07.28.06 (MusicPortal.com) Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys are on tour in support of their new album, "Turntable Matinee." The Philadelphia Inquirer recently reviewed the album, and had this to say: "He's been at it for more than two decades now, so when Big Sandy (a.k.a. Robert Williams) decides to present a Turntable Matinee, you know he's not about to conjure images of, say, Grandmaster Flash. From the opening salute to 'The Power Of The 45,' with its insistent rockabilly beat and litany of '50s names, this is music that again looks way back. It's a familiar mix that, besides rockabilly, encompasses country, jazz and pop while this time adding a touch of Memphis soul with the horn-stoked 'Slipping Away' and bossa nova with 'Spanish Dagger.' Keeping it from sounding fossilized are the vivid originality of Big Sandy's songs (bassist Jeff West also wrote three, and sings two), and the hot ensemble playing of the Fly-Rite Boys, whose swing and twang provide the spice to Big Sandy's sweet croon." Tour Dates: 07/25 Evanston, IL [Dawes Park - Starlight Concert Series] • 07/26 Columbia, MO [9th Street Summer Festival] • 07/27 Iowa City, IA [The Mill] • 07/28 St. Louis, MO [Beale On Broadway] • 07/29 Kansas City, MO [Knucklehead Saloon] • 07/30 Lincoln, NE [Zoo Bar] • 08/09 Fullerton, CA [Concerts In The Park] • 08/11 Winters, CA [The Palms] • 08/12 San Francisco, CA [Bimbo's] • 08/17 Central City, CO [Fortune Valley Casino And Hotel] • 08/18 Central City, CO [Fortune Valley Casino And Hotel] • 08/19 Central City, CO [Fortune Valley Casino And Hotel] • 08/20 Laporte, CO [Swing Station] • 08/24 Hollywood, CA [Amoeba Records - In-Store Performance] • 08/25 Whittier, CA [Memories] • 08/26 Hollywood, CA [Safari Sam's] • 09/03 Sonora, CA [Camp Mather - Strawberry Music Festival] • 09/06 Boise, ID [Live After Five] • 09/08 Eugene, OR [Eugene Celebration] • 09/09 Seattle, WA [Tractor Tavern] • 10/04 Cincinnati, OH [Tall Stacks Music - Arts & Heritage Festival] • 10/05 Champaign, IL [Cowboy Monkey] • 10/07 Cincinnati, OH [Tall Stacks Music - Arts & Heritage Festival] • 10/20 Atlanta, GA [The Earl]
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07.25.06 (MusicPortal.com) Australian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist XAVIER RUDD has signed a worldwide deal (except for Australia and Canada) with Anti- (home to Tom Waits, Daniel Lanois, Neko Case and Michael Franti, among others), and will see his new album "Food In The Belly" released in the U.S. next year. "I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead with Anti-," commented Rudd on the signing. "I feel it is a good 'connection' because of their approach to music, which is evident in Anti-'s catalog of artists." Rudd, whose travels as a renowned surfer has both shaped and help spread his music, is an accomplished recording artist. "Food In The Belly" follows the successful chart album "Solace," from which Rudd has developed one of the most passionate and rapidly spreading grassroots audiences of recent times. His original live performances have helped him build an international reputation - literally with his own hands and feet. From his bare soles on a wooden resonator box to the breath humming in his yidakis (didgeridoos), his work resonates from the ground up and the inside out. "'Food In The Belly' is a celebration," says Rudd, who hails from Torquay, on Australia's south-east coast. "This is a shaky time and we have our issues, but most of us in the western world are incredibly fortunate. It's not gonna be this way forever and I feel really appreciative. I guess that gratitude became a theme of this album." "Food In The Belly" is Xavier Rudd's sixth album, and was recorded by himself and co-producer Todd Simko in an autonomous, uncompromising style that reflects a truly independent musical spirit. "We recorded it in May in Vancouver, in a house converted into a studio," he explains. "I was living in a little cabin surrounded by deer on Bowen Island, so I took a ferry to the studio every day. The cabin was like a retreat when I was tired of recording. It kept me feeling fresh and connected to reality. The dude who owns the studio collects these old instruments so we used some of them on the album. Most important, he had a two-inch tape machine so we didn't use computers at all. I played everything live."
