THE STEVE CAL' BAND "THE STEVE CAL' BAND"

Hailing from Philadelphia, PA, Steve Cal’ released his debut album, which fans of the blues, Buddy Guy, and Cream will thoroughly enjoy. The Steve Cal’ Band, which also features Sandy Eldred (bass) and Melinda Gervasio (drums) delivers nine songs (a couple of which are covers) on their self-titled album The Steve Cal’ Band that have a vintage feel to them. The recording themselves seem raw and live. Not many bells and whistles on these recordings. It pretty much sounds like a couple of musicians jamming in a room. Cal’ has a decent blues voice but guitar playing is the star of the show on a lot of these songs. He plays a nasty lead and digs into scales while thrashing at his guitar. First up is “I’m The One,” which sounds similar to an old Cream song tinged with a bit of Hendrix. Cal’ sings over drum fills as the guitar is vacant for a beat only to return with a vengeance. It isn't long before Cal’ starts soloing and makes you feel like an amateur. “Real Long Day” had a solo and riff that sounded similar to the one on “Stairway To Heaven.” He implements an A - G - F progression. “I Ain’t Messing Around” is the kind of blues-rock you can imagine playing at your local bar while the townies are slamming back boilermakers and playing pool. It has a classic feel to it. ”Through Your Eyes” was one of the highlights on the album. Cal’ delivers one of his best vocal performances while the song pours out a decent amount of nostalgia and melancholy. He even tips his hat to “The Wind Cries Mary” for a brief moment. Cal closes the album by covering two of the greatest blues artists of all time. He does justice to “Come On In This House” by Junior Wells and “Malted Milk” by Robert Johnson. THE STEVE CAL'BAND

LISA MANN "MOVE ON"

Powerhouse bassist and front woman Lisa Mann hails from the blues-steeped city of Portland, OR. She is currently the Cascade Blues Association's Female Vocalist of the Year and Bass Player of the Year, and her band is the Contemporary Blues Act of the Year. She and her aptly named “Really Good Band” have been mainstays of the Northwest music scene for several years, and have graced the stage at some of the finest blues events, such as the Waterfront Blues Festival, Bronze Blues & Brews, Untapped Blues Festival, Sunbanks and others. She was inducted into the Cascade Blues Association’s Hall of Fame in 2011 after winning the Muddy Waters Award for Bass Player of the Year for the third time in a row. She has received numerous nominations for Vocalist of the Year, winning in 2009 and 2012. In 2011, she and her Really Good Band represented the CBA at the International Blues Challenge, where they made it to the semi-finals. Lisa also won the Portland Music Award for Outstanding Achievement in Blues in 2012.Her influences run the gamut, from low down blues sisters Etta James and Koko Taylor, to singer-songwriters like Bonnie Raitt and Sheryl Crow, to R&B belters like Little Milton. She writes the majority of her recorded material, and her songs paint pictures of a gritty (and sometimes humorous) personal experience in life, love and the not-always-pretty music business. LISA MANN
 

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DAWN HOLT LAUBER "EVERLASTING"

From Bach & Mozart, to Ellington & Brubeck, soprano Dawn Holt Lauber's commitment to excellence in sacred song and it's mission shines through the music. Hailed by The Chicago Tribune as "exquisite" for the world premiere performance of William Russo’s Jubilatem, with the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, Lauber also performed with the CJE on Russo’s Chicago Suite 2, and Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts. She shares sacred jazz music for many initiatives of compassion, mercy, and justice - including for World Vision, Jimmy Carter Foundation, and World Bicycle Relief. She first performed Ellington’s Sacred Concerts as a regular soloist with The Riverside Church of New York City, which ignited an interest in jazz, both secular and what has come to be known as sacred jazz, or even church jazz. Moving from New York to Chicago, Lauber became acquainted with Dave Brubeck's sacred music through her work at the historic Fourth Presbyterian Church - including a performance there with Brubeck's quartet and the Morning Choir. This work led her to Andy Tecson's ensemble, Churchjazz, with whom she regularly performs in concerts and worship services, and the annual performances of The Jazz Nativity and The Jazz Passion. A classically trained soprano with an MM in Vocal Performance from the Hartt School of Music, Lauber is also a featured soloist in many oratorio and concert settings - including the recent Midwest premiere of Wynton Marsalis’ Abyssinian 200, with the DuPage Chorale and Orchestra, for The Chicago Humanities Festival in "Noyes Fludde", with conductor John Nelson at Wheaton College in Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and in Handel’s Messiah with the Elmhurst Chorale and Orchestra, among other ensembles. With the The Riverside Church, Lauber performed Bach’s Magnificat, Mozart’s C Minor Mass, Faure’s Requiem, and Kodaly’s Missa Brevis featuring the Jose Limon Dance Troupe, among other standards of the classical sacred repertoire. DAWN HOLT LAUBER
 

