_De meer dan geslaagde jubileumeditie van Duvelblues in 2011 is inmiddels alweer meer dan een half jaar achter de rug, en velen onder ons kijken dan ook reikhalzend uit naar wat er op het 'menu' van 2012 zal staan.  En we willen ter gelegenheid van deze Nieuwjaarsdagen dan ook reeds een redelijk groot tipje van de sluier oplichten want het beloofd, met wat we nu al weten, weer een schitterende hoogdag voor de Blues te worden daar in het Hof van Coolhem op Zaterdag 26 Mei 2012.
 
Dat met namen als Rod Piazza en Charlie Musselwhite op de laatste editie de lat hoog gelegd werd, heeft Duvelblues er niet van weerhouden om met vol goede intenties er weer tegenaan te gaan om ook in 2012 weer een echt Duvelblues programma samen te brengen.  En de organisatie kan nu reeds aankondigen dat het programma voor 90% klaar is en het beloofd weerom een Duvelblues editie te worden met alles erop en eraan : Een internationaal programma met onontdekte pareltjes, vuurwerk en briljante stemmen die allen hun sporen reeds meer dan verdiend hebben in het bluescircuit :

De affiche 2012 is compleet !!

- Kenny Neal (USA)
Kenny Neal is een alom geprezen multi-instrumentalist en is vooral bekend als een begenadigd swamp-blues gitarist. Hij is geboren in 1957 New Orleans, en groeide op in Baton Rouge. Van jongs af aan rolde hij in de blues dankzij zijn vader , zijn familie en vrienden waaronder namen zoals Buddy Guy.
Door de jaren heen deelde Kenny het podium met een impressionante lijst van blues en R & B grootheden waaronder BB King, Bonnie Raitt, Muddy Waters, Aaron Neville, Buddy Guy en John Lee Hooker.
Zijn nieuwe CD volgt na de triomf van zijn in 2008 bekroonde comeback album Let Life Flow : drie prestigieuze "Album Of The Year" awards, twee "Song of The Year" awards voor de titel track, en Kenny zelf tweemaal genomineerd tot "Artist of the year".
Het is duidelijk dat Kenny iets diep in de blues gemeenschap raakt met zijn soulvolle gitaarspel en opzwepende songs : Nog een schitterende reden om Duvelblues 2012 niet te missen !
Kenny Neal is an acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and is widely renowned as a modern swamp-blues master. His new release, Hooked On Your Love, follows the triumph of his multi-award winning 2008 comeback album, Let Life Flow. An outstanding success, the CD raked in the accolades: three prestigious Album Of The Year awards, two Song of The Year awards for the title track, and Kenny himself garnered two Artist of the Year honors.
It was clear that Kenny touched something deep in the blues community with his soulful guitar playing and uplifting songwriting, and his hot streak continues with a batch of new songs. Hooked On Your Love covers the plethora of accomplished roots styles Kenny has become known for. The tasty musical gumbo of swamp-boogie, jazz, R&B, and straight-ahead blues all swirl together on this new CD.
Kenny Neal was born in 1957 in New Orleans and raised in Baton Rouge. He began playing music at a very young age, learning the basics from his father, singer and blues harmonica player, Raful Neal. Family friends like Lazy Lester, Buddy Guy and Slim Harpo also contributed to Kenny’s early musical education. In fact, it was Harpo who gave the crying three-year-old a harmonica to pacify him. Kenny stopped crying that day, and eventually learned to play the harmonica. Along the way, he also mastered the bass, trumpet, piano and guitar. At 13, he joined his father’s band and began paying his musical dues. Four years later, he was recruited and toured extensively as Buddy Guy’s bass player.
Following Buddy's advice to concentrate on his guitar playing, Kenny relocated to Toronto, and along with his brothers Raful, Jr., Noel, Larry and Ronnie - formed the Neal Brothers Band, honing his chops backing up visiting blues stars. Through the years, he has shared the stage or worked with a who’s-who list of blues and R&B greats at one time or another, including B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, Muddy Waters, Aaron Neville, Buddy Guy and John Lee Hooker. Later, he fronted Canada's Downchild Blues Band, before returning to Baton Rouge to begin his solo career.
Signing with Alligator Records in 1988, Kenny began releasing a series of consistently lauded albums featuring his laid-back, Baton Rouge blues, with a modern spin on the Louisiana sound he grew up with. Throughout this period, Kenny distinguished himself as one of the brightest prospects of the contemporary blues scene, receiving great critical acclaim in the process. The Chicago Tribune pegged Kenny as “one of a mere handful of truly inventive young contemporary guitarists, Neal has something fresh to say and the chops with which to say it,” while AllMusic said his “gruff-before-their-time vocals retain their swamp sensibility, while assuming a bright contemporary feel that tabs him as a leading contender for future blues stardom.” Blues Revue agreed, calling Kenny "one of the brightest young stars on the blues horizon, and a gifted artist."
In 1991, Kenny branched out into the world of acting when he starred as the lead in the much-acclaimed musical, Mule Bone, a lost play written by the famed African-American poet Langston Hughes and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston in 1930. Featuring music written by Taj Mahal, Kenny’s performances garnered a prestigious Theater World Award for “The Most Outstanding New Talent On and Off Broadway,” and he concurrently set two Hughes poems to music on the album Walking With Fire.
After his impressive run with Alligator, Kenny switched to Telarc, and continued to release albums highlighting his developing skills as a songwriter, as well as interpreting songs from musicians as diverse as Bob Dylan, John Hiatt, and Nick Lowe. His 2004 release with Billy Branch, Double Take, garnered Kenny a W.C. Handy award for Best Album. More recently, Kenny released A Tribute to Slim Harpo and Raful Neal, which pays homage to blues harp icon Harpo as well as Kenny’s father, who passed away as the album was being completed.
After relocating to the Bay Area in 2004, Kenny began hosting his own local cable TV program, “Neal’s Place.” The show features Kenny jamming and talking with the many international blues stars he has met and performed with, as well as local artists he has spotted at festivals and clubs. Filmed in front of a live studio audience, “Neal’s Place” has a relaxed, informal atmosphere that brings out the best in the artists, while giving an unscripted, improvisational edge to the performances.
In 2005, health problems forced Kenny to completely stop performing and recording for a few years. And, within an eleven month span during this recovery period, Neal lost his dad, sister, and brother. In the best blues tradition, Neal took the tragedies, adversity and heartbreak of those years and turned them into great songs and performances.
Writing, playing, and singing with a renewed sense of purpose and energy, he used the time to craft an inspired collection of songs that make up Let Life Flow. Released in 2008, the CD met with immediate critical success. Vintage Guitar said, “Kenny Neal’s new release is full of blues and soul music of the highest standard. While Neal’s always been one of his generation’s finest bluesmen, Let Life Flow helps push him into the upper echelon of the genre. His maturity, mastery of the music, and sheer determination show it, making this one of 2008’s best.”
Living Blues magazine added, “His latest effort is a resounding affirmation of his talents as a musician, songwriter, and singer,” while About.com offered that “Kenny Neal’s Let Life Flow album should be considered a masterpiece.”
The critical acclaim and passel of awards that followed are testament to not only the album’s soulful grooves, but also to the deep, emotional resonance in Kenny’s perseverance in face of life’s trials.
Kenny was able to return to the scene and the stage with a new vigor and outlook on life. With these, he entered the studio to whip up the good time gumbo of Hooked On Your Love.
The new album casts that potent Neal spell of deep grooves and deep feelings that put him where he is today. With tunes like swampy Louisiana look-back “Down In The Swamp,” the funky shuffle of Memphis in his take on “Blind Crippled Or Crazy,” or the soul searching blues of “Bitter With The Sweet,” Hooked On Your Love extends the spirit of his acclaimed Let Life Flow.
Take a listen and prepare to be hooked.

