The Heavy Chevy Band doesn't just
bring the one-two-three punch of Darcy Lee's award-winning volcanic
vocals, Janie Smith's screaming sax, and Brian Chevalier's electric and
slide guitars to the audience. These front-line experienced musicians
connect with music, humor and personal experience, interacting with the
crowd while featuring an encyclopedic span of blues genres - soul,
hip-grinding Chicago-style, Motown funk, delta-blues, '70s blues-rock,
bluegrass, Mississippi hill-stomp and zydeco. This style of music
combined with an artist-audience connection infuses the listener with
emotion, passion and musical education, drawing the audience into the
Heavy Chevy experience. Michael Axel Fleming and Tom Martin comprise the
live act's rhythm section with a fatback groove, deep and thick and
butt-wagging, keeping the music and the dancers jumping at every show.After two-plus years and over 300 gigs (including professional jams,
benefits and private functions), Heavy Chevy's emotional,
blues-genre-spanning album of new songs delivers some Motown-funk meets
Mississippi-Hillstomp bleeding into soul-searing torch-tune
house-rockers with Darcy Lee's voice sounding like Etta James channeling
Adele and Aretha Franklin, backed by Chevalier's guitar-licking sounds
of Albert Collins mixed with Stevie Ray, Keith Richards and
slide-master Hound Dog Taylor, topped by Janie Smith's overwhelming
saxophone presence that stabs your heart, sweeps you up and carries you
off with celebration. Heavy Chevy delivers new old-school music with
love and intensity.THE HEAVY CHEVY BAND
The son of legendary bluesman Muddy Waters, Mud Morganfield and Fabulous
Thunderbird frontman Kim Wilson come together for this tribute release.
FOR POPS (A TRIBUTE TO MUDDY WATERS) represents some of Mud’s favorite
songs from his father including the iconic “I Just Want to Make Love to
You” plus “Blow Wind Blow” and “Just to Be With You”. When you hear Mud
belt out his version of the classic “My Dog Can't Bark” it’s clear that
the apple truly doesn’t fall far from the tree. Kim Wilson lives up to
his reputation as the finest purveyor of the "Little Walter" harmonica
style by laying down some of his best work to date. Backing them is the
crack team of Billy Flynn and Rusty Zinn (guitars), Barrelhouse Chuck
(Piano), Steve Gomes (bass) and Robb Stupka (drums). FOR POPS only
scratches the surface of the impressive catalog left by the master
bluesman, but this collection is a must for Blues fans everywhere.
We’re certain “Pops” is proud of his boy. MUD MORGANFIELD
Adam Meckler is a trumpet player, composer and educator living in
Saint Paul, MN. He holds a B.M. in Jazz Studies from Lawrence
University, and a M.M in Trumpet Performance from the University of
Minnesota. Adam has toured with Youngblood Brass Band, The Jana Nyberg
Group, Lulu's Playground, the Jack Brass Band, and Todd Clouser's A Love
Electric. He also plays regularly with Nooky Jones, The Graydon
Peterson Quartet, The Brass Barn Polka Band, The Good The Bad The Funky
and The Pete Whitman X-Tet.Meckler was the 2014 recipient of MacPhail Center for Music's
Artist Development Grant resulting in When the Clouds Look Like This, a
full length album of original music for Jazz Orchestra composed and
directed by Meckler.Meckler holds Faculty positions in trumpet and Jazz at McNally
Smith College of Music, and MacPhail Center for Music. He is also one of
three founders of SoKillingMan.com, a site dedicated to transcription
and analysis of jazz solos. He is an active educator/clinician
maintaining a trumpet studio in the Twin Cities and performing clinics
and workshops all over the US. ADAM MECKLER
In some ways Roots R&B/Americana singer/songwriter/piano player/guitarist KELLEY HUNT is a rarity and a challenge to the music industry's penchant for easy artist definitions -- a woman who has muscled her way onto the scene on her own terms with an identity steeped in blues/roots/gospel traditions and a refreshing originality. She makes music with it's righteous roots intact that also crosses boundaries, has an open-minded, exploratory attitude and takes on social and political issues. Together with a commanding, passionate stage presence and superior vocal, keyboard and songwriting skills she has earned the respect of critics and fans across North America and Europe.Born in Kansas City, Hunt’s love for her craft was ignited listening to early blues, R&B, roots rock, jazz and Gospel influences -- artists like Ruth Brown, Mahalia Jackson, Billie Holiday, Ann Peebles, Ray Charles, Dinah