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KAREN LOVELY "LIVE IN LOS ANGELES"

Karen Lovely shot onto the blues scene out of  the Pacific Northwest like Stack O' Lee's .44 placing 2nd at the 2010 International Blues Challenge followed by three 2011 Blues Music Award Nominations for BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES FEMALE ARTIST, BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES ALBUM and BEST SONG for her sophomore release STILL THE RAIN. She is a two time “#1 Pick to Click” artist on XM Radio Bluesville and has just been selected as the 2014 Featured Blues artist by KJZZ FM in Los Angeles. Lovely’s records have topped the national blues and roots charts and made the Top 10 favorite artist list for dozens of nationally syndicated radio stations.Known for her passionate, driven performances and always backed by stellar musicians, this powerhouse vocalist delivers a blistering mix of contemporary & old school blues. Lovely's standout performances have garnered awards, critical acclaim and standing ovations at festivals and venues throughout the US, Canada and Europe.Karen has just completed 4 successful European tours, playing to packed houses and sold out shows in France, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands.  Her performance at the 44th Internationale Jazzwache in Burghausen, Germany was taped for broadcast and began airing on German TV in December 2013. KAREN LOVELY
 

GAROTAS SUECAS "FERAS MITICAS"

Sweaty, funky, exotic, committed. Garotas Suecas ("Swedish Girls," in Portuguese) hail from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and their hearty, full-throated stew combines the best elements of their country's homegrown Tropicalia with Anglo-American Soul and freakbeat. Escaldante Banda offers a brew of Otis Redding soul grooves and Os Mutantes craziness. The Garotas' most accomplished recording to date and the ideal stateside introduction to Brazil's best-kept secret, the record bursts with fuzz guitars, polyrhythms, scorching female backing vocals, big horn sections, and heavy Psychedelia. Its grooves are thick, and it comes to make America shake. The perfect late-summer dance record."Após burilar sua musicalidade em uma série de EPs e ganhar a simpatia dos gringos, o Garotas Suecas finalmente lançou um álbum completo. Calcado em levadas de funk, soul e jovem guarda, o debute retrata uma banda afiadíssima, que sabe trabalhar bem todas essas influências. Já estava na hora de o Brasil também descobri-los." GAROTAS SUECAS
 

TANGLED EYE "DREAM WALL"

A CD jewel full of top recordings and rich with atmosphere. For Dede Priest, it is the feeling that counts first, and she chooses clearly for the best musicians in the right places. Whoever has seen her perform live, of course, doesn't need to be convinced anymore. DEDE PRIEST grew up in Dallas, Texas, raised by her hard-working, young mother.  As a little girl, Dede would sing along to whatever she could find.  As she grew older, it was the rawness of Blues and Gospel that shaped her talent the most.Moving to Austin, Texas to attend the University of Texas, she earned a degree in Philosophy, then followed her heart and let the music lead. In Austin, Texas, a thriving live music haven, Dede began singing professionally. Brandishing vocals rooted in the Texas Blues tradition, Dede Priest has shared the stage with Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Leon Russell, Tommy Shannon (Double Trouble), and Harry Belafonte, among others.  Pinned early on as a “Modern Day Blues Queen”, Dede Priest is now gaining wider international recognition for her powerful delivery of a unique style that crosses lines and “turns Blues, Soul, and Jazz inside out”.  Performing in the USA, The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Czech Republic, Denmark, and Romania, Dede Priest continues to forge ahead with successful shows, radio play, and television appearances, including prestigious events such as Rhythm & Blues Night Oosterpoort - The Netherlands, Belgium Rhythm & Blues - Peer, Simply Blues Viana - Portugal, Trasimeno Blues Festival – Italy, Martin Luther King Keynote – Austin, Texas, to name a few. TANGLED EYE

EVERETT B WALTERS "CATCHING THE H TRAIN"

