R & B FESTIVAL PEER

11 - 12 - 13 juli 2008 - Festivaltent Peer



Dat dit festival nog steeds voor een zeer gevarieerde affiche kan zorgen, bewijzen ze keer op keer. De échte bluespurist noemt het een schande dat niet echte bluesachts (Arno, Ray Davies, Admiral Freebee,...) geprogrammeerd worden, maar als muziekliefhebber in zijn algemeenheid kan ik hier begrip voor opbrengen. Omdat het festival steeds met grote concurrentie moet afrekenen, worden ook zij verplicht om andere paden te bewandelen als ze nog een full house willen registeren.
Maar het is en blijft nog steeds het meest aantrekkelijke festival in Europa, gezelligheid en een groot spectrum aan diverse muziekstijlen is hier steeds troef.
Wat houd je dan nog tegen om snel even je online tickets te bestellen?
Kijk maar eens naar de affiche onderaan. Indien hier niets bijzit dat je aanspreekt... daar heb ik sterk mijn twijfels over. Maar laat ons vooral uitkijken naar de knappe Dana Fuchs én Erja Lyytinen, want niet alleen het oor moet goede impulsen krijgen, laat ons het ook nog een beetje visueel aantrekkelijk houden, niet?


DE COMPLETE AFFICHE !!


Vrijdag 11 /7



• THE SEATSNIFFERS & FRIENDS •

The Seatsniffers are probably Belgium's best, most popular, longest running and most international roots rock band. Their music is best described as a blend of Rock and Roll, Rhythm & Blues, Rockabilly, Soul, Gut -Bucket Blues and Ska, delivered with a Punk-Rock energy and attitude.
Their 1997 debut album (The Seatsniffers) outsold a lot of the major Belgian rock releases that year, got rave reviews, established their reputation as a "must see" live act, and had them sharing club and festival stages with acts as diverse as Doug Sahm, Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Dr John, Buddy Guy, Dale Hawkins, Billy Lee Riley, The Paladins, Dave Alvin, Candye Kane and many others.
1998 saw the release of ‘All of this’, and the Seatsniffers succesfully toured Holland, Germany, the UK and Norway.
This was followed by the critically acclaimed ‘Born again’, a tongue in cheek collection of Gospel songs, produced by the Paladins' Thomas Yearsley. In 2001, the Seatsniffers release ‘Shakedown’, a new full-length studio album.
By this time the band is also including France, Switzerland, Austria and Spain in their touring schedule, and has played the ‘Hembsy Rock & Roll’ and ‘Rockabilly Rave’ weekenders in the UK.
In may 2003, the band has been on a succesful package tour of Belgium and Holland with Jason Ringenberg of Jason and the Scorchers and solo career fame.
June 2003 sees the Seatsniffers changing to a different record label, the Dutch Sonic Rendez-Vous, with the live cd ‘Flavor Saver’. This new cd was recorded live at different locations in Belgium, featuring live versions of tunes from the previous four cd's, as well as some new songs.
In April 2004, the band releases ‘Let's burn down the Cornfield’ on Sonic Rendez-Vous, a new full-length studio album.
 
Line-up: Walter Broes - vocals, guitars Roel Jacobs - sax, tic-tac bass, backing vocals Dirk De Houwer - fender- en contrabas, backing vocals Piet De Houwer - drums and backing vocals.

Meer info:

www.seatsniffers.be

• THE PERPATRATORS •

J ‘Howik’ Nowicki - guitar, vocals & sometimes drums.
Already a formidable guitar player at the age of fifteen, time has only honed and focused J's style, which runs the gamut from subtle to boisterous. His singing and songwriting display an honesty not often heard in music these days. After the breakup of the much-beloved band, The Blues Puppies (also featuring ODL, and Chris Saywell of D.Rangers fame), he performed with a number of acts around Winnipeg. But the road was calling. During the late 90's, he toured the continent extensively with bluesman, Nigel Mack. This experience combined with his natural ease commanding a room made fronting his own band just a matter of time.

Ryan ‘ODL’ Menard - bass, vocals & sometimes guitar
Ryan likes to balance laying down a no-frills foundation 99% of the time with the occasional all-out, barely-in-control burst... at least he claims to know what he's doing. He was called away from work in Winnipeg as a freelance bass player to join the Rockin' Highliners in '96. During his two year stint with the band, he played on their ‘Chicks, Suits and Cadillacs’ and Juno-nominated ‘What Were You Thinking?’ albums and was nominated for a Maple Blues Award for bassist of the year. After leaving the band to work on his own musical ideas, he rejoined with J as a member of Nigel Mack's band for a three month tour of the US and Canada. Late night beers led to late night talk that led to the Perpetrators.

Chris ‘MAMA’ Bauer - drums & vocals
Although he's a master of the explosive drumming style made famous by the likes of Keith Moon and Mitch Mitchell, MAMA isn't afraid to hold down a bare-bones beat when that's what's called for. A founding member of one of Winnipeg's all-time nastiest bands, Stagmummer, he performed on their albums, ‘Rim’ recorded by Steve Albini (Nirvana, the Pixies,Cheap Trick), and ‘the Nutcracker,’ produced by GGGARTH (Rage Against the Machine, Jesus Lizard). Since their breakup, he has performed with the Vagiants, American Flamewhip and The Turnstiles. J and Ry are proud to call MAMA the newest Perpetrator.

Meer info:

www.perps.ca

• THE ELECTROPHONICS •

The Electrophonics, founded in 2001, originate from the south of the Netherlands. They play a perfect mix of jump blues and swing retro style. Above all, the Electrophonics are a band with style. Jump blues is still being played, but there is much space for crossroads.
The band succeeds in pleasing the audience and they are well appreciated in the (dutch) blues scene.The Electroponics are passionate musicians who want to play music, they really enjoy playing and their goal is to let enjoy their music and performances by as many people as possible.
Imagine: a prominent front man, supported by a powerful rhythm section of drums and bass; add the piano, the guitar and the horns section and you end up with an impressive band.
The Electrophonics: don’t miss the experience when they are playing in your neighbourhood.

Meer info:

