between Como and Senatobia, Mississippi. On August 6, 1993, a memorial was placed on his grave by the Mount Zion Memorial Fund. The ceremony was presided over by the blues promoter Dick Waterman, and the memorial with McDowell's portrait on it was paid for by Bonnie Raitt. The memorial stone was a replacement for an inaccurate (McDowell's name was misspelled) and damaged marker. The original stone was subsequently donated by McDowell's family to the Delta Blues Museum, in Clarksdale, Mississippi. McDowell was a Freemason and was associated with Prince Hall Freemasonry; he was buried in Masonic regalia.

Ashton Smith

 

 

Ashton Smith was born and raised in Dry Branch, Ga, where she started singing, and performing at a young age of 5 years old and writing her own music at the age of 12. She started out in her hometown church singing gospel, but her passion and love have always been Americana Country Singer-Songwriter Music.

Ashton Smith releases her debut 6 song EP Titled “Jack Will DO” The EP is a breath of fresh air with substance, as Ashton finds pleasure in singing, writing, and working with the musician, who is a huge part of her EP melodies coming to life. She was so excited to have the opportunity to share this experience with her father, Stewart Smith as well who is featured playing the lead guitar. And her Fiancè, Donald Griffis, who performed the drum tracks.

Ashton Smith already has a passionate, and dedicated fan base. Ashton’s performances range from Georgia, to Tennessee, and even Florida. Her Debut EP, and this major distribution release, demonstrate her will to provide her fans, with a recorded project that reflects what live audiences have seen first-hand. Make sure to add Ashtons Debut EP to your favorite playlist from your favorite streaming app. You are going to wanna listen to this over and over again.

This woman has it all — the voice, the presence, the heart, and the style of a head-turning superstar on the rise.

Produced by Michael Goose Goodrich and Self-managed, Ashton Smiths pure power as a singer-songwriter has now found a home for her music after inking a major distribution deal with Perry Music Group back in February. Perry Music Group also, known as PMG, is a multi-faceted Label Services and Major Distribution company. With a Music Publishing Group at The Core Of The Organization that produced number one hits like “Not A Moment Too Soon” (Tim McGraw), “What Part Of No Don’t You Understand” (Lorrie Morgan), “Anywhere For You” (Backstreet Boys) just to name a few.

Ashton teamed up with the Director of PMG, Mr. Bryan Wayne Perry who developed a new music industry business model, that Perry Music Group is known for. Perry Music Group works with a large roster, and a variety of genres, both Major, and Independent Label Groups, and artists around the globe. PMG is best known for its business consulting for any brand, as a brand, is a brand, is a brand, according to Bryan Wayne Perry. PMG also, proudly provides artists with MAJOR Global Digital Distribution, as PMG is an imprint of The Orchard, which is a subsidiary of Sony Music. PMG helps artists all over the globe, find a home that they can trust, for their music. Just like Ashton Smith has done for her debut EP.

After Ashton inked her deal, Both Ashton and Perry Music Group immediately started preparing for a successful launch of Ashtons’ debut EP “JACK WILL DO” set for March 14th, 2022. The ep will be available on all DSP providers, such as Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, Amazon, Google Play, Deezer, and many more. Get ready to add Ashton Smith to your playlist, from your favorite streaming apps, and play the hell out these songs, as they are all worthy of daily love.

https://orcd.co/3yxob2a

Sam Watkins

 

 

 

From the age of 10 music has been a very powerful force in my life. I cut my teeth on the music of Elvis Presley and Randy Travis. I learned the guitar and began writing at age 11. My first performance guitar was a Fender acoustic I got when I was 15. My best friend in high school, was real big on Garth Brooks and Chris Ledoux. Together we entered a talent show. We got 2nd place but had a lot of fun and wanted badly to keep doing it! My first time stage was in 1993, a year after “Pure Country” came out and I had already learned most of George Strait’s older songs. It was my dream to play Honky Tonk and Western Swing music and my writing already reflected that. I sang “I Cross My Heart” and, seeing the reaction of the crowd, I knew in my heart that this was where I belonged. The Summer of 2008 was a major turning point in my life, because that was when I met and partnered with my wife Tina Watkins in Austin, Texas. I was playing my guitar at a coffee shop when a man sat down to next to me. He told me he was about to propose to his girlfriend and asked if I could write a song for him that would make her say “Yes!”. I immediately began to write a short, but sweet little song for them and sang it as he got down on one knee. Tina heard the song and approached me about working together. It’s been the best decision I’ve ever made! I played solo gigs for a year or two, recorded an album, and in 2010 began to create my band. My first CD “Has Anybody Seen Me?” was created in late 2007. The 9th song on the CD, “Baby Girl”, sparked a huge response from mothers all over the U.S. and in other countries as well. It is currently used by many MySpace folks and is a symbol of hope for families who have lost a child or are currently searching for their lost loved ones. Other popular songs are the title track which will be featured on the full band CD “Fate Train” currently being recorded. Also popular are “Dusty Old Town”, “Fate Train”, “After All These Beers” (which is being revised for the new album). Sam Watkins & Fate Train look forward to playing in a town near you real soon!

 

https://itnsradio.com/sam-watkins

Rick Derringer

 

 

Entertainer Rick Derringer was just 17 when his band The McCoys TM recorded the No.1 hit "Hang On Sloopy" in the summer of 1965, knocking "Yesterday" by The Beatles out of the top spot.