- Elmore D (B)
Elmore D werd geboren als Daniel Droixhe in 1946 in Herstal nabij Luik. Jawel een Belgischeartiest. Zijn naam is een verwijzing naar Elmore James. In het begin van zijn carrière immiteerde hij graag de sound van James op de slide gitaar.
Hij houdt vooral van de voor-oorlogse Blues met voorbeelden als Casey Bill Weldon en Kokomo Arnold.. Zijn favoriete instrument is een National Triolian 1931 gitaar volledig in metaal die zijn sound het beste kan weergeven. Pas in 1997 sticht hij zijn eigen band, de Elmore D Band, met twee ex-leden van The Electric Kings, Big Dave op de harp and Willie Maze aan de drums. Stergitarist wordt Lazy Horse die ook voor Flip Kawlier heeft gespeeld.
In 2001 krijgt hij de "Blues Trophée -Best European Artist", en het is vooral tijdens festivals dat hij van zich laat spreken. Hij heeft daarnaast 5 cd's op zijn naam staan.
Tegenwoordig promoot hij vooral blues songs gezongen in het Waals, dus een dialect van het Frans. Daarnaast geeft hij ook nog lezingen aan den Univ van Luik, waar hij ook professor is.
Elmore D est né à Herstal, près de Liège, en 1946. Il a longtemps joué et chanté le blues traditionnel, à la guitare, dans des cercles familiaux ou privés. Il propose aujourd'hui un répertoire mêlé de classiques en anglais et de chansons originales en dialecte wallon. Il tâche d'abord d'y renouveler — sans étroit «revivalisme» — le blues rural et «d'avant-guerre» qui puise ses thèmes dans des circonstances typiquement locales, à la manière de Sleepy John Estes. Aussi ses textes font-ils volontiers référence à des anecdotes biographiques ou à des épisodes de la communauté qui l'entoure. Il y joint un rapport souvent protestataire à l'actualité politique et sociale, tel qu'illustré autrefois par Leabelly ou par le skiffle britannique de Lonnie Donnegan, dans les années '50 et '60. Son action musicale s'est spécialement infléchie en direction d'une «défense et illustration» de l'identité wallonne, et de la Wallonie en général.
Il se produit avec son fils Gilles selon des formules diverses. Celles-ci, sans limites de frontières, s'étendent généralement à un groupe d'une demi-douzaine de musiciens belges ou originaires des Pays-Bas.