Washington, Aretha Franklin, Charles Brown, Wanda Jackson and a crossection of the New Orleans/St. Louis/KC piano traditions of Professor Longhair, Toots Washington, Johnnie Johnson and Kansas City masters Jay McShann and Mary Lou Williams among others. Before that came the sound of her mother singing jazz and blues - her first musical memories - and the influence of her New Orleans Gospel singer grandmother. Reminders of these very traditional influences are evident in Kelley’s live performances and recordings but the lyrics, soul and passion are all her own. Her career path so far has been a story of fierce independence, incredible will, unassailable cred as a blistering live performer and hard-won accomplishment. That narrative includes 1500+ performances with appearances on a long list of premier North American and International festival stages, six times on American Public Media's 'A Prairie Home Companion', nearly 150,000 indie units sold on her own label and critical praise reflecting her conviction from the outset to make her path in the roots music world not just as a performer, but as a forward-thinking songwriter as well.Hunt's world has not been short on substantive, impressive critical praise, including a fresh swell of kudos for the new generation of music first unveiled on her 2008 88 RECORDS release MERCY (EER0804, her 4th commercial release): "Kelley Hunt resides among those bluesy, soulful piano players who write great songs." "...the main attraction here is Hunt, whose rich, soulful voice is an instrument in and of itself, with a toughness that shines on cuts like "You Got To Be The Vessel." "Her piano playing and songwriting also function at the highest levels." "Emerald City" is a brilliant political statement…” -VINTAGE GUITAR. “… Her fourth release "MERCY" shifts the focus to her songwriting skills and immense voice." "...a superb live performer, immediately drawing you to the power of her music and her voice... " -ELMORE. "Surprises don't often crop up on the well-trodden blues circuit. So welcome Kelley Hunt. This Kansan is a full-blown phenomenon: Powerhouse singer, hardboogieing pianist, polished songwriter…” -MINNEAPOLIS STAR-TRIBUNE. “…the freshest slant on classic R&B you're likely to hear these days. She's a tough woman who makes a hip and burly sound." - WESTWORD Denver.
KELLEY HUNT
Queens native Little Mike grew up on the very competitive New York City
music scene. He started playing harp at age 14 and took up piano two
years later. His first brush with the blues came while hearing John Lee
Hooker at Carnegie Hall and later listening to a Paul Butterfield
record.After that Little Mike couldn't get enough. If a blues show was in New
York City, Mike was there, especially when the Chicago players came to
town. His favorite was Muddy Waters. "I used to go and see Muddy anytime
he was within 150 miles of New York," he said. "He is easily the
biggest influence on the band and my playing. And if it's not Muddy
himself then it's the great guys he always picked to play with him, like
Pinetop Perkins and Otis Spann on the piano or Little Walter and James
Cotton on harp."Another musician Mike greatly admired was Paul Butterfield, who would
regularly come and see Mike's band perform. He liked their old "Chess
sound" and took Mike under his wing. Mike says, "He helped me become
less of a blues purist, and more of a music purist. Paul opened up my
playing and taught me to put my blues in other music forms, to make it
very personal." Other influences cited include Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley,
the Rolling Stones, Jimmy Reed, Eddie Taylor, Sonny Boy Williamson, and
Walter Horton.After leading a series of bands as a teenager, Mike formed the Tornadoes
in 1978. At age 22, Mike was leading one of the busiest and toughest
blues bands in New York City. Whenever a visiting blues artist came to
town and needed a band, Little Mike and the Tornadoes usually got the
call, backing artists such as Walter Horton, Otis Rush, Bo Diddley,
Lightning Hopkins, and Big Mama Thornton. Mike's reputation led to the
band's touring as the backing unit for blues legends such as Pinetop
Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, and Jimmy Rogers.Little Mike and the Tornadoes proudly describe themselves as a "working
class band" that plays blues with a rock 'n' roll edge. "We all come
from working class families and tough, working class neighborhoods,"
says Mike. "Working class people have always been our biggest