www.electrophonics.nl

• T-99 •

‘Vagabonds’ is the title of the new T-99 album. 13 Original zesty and sizzling tracks treated with the well-known T-99 formula... a blend of rootsy, rockin' and bluesy elements, flavoured with Eastern European and North African influences. This new album by T-99 (known for their eclectic approach) lures the listener inside a musical sideshow where geeks, freaks, fire eaters and human cannonballs hold sway. An album that can’t be missed by those who enjoy the unexpected and prefer to steer clear of clichés…
The Amsterdam-based trio uses besides uprite bass, guitar and drums colorful instruments like mandolin, ukulele, boxes and buckets. The magical interaction between vocalist/guitarist Mischa den Haring, vocalist/drummer Martin de Ruiter and upright bassplayer Donné la Fontaine is downright impressive. The strong, mostly self written originals are tasty, provoking and headstrong at the same time.
T-99 has proven to belong to the absolute top of the European roots scene of today. With the release of the album ‘Coo-Coo’, their debut cd in 2001, T-99 convinced the Dutch- and foreign press which resulted in a non-stop flow of shows in The Netherlands. With the release of the partly in Amsterdam and Tucson, Arizona recorded cd ‘Strange Things Happen’ in 2004 - with guest appearances of Teddy Morgan (also production) and Dave Gonzales (The Paladins) - the press could not find enough superlatives to recommend this album. The third album ‘Cherrystone Park’ which was released late 2005 put T-99 definitely on the European map. Through the years T-99 showed itself as being a constant factor on stages across Holland, Belgium, Germany, France and Switzerland in the past few years. ‘Vagabonds’ is the title of T-99's fourth album.
Music of T-99 is being used in different TV-shows and programs like Keuringdienst van Waarde, AT-5 and NOS Studio Sport. In its existence the band has played among others at Noorderslag, North Sea Jazz Festival, Waterpop, Popkomm (DE), Belgium Rhythm & Blues Festival (Peer, BE), Oerol, De Parade, Noorderzon, Eurosonic, Moulin Blues, Blues Passions in Cognac (FR), Cahors Bluesfestival (FR) and was support act for Dr. John, Los Lobos, Little Feat and De Dijk.
OOR Magazine: "...most exciting and renewing roots band in the Netherlands and far beyond..."
Line up: Mischa den Haring – vocals, guitars, mandolin; Martin de Ruiter – vocals, drums, percussion, trash-kit: Donné la Fontaine – upright bass, ukulele, banjo-ukulele & rhythm guitar.

Meer info:

http://www.t-99.com/home.html

Zaterdag 12 / 7


• ALVIN LEE •

Born in Nottingham England, ALVIN LEE began playing guitar age 13 and formed the core of the band Ten Years After by aged 15. Originally influenced by his parent's collection of jazz and blues records, it was the advent of rock and roll that truly sparked his interest and creativity, and guitarists like Chuck Berry and Scotty Moore provided his inspiration.

The Jaybirds, as Lee's early band was called, were popular locally and had success in Hamburg, Germany, following the Beatles there in 1962. But it wasn't until the band moved to London in 1966 and changed its name to TYA that international success beckoned. The band secured a residency at the legendary Marquee Club, and an invitation to the famous Windsor Jazz & Blues Festival in 1967 led to their first recording contract. The self titled debut album surprisingly received play on San Francisco's underground radio stations and was enthusiastically embraced by listeners, including concert promoter Bill Graham, who invited the band to tour America for the first time in the summer of 1968. Audiences were immediately taken Lee's distinctive, soulful, rapid fire guitar playing and the band's innovative mix of blues, swing jazz and rock, and an American love affair began. TYA would ultimately tour the USA 28 times in 7 years, more than any other U.K. band.

Appearing at the famed Woodstock Festival, Lee's virtuoso performance was one of the highlights and remains today a standard for many other guitarists. Captured on film in the documentary of the festival, his inspired playing catapulted him into superstardom, and soon the band was playing arenas and stadiums around the globe. Although Lee later lamented that he missed the intimacy of smaller venues, there is no denying the impact the film made in bringing his music to a worldwide audience.

TYA had great success, releasing ten albums together, but by 1973, Lee was feeling limited by the band's style. With American gospel singer Mylon LeFevre and a host of rock talents like George Harrison, Steve Winwood, Ron Wood and Mick Fleetwood , he recorded and released On The Road To Freedom, a highly acclaimed album that was at the forefront of country rock. A year later, in response to a dare, Lee formed Alvin Lee & Company to play a show the Rainbow in London and released it as a double live album, In Flight. An energetic mix of rhythm & blues and rock, with a tribute to Elvis Presley thrown in for good measure, Lee once, in his understated fashion, called this band ‘a funky little outfit’. They were far more than that and various members of the band continued on with Lee for his next two albums, Pump Iron and Let it Rock. He finished out the 70s with a powerhouse trio he called Ten Years Later who also released two albums, Ride On and Rocket Fuel, and toured extensively throughout Europe and the United States.
The 80s brought another change in Lee's direction, with two albums that were strong collaborations with Rarebird's Steve Gould and an extensive tour with the Rolling Stones' Mick Taylor joining his band.

Lee's overall musical output includes more than 20 albums, including 1985's Detroit Diesel and the back to back 90s collections of Zoom and 1994 (I Hear You Rocking). Guest artists on both albums include George Harrison, whose brilliant slide guitar perfectly complements Lee's lead. Their duet on 1994's The Bluest Blues led one reviewer to call it "the most perfect blues song ever recorded."
‘Alvin Lee in Tennessee’, a 2004 release, was recorded with rock and roll legends Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana. It's an upbeat selection of songs that are timely and forward looking, yet borrow from his beloved 50s rock and roll. There's even a new version of his signature song, I'm Going Home, performed here, according to Lee "as it always should have been".

Lee's newest album, ‘Saguitar’, released September 2007, showcases the artist's bluesy vocals and dazzling guitar work on 14 new songs that range from melancholic blues to raucous rock to an innovative interpretation of rap. Lee says the album "celebrates the sheer joy of making music". For the listener, the celebration starts when they crank up the volume and groove to the latest offering from this enduring and superbly talented musician.

Meer info:

www.alvinlee.com

• LITTLE FEAT •

In his preface to a recent Little Feat retrospective compilation, the band’s Paul Barrere wrote, ”It’s almost 33 years ago exactly since Mr. Lowell George came to the front door of the Laurel Canyon house I was livin’ in, with that beautiful white ‘P’ bass in hand, and asked if I wanted to try out as bass player for his new band. As most who know the story’s end can tell you, as a bassist I make an excellent guitarist, and 3 years later- when I finally began my stint in Little Feat- I would never have guessed that I would be here writing these liner notes to yet another chapter in the now storied life of a band that has been my life, and a true labor of love.“

Truth is, there really is no story’s end yet, and Little Feat have indeed led a storied life ever since they formed in 1969. From then on, their unconventional signature of earthy, organic appeal and polished, first-rate musicianship wrapped around eclectic and memorable songs-clearly delivered as an authentic labor of love-has been a lasting fixture on the musical landscape. As American as apple pie-and rock ‘n roll itself-Feat’s music transcends boundaries, a freewheeling fusion of California rock and Dixie-inflected funk-boogie. In the mix as well are strains of folk, blues, rockabilly, country and jazz, inventing a hybrid sound that is truly Little Feat’s own. 

That story is about to add a major new chapter – the 2008 release of Join the Band, a very special project in Feat’s history.  Keyboardist Bill Payne came up with the idea of a cd that included many things, but featured major Little Feat hit songs as played by a band that included Feat and some very special friends.  When you have friends like Jimmy Buffett, Dave Matthews, Emmylou Harris, Bob Seger, Bela Fleck, Brooks and Dunn, Chris Robinson (Black Crowes), Vince Gill, Mike Gordon (Phish), and Inara George (band founder Lowell’s daughter) – you have musical treasure in your hands.  Join the Band is going to make some noise.  