_- Guy Davis (USA)
Whether Guy Davis is appearing on “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” or nationally syndicated radio programs such as Garrison Keillor’s, “A Prairie Home Campanion”, “Mountain Stage” or David Dye’s,“World Café”. , in front of 15,000 people on the Main Stage of a major festival, or teaching an intimate gathering of students at a Music Camp, Guy feels the instinctive desire to give each listener his ‘all’.
His ‘all’ is the Blues. 
The routes, and roots, of his blues are as diverse as the music form itself.  It can be soulful, moaning out a people’s cry, or playful and bouncy as a hay-ride. 
Guy can tell you stories of his great-grandparents and his grandparents, they’re days as track linemen, and of their interactions with the infamous KKK.  He can also tell you that as a child raised in middle-class New York suburbs, the only cotton he’s picked is his underwear up off the floor. 
He's a musician, composer, actor, director, and writer.  But most importantly, Guy Davis is a bluesman.  The blues permeates every corner of Davis' creativity. 
Throughout his career, he has dedicated himself to reviving the traditions of acoustic blues and bringing them to as many ears as possible through the material of the great blues masters, African American stories, and his own original songs, stories and performance pieces. 
His influences are as varied as the days.  Musically, he enjoyed such great blues musicians as Blind Willie McTell (and his way of story telling), Skip James, Manse Lipscomb, Mississippi John Hurt, Elizabeth Cotton, and Buddy Guy, among others.  It was through Taj Mahal that he found his way to the old time blues.  He also loved such diverse musicians as Fats Waller and Harry Belafonte.
His writing and storytelling have been influenced by Zora Neale Hurston, Garrison Keillor, and by the late Laura Davis (his one hundred and five year-old grandmother).
Davis' creative roots run deep.   Though raised in the New York City area, he grew up hearing accounts of life in the rural south from his parents and especially his grandparents, and they made their way into his own stories and songs.  Davis taught himself the guitar (never having the patience to take formal lessons) and learned by listening to and watching other musicians.  One night on a train from Boston to New York he picked up finger picking from a nine-fingered guitar player.
Throughout his life, Davis has had overlapping interests in music and acting.  Early acting roles included a lead role in the film "Beat Street" opposite Rae Dawn Chong and on television as ‘Dr.  Josh Hall’ on "One Life to Live".   Eventually, Davis had the opportunity to combine music and acting on the stage.   He made his Broadway musical debut in 1991 in the Zora Neale Hurston/Langston Hughes collaboration "Mulebone", which featured the music of Taj Mahal. 
In 1993 he performed Off-Broadway as legendary blues player Robert Johnson in "Robert Johnson: Trick the Devil".  He received rave reviews and became the 1993 winner of the Blues Foundation's "Keeping the Blues Alive Award” presented to him by Robert Cray at the W. C.  Handy Awards ceremony.
Looking for more ways to combine his love of blues, music, and acting, Davis created material for himself.  He wrote "In Bed with the Blues: The Adventures of Fishy Waters" -- an engaging and moving one-man show.  The Off-Broadway debut in 1994 received critical praise from the New York Times and the Village Voice. 
Davis' writing projects have also included a variety of theatre pieces and plays.  "Mudsurfing", a collection of three short stories, received the 1991 Brio Award from the Bronx Council of the Arts.  The Trial", (later renamed, "The Trial: Judgement of the People"), an anti-drug abuse, one-act play that toured throughout the New York City shelter system, was produced Off-Broadway in 1990, at the McGinn Cazale Theater.  Davis also arranged, performed and co-wrote the music for an Emmy award winning film, "To Be a Man".   In the fall of 1995, his music was used in the national PBS series, "The American Promise".
Davis also performed in a theater piece with his parents, actors/writers Ruby Dee and the late Ossie Davis, entitled "Two Hah Hahs and a Homeboy", staged at the Crossroads Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ in the spring of 1995.  The show combined material written by Davis and his parents, with music, African American Folklore and history, as well as performance pieces by Hurston and Hughes.  Of Davis' performance, one reviewer observed that his style and writing "sounds so deeply drenched in lost black traditions that you feel that they must predate him.  But no, they don't.  He created them. "
For the past decade, Davis has concentrated much of his efforts on writing, recording, and performing music.  In the fall of 1995, he released his Red House records debut "Stomp Down Rider", an album that captured Davis in a stunning live performance.  The album landed on top lists all over the country, including in the Boston Globe and Pulse magazine.
Davis' next album, "Call Down the Thunder", paid tribute to the blues masters, but leaned more heavily towards his own powerful originals.  The electrifying album solidified Davis' position as one of the most important blues artists of our time.  It too was named a top ten album of the year in the Boston Globe and Pulse, and Acoustic Guitar magazine called it one of the “thirty essential CDs from a new generation of performers”.
Davis' third Red House disc, "You Don't Know My Mind", which includes backing vocals by Olu Dara, explodes with passion and rhythm, and displays Davis' breadth as a composer and powerhouse performer.  It was chosen as ‘Blues Album of the Year’ by the Association For Independent Music (formerly NAIRD)The San Francisco Chronicle gave the CD four stars, adding, "Davis' tough, timeless vocals blow through your brain like a Mississippi dust devil. "
Charles M.  Young summed up Davis' own take on the blues best when he wrote his review in Playboy magazine, "Davis reminds you that the blues started as dance music.  This is blues made for humming along, stomping your foot, feeling righteous in the face of oppression and expressing gratitude to your baby for greasing your skillet. "
Guy’s fourth album was, “Butt Naked Free”, the first of all of the albums since that have been produced by John Platania, former guitarist for Van Morrison.  In addition to John on electric guitar, it includes musician friends such as Levon Helm (The Band), multi-instrumentalist, Tommy “T-Bone” Wolk (Hall & Oates, Carly Simon, ‘Saturday Night Live’ Band), drummer Gary Burke (Joe Jackson), and acoustic bassist, Mark Murphy (Walt Michael & Co. , Vanaver Caravan).  The musicians all performed “Waitin’ On the Cards to Fall” from this album on the Conan O’Brien show.
Of the fifth album “give in kind”, Music critic Dave Marsh wrote, “Davis never loses sight of the blues as good time music, the original forum for dancing on top of one's sorrows.  Joy made more exquisite, of course, by the sorrow from which it springs.”
It was this album that caught the ear of Ian Anderson, founder and lead singer of one of Rock & Roll’s greatest bands, “Jethro Tull”, who invited Guy to open for them during the summer of 2003.  He wrote in his invitation, “Folk Blues (Sonny Terry, J. B.  Lenoir) is where I started.  Hearing Guy is like coming home again. ”
In fact, there are many notables in the entertainment world who call themselves Guy Davis fans including Jackson Browne, Maya Angelou, and Jessica Lange, who had Guy perform his take on the Bob Dylan song, “What’s a Sweetheart Like You (Doing in a Dump Like This)” for a special fundraiser she and her husband Sam Shepard organized for Tibetan Monks in Minnesota.
“Chocolate to the Bone”, Guy’s sixth album followed with more accolades and acclaim including a W. C.  Handy award nomination for “Best Acoustic Blues Album”.  In fact, Guy has been nominated for nine ‘Handy Awards’ over the years including for “Best Traditional Blues Album”, “Best Blues Song” (“Waiting On the Cards to Fall”) and as “Best Acoustic Blues Artist” two times.
His latest album, “Legacy” was picked as one of the Best CDs of the Year by National Public Radio (NPR), and the lead track on it, “Uncle Tom’s Dead” was chosen as one of the Best Songs of the Year.  This of course is ironic as FCC rules won’t allow it to be played on the air, but it’s a fitting tribute none the less.  The only other artist on both lists was Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys fame.
The cover for this album was drawn by noted comic book artist and graphic illustrator, Guy Davis.  The tongue-in-cheek cartoon strip that is included in the liner notes, is a collaboration between the two Davis’.  A winery in California completes the triumvirate as it is headed by a man also named Guy Davis.  He created a limited edition wine in their honor with the label artwork done by illustrator Guy.
Bluesman Guy has contributed songs on a host of ‘Tribute’ and ‘Compilation albums’, including collections on bluesmen Charley Patton and Robert Johnson, for Putumayo Records collections including, “From Mali to Memphis” and the children’s album called, “Sing Along With Putumayo”, for tradition-based rockers like the Grateful Dead, songwriters like Nick Lowe, and for Bob Dylan’s 60th birthday CD called, “A Nod to Bob”, even on a Windham Hill collection of Choral Music, and alongside performers like Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, and Bruce Springsteen for a collection of songs written by his friend, legendary folksinger, ‘Uncle’ Pete Seeger, called, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”.
However, easily the proudest recording project he’s been involved with is the one produced by his friend Larry Long, called “I Will Be Your Friend: Songs and Activities for Young Peacemakers”, in which Guy contributes the title track.  It’s a CD collection of enriching songs combined together with a teacher’s aide kit to help teach diversity and understanding.  It is all part of the national “Teaching Tolerance” (www. tolerance. org) campaign and continues to be distributed by the Southern Poverty Law Center, and sent to every public school in the country to help combat hatred.
And speaking of children’s projects, Guy wrote a couple songs and recorded with Dr.  John for Whoopi Goldberg’s “Littleburg” series, and appeared and sang in “Jack’s Big Show”, both for the Nickelodeon network, “Nick, Jr”. 
Guy has also done residency programs for the Lincoln Center Institute, the Kennedy Center, the State Theatre in New Jersey, and works with “Young Audiences of NJ”, doing classroom workshops and assembly programs all across the country and in Canada for Elementary, High School, and College students.
Most recently Guy had the honor of appearing in the PBS special on Jazz and Blues artist, the late Howard Armstrong.  And he was an honored guest at the Kennedy Center Awards, in which his folks received their medals, alongside other recipients like Warren Beatty, Elton John and composer John Williams from the President of the United States.

_- King King (UK) – feat.  Alan Nimmo
Softly softly” is not a maxim that King King are familiar with.  Since surging into life two years ago they have barely stopped for breath, and their electrifying sound and scorching live shows have generated more of a thunderous roar than a buzz.

Straight out of the blocks it was clear that King King is a band which knows how to make an entrance.  An exhilarating debut at the Monaghan Blues Festival created such a stir that it prompted organizer Somhairle MacConghail to remark: “King King aren’t just playing the festival.  Word is that King King ARE the festival”.  With a reception like this there’s little surprise that the phone has been ringing off the hook ever since, and the last year has seen them bring their inimitable brand of multi-faceted blues rock to the Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival, the Edinburgh Jazz and Blues Festival, Abertillery Festival and even Glastonbury.  This was in addition to a seemingly non-stop series of rousing live shows across the UK and Europe, much to the delight of the band’s burgeoning fan base.
In the midst of all this, a particular highlight of 2010 was King King’s invitation to perform within the hallowed walls of the BBC’s Maida Vale studios.  The boys’ set went out on Radio 2 and won the approval of DJ and blues aficionado Paul Jones who was moved to remark: “Here at Radio 2, we think Alan Nimmo and King King are going to go all the way”.
Having signed to Manhaton Records, next came a return to Chapel Studios to record the eagerly anticipated debut album.  King King are familiar faces having recorded their critically acclaimed EP Broken Heal at the studio, and again collaborated with the production team behind the Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs and the Editors.
The resulting album, Take My Hand, is a bold and wildly enjoyable collection of songs showcasing King King’s unique sound, swaggering from Stones-tinged blues rock through throbbing funk to reflective ballad and back.
     
