DENNIS JONES "BOTH SIDES OF THE TRACK"

High-energy stage performance. Sizzling hot guitar solos. Smooth and soulful vocals. Backed by a rhythm section that is second to none, this IS Dennis Jones. Check out a live show, and you’ll instantly agree, this band ROCKS the blues like NO other! Dennis's feet are firmly rooted in the past, yet his heart and soul are connected to the present. He writes songs that seamlessly blend the best of both worlds, presenting a unique and contemporary style of American rock and blues. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and now based in Los Angeles, California, Jones continues to pursue his musical ambition of becoming a top entertainer in his field. With four well-regarded CD releases to date, and a fifth to be released in January 2016, Jones' vision has never been clearer. Dennis also writes songs for other notable artists, e.g. he wrote the song Temporary Man for Guitar Shorty’s 2010 Alligator release, Bare Knuckle. Since 2003, Dennis has released four successful albums on his own label, Blue Rock Records. Each and every one of these CDs has met with rave reviews. Many of his songs and CDs have hit the top 10 on the Blues Charts, including when his 3rd CD, Pleasure & Pain, ranked #2 of best blues CD releases of the year, by the Canadian-based, Real Blues Magazine. He's latest release, My Kinda Blues, features legendary guest musicians, Kenny Neal, and Guitar Shorty. Dennis is no stranger to film either. Deep Blues from his first CD, Falling Up, was featured in a 2006 Lions Gate movie, Sea of Fear. The title track of Dennis’s 2nd CD, Passion for the Blues, is featured in the 2013 independent film, How We Got Away With It. Finally, Dennis is one of several artists featured in the documentary film Babe’s & Ricky’s Inn, a movie about one of the oldest blues clubs in Los Angeles, and its adored owner. The blues music industry is taking note. In May 2012, Dennis was honored to present the Awards for BB King Entertainer of the Year, to Tab Benoit, and Album of the Year, to the Tedeschi Trucks Band, for Revelator, at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis, Tennessee. Dennis and his band continue to work hard to achieve the next level of musical success. Increased touring opportunities and greater exposure to new fans will undoubtedly make this band a household name. So if the same old blues has got you down, then it’s time to check out the Dennis Jones Band! DENNIS JONES BAND

THE CLAUDETTES "NO HOTEL"

Chicago and New Orleans piano blues get a shot in the arm and Tin Pan Alley gets the hot-rod treatment, while ’60s pop-soul and French Yé-Yé make ravishing returns on the Claudettes’ second Yellow Dog Records album NO HOTEL. Chicago piano crusher Johnny Iguana (who has pounded keys for Junior Wells, Buddy Guy and rock cult heroes oh my god) and absolute wacko Michael Caskey (who has drummed with giddy glee for everyone from Chuck Mangione to Balkan fusion band Eastern Blok) make even bigger waves with the bravura instrumentals on NO HOTEL than they did with their 2013 debut Infernal Piano Plot…HATCHED! (“Like Keith Moon chasing a crazed, punked-up Little Richard”—Blues Music Magazine). Piano licks inspired by Otis Spann, Mose Allison, Ray Charles and Bobby Timmons meet Minutemen’s “jam econo” ethos and Meat Puppets’ trippy echo as the band packs 16 tracks into the sonic whirlwind that is NO HOTEL. And at the eye of the hurricane: a mid-album set of sultry vocal songs sung in English and French by the band’s mesmerizing new member, Yana. Though just 24, Nigerian-American vocalist Yana recalls Josephine Baker and Eartha Kitt. An alluring singer/dancer on stage, decked out in stunning dresses, jewelry and head wraps, Yana brings her seductive powers to the studio here. She casts a spell with the throwback ’60s pop-soul (punctuated by a grinding blues-rock bridge) of She’s So Imaginary, then puts her own authoritative stamp on hand-picked ’60s French Yé-Yé classics. THE CLAUDETTES
 

MICKE BJORKLOF & BLUE STRIP "AIN'T BAD YET"

Ain´t Bad Yet is the sixth album by the Finnish Blues Award-winning (for “Best Band”) blues-rock group Micke Bjorklof (pronounced Be-York-Loaf) & Blue Strip. The new album was produced by John Porter, legendary for his productions of Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Taj Mahal, Keb’ Mo’, Santana, and no less than 10 Grammy-winning albums. Last October the band traveled to Rockfield Studios in Wales, which has played host to many of the world’s biggest artists from Black Sabbath to Rush and Oasis, and which in 1975 was the primary studio Queen used for the recording of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” “We’re really excited about the new material and about this collaboration with John Porter,” Micke Bjorklof says. “We’d been talking about doing a project together for a couple of years, and I´m glad we finally could make this happen.” MICKE BJORKLOF & BLUE STRIP