Easily one of the hardest working bands in show biz, today’s Little Feat is a seven-member powerhouse that ably carries on the group’s tradition in both the recording and touring arenas. Their most recent studio album is Kickin’ It At The Barn, produced by Feat-ers Paul Barrere, Bill Payne and Fred Tackett. It’s named after the place it was recorded throughout 2003, Tackett’s barn-come-studio in Topanga Canyon, which Bill Payne has called ”Little Feat’s version of The Band’s ‘Big Pink’,“ and which lent an invaluable ambience to the undertaking. In his liner notes, faithful Feat scribe Paul Barrere writes, ”If music is a conversation between the players, then we are talking like never before… this has been truly one of the most memorable recording projects we’ve done. We started with an idea to write songs on acoustic guitar and piano, like the old days before computers and samples, and then let the band interpret the music.“ 

Feat’s story began in 1969 when songwriter, performer, multi-instrumentalist, and all around colorful character Lowell George, formerly of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, set out to form his own band - at Zappa’s suggestion. The brilliant and often idiosyncratic George connected with keyboard master Bill Payne, and, along with drummer Richie Hayward and Roy Estrada, founded Little Feat. They were soon signed to Warner Brothers, where Little Feat, in various configurations, would remain for twelve of their sixteen albums. 

This initial line-up recorded the band’s first two albums-their rootsy, 1971 self-titled debut, featuring the classic cut ‘Willin’, and its follow-up, ‘Sailin’ Shoes’, which added ‘Easy To Slip’; ‘Trouble’, ‘Tripe Face Boogie’, ‘Cold Cold Cold’ and the infectious title track to their repertoire. Upon Estrada’s departure in 1972, Paul Barrere, Sam Clayton and Kenny Gradney (all still in Feat today) signed on, and the rest, as they say, is history… and many more great albums.

Next up was ‘Dixie Chicken’, ’73, a New Orleans-influenced gumbo of greatness that offered up the signature title track and ‘Fat Man In The Bathtub’, among other delights. The two lp’s that followed, ‘Feats Don’t Fail Me Now’ ’74 and ‘The Last Record Album’ ’75 served up ‘Rock & Roll Doctor’, ‘Oh, Atlanta’, and ‘All That You Dream’, respectively, while 1977’s ‘Time Loves a Hero’ offered up, in fine Feats fashion, another unforgettable title track. That same year delivered the aforementioned ‘Waiting For Columbus’, forever memorializing their legendary stage prowess.

During Little Feat’s recording of their eighth album as a group, 1979’s ‘Down On The Farm’, founding member Lowell George—who had already been veering towards solo work- met a tragic and untimely passing. Except for ‘Hoy, Hoy’, a 1981 full-length assemblage of rarities, live performances, previously overlooked tracks, and a new song apiece from Payne and Barrere, Little Feat disbanded until the mid-‘80s. At that point, their own lyrics from
‘Hangin’ On To The Good Times Here’, “…although we went our own ways, we couldn’t escape from where we came, so we find ourselves back at the table again, telling stories of survivors and friends”, proved very telling. Barrere and Payne remember that a chance jam session in 1986 brought them together again, when they were reminded of how deeply Little Feat’s music was ingrained in them.

In 1988, the reformed band—with new members Craig Fuller (handling George’s vocal duties) and Fred Tackett-rekindled Feat’s magic for fans old and new alike. That year, they released the lively reunion album Let It Roll, and the singles ‘Hate To Lose Your Lovin’, and, of course, the title track. The 1989 follow-up, ‘Representing The Mambo’, would prove to be their last for Warner Bros. Next came 1991’s ‘Shake Me Up’ (on Morgan Creek), after which Fuller departed the band. Little Feat added a new lead singer, Shaun Murphy, in 1993, and released an acclaimed studio album, ‘Ain’t Had Enough Fun’ in 1995 (this time on Zoo). Shaun’s feminine energy and powerful, seasoned, bluesy vocalizations certainly upped the fun quotient for a recharged Little Feat. 

This incarnation of the band— which remains current today—was captured live to great effect on ‘96’s Live From Neon Park, a two-cd set culling performances from multiple concert venues including San Francisco’s fabled Fillmore Auditorium, Portland, Oregon’s Roseland Ballroom, and House of Blues Sunset Strip. Named after the renowned album cover artist whose striking images gracing Little Feat’s releases was a time-honored tradition (until his death from ALS in 1993), this live-fest featured all the band’s best-loved songs as well as their contemporary material. The collection proved how vital they remained after all the changes time had wrought.
In 1998, Little Feat released ‘Under The Radar’, their first album on CMC International. Spotlighting a confident and well-oiled configuration of first-rate talents, ‘Under The Radar’ delivered a consistently strong set of songs including new Feat favorites ‘Home Ground’, ‘Eden’s Wall’, and ‘Calling The Children Home’. With 2000’s ‘Chinese Work Songs’, also on CMC, Little Feat’s ever-evolving repertoire grew even more, featuring original compositions including ‘Marginal Creatures’, ‘Eula’, and ‘Another Sunday’, as well as vibrant covers of Bob Dylan, The Band and Phish songs.

Released in October 2003, ‘Kickin’ It At The Barn’ adds to the ever-growing repertoire on the band’s very own Hot Tomato Records. ”It’s something we’ve talked about doing for a long time”, says founding Feat-er Payne of launching the label, adding, ”it gives us the chance to do what we want, and it’s there for everybody in the band… and when it’s really up and running, for other artists too.” In a perfect synergy of saluting their vibrant past and christening the untold future, Hot Tomato kicked-off in June ’02 with the inaugural releases ‘Raw Tomatos’ and ‘Ripe Tomatos’, each a double-cd collection of live rarities spanning over three decades. Tracks were culled from a wealth of tapes amassed over the years from both fans and band sources alike, with each collection boasting well over two hours of music—they are only the first in what promises to be a Hot Tomato tradition of creatively mining the band’s inexhaustible archives. 

Other Hot Tomato releases include the 2002 two-cd set ‘Live From The Ram’s Head’, capturing a 2001 acoustic show recorded in Annapolis, MD, and ‘03’s Down Upon The Suwannee’, a live recording captured at the Magnolia Festival in Live Oak, Florida. The title, which is also a tip of the hat to Stephen Foster, refers to the Suwannee River, which flows through the concert site. 

Fred Tackett’s solo album ‘In A Town Like This’ came out in 2003 as well, and plans are in the works to release discs from various band members in the future, including a second Paul Barrere/Fred Tackett album, among other projects.  Bill Payne finally got on the solo bandwagon with 2004’s ‘Cielo Norte’ (Northern Sky), a marriage of the various types of keyboard, from synthesizers to acoustic piano, that is at times atmospheric, impassioned, and lyrical, and always intimate.  Any cd that takes its inspiration from Yo Yo Ma, Bill Evans, and John Fahey covers an elegant span of musical territory.

Yet another present day acknowledgement of Little Feat’s rich legacy is Rhino’s deluxe 25th anniversary edition of the band’s monumental concert album ‘Waiting for Columbus’, released in 2002 as an expanded two-cd set with extensive new liner notes and rare photos. When it first came out in 1977, ‘Waiting For Columbus’ instantly became one of the all-time great live rock ‘n roll albums, serving up bringin’-down-the-house versions of a host of Feat favorites including ‘Dixie Chicken’, ‘Fat Man In the Bathtub’, ‘Time Loves A Hero’, ‘Sailin’ Shoes’, ‘Oh Atlanta’, and ‘Willin’’, The new package restores the full 17-song sequence of the original concert, and adds seven previously unreleased outtakes. In October 2002, Little Feat commemorated Rhino’s re-release-and the unforgettable musical event that inspired it-with a benefit concert at Washington, D.C.’s Lisner Auditorium, one of the two venues where ‘Waiting For Columbus’ was recorded. An all-star guest line-up including Jackson Browne, Stephen Bruton, Joe Ely, Bela Fleck, Levon Helm, Sonny Landreth, and Billy Bob Thornton helped the band celebrate.