Alan Nimmo         
Ever present are Nimmo’s impassioned vocals and intricate guitar work, cohort Lindsay Coulson’s punchy bass, and the made-to-make-you-grin keyboard/piano work of Bennett Holland and Dale Storr.  Craig Blundell and Wayne Proctor offer selfless vigour and expertise on drums, whilst Jacquie Williams joins the boys to bring gutsy, soulful backing vocals to several tracks.  Intelligent and compelling, Take My Hand overflows with unexpected gems and reaches just the right balance of refinement and juke joint clout.
It’s all pretty impressive stuff for a band which didn’t exist a couple of years ago.
The driving force behind King King’s unstoppable charge is the aforementioned Nimmo, a fleet-fingered frontman imbued with almost impolite quantities of charisma and the talent to back it up.  Widely known across the UK and Europe for his pivotal role with the award-winning Nimmo Brothers, his full-blooded style, technical brilliance and impassioned vocals are infectious and instantly recognisable.  Accordingly, he surrounds himself with the hottest talent currently working the scene and this cherry-picking approach means that King King represents a melting pot of skills and influences.  The result is a sound which is energetic, potent and irresistibly funky, branded with the stamp of a band intent on mapping out their own unique territory in blues.
So what next for King King? Demand for the album is already through the roof, and 2011 will see the band make a welcome return to Blues on the Farm (voted the best UK blues festival of last year) as part of an impressive schedule of appearances across the UK and European.  A tour of Sweden in October is thrown in for good measure.
It’s a frenetic schedule, and further proof of a fact for which the British blues scene should be truly thankful: nobody on planet King King seems to know how to take their foot off the gas.  And hearing the results, let’s hope nobody tells them.

_- Davina and the Vagabonds (USA)
Davina Sowers hit the Midwest scene in February 2005 and she hasn’t looked back since.  It didn’t take her long after moving to Minnesota from Key West, FL to start making a name for herself.  With great vocals and piano, she commands attention on stage and leaves everyone smiling.  Davina has been performing since the age of 5, with the support of an extremely musical family.  Sowers, a classically-trained pianist, has years of experience in piano performance.  She and her band made a big splash at Duluth’s Bayfront Blues Festival in 2006 to2008, having the highest sales in CDs all three years.  She has been called the “hardestworking blues woman in frigid Minnesota. ” “Two things remain consistent in all her shows: her throaty, but cushiony voice, which has a sort of hardmattress comfort to it that’s part Bonnie Raitt, part Etta James and a little Amy Winehouse; and her band’s rollicking New Orleans flavor, driven home by dueling horn players and a bayouthick standup bass. ” (CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER, Star Tribune) Davina has already shared the stage with Little Feat, Buddy Guy, Elvin Bishop, The Lamont Cranston Band, The Blues Brothers, Joe Bonamassa, Irma Thomas and James Hunter, among others, at venues such as House of Blues in Atlantic City, NJ and the Bayfront Blues Festival in Duluth, MN.

_- Lubos Bena & Matej Ptaszek (SK)
"While blues remains a distinct African-American cultural expression, it has also become an international popular music in the twenty-first century.  In the nation of Slovakia blues has found a fine representative in Lubos Bena. "
"He comes from Slovakia, Europe.  What impresses me most about Lubos Bena is his strong singing and rhythm.  It's natural to him, without any forced mannerisms or affectations, and with perfect timing. "
"He listens long and intently to nothing but the best artists - people like Fred McDowell, Son House, Lead Belly, Jessie Mae Hemphill, R.  L.  Burnside, and others - and lets the sound of their music get inside his head.  Then out it comes through his hands on the guitar, his foot stomping, and his voice.  This the same way these other great artists learned the blues.  Lubos has spent some time in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee, observing blues artists in action, listening, and sitting in, thereby adding a new dimension to his music.  The result is real blues feeling with a Slovakian accent.  It goes down like southern soul food with a good wine from Skalica, his hometown. "
2010
Lubos Bena & Matej Ptaszek are performing in the new Czech film "Ob?ansk? pr?kaz".  In this tragic comedy from the Czechoslovakia communist hippie era they play roles as juke joint musicians.  Their music is featured in the opening of the film and also in several main scenes together with Bob Dylan, Black Sabbath and Sweet.
2009
Bena & Ptaszek was honored as the Hohner Newcomer of 2009 and they performed at the World Harmonica Festival 2009 in Trossingen, Germany.
2009
Bena & Ptaszek was the opening act of Johnny Winter during his concert in the Czech Republic.
2005/2006/2008
Lubos Bena is the first Slovak bluesman who has visited the USA not only as a tourist, but who has also gave performances there.  Notably in the Memphis Blues music scene and Arkansas festival circuit.

_- Roomful of Blues (USA)
At 43-years-old, New England’s Roomful of Blues has been around even longer than Alligator Records.  For all that time, they’ve celebrated the jump blues, R&B and early rock ‘n’ roll music of the horn-powered golden era of the late 1940s and early 1950s.  Roomful don’t simply recreate the famous and obscure 78s and 45s of those years.  Inspired by the spirit of the groundbreaking bands of the post-World War II decade, they’ve breathed new life into vintage songs, infusing them with boundless energy and fiery, swinging solos and vocals.  For the last two decades, Roomful has been led by Chris Vachon, one of the most underrated guitarists in the blues.  For 40 years, their hard-charging horn section has been sparked by Rich Lataille on tenor and alto sax.  Energizing the band on Hook, Line & Sinker is their terrific new vocalist, Phil Pemberton.  Phil’s performances showcase his flamboyant, multi-octave voice, fun-loving attitude and his deep understanding of the era when jumping blues bands were fronted by huge-voiced singers like Roy Brown, Wynonie Harris and Big Joe Turner.  This album also gives more showcase space to Chris Vachon’s tough guitar work.  His version of Gatemouth Brown’s Gate Walks To Board proves his talent can match that of the best string-benders.  Hook, Line & Sinker is a proud addition to Roomful’s glorious musical history.

_- Shirley Johnson (USA)
Singer, Nightclub Entertainer, Shirley Johnson is a veteran Chicago Blues Singer.  Her music is soulful and smooth; her lyrics are warm, affectionate, and understanding.  Shirley presents a sound that is distinctively her own, conveying stories of reality, with the ultimate message that personifies love.
Born in Franklin, Virginia, Shirley’s musical talent was evident from the age of 10, when she began singing gospel music.  After 8 years of singing Gospel, In 1965 she began singing Pop and R&B music.  From there Shirley was recognized as one of the up and coming female artists in R&B music. Because of popular demand Shirley became an opening act for such superstars as: Al Green, Jerry Butler, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, and Millie Jackson and many others.  Also, during the late 60’s she recorded her 1st three singles on Biggs and Shawn Records.
In 1984, she was advised by a close friend to move to Chicago, the home of the Blues.  With her warm personality, Shirley was welcomed into the Blues arena with open arms.  She opened for some of the best in the in the industry.  Some of those artists were: Johnny Christian, Artie “Blues Boy” White, BuckWheat Zydeco, Little Milton Campbell, Johnnie Taylor, Buster Benton, Koko Taylor, and Bobby Rush.
Between 1986 and 1988, Shirley recorded 2 more singles on Diamond Jim & Big Boy Records.  In 1989, Shirley became acquainted with Professor Eddie Lusk, and later toured with him as his opening act. Shirley later formed her own band in 1991,which jump-started her Blues career.  She was asked to appear in 3 movies: “Next of Kin” with Patrick Swayze, “Father Jim” with Robert DeNiro, and “V. I.  Warshawski” with Kathleen Turner.  She also did a commercial for the Dept.  of Tourism for the state of Illinois.
Hard work and dedication finally paid off, because in 1994 Shirley released her debut CD called “Looking for Love”.  The 1st single to ride the charts was “I’m Gonna Find Me A Lover”.  Shirley also did three compilation CDs.  She currently is a Delmark Recording Artist with two CDs distributed by Delmark: Killer Diller and Blues Attack.  The Delmark Releases caused Shirley to be nominated for two Blues Music Awards.  Shirley is in constant demand all over the world, having toured 21 countries.  You can find her at Blue Chicago, one of Chicago's top Blues Clubs and other Blues Venues near you.