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07.24.06 (MusicPortal.com) ANTHONY GOMES is back and better than ever with his new album, "Music Is The Medicine," which will be in-stores August 8th via Adrenaline Music and will be followed by an extensive U.S. tour. Gomes lives by a credo of truth as an artist, constantly challenging himself to expand his explorations of heart and sound. "Music Is The Medicine" raises the bar and reaches beyond it, taking all he's discovered in enduring American sounds and applying that knowledge and experience to create a vibrant, contemporary masterwork of Blues-based Rock, Soul and R&B. "I wanted to find my way with roots music," Anthony says. "When I started playing, I was a purist. In this journey I have come full circle by fusing roots and contemporary sounds. It's like studying philosophy and going from Descartes back to the start with Aristotle." Growing up in Toronto, Canada, Anthony Gomes' musical sojourn began unexpectedly. "For my 14th birthday, I wanted a computer and I was doing well in school, so my Dad got me a guitar as a surprise. Then, I surprised him. I fell in love with music and became very dedicated." Like many teen boys, his fire was fueled by what he calls, with a twinkle in his eye, "testosterone rock." His first stage appearance came in high school on band night, his group cranking out the likes of Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin. He also was inspired to start writing original songs. The band won a local radio station contest, earning prize money and a chance to open for Bon Jovi, but Anthony decided it wasn't his path to follow. "I quit the band before that. My heart wasn't in it. I want to get more into a roots thing." Gomes headed to the U.S. in the late 1990s, first settling in Chicago and winning Buddy Guy's Legends 1998 "Best Unsigned Blues Band" competition. After several years he traveled down south to Nashville for yet another perspective on music. He explains, "I moved to Chicago to be a better musician and moved to Nashville to learn more about songwriting and be in that community." Anthony Gomes also released his first three albums, all varied with a genuine personal vision of the Blues and beyond. His 1998 debut, "Blues In Technicolor" introduced him as a guitar-slinger loaded with impressive firepower... [full story]
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07.20.06 (MusicPortal.com) This Fall sees the legendary JOHN MAYALL and the inimitable STAN WEBB'S CHICKEN SHACK back on the road again in the UK to do an extensive 9-week tour. The tour follows their hugely successful 2004 outing and sees them playing 37 major venues across the country. The 37 date tour kicks off at the Royal & Derngate, Northampton on October 17th and runs through November 23rd at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham, including a night at London's Shepherd Bush Empire (November 22nd). From his move to London and the genesis of the band in 1963 through to the current day, John Mayall has often been called the "Godfather Of British Blues" - a title well earned. With an incredible 55 albums to his credit and a string of legendary players in his indomitable Bluesbreakers, John has done more to spread the story of the Blues in thie UK than any other musician. From the hallowed ranks of the Bluesbreakers came Cream, Fleetwood Mac, Walter Trout, as well as luminaries such as Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Peter Green, Aynsley Dunbar, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Mick Taylor, Hughie Flint and more, to name but a few, while the incredible Buddy Whittington is still very much with them. The current lineup comprises Mayall, Whittington, Joe Yuele, Tom Canning and Hank Van Sickle. The accolades to John Mayall have been many and varied and -- as Mick Fleetwood put it -- Mayall "provided a platform over the years for people to develop." Meanwhile, Stan Webb -- the mercurial frontman at the heart of Chicken Shack -- has a blistering guitar style matched only by a huge stage presence. The band's late sixties' Top 3 hit 'Rather Go Blind' and the chart follow-up 'Tears In The Wind' established them at the forefront of British Blues and they've continued to fly the flag ever since. The first band outside the United States to tour with Freddy King when he visited the UK in 1968, Webb puts much of his style down to him and points out: "this is the music I was born to play." He has also performed with such luminaries as Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, Howling Wolf and Taj Mahal.

07.06.06 (MusicPortal.com) THE FLASK, the new band featuring well-known guitarist Kenny Olson, are currently making their musical debut with a new digital 3-song EP containing the songs 'Shuck 'N Jive,' 'Holy Roller' and 'Gold Rush,' which is now available from all major digital download sites. Olson, known to millions as the main axeman for Kid Rock's backing band, Twisted Brown Trucker, shreds it up in typical style on the new tracks. Along with Kenny Olson, The Flask is comprised of music veterans Brent Grunow on lead vocals, Jason Price on bass and Shannon Boone on drums/percussion. It was inevitable that the foursome eventually got together to form The Flask, since all are originally from the Detroit/Michigan area and have a great love for Rock 'N' Roll and the musical greats that came before them. In his home studio, Olson began writing songs with drummer Shannon Boone (a.k.a. the production team for The Scorpio Brothers). The rest quickly fell into place. "Brent [Grunow, singer] was brought to me by a mutual friend of ours to produce a demo for him," Olson explains. "He came in from New York... and we got in my studio and him and I just started writing song after song together -- me and him and Shannon -- and it ended up turning into The Flask." With the addition of bassist Price, The Flask began to hone their sound, which shines through on the upcoming album "Match In The Gas Tank," which was mixed by the legendary Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Kiss) and is due from Takes The Biscuit September 12th. From early standout tracks such as 'Killer In A Cadillac' to the haunting 'Dark Moon' and infectious 'Aero Park,' it's clear that The Flask will help to fill a void that has been missing in the Rock market place for far too long. The group also crafted an epic in 'Gold Rush,' which features a four-minute guitar solo by Olson. He says The Flask will satisfy "anybody who wants to see a really rockin' show. And the band has a lot of the element of that old Detroit sound that once was around back in the early '70s." Kenny Olson has also played with some of the biggest names in the music business, including Sheryl Crow, Metallica, Chaka Khan, Hank Williams Jr., Buddy Miles, and Aerosmith. He has also played on several Jimi Hendrix tributes, which he considers to be some of his most important work.
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07.05.06 (MusicPortal.com) On July 24th, British singer/songwriter CORINNE BAILEY RAE will launch her first proper U.S. tour in support of her self-titled debut album, which debuted at #17 on the Billboard 200 with sales of over 40,000 copies. Last month, she performed 'Put Your Records On,' her current single, on "The Tonight With Jay Leno" - the latest in a string of national television appearances that has included "Good Morning America," "Live With Regis And Kelly" and "The Tavis Smiley Show." Bailey Rae is also scheduled to appear on A&E's "Breakfast With The Arts" on July 16th. 'Put Your Records On' is currently #10 at the Smooth Jazz radio format and #22 at AAA radio, and was recently nominated for the "BETJ Cool Like That" award and voted "Best New Act" in Mojo's annual readers' poll. In mid-month, Bailey Rae will be the featured artist for Yahoo! Music's "Critical Eye," part of their Who's Next program. In a four-star Critic's Choice album review, People magazine described Bailey Rae's voice as "a sublime instrument -- part Billie Holiday, part Erykah Badu -- that slays you with its sultry allure, quirky charms and jazzy, understated cool." USA Today observed "the newcomer's songs take us on a distinctive, delightful journey... a gorgeous summer soundtrack." In March, Corinne Bailey Rae became the first female British artist to enter the UK album chart at #1 with a debut album of original songs. Her album is currently certified double Platinum there, and Gold in numerous other countries, with worldwide sales of already well over one million units. Tour Dates: 07/24 Seattle, WA [Crocodile Cafe] • 07/25 Portland, OR [Lola's @ Crystal Ballroom] • 07/27 San Francisco, CA [Bimbo's 365 Club] • 07/29 San Diego, CA [Brick By Brick] • 07/31 Los Angeles, CA [The Roxy Theatre] • 08/12 Dallas, TX [Gypsy Tea Room & Ballroom] • 08/13 Houston, TX [Warehouse Live] • 08/14 Austin, TX [Antone's Nightclub] • 08/16 Atlanta, GA [Vinyl] • 08/18 Annapolis, MD [Ramshead Tavern] • 08/20 Alexandria, VA [Birchmere] • 08/21 Philadelphia, PA [World Cafe Live] • 08/23 New York, NY [TBA] • 08/25 Boston, MA [Paradise Rock Club] • 08/29 Chicago, IL [Park West] • 08/30 Minneapolis, MN [Varsity Theater]
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07.03.06 (MusicPortal.com) In the months leading up to his passing on September 12th, 2003, JOHNNY CASH had been recording new material with producer Rick Rubin. Tomorrow on July 4th, "American V: A Hundred Highways" -- an all-new Johnny Cash album taken from those sessions -- will be released through American Recordings/Lost Highway Records. It will include the last song Johnny Cash ever wrote. The songs that comprise "American V: A Hundred Highways" are as eclectic an assortment as any on the previous albums in the American series: 'Help Me,' a poignant plea to God, the hauntingly beautiful ballad 'If You Could Read My Mind,' 'God's Gonna Cut You Down,' a traditional spiritual, the touching 'Love's Been Good To Me,' the heartrending 'On The Evening Train,' and 'Further On (Up The Road)' are among the tracks on the new album. Songwriters for the tracks run the gamut from Hank Williams to Rod McKuen to Bruce Springsteen. In addition, two original Cash compositions are featured, 'Like The 309' and 'I Came To Believe.' 'Like The 309' is the last song Cash wrote and, like his first recorded single, 1955's 'Hey Porter,' is a song that incorporates one of his favorite settings, trains: "Everybody take a look/See I'm doin' fine/Then load my box/On the 309." 'I Came to Believe' is a song he wrote and originally recorded earlier in his career, and addresses the pain of addiction and connecting to a higher power. "I think that 'American V' may be my favorite of all of the albums in the American series," said Rubin. "It's different from the others, it has a much different character. I think that this is as strong an album as Johnny ever made." The months following the May, 2004 passing of his wife June Carter Cash, were among the most physically and emotionally painful times in Cash's life, but keeping focused on the recording of "American V: A Hundred Highways" proved to be his salvation. Rubin remembers, "Johnny said that recording was his main reason for being alive, and I think it was the only thing that kept him going, the only thing he had to look forward to." Cash and Rubin began recording the songs that would find their way onto "American V: A Hundred Highways" in 2002, specifically on the day after they finished "American IV: The Man Comes Around" which was released that November. Johnny feared that "American IV" might be his last release, so Rubin suggested that he... [full story]
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[Blues News: June 2006]
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