Rhino/Warner Bros. also saluted Little Feat’s accumulated musical history with the comprehensive retrospective Hotcakes & Outtakes: 30 Years of Little Feat, a project initiated and co-produced by Bill Payne and Paul Barrere. Released in 2000, the deluxe 4-cd, 83-track boxed set features hits from all of Little Feat’s classic albums as well as fan favorites, alternate takes and hand-picked rarities from the band’s eventful past.

Time has loved these musical heroes for more than three decades now, as have legions of fans and countless fellow musicians, many of whom they’ve played with over the years. Feat’s fabled collaborators have included Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Beck, Brian Wilson, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Plant, John Lee Hooker, Johnny Lang, and Leftover Salmon (for whom Bill Payne recently produced an album). With the success of Hot Tomato Records, an endeavor powered by an inspired band of musicians continuing to create exciting new material both individually and as a group, Little Feat will no doubt be sailin’ into the future with no end in sight. 

Meer info:

www.hottomatorecords.com

• DANA FUCHS BAND •

The youngest of six musical children, Dana was raised in a small town in rural Florida surrounded by music – her older siblings’ band playing classic rock in the garage, Ray Charles and Hank Williams on her parents’ turntable, and a big dose of 70’s and 80’s funk at school. At the age of 12 she joined the First Baptist Gospel Choir and was singing, shouting, and praising the lord every week in a small black church on the outskirts of town. At 16 she was fronting a popular local band at a roadside Holiday Inn. It was the beginning of a hunger for singing and the stage that Wildwood, Florida couldn’t possibly satiate.
Soon she was headed north telling friends and family she was “going to New York to sing the blues”.
Arriving in NYC alone and broke at the age of 19, Dana soon found herself down and out on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. After the wake-up call of her older sister’s suicide (Donna was Dana’s first musical mentor), Dana pulled herself together, determined to reconnect with her passion for music and began hitting the local blues jams with a vengeance. It was at one of these jams that she met Jon Diamond, an established NYC guitarist who had toured with Joan Osborne and W.C. Handy Award winner Debbie Davies. Immediately recognizing a musical chemistry they formed the Dana Fuchs Band. Within a year the band was a feature act at NY’s best blues clubs, often sharing the stage and performing with the likes of John Popper, James Cotton, and Taj Mahal. For another year Dana immersed herself in the blues, playing 3 long sets a night, 4 nights a week until 3 am, honing her already formidable vocal power and performance style, and building a large, loyal following.
After 2 years of working the blues circuit Dana knew it was time for a change and decided to tell her own story and create her own music. She and Jon began writing intensively, putting together a solid body of original rock songs. Soon Dana was back on the Lower East Side again, only this time on stage with the band, debuting her songs to a packed house at Arlene’s Grocery. The fan response was overwhelming. The band was soon selling out shows at The Mercury Lounge, The Stephen Talkhouse and BB King’s, sharing the bill with national acts, Little Feat, Marianne Faithfull, and Etta James.
Not long after the producers of the off-Broadway hit ‘Love, Janis’, hearing raves about Dana from various cast and crewmembers, asked her to come in for an audition. Dana went in, sang a few bars of ‘Piece of My Heart’, and, on the spot, was offered the role of Janis Joplin. Playing Janis 4 nights a week garnered Dana a whole new audience who were soon at the DFB’s shows listening to Dana performing her own music.
These songs can be heard on the band’s debut cd, ‘Lonely For A Lifetime’, which was released to an enthusiastic response from both press and fans. Drawing from influences ranging from ‘60s Stax/Volt R&B, Lucinda Williams and The Rolling Stones, ‘Lonely for A Lifetime’, hints, lyrically, at Tom Waits and Bob Dylan, among others. Says Fuchs, “I wanted to capture a soulful and rocking vibe… but with an earthiness to it.” Vocally Dana was inspired by legendary singers including Etta James, Otis Redding, Bobby Bland, Aretha Franklin, and Mavis Staples.
Notable tracks include ‘Strung Out’, ‘Lonely For A Lifetime’ and ‘Bible Baby’. Explains Fuchs, “These tracks are about addiction and religious hypocrisy, and like all of the tracks on the album deal with subjects that I have a deep personal experience with. It’s crucial to me to have a passionate connection to what I’m delivering in order to create a sincere representation of me, my life and my influences.”
Producer, co-writer, guitarist Jon Diamond says: “Dana is blessed with an incredibly warm, powerful and textured voice. Her lyrics are direct and real. And while she has really studied the great soul, rock & blues singers, she has synthesized those influences into her own unique sound and style.”

Meer info:

www.danafuchs.com

• WATERMELON SLIM •

At least once in every man's life everything seems to come together magically. When the road leading to such times is long and grueling, the zenith becomes exponentially more rewarding. Bill Homans a.k.a. Watermelon Slim is the extraordinary wheel man behind this redemption story road trip.  
In December 2006 Watermelon Slim garnered a record-tying six 2007 Blues Music Award nominations for Artist, Entertainer, Album, Band, Song, and Traditional Album of the Year. Only the likes of B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Robert Cray have ever landed six. His 2006 self-titled release was ranked #1 in MOJO Magazine's 2006 Top Blues cds, won the 2006 Independent Music Award for Blues Album of the Year, hit #1 on the Living Blues Radio Chart, debuted at #13 on the Billboard Blues Radio Chart ahead of both Robert Cray and North Mississippi Allstars, and won the Blues Critic Award for 2006 Album of the Year.    
In April, 2007 Watermelon Slim and The Workers released The Wheel Man, his second for NorthernBlues Music and his fourth album in five years. Jerry Wexler, a huge Watermelon Slim fan after hearing Slim's 2005 self-titled release, eagerly offered to write the liner notes upon listening to early tracks saying Slim "is a one-of-a-kind pickin' 'n'n singing Okie dynamo." The cd hit #1 on the Living Blues Radio Charts, #2 on the Roots Music Blues Charts and debuted in the Top 10 in Billboard's Blues charts.
The Memphis Flyer led it's terrific cd review with the question "Does anyone in modern pop music have a more intriguing biography than Bill "Watermelon Slim" Homans?" Slim was born in Boston and raised in North Carolina listening to his maid sing John Lee Hooker and other blues songs around the house. His father was a progressive attorney and ex-freedom rider and his brother is now a classical musician. Slim dropped out of Middlebury College to enlist for Vietnam. While laid up in a Vietnam hospital bed he taught himself upside-down left-handed slide guitar on a $5 balsawood model using a triangle pick cut from a rusty coffee can top and his Army issued Zippo lighter as the slide. 
Returning home an fervent anti-war activist, Slim first appeared on the music scene with the release of the only known record by a veteran during the Vietnam War. The project was Merry Airbrakes, a 1973 protest tinged lp with tracks Country Joe McDonald later covered.   
In the following 30 plus years Slim has been a truck driver, forklift operator, sawmiller (where he lost part of his finger), firewood salesman, collection agent, and even officiated funerals. At times he got by as a small time criminal. At one point he was forced to flee Boston where he played peace rallies, sit-ins and rabbleroused musically with the likes of Bonnie Raitt.   
He ended up farming watermelons in Oklahoma - hence his stage name and current home base. Somewhere in those decades Slim completed two undergrad degrees in history and journalism.
While roommates, buddies and musical partner with the heavy drinking Henry 'Sunflower' Vestine of Canned Heat, Slim was able to finish a masters degree and member of Mensa, the social networking group reserved for members with certified genius IQs.  
Throughout his storied past, it has always been truck driving that Slim returned to. While trucking and hauling industrial waste for thankless bosses at hourly wages to support himself and his family, his id yearned for release of the musician inside. Many of Slim's current songs began a cappella in his rig keeping him awake and entertained.   
In 2002 Slim suffered a near fatal heart attack. His brush with death gave him a new perspective on mortality, direction and life ambitions. He says, "Everything I do now has a sharper pleasure to it. I've lived a fuller life than most people could in two. If I go now, I've got a good education, I've lived on three continents, and I've played music with a bunch of immortal blues players. I've fought in a war and against a war. I've seen an awful lot and I've done an awful lot. If my plane went down tomorrow, I'd go out on top."