Tickets I More info I Guy Davis I Room Full Of Blues I Shirley Johnson I King King I Lubos Bena & Matej Ptaszek I Davina and the Vagabonds  I  Kenny Neal  I  Elmore D

_The Bedford Inn & Hotel
77 Bedford Hill Balham SW19 9HD London England

Lenny Zakatek was born in 1947 in Karachi. (At that time it was India, but since partition has become Pakistan). At the age of thirteen, the family moved to England and it was there that Lenny began to experiment with music.

By the age of seventeen Lenny got the chance to put everything he learned to use and take his act on the road with a band called Funky Fever. A few years later he would form a band called "Zakatek" and take off for Denmark.

At the top of the 1970s, Lenny would join his next band, Gonzalez. "We were the sort of Earth, Wind and Fire/Tower of Power of the UK. We had Steve Feronne on drums who's now doing everything from Eric Clapton to Chaka Khan. John Giblin was on bass for two years." Before leaving Gonzalez, Lenny sang lead on their biggest hit single "Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet".

In 1977, Lenny sang vocals on "I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You", from The Alan Parsons Project album "I Robot". Not only did this begin a long association with The Alan Parsons Project, but he also ended up singing many of the hits, including "Damned If I Do" and "Games People Play".

Lenny worked with The Alan Parsons Project for many years, and also performed vocals for the band at their first live concerts in the early 1990s.

In 1979 Lenny released his first solo album on A&M Records. Alan Parsons produced and engineered Lenny's self-titled solo album, while Bairnson and Elliott lent their support as well. Robert Ahwai and John Giblin also helped, the latter also writing songs for the album.

Lenny also did a couple of singles for London Records including "Say I Love You / Where Is The Love?", then later got the chance to do another record, called "Small But Hard".

More recently Lenny has been working in the business end of the music industry: publishing, managing and producing. Lenny has had success managing Japanese artist Hotei (ho-tey). Hotei has sold almost twenty-two million albums in Japan, and performed a guitar solo at the closing ceremony of the Atlanta Olympic Games.

_The Bedford  • Lenny Zakatek

_Op 30 juni 2012 presenteren The Chieftains in de Bozar hun nieuwste plaat ‘Voice of Ages’. De groep rond de bevlogen Paddy Moloney begon vijftig jaar geleden met het wereldwijd populariseren van Ierse Muziek. In hun lange carrière maakten ze er een sport van om hun traditionele instrumenten te koppelen aan tal van bekende stemmen uit de wereld van de populaire muziek. Zo werkten ze samen met onder andere Sting, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell en The Rolling Stones. Ook met figuren uit de klassieke muziek (Pavarotti), reggae (Ziggy Marley) of country (Willie Nelson en Nanci Griffith) werd gretig gemusiceerd.

Vorig jaar brachten ze -samen met Ry Cooder- de CD ‘San Patricio’ uit. Op 21 februari 2012 zullen ze met ‘Voice of Ages’ een nieuwe mijlpaal in hun lange carrière plaatsen. Op deze plaat spelen de Chieftains - onder deskundige leiding van Paddy Moloney en T. Bone Burnett - met een aantal jonge wolven uit de Indie-rock (Bon Iver, The Decemberists, The Low Anthem), Americana (The Secret Sisters, Punch Brothers) en Ierse en Schotse muziek (Imelda May, Paolo Nutini). Deze bevlogen opnames bewijzen dat The Chieftains muzikaal relevanter dan ooit zijn.
Op hun jubileumtour zullen The Chieftains verleden en heden combineren. Zo lang ze lucht in de longen hebben, verheffen Paddy Moloney, Matt Molloy, Seán Keane and Kevin Conneff hun bodhrán, Uilleann pipes, tin whistle, dwarsfluit, viool en unieke stem met fierheid. Op 30 juni houden de ambassadeurs van de Ierse muziek halt in de Bozar. Muzikale meerwaardezoekers weten alvast wat gedaan.

_The original traditional Irish folk band, as far as anyone who came of age in the 1970s or 1980s is concerned, is the Chieftains. Their sound, built largely on Paddy Moloney's pipes, is otherworldly, almost entirely instrumental, and seems as though it comes out of another age of man's history. That they became an international phenomenon in the '70s and '80s is testament to their virtuoso musicianship.

The Chieftains were first formed in Dublin during 1963, as a semi-professional outfit, from the ranks of the top folk musicians in Ireland. Until that time, and for some years after, the world's (and even Ireland's) perception of Irish folk songs was rooted in either the good-natured boisterousness and topicality of acts such as the Irish Rovers or Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers, or the sentimentality of Mary O'Hara. That began to change in Ireland with the advent of Ceoltoiri Cualann, a group formed from the ranks of the best traditional Irish musicians by a composer named Sean Ó Riada, who hailed from County Cork. Ceoltoiri Cualann, which specialized in instrumental music, stripped away the pop music inflections from Irish music -- the dances were played with a natural lilt and abandon that came from deep within the music's origins, and the airs, stripped of their worst modern inflections, came across with even greater poignancy than anyone had recognized them for in decades, and perhaps centuries. Tempos were changed in midsong, from reel to polka to jig to slow air and back again.

Paddy Moloney came out of Ceoltoiri Cualann to found the Chieftains in 1963, seeking to carry this work several steps further. The earliest recorded incarnation of the group consisted of Moloney (pipes), Sean Potts (tin whistle), Martin Fay (fiddle), David Fallon (bodhran), Mick Tubridy (flute, concertina), and Ó Riada. They were a success virtually from the beginning, their music weaving a spell around audiences in Ireland and later in England, where they quickly became popular as both a performing and recording act -- the only thing holding them back was the decision by the members to remain a semi-professional, part-time ensemble until the early '70s. Their first four albums, spread over a period from 1965 through 1973, were originally available only from the Claddagh label in Ireland, but were later picked up by Island Records for release in England and America in 1976, after the group had achieved international renown.

The 1970s saw the group break big in America. A new, younger generation of Irish-American listeners, who enjoyed folk music and whose cultural and musical tastes weren't limited to songs about "the troubles" (i.e., England), had already begun discovering the Chieftains' music in the early to mid-'70s. By that time, the group had elected to go professional, and to expand its lineup. Ó Riada and Fallon left after the first album, and Peadar Mercier (bodhran) and Sean Keane (fiddle) joined with the second. Following the recording of Chieftains 4, they'd added Ronnie McShane (percussion) and Derek Bell (harp, oboe, timpan), a classically trained musician. Bell's harp lent the group's sound a final degree of elegance and piquancy.

The group's big breakthrough in America, however, occurred when they provided the music for Stanley Kubrick's 1975 movie, Barry Lyndon. The film itself wasn't a hit, but the Chieftains were, especially one track called "Women of Ireland," which began getting played heavily on FM progressive rock stations, and even managed to get onto the play lists of some Top 40 stations. Suddenly, the Chieftains were hot in America, and a U.S. tour and a series of performances on television -- especially the network morning news/feature shows -- brought them into demand.