 The McCoys had enjoyed four years of successful touring, when Rick merged his talents with Johnny Winter in 1969, forming Johnny Winter And (And referring to the McCoys).

Rick was the only producer of all gold and platinum Winter Brothers recordings. In '71 Rick was featured on three records, "Johnny Winter And", "Johnny Winter And-Live" and "Edgar Winter's White Trash". "And" featured the first version of Derringer's "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo" which was also released as a single, then selected again for "And - Live."

Eventually, the busy Derringer joined Edgar Winter's White Trash full-time and produced the gold LP, "Roadwork." Derringer's solo album, All American Boy was released in '73 with the now already popular "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" this time as a 'hit' single.

Rick was writer/producer of the Still Alive And Well album and player/producer of the hit album, They Only Come Out At Night. The latter featured the No. 1, Grammy nominated monster hit, "Frankenstein" and "Free Ride." In 1976 Rick created the Derringer. He released four albums and in '83 returned to his solo career with the LP, Good Dirty Fun.

Throughout the '70s and '80s the popular Derringer appeared on numerous albums with artists Alice Cooper, Richie Havens, Todd Rundgren and Steely Dan. The list also includes Cyndi Lauper, Barbra Streisand, Kiss, Mason Ruffner and Madam X. In the mid-80s, Derringer discovered Weird Al Yankovic, producing music for Grammy-winning albums and videos. Derringer's productions of the Michael Jackson parodies, the No. 1 hit "Eat It", and "Who's Fat", have been Yankovic's most successful recordings.

In the '90s, Rick was selected to be producer/writer/performer of the World Wrestling Federation LP Hulk Hogan's theme song, "I Am A Real American" was written and performed by Rick as a part of these projects. Derringer was once again sought after by Edgar Winter and in 1990, performed for the LP, Edgar Winter and Rick Derringer Live in Japan. Then in 1999 Rick and Edgar were back together again for their collaboration on his Winter Blues CD. Rick also recorded four blues CD's starting in '93 with Back to the Blues followed by Electra Blues, Blues Deluxe and his 2000 release Jackhammer Blues. At about that same period Derringer, who seems to be constantly in motion, released his destined-to-be-classic Tend the Fire in Europe to rave reviews and was eagerly expected and welcomed by his loyal fans here in the US.

The year 2001 was another busy one for Rick. His venture back into Rock & Roll with Vanilla Fudge superstars Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert produced a recording of intense synergy - DBA (for Derringer, Bogert & Appice) with vocals, writing and instrumentals shared by all three. 2004 promised a reprise for Derringer and Appice, with the release of D-N-A.

After DBA the next project was truly a work from the heart and soul of Rick and his wife Brenda Jean (Jenda Hall). Entitled Aiming 4 Heaven, it brought forth their devotion to God and put it into song with help from their children, Lory & Martin. That project opened the doors for a worldwide release on Reborn Records.

We can't forget the Winter of 2002, where Rick ventured into a whole new musical world - Smooth Jazz. Interest in Rick Derringer - Free Ride grew quickly at radio, and the second single "Hot And Cool" (in the 'Radio and Records' top 20 for 5 months, and number 42 for the year) showed Derringer right at home in the format. It might come as a surprise, but as he explains, it's the kind of music he's been waiting to do his whole life. His wife Brenda is featured as co-writer on three songs, and arranger/singer on the title cut.

In 2007, Rick released Rockin' America, featuring the patriotic song Real American,  which has been used by The President, during political campaigns, and on the hit FX series, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia". In 2009, Rick released yet another display of blues talent on Knighted by the Blues, again featuring wife Jenda as co-writer on several songs. In 2010, Rick released an amazing compilation of Freddie, Albert and B.B. King on The Three Kings of the Blues. And finally, the year 2013 marks the 40th anniversary of Rick Derringer's All American Boy debut solo album and his long journey of successes as producer, songwriter, and player throughout the years. 

It seems like almost too much story to take in at one sitting, but the most surprising part is...... after more than four decades he's still going strong!

https://rickderringer.com

JAM Radio. Videoclip

Feeder

 

The celebrated, multi-platinum-selling, rock band Feeder have hit a resurgent run of three consecutive UK Top 10 albums with 2016’s All Bright Electric, the 2017 Best Of, and 2019’s Tallulah. Looking ahead to 2022, it is with some momentum that the band will release new album Torpedo into the world.

 

Momentum has been something in short supply for many artists over the last 18 months. For Feeder, the ensuing numbness of early-stage lockdowns inevitably led to an uncharacteristically uninspired period for the band and songwriter Grant Nicholas. Feeder, however, have always been masters of marrying the light and the dark - illuminating the shadowy corners of their world to uncover something poignant and uplifting - meaning it was not long before conditions became a perfect storm for inspiration’s lightning to strike, and two albums’ worth of music materialised.

"Torpedo" signals a band refreshed, inspired by the new and not resting on the strength of their considerable successes. Like so much of the band’s high points, "Torpedo" is a communal experience that considers the processes through which we deal with what’s in front of us. Musically it acts a connecting thread between all they’ve journeyed through to date, and all they can still become in the future.

 

https://slinky.to/TheHealing