Meer info:

www.watermelonslim.com

• RYAN SHAW •

Ryan Shaw recorded three songs for the History Channel documentary ‘’King’ that aired last Sunday. These include: ‘We Shall Overcome’, ‘Oh Freedom’, ‘Amazing Grace’.

In addition, the History Channel is also featuring behind-the-scenes footage for ‘Amazing Grace’ which has been edited with images from ‘King’ and an interview with Ryan in the studio. In additional news, be sure to take a look at our tour dates page for new updates regarding the Van Halen tour!

Ryan Shaw's music in ‘My Blueberry Nights’
Ryan Shaw's ‘We Got Love’ is featured prominently in Wong Kar Wai's latest film ‘My Blueberry Nights’, in selected theaters now. ‘My Blueberry Nights’ marks the acting debut of singer Norah Jones. The film, which also stars Natalie Portman and Jude Law, is about a lovelorn young woman who leaves New York City to start a new life in a small town.

Meer info:

www.thisisryanshaw.com

• ERJA LYYTINEN •

In the past few years, Erja Lyytinen has taken the international music scene by storm. She’s a young, talented singer/songwriter and exceptional guitarist who plays everything from dobro to slide guitar. "But the guitar – or any instrument for that matter – is there just to support the story that I'm always trying to tell with a song", she says.
Erja was born to a musical family in Kuopio, a little town in the middle of Finland. At the age of 15 she was performing with her parents – singing and at first playing the violin and later the electric guitar. "People always wonder how a girl picked up the guitar. But being from a musical family – my mother is a bassist and my father a guitarist – I don't think that's a far stretch," Erja laughs.
Erja's second album ‘Wildflower’ (Bluelight Records), which she also co-produced, was officially released in June 2003 at one of Finland’s biggest festivals, Puistoblues. "It was great," Erja enthuses. "We got to open for Koko Taylor and Bonnie Raitt. They've both had a huge influence on me." Erja has often been compared to Raitt and the Finnish magazine Blues News once hailed her as the Bonnie Raitt of Finland."I think the main reason why some people compare me to Bonnie is that we both are women and play slide guitar. But naturally, it was fantastic when I finally got the chance to meet her. She turned out to be a really nice person."
In 2005, Erja signed with Ruf Records and promptly flew to the USA to collaborate on a project with British blues artists Ian Parker and Aynsley Lister. The resulting album, ‘Pilgrimage’, was a huge success and led to subsequent tours in the United States and Europe as well as the live dvd ‘Blues Caravan 2006 – The New Generation’. One of the songs Lyytinen wrote for the ‘Pilgrimage’ session, ‘Dreamland Blues’, also appeared on the cd ‘Blues Guitar Women’ compiled by award-winning Canadian blues artist Sue Foley.
Erja returned to the U.S. in 2006 to record her first solo album for Ruf Records, ‘Dreamland Blues’. Teaming her up with David and Kinney Kimbrough (sons of the late Junior Kimbrough, a Mississippi Hill country legend) and long-time musical partner Davide Floreno, Lyytinen’s latest cd digs even deeper into the gritty blues sound she has now identified as her own. She still integrates a range of other influences such as jazz, pop, R&B and country into her songs. But as Ian Parker puts it: “Erja has now discovered her true musical home – the blues.”
After hearing Lyytinen on her first tour of Germany, one critic wrote: “Not only does the lady have a fantastic voice … she is also an excellent guitar player. Hot sounds from the great white north!” As she continues to pound the road in the years ahead – burning up the fretboard with her slide, flashing that million-dollar smile – Erja Lyytinen is sure to keep winning over the hearts of fans everywhere.

Meer info:

www.erjalyytinen.com

• JIM COFEY'S SOUL KITCHEN •

Deze band ontstaan in juni 2006 rond Jan Ieven (El Fish, Rhythm Junks) en Patrick Cuyvers (Hideaway, PC and the Uploaders) haalt zijn inspiratie uit de New Orleans Funk van de jaren ‘60 en ‘70. Bands als Dr. John, The Meters, Eddy Bo, Allen Toussaint en Jimmy McGriff spreken tot de verbeelding. Een vette ritmesectie met lekkere gitaarlicks. Afrikaanse percussie en knallende solo’s, dit alles gelardeerd met de fluwelen stembanden en het ronkende orgel van “Mr. Jim” himself staan garant voor bakken vol met sfeer en kwaliteit. Van low-down funk naar zweterige up-tempo’s tot echte Mardi Gras feeststemming. Covers afgewisseld met eigen materiaal zorgen voor een unieke belevenis.

Meer info:

www.jimcofey.be

• THE RHYTHM CHIEFS •

The Rhythm Chiefs are often referred to as the youngest blues band in The Netherlands, but they have passed that stage by now, both musically and age-wise.
Founded in 2003 and now with an average age of only 17, there is no doubt though that The Rhythm Chiefs are very skillful players, leaving many musicians twice their age green with envy. They may well be the most talented young roots act in the Benelux countries or even further. Musically it's not strictly the blues anymore either as they tend to blend in some country, bluegrass, rock 'n roll, rockabilly, as well as hints of jazz and funk.
Both guitar player and vocalist, Dusty, and bass player Danny, are at college studying music/production, while drummer Rafael started studying at the Rotterdam Conservatorium in September 2007. The Rhythm Chiefs have already been guests on national and regional radio and tv and performed at numerous festivals in The Netherlands and elsewhere. Audiences are regularly amazed at what these boys already achieve at this young age. 2007 Saw their first international tour - in Poland - the highlight of which was playing at the Thanks Jimi Festival in Wroclaw with around 17,000 visitors and many more thousands online via a live webcast.
In 2006 they drew the attention of Cool Buzz, who offered them a record deal in 2007 after having seen them perform on various occasions. Recordings for their debut album took place at the Silvester Studio of Erik Spanjers in the autumn that year, resulting in "Ships Of Wonder" which was released early March 2008. The album consist of originals and one cover and was produced by Mischa den Haring (T-99) - it can be purchased in stores, or online at Coolbuzz.nl, Bol.com etc.