FIONA BOYES "BOX & DICE"

Australian Blues guitarist and singer, Fiona Boyes, has been variously described by reviewers as a ‘musical anomaly’, ‘Bonnie Raitt’s evil twin’, or simply as ‘scaring the hell out of me’. How did this fair-haired gal, born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, of Scottish and English heritage, become an internationally recognised and awarded recording and touring artist? How did she come to be the first woman and non-American to win the International Blues Challenge in Memphis? Why did some of the great Mississippi Delta and Chicago blues giants, such as the late Pinetop Perkins and Hubert Sumlin, choose to describe her as one of the best women guitar players since Memphis Minnie, record on her albums, and share stages with her at international Blues festivals? The answer lays partly in Fiona’s striking and original talent; she writes, sings and plays just about anything in the Blues realm with passion and authenticity. It is also her immersion in the wide musical and historical traditions that make up the Blues and her deep love of the art-form itself.Fiona has been recording and performing internationally for more than 25 years, building a career that has taken her to major festivals and stages in Australia, New Zealand, North America and Europe. A veteran recording artist with 13 releases, 6 international award winning albums, 4 successive Blues Music Award nominations in 4 different categories, 15 Australian Blues awards, as well as a string of accolades in the folk, jazz, and Americana scene, Fiona has carved out a well deserved reputation as a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and band leader. Equally at home on acoustic or electric guitars, her repertoire is like a Blues travelogue. Listen to her play and you’ll hear pre-war Delta slide, wailing laments, single chord Mississippi Hills grooves, intricate and beautiful Piedmont finger picking, rollicking New Orleans barrelhouse, greasy Memphis soul, driving classic Chicago sounds, the country stylings of Texas swing, and the uptown sounds of the West Coast.

FIONA BOYES
 

ADVENTURES IN BLUESLAND "THE AMERICAN DREAM"

An explosive and dynamic force of musical nature, Adventures in Bluesland began their journey as an acoustic trio put together in late 2013 by Phil Gammage (vocals, guitar, harmonica, songwriting) to promote and support his most recent solo album. Over the next few months new players were added to the mix and Gammage began to realize that the group had a remarkable chemistry that was something special. The name the group was using “Phil Gammage Trio” was dropped and they were soon renamed after the title of Phil’s solo album Adventures in Bluesland. Soon after that, the group began touring America’s East Coast while garnering significant fan support and critical praise.Adventures in Bluesland’s debut album is The American Dream. It features eleven songs: nine written by Gammage plus the band’s renditions of two early 20th century songs, Blind Lemon Jefferson’s “One Kind Favor” aka “See That My Grave is Kept Clean” and Geeshie Wiley’s “Last Kind Word Blues.” Since coming together, the group has created a sound that is built upon taking traditional roots music and playing it in their own unique style. Their music swings, it rocks, it boogies, and it conjures ghosts of our country’s past like no other music you’ve ever heard. It is about exploring what is at the heart of the American music experience.  ADVENTURES IN BLUESLAND
 

MICHAEL JEROME BROWNE "SLIDING DELTA"

Canadian Folk Music Awards Solo Artist of the Year 2012 & 2008, Maple Blues Acoustic Artist Award Winner, Kerrville (Texas) New Folk Finalist, Three time Juno Award Nominee in both the roots/traditional and blues categories. Michael is a multi-instrumentalist, a songwriter, and a living encyclopedia of American Roots music. "SLIDING DELTA" is the new album on Borealis Records, available early in 2015. It is a tribute to his early influences, filled with his own personal interpretations of the rural blues of Mississippi John Hurt, Fred McDowell, Memphis Minnie, Skip James, Charley Patton, Blind Willie McTell and many others. Recorded live off the floor in three days, it features MJB on several 6- and 12-string guitars, 5-string banjo, mandolin and rack-harp.“Michael Jerome Browne... magnifies the magnificence of 1920s and 1930s country blues numbers... A singer of clarity and character, he is as skilled on banjo and mandolin as he is on valuable old guitars.” (4 stars)-Frank-John Hadley, Downbeat.Whether he's gliding a slide across his national guitar, pulling his bow over the fiddle strings to play a lively Cajun waltz, or frailing away on his gourd banjo Michael's passion and virtuosity always shine through. In the true tradition of folk music, his performances inspire us to see the interconnections between the many cultures and influences that gave birth to American Roots Music. Gospel, Blues, Old-Time, Country, Soul and Cajun, expect to hear all of this and more from a performer who's been called a street-smart archivist and an absolute treasure. MICHAEL JEROME BROWNE
 

CELSO SALIM BAND "TO THE END OF TIME"