By that time, Island Records had contracted to release both the group's latest album, Chieftains 5, and their four previous records in England and America. With their newfound audience, Chieftains records started coming out every year instead of every two or three years -- Bonaparte's Retreat in 1976, Chieftains Live in 1977, and Chieftains 7, 8, and 9 in 1978, 1979, and 1980, respectively, although for their U.S. releases, from 1977 through 1980, they abandoned Island Records in favor of Columbia Records. Ever since the dawn of the CD era, their music has been available on compact disc from Shanachie Records, while their more recent work has shown up on the BMG label, on both compact disc and home video. The latter have included a Christmas concert and a mixed-ensemble performance interweaving the group with orchestras, American folk and country musicians, and rock musicians, and an album (Irish Heartbeat, 1988) recorded with Irish-born R&B shouter Van Morrison. Additionally, the group has been engaged steadily for film work.

Since the late '70s, the group's recordings have settled into an effective but not fully inspired level of creativity. The band has kept its sound fresh with the periodic addition of new members and a search for sounds beyond the boundaries of Ireland -- as distant as Spain -- as sources for its music.

In 2003, long time harp player Derek Bell passed away while on tour in Phoenix, AZ. The group, who continue to play and record, released a tribute in 2005 called Live in Dublin.

Tickets I The Chieftains I Greenhouse Talent

_Wie we daar hebben!? De Joe! De Henry! Dat is van de BelleVue Club in 1996 dat de AB deze unieke Amerikaan nog eens kan koesteren (ondertussen vulde hij natuurlijk wel nog bvb een uitgelaten Handelsbeurs in Gent!)
Elvis Costello beweerde naar aanleiding van zijn recentere 'Tiny Voices': 'a sharp view of the world and confidential experience collide in a wonderful musical and sonic fabric that is entirely his own.'
De singer-songwriter Joe Henry leverde sinds 1986 al een dozijn indrukwekkende cd's af met als jongste titel (nog altijd op het attente ANTI-label): 'Reverie'. Hierover De Morgen: 'ambachtelijk vervaardigde, veelal akoestische rootsrock... die het verdient om door een groot publiek ontdekt te worden.' Of ook nog Les Inrocks: 'acoustique mais caustique, la musique populaire américaine révisitée.'
De komieke of contraire Joe Henry verzint dan ook al eens titels als 'Richard Pryor Addresses A Tearful Nation' en (een persoonlijke favoriet) 'Ohio Air Show Plane Crash', of zelfs 'Map Of Belgium!'
De producer Joe Henry is dan weer bekend van zijn -met de nodige Grammy's gelauwerde- werk voor Solomon Burke, Bettye LaVette, Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint, Ani DiFranco, tot en met Hugh Laurie en de heer Henry hemzelve. Tussendoor schrijft hij dan thuis aan tafel ook al eens een liedje samen met Madonna, nàh!
Nog niet overtuigd? Zijn site heet wel degelijk http://www.joehenrylovesyoumadly.com/

Joe Henry is best known for his two country-influenced albums, 1992's Short Man's Room, and 1993's Kindness of the World, both of which feature members of the country-rock band the Jayhawks, but his musical direction has actually changed several times over the course of his recording career, reflecting his restless, adventurous spirit. Henry was born in North Carolina, grew up in Michigan, spent the early part of his music career in New York City, and finally settled in Los Angeles in 1990 with his wife and son. After his little-heard 1986 debut, Talk of Heaven, Henry debuted on A&M in 1989 with the rock & roll album Murder of Crows, which was produced by Anton Fier and featured Mick Taylor on guitar. From there he pared down to the quiet, entirely acoustic moods of Shuffletown (1990) before shifting into the country- and folk-influenced territory of Short Man's Room and Kindness of the World. The latter two albums earned him an excellent reputation among fans of alternative rock and country as a superb singer and songwriter. He followed Kindness with the five-song EP Fireman's Wedding a year later. Henry's lyrics are a central focus of his songwriting, but even though he often writes in the first person, his songs are not "personal" in the manner of musicians who are often called singer/songwriters (a genre he doesn't like to be associated with). He's recorded some excellent country covers, but he's equally interested in soul, funk, and rock & roll. On Trampoline, released in 1996, Henry veered in an edgier, more rhythm-oriented direction. While he still employs acoustic instruments and even a pedal-steel guitar on several songs, Trampoline (much of which Henry recorded at a studio he set up in his garage) is more clearly defined by its drum loops, loud electric guitars, mysterious voices, and curious sonic textures. For this album, Henry recruited guitarist Page Hamilton from the band Helmet and drummer Carla Azar from the band Edna Swap. Fuse -- mixed with the aid of Daniel Lanois and T-Bone Burnett -- followed in 1999. Two years later, Henry returned with the enigmatic stunner Scar. This particular release marked his last with Mammoth. He opted for a deal with Epitaph's Anti and entered the studio in December 2002 to record his ninth album, Tiny Voices, his most intricate album to date. A second album on Anti, Civilians, followed in 2007, while a third from the label, Blood from Stars, appeared at the end of the summer in 2009. Henry was wildly busy as a producer for the next two years, helming projects from Allen Toussaint, Salif Keita, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Mose Allison, Hugh Laurie, Over the Rhine, Lisa Hannigan, and Me'Shell Ndegéocello, as well as participating in others. He finally got around to recording again in 2011, with his most eclectic collection of songs -- all recorded acoustically -- entitled Reverie, which was released on Anti in October of 2011.

Tickets • Joe Henry

_Rich Robinson's talents are already familiar to the millions of fans who've embraced his work as guitarist/songwriter/co-founder of the Black Crowes.  But his debut solo effort Paper is a potent musical statement that's likely to come as a pleasant surprise to even his most ardent admirers.

The self-produced album—on the artist's own Key Hole label—finds Robinson singing lead and playing most of the instruments on 14 original compositions that reveal the young veteran to be both a distinctive, eloquent lyricist and an engaging, expressive singer.  While rockers like "Know Me," "Enemy" and "Remain" embody the ballsy, rootsy crunch that put Robinson's former band on the map, Paper also encompasses a more thoughtful, introspective side, as well as an unmistakably adventurous sonic vision that manifests itself in the acoustic, orchestral and psychedelic textures of such tunes as "Veil," "When You Will," "Falling Away" and "Forgiven Song."

Paper is the product of a lengthy period of personal and musical self-discovery that began when the Black Crowes—the band Robinson formed with his vocalist brother Chris while both were in their teens—went on indefinite hiatus early in 2002.  During their 13-year, seven-album recording career, the group almost singlehandedly restored raunchy, no-frills rock 'n' roll swagger to commercial prominence, while earning a near-mythical reputation for its combustible internal chemistry.

"After the Crowes broke up," Robinson explains, "I sat around for a few months and spent time with my family, and then I started trying to figure out what I wanted to do.  It was a struggle for awhile, because at the time there were a lot of family deaths and various weirdness that happened all at once, and I'd never really had to deal with that kind of stuff before.  And I'd been in the Crowes for my whole adult life, so when it stopped, it was like, 'Well, what the hell am I supposed to do now?'"

Robinson built a recording studio in his Connecticut home, did some writing and producing with other artists, and made his first venture into film soundtrack work by writing and performing the score for the 2002 feature  Highway.  He also developed his longstanding interest in painting into a fulfilling creative sideline.  Meanwhile, he continued to write songs.

As an outlet for the new compositions he'd been accumulating, Robinson formed a four-piece band, Hookah Brown, which hit the road in early 2003 for an extended club tour that won enthusiastic notices from fans and critics alike.  But, having spent his entire musical career as a team player, he eventually realized that he was in no rush to return to the politics of band life, choosing instead to shoulder the burden of a solo career.

"Eventually I just said 'Screw it, I'll just do it myself,'" he recalls of his decision to become a frontman.  "I'd never really sung lead, so I started taking singing lessons, and the first lesson showed me what I'd been doing wrong, and I immediately became a stronger singer.  I started thinking about writing lyrics that worked for my voice.  And I tried playing some shows and singing, which was fun, and that built up my confidence about singing."

Robinson recorded Paper largely on his own, cutting tracks in old-school analog style and playing most of the instruments except drums, which were provided by Joe Magistro.  The album also features guest appearances by ex-Black Crowes keyboardist Eddie Hawrsch and BR549's Donnie Herron on fiddle and pedal steel.

"It was a little weird," Robinson admits, "because I'd never made a record without my brother before and I was used to having a bunch of people in the studio.  But it was also cool, because I was learning new things and because I felt like I felt like I was able to create something new, without the baggage of my musical history." 

Robinson took Paper's iconoclastic focus a step further by deciding to build his solo career from the ground up, bypassing the music industry's unwieldy machinery.  "At some point I realized that I just didn't want to deal with record companies anymore," he states.  "I don't want to deal with anyone telling me to change my songs or what producer to use.  I don't want to spend six million dollars making a record and then worry about having to sell six million records to pay for it.  So I decided to try doing it myself.  The music business is kind of like Rome burning right now, and I don't think the traditional record-company methods work anymore.  I think that music's going back to the underground way of doing things, and I'm excited about being a part of that."

Rather than coasting on his formidable past successes, Rich Robinson is clearly thrilled to be conquering new creative territory.  "This whole project," he asserts, "has been a completely positive situation from the start.  There's no stress, no bullshit, and I'm really excited about the whole thing.  I'm really happy with this record, which was my only goal.  And now I'm looking forward to getting it out there and playing these songs on tour, and seeing what happens."

Tickets • Rich Robinson

_De zomerhit van 2011? Het beste album van 2011? Belg of Australiër? Het snelst uitverkochte concert van een Belg in de AB 2011? Het snelst uitverkochte concert van een Australiër in de AB 2011? Mid Februari 2012 terug in de AB!

'Somebody That I Used To Know'? U kent hem zeker, deze Gotye! Van zijn vorige vette hit 'Learnalilgivinanlovin'! En nu weer van zijn jongste 'Somebody That I Used To Know': een onwaarschijnlijk frisse successingle, zelfs voorpagina nieuws in De Morgen, want: 'Internationale internethit... van cultheld naar popfenomeen... acteur Ashton Kutcher en popster Lily Allen outten zich als fans... de blogosfeer en Facebookers volgden.'

Feitelijk is het Wouter 'Wally' De Backer, geboren in Brugge, België maar opgegroeid in Melbourne, Australië. Zeg maar 'Wally van Gotye', want deze rasmuzikant is al langer met muziek en klank en opnames bezig, en Gotye is zijn meest trefzekere project. Tegelijk drummen en driftig zingen? Geen probleem! Ondertussen streven naar de perfecte popsong? Dat lijkt nu al drie cd's lang te lukken! En met 'perfect' bedoelen we dan: zo'n muzikale parel waar ritme en melodie, schoonheid en inhoud harmonieus samengaan. In de afdeling waar, toevallig, Empire Of The Sun ook zo catchy scoort (maar u mag ook nog eens aan Sting of Thomas Dolby denken.)

'Somebody That I Used To Know' (met een magistraal meezingende Kimbra) komt uit 'Making Mirrors', de jongste van Gotye en hier uit via V2. Een geestige cd, van begin tot einde. En wie nog eens een leuke bio wil lezen moet zeker even langs de site van Gotye http://gotye.com (spreek dus wel uit als 'gowtijee' en kom naar de Gotye soirée!)

Weinig laat vermoeden dat 'Somebody that I used to know', al weken op één in de Ultratop, een deels Belgisch succesverhaal randje is. Tot u weet dat Gotye, de maker ervan, een naar Australië uitgeweken Vlaming is die Wouter De Backer heet.

Was 2010 het jaar van Stromae's 'Alors on danse', dan is een andere (deels) tricolore song op weg om dé hit van het huidige popjaar te worden. 'Somebody that I used to know', een besmettelijk liedje over een onmogelijke liefde, is aan een internationale opmars bezig, niet in het minst geholpen door de opvallende clip. In die zogenaamde stop-motionvideo bewegen Gotye (uit te spreken op z'n Frans uit, zoals Gaultier) en gastzangeres Kimbra met beschilderde bovenlichamen tegen een gelijkaardige achtergrond.

De clip werd op YouTube al meer dan 2,5 miljoen keer bekeken en door beroemdheden als Ashton Kutcher, Lily Allen en Katy Perry op hun Twitter gepost. In Australië kwam het bijbehorende album 'Making mirrors', opgenomen in de schuur van Gotyes ouders, op één in de hitlijsten binnen en was het al na twee weken goed voor platina. In ons land voert 'Somebody that I used to know' zowel de Ultratop als de iTunes-hitlijst aan. Gotyes aangekondigde concert, op 30 november in Brussel, was in een kwartier uitverkocht.

"Alles wat mij momenteel overkomt, is onwaarschijnlijk maar boeiend", zegt de 31-jarige singer-songwriter. In het Engels, want zijn oorspronkelijke moedertaal beheerst Gotye niet meer zo vlot. "Ik versta nog wel Nederlands maar om het zelf te spreken, kan ik niet snel genoeg meer in die taal denken. Ik moet dringend weer wat strips beginnen lezen. Vroeger verslond ik 'Robbedoes', 'Kiekeboe' en 'Suske en Wiske'. Maar dat is enigszins kinder-Nederlands, zeker?" In Australië kent zijn omgeving hem als Wally. Zijn echte naam luidt Wouter De Backer. Geboren in Brugge, liep hij als kind nog even school in Nieuwpoort. Tot zijn ouders naar Melbourne emigreerden, waar hij nu met zijn vriendin woont.

"Ik heb in België nog steeds veel familie wonen, die ik maar weinig zie. Graag zou ik hier opnieuw meer tijd doorbrengen. Nu heb ik een wat verwrongen beeld van dit land, louter getekend door de weliswaar warme herinneringen uit mijn kindertijd. Ik heb niet het gevoel dat ik België goed ken."

Tickets • Gotye

_The Felice Brothers—Ian, James, and Simone—are three of seven sons of a carpenter from upstate New York. They grew up making music together and entertaining family and friends. Later, they teamed up with "runaway dice thrower" Christmas and washboard player/fiddler Farley.

They eventually moved to Manhattan and began began busking on the New York City Subway. They released their debut album in 2006, followed quickly by another. They continue to maintain a rigorous touring and recording schedule, and have released most of their albums independently. They've toured with Bright Eyes, David Grey, and the Waterboys; and recently signed a contract with Team Love Records.

Tickets • Felice Brothers

Joe Kubek is een Texaanse gitaarbeul in de traditie van Johnny Winter en Steve Ray Vaughan.
Kubek’s sparring partner Bnois King, afkomstig uit Monroe LA, is een soulvolle zanger die toevallig ook eens heel goed gitaar speelt.
Sinds begin jaren 90 vormen Joe Kubek en Bnois King een duo en dat heeft tot dusver geresulteerd in meer dan tien albums en een dvd, met een totale verkoop van ca 130.000 exemplaren.
Na jarenlang platen te hebben uitgebracht voor het Bullseye Records en het Blind Pig label debuteerde Smokin’ Joe Kubek and Bnois King in 2008 voor Alligator met het goed ontvangen “Bloodbrothers”

De reden dat Kubek en King al 20 jaar een succesvol duo zijn is het feit dat de heren gebruik maken van elkaars sterke punten en niet in de valkuil trappen door elkaar proberen af te troeven.
Kubek is natuurlijk een ouderwets rockende snarenbeul die tegenwicht krijgt van de meer jazzy en swingende gitaarpartijen van King. Daar komt nog bij dat Bnois King een meer dan uitstekende zanger is wiens vocalen doen denken aan die van Chicago bluesman Jimmy Johnson.