Meer info:

www.rhythmchiefs.nl

Zondag 13 / 7



• SOLOMON BURKE •

Nashville is an experience that every musician should have,” says Solomon Burke. “That’s why I wanted this record to be called NASHVILLE – because that’s what it’s about. Nashville stirred my soul.”
Almost six decades into a career that stretches back to his days as the ‘Wonder Boy Preacher’ in his hometown of Philadelphia, the King of Rock and Soul continues to explore fresh musical territory. For his new album – the follow-up to his GRAMMY®-nominated 2005 release MAKE DO WITH WHAT YOU GOT – Burke recorded, for the first time ever, in Music City, USA. But this musical giant didn’t simply plug into Nashville’s celebrated studio scene; instead, he joined forces with producer Buddy Miller, a longtime collaborator with such maverick artists as Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris, to create a rough-hewn, homespun collection.
NASHVILLE was recorded in eight days at Miller’s house, and features some of country music’s greatest female artists – Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Patty Loveless, Gillian Welch, and the incomparable Dolly Parton – all collaborating with Burke on their own compositions. “I learned so much in those eight days, it was like going to the University of Country Music!,” he says. “It wasn’t like going to the studio, it was like coming to Buddy’s house for a jam session. We sang in the living room, the dining room, the kitchen – like an old-fashioned revival meeting, sitting on the porch and singing with your family. It felt like I didn’t go to make a record, I went to have a good time, and to renew my spirit and faith in music.”

Solomon Burke is truly one of popular music’s larger-than-life figures. His records helped create the exhilarating celebration of pure feeling and African-American vocal expression that came to be known as soul. His songs have been covered by artists from the Rolling Stones to Tom Petty, from the Blues Brothers to Bruce Springsteen (Burke repays the favor with a raucous version of Springsteen’s ‘Ain’t Got You’ on NASHVILLE). ‘He is Solomon the resonator,” Tom Waits has said. “The golden voice of heart, wisdom, soul, and experience. He’s one of the architects of American music.”
Since his 2001 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Burke has enjoyed something of a renaissance as a performer (while also maintaining his parallel lives as an entrepreneur with a chain of mortuaries, a bishop in the House of God for All People, and a father of 21). His glorious 2002 album DON’T GIVE UP ON ME, produced by Joe Henry and dedicated to new songs by the likes of Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, and Van Morrison, won a GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Blues Album.
Burke’s introduction to Miller came last year, when both were performing at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Theater, “the mother church of country music,” as part of the Americana Music Awards. Miller subsequently visited Burke at home in Los Angeles last winter, when he was in town playing with Emmylou Harris.
From there, Miller says, “It all happened really fast.” Once they decided to explore working together, he says, “we spoke a lot on the phone, talked about 70, 80 songs or more, and I started to get a sense of what he did and didn’t feel. It was so much fun for me and my wife (singer/songwriter Julie Miller) to sit around and listen to things and say, ‘Can you imagine Solomon Burke singing that song?’”

For Burke, though, the concept of making a country album represented a return to some of his earliest recordings – in the early 1960s, several of his hits for the fledgling Atlantic Records (Just Out of Reach, Down in the Valley) were much closer to gospel-inflected country than they were to soul music, and this was even before Ray Charles proved that such a crossover could be achieved.
“After having my first country hit in 1960, I’ve always had a special desire to do a country album,” says Burke. “Really, it’s something I’ve wanted to do ever since I was a kid. I loved Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, Herb Jeffries – one of the first black cowboys. When I heard Charlie Pride I was just blown away. But after we did four country songs for Atlantic, Jerry Wexler said ‘We’ve got to stop that, got to get you back in R&B.’ I’m trying to ride a horse and they were trying to put me in a Cadillac! So to connect these new songs with the songs of my past, it’s really a circle I’m completing.”
On NASHVILLE, Burke brings it all back home with songs from a few country giants (George Jones, Tom T. Hall) and their inheritors (Jim Lauderdale, Kevin Welch, Paul Kennerly). Miller remains thrilled by the vitality of the sessions, and by Burke’s unpredictable explorations of this material. “On some songs I’d think, ‘well, this one isn’t gonna work out,’” he says, “but I never got to say it because suddenly, the key was turned in the most amazing vehicle there could be to take a song to its destination. He finds that magic, that deepness, in places nobody’s ever gone to.”
Once upon a time, Charlie Parker was asked by a shocked fan why he liked country music. “Listen to the stories,” he replied. Solomon Burke, who describes NASHVILLE as “a reunion of heart, mind, and spirit,” echoes that sentiment. “The songs tell a powerful story, and these stories need telling in these times,” he says. “Listen to them two or three times and you really start to understand.
“And,” he continues, “this is just the beginning. We want to go back and do another right away!”

Meer info:

www.thekingsolomonburke.com

• JOOLS HOLLAND & HIS RHYTHM & BLUES ORCHESTRA •

Jools Holland was born Julian Miles Holland on January 24, 1958 in Blackheath, South East London.
At the age of eight, he could play the piano fluently by ear, and by the time he reached his early teens he was proficient and confident enough to be appearing regularly in many of the pubs in South East London and the East End Docks.
At the age of 15, Jools was introduced to Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford; together they formed Squeeze, and shortly afterwards they were joined by Gilson Lavis (who had already played with, among others, BB King, Chuck Berry, and Max Wall) – who still drums with Jools.
Up The Junction and Cool For Cats made Squeeze's success meteoric and their popularity rapidly extended to America, where their stadium tour included performances at Madison Square Garden. In 1987, Jools formed The Jools Holland Big Band – comprising himself and Gilson Lavis. This has gradually metamorphosed into the current 18-piece Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, which consists of one pianist, one drummer, two female vocals, one guitar, one bass guitar, two tenor saxophones, two alto saxophones, one baritone saxophone, three trumpets, and four trombones.
Jools and the Rhythm & Blues Orchestra now plays an average of 100 live shows each year, touring the UK and Europe to audiences in excess of 500,000.
As well as the formidable live performances, Jools has maintained a prolific recording career since signing to Warners in 1996 and has sold millions of albums.
A big fan of the cult 1960's show The Prisoner, Jools' inspiration for Helicon Mountain – the studio complex he designed and built – was Portmeirion, the setting for the TV series. Jools demonstrated his love of the series and starred in a spoof documentary, The Laughing Prisoner, with Stephen Fry, Terrence Alexander and Hugh Laurie, in 1993.

Jools' career as a television presenter has run parallel to his musical career. He started in the early 1980s when he interviewed The Police for a documentary that was made while they were recording at George Martin's Montserrat studio. Jools then auditioned to become co-presenter (with Paula Yates) of The Tube, which was granted almost immediate cult status and discovered a whole new generation of musicians and comedians between 1981 and 1986. Jools also managed to secure a rare interview with Miles Davis, which was broadcast on 14th November 1986.
In two subsequent documentaries – Walking to New Orleans in 1985 and Mr. Roadrunner in 1991 – Jools unearthed some of the roots of American music, which led him to talk to (and play with) many of his heroes, including Fats Domino, Dr. John, and Lee Dorsey.

In 1988, Jools wrote a six-part series with Roland Rivron, The Groovy Fellas, about a Martian visiting Earth.

Between 1988 and 1990, Jools performed and co-hosted (with David Sanborn) during the two seasons of an acclaimed music performance programme, Sunday Night, on NBC.