Born in Brasília, the capital of Brazil, Celso Salim began studying guitar at age six but unlike other Brazilian kids of his age, at 12 he had already found his true passion, the Blues. “It’s really something that you feel; when I first listened to the Blues I knew that’s what I wanted to do. Before, I was only learning guitar ‘cause I loved music...” says Celso.It was music teacher and blues enthusiast Edu Brito, a Berklee College of Music graduate, who showed Celso his first records. The young guitarist began spending hours learning licks from great blues artists such as Muddy Waters, Blind Willie McTell, Freddie King, B.B. King and Johnny Winter, among many others.A little later he also started to get into Classic Rock’n’Roll and Southern Rock, listening to artists such as The Allman Brothers Band, The Marshall Tucker Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, to name a few.After finishing high school in Brazil, Celso moved to Los Angeles at age 17 and began studying at the Musicians Institute. Thought by master of Country guitar, Steve Trovato, he became a skilled country music player as well.Jazz and Soul music were also a big influence on him.Celso is also well known for his great slide guitar playing.During the years he lived in the United States, he put a band together with harp player Darryl Carriere, which frequently featured in the Santa Monica and L.A. local scene. In 1999, Celso starts co-producing his first album with Rafael Cury.Celso graduates from Musicians Institute receiving the "Outstanding Student Award”, before he returns to his home country in the year 2000. CELSO SALIM BAND
 

SAMANTHA MARTIN AND DELTA SUGAR "SEND THE NIGHTINGALE"

One of the rising stars in Toronto’s roots-rock scene, Martin and her band can be seen frequently on stage at The Dakota Tavern, Toronto's most respected Americana/Roots venue. With the release of their self titled debut album, Samantha Martin and The Haggard in the spring of 2012, the band will be taking their music on the road far beyond Toronto. Recorded in July 2011 at Toronto's Lincoln County Social Club, co-produced by the band and John Dinsmore (producer and multi-instrumentalist with Kathleen Edwards, NQ Arbuckle, Sarah Harmer) The album boldly traverses deep southern soul, roots/reggae and 50's rock n roll.Tribute is paid to musical influences including Otis Redding and Robert Johnson, The Rolling Stones, The Staples Singers, CCR and Patsy Cline as well as Reggae artist Del Roy Wilson; but the album is distinctly Samantha Martin and The Haggard. Few other artists are able to incorporate such broad genres successfully and present a cohesive sound all their own.The band is Samantha Martin on rhythm guitar and vocals, Mikey McCallum on lead guitar, Greg Sweetland on bass and Pete Lambert on drums. The album is tastefully punctuated by the background vocals of Gospel Divas The Tonettes, (Amoy and Ciceal Levy and Marlene O'Neill), and Country backup vocals are provided by Dani Nash, Alejandra Ribera and Siobhan Power. Multi-instrumentalist Derek Downham (of The Beauties) steps out from his usual position behind the drum kit to play keyboards, wurlitzer and combo organ on the recording.There are 9 original songs and 4 covers on the album, The original Gospel blues tunes, Six White Horses and Dark Angel, feature Samantha playing slide resonator guitar. New Kind of Blue and Hard Luck Woman are rockabilly and honky tonk country tracks. Last thing on My Mind, originally written by Tom Paxton has been covered by Dolly Parton and Porter Wagner, but the Sam Martin and the Haggard version is most influenced by the Del Roy Wilson roots reggae arrangement of the song. Rain from the Skies is another Del Roy Wilson song that Sam Martin and the band have turned into a soul number. SAMANTHA MARTIN AND DELTA SUGAR
 

MARY HOTT "SHAMAN LOVER"

Mary Hott’s debut album “Shaman Lover” showcases her songwriting talent and musical diversity in collaboration with the arranging and performance mastery of guitarist Billy Thompson. She delivers raw and genuine emotional expression that moves effortlessly across style boundaries. You may hear echoes of her southern gospel roots, or elements of the funk grooves she loves, intertwined with rock, soul, jazz, country and blues.For most of her musical career Mary has played a supporting role, helping other musicians realize their own musical goals. While living in New York City, she became a sought-after recording studio session singer and background singer, studied vocal jazz and improvisation with seasoned pros, and became the front singer for several jazz and swing ensembles. After moving to Boston and spending some time at Berklee College of Music, her musical interests turned to the blues and she was soon fronting several bands, including a ten-piece R&B-Soul ensemble with regular appearances at The House of Blues and festivals and nightclubs throughout New England. She has shared the stage with nationally known musical acts as diverse as The J. Geils Band and Asleep At The Wheel.When asked about the album’s title, Mary references the author Elizabeth Lesser, who in her book “Broken Open” defines a shaman lover as a person who suddenly enters your life (or an abrupt event in your life) that causes a radical change – so radical it stirs the shadow self, the part of you kept hidden for way too long. A radical event in her own life changed the role of music in her life and sparked the creation of the songs on this album. MARY HOTT
 

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