The Band:
Smokin' Joe Kubek: Lead Guitar
Bnois King: Rhythm Guitar / Vocals
Coco Henderson: Bass
Larry Nannie: Drums

VVK & Reservatie vanaf nu, 14€ ( 8€ voor studenten tot 25j. op vertoon van id & studentekaart)

Tickets: De Korenbloem • www.smokinjoekubek.com •

_Concert van 9 juni 2012 in het Koning Boudewijnstadion verplaatst naar Sportpaleis en extra datum !!!

Goed nieuws voor de fans van Johnny Hallyday: de Franse rocker met Belgische roots komt terug naar België en zal uiteindelijk twee keer optreden in het Sportpaleis. De organisatoren van het concert komen zo tegemoet aan de vraag van het Belgische publiek naar een zaalconcert. Ook bij de vorige tournee van Hallyday in 2009 was Brussel de enige stad die de Tour 66 niet in een stadion ontving. De artiest verpulverde toen trouwens alle bezoekersrecords door negen keer voor een volledig uitverkocht Vorst Nationaal te spelen, goed voor meer dan 75.000 toeschouwers.

Voor de nieuwe tournee werd gezocht naar een zaal die de immense productie zoals die voor het Stade de France werd uitgetekend zou kunnen ontvangen. De enige zaal die hiervoor in aanmerking kwam, was het Sportpaleis, maar die was door verbouwingswerkzaamheden aan de tribunes niet vrij. De start van de werken is echter uitgesteld van 4 naar 12 juni 2012, waardoor het Sportpaleis toch weer ter beschikking kwam en de organisatoren weer op hun oorspronkelijke idee konden terugkomen.

Ondertussen was er al een concert gepland op zaterdag 9 juni in het Koning Boudewijnstadion. Dat concert wordt nu dus naar het Sportpaleis verplaatst. Tegelijk wordt vrijdag 8 juni als concertdatum toegevoegd. Deze verplaatsing heeft alleen maar voordelen, zowel voor de artiest als voor de bezoekers die het concert nu in de allerbeste indooromstandigheden zullen kunnen meemaken.

De tickets die al voor 9 juni in het Koning Boudewijnstadion verkocht waren, zullen voor tickets in het Sportpaleis omgeruild worden. Wie zijn plaatsen reserveerde via Sherpa, FNAC en Ticketnet zal hierover persoonlijk meer informatie ontvangen van zijn verkoopskanaal. De voorverkoop gaat gewoon verder via deze verkoopskanalen en ook via Tele Ticket Service via de link hiernaast of op het nummer 070/345.345.

Johnny Hallyday (real name Jean-Philippe Smet) was born on June 15, 1943 in Paris, France. His father Léon was Belgian & his mother Huguette was French. They divorced in 1944 & Johnny went to his aunt's house, she was a former cinema actress. Johnny learnt dancing, playing guitar, singing & playing in short films.
In 1957, he went back to Paris. Johnny met friends who also became singers, Jacques Dutronc & Eddy Mitchell. At the same time, he discovered Elvis Presley & sang his idol's songs at Paris' Golf Drouot. He was discovered by Jacques Wolfsohn, Vogue's artistic director. In 1960, the young singer released his first 7" under the name Johnny Hallyday. In 1961, he signed to Philips & became the teenage idol at 18 : from Golf Drouot to Alhambra, from Olympia to Palais Des Sports, his fans broke chairs. Hits came : "Retiens La Nuit", "Pas Cette Chanson", "L'Idole Des Jeunes", "Elle Est Terrible", "Da Doo Ron Ron"... In 1965, Johnny married Sylvie Vartan & the following year, their son David Hallyday was born. Years passed & Johnny followed trends. In 1983, Nathalie Baye & Johnny's daughter Laura Smet was born. Johnny worked with great artists (Michel Berger, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Pascal Obispo & Zazie) to stay on top. He made gigantic shows like his live at Paris' Tour Eiffel with 400,000 fans in 2000. Johnny became a recordman : 80 million albums sold, 900 songs, 100 tours, 18 platinum albums & 17 million spectators. In 2009, he announced his last tour, "Tour 66".

Tickets • Johnny Hallyday

_Celtic Woman, eerder dit jaar nog in een uitverkochte Koningin Elisabethzaal in Antwerpen, kondigt een nieuw Belgisch concert aan! Op 12 juni staat het bekendste vrouwelijke kwartet van Ierland in de Lotto Arena. Ze stellen er dan live hun nieuwe album ‘Believe’, dat uitkomt op 24 januari, voor.

De fanbase van deze schitterende vocalistes en hun verbluffende violiste groeit elke dag aan. Overal ter wereld beroeren ze velen met hun betoverende concerten.
De komende tournee van Celtic Woman wordt hun grootste productie tot dusver. Celtic Woman toert bovendien met een indrukwekkend gezelschap! Koorzangers, muzikanten en Keltische dansers, ze maken allemaal deel uit van ‘Believe’. Samen brengen ze traditionele Ierse nummers (‘The Water Is Wide’, ‘Green Grow The Rushes’), tijdloze klassiekers (‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’, ‘Tears In Heaven’) en enkele herwerkte hedendaagse hits.

Celtic Woman heeft in amper vijf jaar tijd de weg naar het grote succes gevonden. Wat opvalt is dat ze dit zonder noemenswaardige radio- of video-airplay realiseren. Dat maakt van hen een unicum. Intussen heeft het viertal al 6 miljoen cd’s en dvd’s verkocht. Dat is ook goed voor 10 gouden en platina-albums en meer dan 2 miljoen verkochte concerttickets wereldwijd. Hun recentste show ‘Songs From The Heart’ werd geloofd als zijnde een magisch spektakel.

Op 12 juni brengen ze ons nog meer muzikale én authentieke pracht en praal. In de Lotto Arena zal Celtic Woman helemaal tot zijn recht komen!

Celtic Woman is the realisation of a dream for Composer and Musical Director, David Downes and Show Producer, Sharon Browne. Together with Dave Kavanagh, Executive Producer of the Show, they created Celtic Woman to feature the very special talents of four young Irish female vocalists and a very exciting young fiddle player . Celtic Woman portrays the unique voices and styles of each of the girls as soloists as well as fantastic ensemble numbers. Performing beautiful and much-loved songs, Celtic Woman features unique renditions of Irish songs such as: "Danny Boy," timeless classics like "Ave Maria", contemporary songs such as Enya's "Orinoco Flow" and Clannad's "Harry's Game", and a host of spellbinding original songs created by David Downes.Celtic Woman started life as a 90-minute show for PBS, which premiered in the US in March 2005. The show was broadcast on over 300 stations and such was its success that it was developed into a full scale touring production.The Celtic Woman CD & DVD were released through Manhattan Records (EMI) on March 1st 2005. Since its release the CD has been certified gold and the DVD has been certified platinum. The CD has also been No 1 in the Billboard World Music Chart for over 60 weeks.

Tickets • Celtic Woman