After presenting two series of Juke Box Jury in 1989 and then 26 shows of The Happening in 1990, Jools was asked in 1992 to host a new music programme for BBC2, which combined his talent and experience as a musician with his skills as an interviewer.
Later…with Jools Holland has re-awakened the innovative spirit of The Tube, and the 200th edition (31st series) will air in 2008, along with Jools' New Years Eve show, the exuberant Hootenanny, which celebrates its 16th anniversary.
Other television programmes include: Name That Tune; Don't Forget Your Toothbrush; Beat Route; Jools Meets The Saint; and, in 2002, Jools' History Of The Piano. Jools also conducted the interviews for the definitive Beatles Anthology, and the Rolling Stones Biography.
He appeared in the 1997 film Spice World as a 'Musical Director'.
Jools' achievements were formally recognized in June 2003, when he was awarded the OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. The 2004 UK tour kicked off with a star-studded concert at the historic Royal Albert Hall, donating all proceeds to the Teenage Cancer Trust. Later that year, he collaborated with Tom Jones on an album of traditional R&B music. The album, which was recorded at Jools' Helicon Mountain studio with Laurie Latham, entered the UK Album Charts at Number 5.
In January 2005, Jools and his band performed with Eric Clapton as the headline act of the Tsunami Relief Concert in Cardiff.

Jools married Christabel McEwen in August 2005 and, the following month, he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Kent.
November 2006 saw the release of Moving Out To The Country, a collection of country songs with various guest artists.
The following month, Jools appeared at Capital Gold Legends Live, a series of up-close-and-personal gigs hosted by the London radio station.
Jools was featured in the January 2007 issue of MOJO, which revealed his Top 10 Favourite Boogie Woogie Albums.
In March 2007, Jools played two very special charity concerts, at Wells Cathedral and Rochester Cathedral, to raise funds for the upkeep of cathedrals throughout the British Isles and highlight the beauty of these historic buildings and the music within them.
At the heart of these charity concerts was a new setting of the Mass, composed by Jools and commissioned by the Bishop of Bath and Wells. The new Mass was performed exclusively in the two cathedrals; it will eventually be released on cd, and incorporate elements from both performances.

Meer info:

www.joolsholland.com

• IAN SIEGAL BAND •


Op de foto Ian Siegal (met Opoe in zijn armen) in gezelschap van de mooie Mattanja Joy Bradley (Bradley's Circus)

It has been said that had Siegal been around in the sixties he would today be accorded the same reverence as artists such as Van Morrison, Joe Cocker and Eric Clapton. Instead, he is a child of the seventies who dropped out of art college in the late eighties to go busking in Germany. From the streets of Berlin Siegal progressed to clubs around Nottingham, then to London and ultimately to major stages around Europe.
Two successive European tours (2003/4) opening for ex-Rolling Stone Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings brought him to the attention of a wider audience. This was followed by UK tours as a duo with Big Bill Morganfield (son of Muddy Waters, the man who Siegal calls The Blues God). During this time Siegal was also capturing the hearts of audiences in Holland, Belgium, Austria and Hungary. In 2005 he topped the Soul/Blues/Jazz charts in Holland and in 2006 he debuted in the USA, appearing at major clubs and the largest music festival on the West Coast.

Born in the deep south (of England!) in 1971, Ian's earliest musical memories are of the likes of Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis and Chuck Berry. This led him into a life-long passion for the Blues and all of its various branches, and most of all, the inimitable Muddy Waters.
“I cannot remember not knowing about Muddy Waters, even as a child,” says Ian. “His music and that of Howlin' Wolf have been a huge influence on me.”
At 16 he began to roadie occasionally for his cousin's band and one night, quite unexpectedly, he was asked to sing. The result was a blown-away audience and a delighted (and rather surprised) young vocal talent with a career ahead of him.
It was 2 years later that he picked up a guitar and taught himself to play. At 20 he dropped out of art college and travelled to Berlin, busking for a living. This is where he says his playing dramatically improved as, if he didn't make money, he didn't eat! By the time he returned to England he knew that a career in music was the only one for him.
A visit to Nottingham resulted in a five-year stay and Ian's first band became one of the most popular on the local music scene. He quickly showed himself to be a gifted songwriter with a deep understanding of tradition, but with an eye on the future.
Moving to London to further his career was inevitable and Ian was soon an established part of the London Blues community. That's where today's Ian Siegal band was born.
Many gigs followed, along with a number of appearances with American artists. He has also sung with other bands, notably The Lee Sankey Group and can be heard on the album ‘Tell Me There's a Sun’.
Appearances on larger festival stages followed - such as Edinburgh, Lugano, Peer, North Sea Jazz – establishing him as one of the most natural, exciting and vibrant talents on the scene today.
Each year the stages get bigger, but what sticks most in Ian's mind is his guest appearance with 92 year old Pinetop Perkins and some of the other remaining members of Muddy Waters' band. This was at London's Jazz Café in 2005 to a packed house. Then at a festival in Norway, in a role reversal, these legends of post-war Blues spontaneously joined Ian on stage for what turned into a memorable hour long set.

Meer info:

www.iansiegal.com

• THORBJORN RISAGER •

The story of Thorbjørn Risager and his band is one of success. They came out of… well not exactly nowhere, but from the local Copenhagen blues scene, and with the help of their previous live-cd, recorded straight up-and-down in a local club, they catapulted themselves out into the international blues world. From May until Oct 2006 they are booked at festivals and clubs in eight countries, and this is only the beginning. Only the future will tell how far they will reach …
This is an extraordinary group in many ways. Their charismatic vocalist Thorbjørn Risager has earned a reputation as one of Denmark's best singers, with an exceptional bluesy and soulful voice. He is also an outstanding song writer, and his powerful guitar fills balance his song phrases perfectly. Just like the rest of his musicians, he delivers solos on a high level, dynamic and full of nerve and presence.
This is not an ordinary blues band, since a large portion of their repertoire is classic, New Orleans flavoured 1950's and 60's R&B - although most of it is written by Thorbjørn, alone or with somebody in the band. But it's definitely not an ordinary R&B-band either! They are making a serious and deep statement and they've updated the tradition, creating their very personal version of it, with a power that both shakes up the room and goes into the heart and soul of each individual listener.
At the Copenhagen Blues Festival 2005 he was appointed ‘Blues Artist of the year’. And their live-cd has opened the doors to many places, since the power of this band is so obvious, already from the guitar intro of the opening track.
The band’s second cd, ‘From The Heart’, produced by the legendary Billy Cross, was released in 2006 and it has send them many steps further into their career. A couple of months after the release the cd was already playing on more than 30 radiostations in 15 countries including the national radios of Denmark, Sweden and Norway. And the cd has been ‘cd of the week’ on BBC.
Thorbjørn Risager and his band has now released their third cd ‘Here I Am’. And once again the cd is recieving very positive response from all over the world.