supporters." Music luminaries who have sat in with the band include
Robert Cray, Jaco Pastorius, Kim Wilson, Jorma Kaukonen, James Cotton,
Los Lobos' Cesar Rosas and David Hidalgo, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Taj
Majal.In 1988, Mike played on and produced Pinetop Perkin's first domestic
release, After Hours. The following year he did the same for Hubert
Sumlin's Heart & Soul. Both recordings are available on Blind Pig.In 1990, Blind Pig released the first solo album by Little Mike and
the Tornadoes, Heart Attack, which Mike also produced. It features all
original songs and guest appearances by Perkins, Sumlin, Butterfield,
Ronnie Earl, and Big Daddy Kinsey. The album thrust the band out into
the spotlight, where they began to tour almost non-stop across North
America and Europe, establishing themselves as true road warriors.Little Mike's success led to a 1992 follow-up release entitled
Payday. The material is once again all original and draws upon Mike's
blue-collar upbringing and experience. Says Little Mike, "It's the best
thing I've ever done. Best writing, best playing, and best producing. I
think I'm finally getting the hang of this." LITTLE MIKE AND THE TORNADOES
Formed in in 2009, Tuba Skinny has steadily evolved from a loose
collection of street musicians into a solid ensemble dedicated to
bringing the traditional New Orleans sound to audiences around the
world. Drawing on a wide range of musical influences—from spirituals to
Depression-era blues, from ragtime to traditional jazz—their sound
evokes the rich musical heritage of their New Orleans home. The band has
gained a loyal following through their distinctive sound, their
commitment to reviving long-lost songs, and their barnstorming live
performances.
We are happy to announce that our newest album "Owl Call Blues"
is hot off the press and available to all. Recorded this past January
at home in New Orleans, it has 15 previously unrecorded songs, and
beautiful artwork by Shaye Cohn. Hard copies are available here from The Louisiana Music Factory or at any of our shows. TUBA SKYNNY
Thelonius is a five piece urban jazz band based in Bristol UK performing
a mix of originals, classics from the golden age of hip-hop and some
nasty jazz tunes.Imagine if Mr Monk and A Tribe Called Quest - with J Dilla in tow - all ended up in a small smokey jazz club in Prague. SECOND ALBUM – “Crows on the Beeline” is the title of Thelonius’ new album which has been released worldwide and is available from iTunes. “On behalf of Music Resource Group and our distinguished judging
panelists, it is our pleasure to congratulate Thelonius on winning top
honors in the Jazz EP category for Reminisce in The 12th annual Independent Music Awards.” REMINISCE, the debut EP from urban-jazz band Thelonius, as featured on
the BBC6 Gilles Peterson show and Tom Robinson’s Fresh On The Net, is
now available from a variety of sources including iTunes and Amazon. Bristol-based Thelonius cement the relationship
between jazz and hip-hop through their interpretations of classics from
A Tribe Called Quest, J Dilla, The Roots, Common, De La Soul, Gang
Starr, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, E.S.T and Robert Glasper as well as a
host of originals that bear that unmistakable mix of strong and interesting beats and instrumental dexterity from the soloists. THELONIUS
Lisa Biales - “Belle of the Blues”. Lisa
Biales’ musical roots run deep. Her love and appreciation of singing
came at an early age as she grew up in a musical family. Lisa started
playing the guitar at the age of eleven, at age thirteen she was playing
for church services, and when Lisa was seventeen, she was singing Jazz
Standards in her parents Dixieland Band.In
2003, Lisa earned a Masters Degree in Theater from Ohio University, her
professors were encouraging her to continue with a PhD. After much soul
searching, Lisa decided she had gone far enough in academia and decided
to quit her day job to give her undivided attention to the music that
had been calling her for so many years. In
2006, Lisa turned her focus to songwriting and recording. She released
an album of original music entitled, "Chasing Away The Blues" which was
produced with Grammy Nominated Celeste Friedman. The album is receiving
international attention on the folk and blues charts and her song “Where
The Buckwheat Blooms” topped the International Folk Play list at #32
that year, right between Bill Monroe and Cat Stevens. . . not bad
company. "A taste of soul, and the blues . . . elements that have
ensured pure musical art." ~ NPR MusicIn
2007, Lisa released “Come To Me” which was recorded with Nashville
producer Gary Scott. "It is very exciting and inspiring to collaborate
with such talent." Scott said. “Come To Me” showcases Lisa’s talent for
writing a song that is perfect for her voice.”In
2008, Lisa released a collection of folk, roots and traditional American
tunes for children called “Yellow Shoes.” John Funnell of 88.9 WYN-FM,
Australia says, “Yellow Shoes just proves that children's songs have a
lot to offer adults, too.”“Hey
There” was also released in 2008. This CD was recorded in mostly one
takes, at home with no fancy footwork or overdubs. “The Norman
Rockwell of songwriters with a crystal pure voice.” - Marc Nolis,
Mazzmuzika, Belgium“Closet Hippie” released in 2010 is Lisa’s
most honest and intimate work to date. As her writing continues to
evolve, her performances are deeply moving and magical as she taps into
the essence of each song. “Lisa’s version of the Jimi Hendrix song
“Little Wing” ranks among those of John Mayer, Sting and Clapton.” ~
Brian O’Donnell, 89.7 WNKU-FM.In 2012, Lisa released “Just Like
Honey” which was produced by EG Kight and Paul Hornsby. The album stayed
on the roots music reports for over a year, and was played on Sirius
XM’s Bluesville extensively. This introduction into the blues was met
with enthusiasm from blues fans, DJ’s, and critics alike. "When I play
your song PEACHES, the phone rings off the hook! - Linda Yohn, DJ WEMU
"Lisa Biales has one of those great voices of our times." - Cascade
Blues AssociationIn 2013, Lisa released “Singing In My Soul”
with Ricky Nye & The Paris Blues Band further garnering her a place
in the blues world. “I wanted to make a record of upbeat, happy early
blues tunes.” All cover tunes with the exception of “Magic Garden,”
showcasing Lisa’s incredible vocals and an uncanny ability to take a
cover tune and make it fresh and new. "Lisa Biales has one of those
great voices of our times." - Cascade Blues Association.In 2014,
Lisa releases “Belle Of The Blues” a fitting moniker for someone who has
spent her career making great music. Featuring seven songs from the EG
Kight songbook. Kight and Paul Hornsby produce this CD with Tommy Talton
on acoustic guitar, dobro and electric slide, Randall Bramblett on
Hammond B3, Hornsby on Piano. The disc features a duet with Kight. The
title cut was written by Kight and long time writing partner Tom Horner
for the project. Tracks from Bessie Smith, Memphis Minnie and a co-write
with Biales, Kight and Horner is sure to put a smile on your face. LISA BIALES
From an old steel mill city once described as “hell with the lid off”
comes a singer/songwriter with red-hot fire in her soul. Melinda is her
name, and this Pittsburgh-born artist could well be described as the
belle of blues-infused rock. She’s been raising roofs for years, from
Boston to Los Angeles, with her four alarm voice and earthy stage
presence. No gimmicks, no girl-pop. Just full-tilt rock and roll.Melinda is one of those rare artists who found their calling at a young
age. She picked up an electric guitar at 13 and began soaking up the
sounds and styles that would influence her singing and inspire her
writing: the desperate blues wail of Etta James, the swampy growl of
Janis Joplin, the searing guitar licks of Jimi Hendrix, the raw
intensity of The Rolling Stones.By 15 she was sharing the stage with notable Pittsburgh musicians who
recognized her inborn passion for rock and blues music. She paid her
dues in every conceivable venue – from ballrooms to ballparks to brick
alley bars – honing her skills and developing a style all her own.The toil and sweat paid off. Boston’s prestigious Berklee College of
Music awarded her the World Tour Scholarship, as well as the Aerosmith
Endowment Award for outstanding achievement in music. She went on to
co-found a Boston-area all-girl rock band, Mass Ave, that wowed
audiences and piqued the interest of major record labels.But Melinda knew she was destined to make her mark as a solo artist. She
keeps on rolling – on stages and studios around the country – and is
poised to become a bona fide presence in the rock world. Her 2010 EP
“Don’t Be Sweet” received favorable reviews and considerable air play.
She wrote or co-wrote four of the disc’s five songs, collaborating with
Grammy Award winning singer, guitarist, producer Kevin Bowe on “The Hard
Way.” Billboard’s World Song Contest recognized her for the EP’s title
track. Next up is a full length CD, scheduled for release in early 2014. MELINDA