Guitarist, Michael Everett Brown and Bassist, Harold Walter Brown III, the two brothers from the south side of Chicago are the founders and driving force behind the jazz/funk group Everett B. Walters. Along with Stan Small on Keyboards/Lead VocalsEd Morales Percussion Lay down some funky, smooth and danceable rhythms make for an outstanding live show and those same fresh grooves are carried throughout their album, Always High Reaching which features Keyboardist, Brian Simpson on the title track. Always High Reaching is a stellar recording with a host of talented musicians including Shawn Rivera (Az-yet), Alexx Daye, Mike White-drums, Alex Alessondroni-keyboards, Alex Al- bass, Simone Sello-Guitar and Leo Crowe-Guitar. The track “And The Story Goes” was a popular European single on JAZZ FM double CD compilation, The Very Best of Smooth Jazz. After hearing this track on the compilation CD, Rendezvous recording artist, Brian Simpson decided to cover it on his hit Smooth Jazz album, It’s All Good.From the beginning:Growing up in Chicago, the Brown brothers started their career in the Chicago Vocational Music Program but it was a neighborhood friend, Tom Washington (Tom-Tom 84), who recorded and arranged with super-group Earth, Wind and Fire that influenced them most. Tom would come by their practices and invited them to record with him and introduced them to writing & pre-production. After high school they performed regularly around the Chicago area at community events, private events and clubs including the infamous Cotton Club, The Click and also opened for the late Bernie Mac in the early 90’s. Looking to expand their performance opportunities, Michael and Harold left Chicago and headed for Las Vegas and began playing regularly at Caesar’s Casino, the MGM Casino, Chez’s and The Hop. EVERETT B WALTERS
 

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DAVINA & THE VAGABONDS "SUNSHINE"

Davina Sowers and the Vagabonds have created a stir on the national blues scene with their high-energy live shows, sharp-dressed professionalism, and Sowers’ commanding stage presence. With influences ranging from Fats Domino and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band to Aretha Franklin and Tom Waits, the band is converting audiences one show at a time, from Vancouver to Miami and across Europe. The band’s latest recording, 2011’s Black Cloud, was named one of the 10 best releases of the year by the Minneapolis Star; Tribune. In 2012 the band performed in 21 states and 6 countries in Europe, and the band is hard at work on a new record (due for release Fall 2013), spending time in the studio between tours. So much more than just a blues act, DATV’s shows are filled with New Orleans charm, Memphis soul swagger, dark theatrical moments< that evoke Kurt Weill, and tender gospel passages. Davina’s voice and stage presence defy category in a different way.  Davina has been compared to Etta James, Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin,Billie Holiday and Betty Boop, but comparisons don’t suffice: Sowers is a true original. Something unique to this “blues” project is the instrumentation. This rollicking quintet is held together by Sowers’ keyboard playing, with acoustic bass, drums, and a spicy trumpet and trombone horn section. The group’s focused, clean sound and emphasis on acoustic instruments is novel to both blues and jazz worlds, and sets the show closer to New Orleans than to Chicago. This has set the Vagabonds apart at blues festivals in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Sighisoara, Romania, Sierre, Switzerland, Kemi, Finland, and 2012’s New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Davina and band will make their debut at the Monterey Jazz Festival this September.  Catch this one-of-a-kind live show while they are in town! DAVINA & THE VAGABONDS
 

VINCENT HAYES "THE GRIND"

The Grind was recorded in the spring of 2013 at Redwall North Studios in Grand Haven, MI, and marks the first major independent release for producer Bill Chrysler, who has been one of the most sought after sound engineers in the music world for artists such as Lionel Richie, Paul McCartney, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and recently, Ray Lamontagne, including a long standing gig of nearly a decade as John Mayer’s right hand sound man. The disc was co-produced by Joe Sturgill and Vincent Hayes, and mastered by Brian Lucey (Black Keys, “Brothers, El Camino”) at Magic Garden Mastering in Columbus, Ohio.Following the highly successful award winning debut recording Reclamation, Hayes and his band decided to return to their roots as a three-piece power trio, and drop the “Vincent Hayes Project” moniker in favor of Hayes’s name. “It’s a simpler identity, says Hayes, and it gives me more freedom as a writer to explore other sounds, and let the songs lead me, rather than to be dependent on arranging around two keyboardists.” Returning on The Grind are Bassist, David “The Butcher” Alves, and Donnie Hugley on percussion, who back Hayes with both power and precision on the 10 guitar driven tracks. “With the keyboards gone, I finally felt free to make a big guitar record, and I’m really excited about the guitar tones on this disc, states Hayes. Joe and I spent a lot of time crafting guitar sounds. We agreed on the first session ‘no rules’, just whatever it takes to make it big, fat and beautiful.”  Hayes says of the studio, “There is just a vibe here. It’s a combination of a lot of factors, and none of us really have put our finger on just one thing. Its a great studio with great engineers, and a lot of passionate musicians, including national acts like Hayes, who says “reminds him of what it must have felt like back in the days when the cats at Chess Records and Motown realized that something special was happening there.” VINCENT HAYES
 

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