Meer info:

www.risager.info

• MARC BROUSSARD •

Atlantic Records welcomes a new addition to it’s storied roster, acclaimed singer/songwriter Marc Broussard. The Louisiana-based bayou soul troubadour makes his label debut with ‘Must Be The Water’, his first collection of all-new songs since 2004's breakthrough ‘Carencro’. The five-track ep is highlighted by the fuel-injected title track, which recently served as the theme for Turner Broadcasting's on-air promotions of the 2008 NBA All-Star festivities.
The ‘Must Be The Water’ ep was recorded during Broussard's January 2008 appearance on the Rock Boat VIII, the annual five-day music festival at sea. Eager to release new material in advance of recording his next album, Broussard and his band opted to capture their live energy via the simplest possible means. As the cruise traveled the Caribbean - making stops in Grand Cayman and Ocho Rios, Jamaica - Marc utilized a bare-bones studio set-up to record the ep's five tracks, all while leading a multi-artist concert line up which also included Toad The Wet Sprocket, Sons of William, and many others.
 
"We knew it would be a tough task, but we got more than we bargained for," says Broussard. "With electrical surges, hard drive crashes, high seas, vocal ailments and other Rock Boat shenanigans, we all had doubts about whether or not we'd be able to pull it off. Thankfully we didn't give up and the band played on!"
 
The son of Louisiana Hall of Fame guitarist Ted Broussard (of the legendary blue-eyed soul combo, the Boogie Kings), Marc grew up surrounded by the diverse musical panorama for which his homestate is world-renowned. Music informed his life from the get-go, whether it was joining his dad onstage at various clubs or singing in the Catholic University church choir. As he hit his teens, Broussard was already an accomplished artist, the veteran of a string of local bands and solo acoustic performances, known for tearing up the stage with the raw-throated gusto and worldly emotive power of a man three times his age.
Broussard made his recorded debut in 2002 with the remarkably mature independent release, ‘Momentary Setback’. He drew coast-to-coast acclaim in 2004 with his major-label debut, ‘Carencro’, a full-blooded take on the blues, soul, Cajun music, rock, and swamp-pop of his native Louisiana, distilled through the talented young tunesmith's flair for smart contemporary songwriting. With his emotive, dynamic voice and undeniable presence, Broussard quickly won over a legion of devoted fans via nearly non-stop roadwork, including countless headline shows; showstopping sets at festivals like South By Southwest, Bonnaroo, and of course, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival; and tours alongside such like-minded musicians as Dave Matthews Band, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Gavin DeGraw, O.A.R., and Maroon 5.
 
Marc followed up ‘Carencro’ with 2007's critically acclaimed ‘S.O.S.: Save Our Soul’. The album saw Broussard and his crack band plumbing the vaults of historic labels like Motown and Stax to create 11 incendiary performances of soul classics originally recorded by Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, the Staple Singers, Bobby Womack, and other members of R&B royalty as well as one original tune recorded in the same classic soul vein. Among the album's many highlights was a sweltering take on Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's ‘If I Can Build My Whole World Around You’, performed as a duet with Toby Lightman.
In September 2007, Marc and his band headed to Asia and the Middle East for a four-week tour, performing for US troops in association with the military's MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) command. The Christmas season saw one of Marc's songs featured on NBC's hit reality series, ‘Clash Of The Choirs’, with country superstar Blake Shelton leading his choir in a rousing rendition of ‘Home’, the lead single from ‘Carencro’. In addition, Broussard co-wrote and sang with LeAnn Rimes on the rollicking duet, ‘Nothing Wrong’, found on her top 5-charting 2007 album, ‘Family’. He also joined such superstars as Paul McCartney, Elton John, Robert Plant, Neil Young, and Herbie Hancock on 2007's ‘Goin' Home: A Tribute To Fats Domino’, contributing a version of ‘Rising Sun’ recorded with mandolin master Sam Bush. Lastly, Broussard also performed his hit song ‘Home’ as part of the kickoff to the weekend of NBA All Star events before a nationwide audience live on TNT.
 
Along with his busy musical career, Broussard has also been active in helping to raise funds to both help residents of his beloved New Orleans and to restore the city to its pre-Katrina glory. In 2005, he released the live ‘Bootleg To Benefit The Victims Of Hurricane Katrina’, with all proceeds going to his ‘Momentary Setback Fund’, established to assist victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Broussard also created wristbands with the insignia ‘Straight From The Water’ (from a lyric in his song, Home) and has taken time out from touring and recording to help build homes with Habitat For Humanity. As a result of his humanitarian efforts, Broussard was invited to serve as spokesperson for Louisiana's United Way of Acadiana and was recently bestowed with Hard Rock International's ‘Love All, Serve All’ Award in recognition of his on-going commitment to philanthropy.

Meer info:

www.marcbroussard.com

• JOHN CLEARY •

A first in their recording history, Jon Cleary and The Absolute Monster Gentlemen have kicked out a smoking live album, ‘Mo Hippa Live.’ This fiery and funky mix of JC classics was recorded during their 2007 Australian tour, at The Vanguard in Sydney. Capturing the Jon Cleary concert experience, ‘Mo Hippa’ is sure to keep your toes tapping and your hips shaking. Packed with 10 of your favorite JC tracks, including ‘Cheatin On You’ and ‘Groove Me’, will be available in cd and digital download on April 22nd.

Meer info:

www.joncleary.com

• KEY FRANCES BAND •

He has worked as a Motown session player in Los Angeles, headlined at the Astoria in London,in NYC at the Bitter End. He played all over in New Orleans where he sat in on sessions with producer Daniel Lanois (Bob Dylan: Time Out of Mind, U2: Joshua Tree) and in Austin, including record attendance Friday night gigs at the famous Black Cat Lounge.

It was in Austin that Key's music caught the attention of the producer Bob Johnston (Bob Dylan: Bring It All Back Home through Nashville Skyline) who teamed him up with Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon of the famed SRV's band ‘Double Trouble’ for an album of Key's original music.
Key Frances began his professional music career in London, England. Within a few short months of arriving, with a UK band, Key was headlining his own music at the London City Limits Blues Festival and at the Astoria where he played on Saturday nights. His profile became so well known that Key had to run out of the country before immigration removed Key from the UK for visa violations. Key moved to New Orleans, Louisiana for a couple of years. He lived and played his music with Louisiana musicians. The band played just about every venue in New Orleans including The New Orleans Jazz Festival.

His music then bought him to Austin, Texas. Once again Key lived and played with local Texas musicians. For a period of two years they played every Austin venue and many outlining venues in Houston, Dallas, and Forth Worth. In Austin Key had record attendance for his regular Friday night gigs at the Black Cat Lounge. Key also played the Austin River Festival.
During this time producer Bob Johnston (Bob Dylan/Johnny Cash) brought Key together with Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton of Double Trouble to record an album of Key's original music after Stevie Ray Vaughn's untimely death. After recording Key, Chris, and Tommy made a few live appearances.
Key relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico where he played the mountain communities throughout Colorado and New Mexico. Key played the Taste of Colorado Festival in Denver and the Thirsty Ear Festival in Santa Fe.

San Francisco is a favorite stop where they play severalvenues as well as the Bolina's Music Festival and are a regular at Biscuits & Blues. Key travelled up to Portland to play the Portland Waterfront Festival and over to New York City for the New York Film Festival. Audiences have been known to jump up out of their seats and give the band a standing ovation!
Recently Key has moved to Los Angeles where he is playing with the best musicians the city has to offer. He is playing the best venues headlining weekends at Harvelle's in Santa Monica and B.B. King's in Los Angeles.

Meer info: