FESTIVAL ARCHIVE
2010 Festival Lineup
Big Head Todd and the Monsters / Mavis Staples / Los Lobos / Jon Cleary / Rick Estrin & the Nightcats / Blinddog Smokin’ / Ana Popovic / Eden Brent / Billy Branch & the Sons of the Blues / Carl Weathersby / The Dirty Dozen Brass Band / Soulive / Gino Matteo / Anders Osborne / Another Kind of Magick / Jack Hadley / Carrie Rodriguez / The Colorado All-Stars Featuring Hazel Miller & Lionel Young / Michael Hurwitz / Ken Saydak / Gretchen Troop /
BIG HEAD TODD AND THE MONSTERS
Big Head Todd and The Monsters’ ninth studio album Rocksteady – due July 20 on the group’s Big Records imprint, distributed by Warner Music Group’s Independent Label Group – finds the veteran Colorado band returning to their DIY roots and forging into surprising musical territory.
Funky, lilting, and melodic, the new collection features founding members Todd Park Mohr (lead vocals and guitars), Rob Squires (bass), and Brian Nevin (drums), with keyboardist, steel guitarist, and backup vocalist Jeremy Lawton, who joined The Monsters in January 2004. Lawton produced and mixed the album.
Rocksteady cuts across a broad swath of stylistic terrain. “Beautiful,” the set’s first single, offers a sunny Caribbean vibe, as does the band’s cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Beast of Burden,” long a concert staple. “Back to the Garden” and the homage “Muhammad Ali” pulse with a roots rock groove, while the set’s title track is based in the like-named, revved-up Jamaican style that preceded reggae’s arrival in the late ‘60s. “I Hate It When You’re Gone,” dressed with a full horn section, is blazing old-school R&B, while a version of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightning” is burning Chicago blues in a Monsters pocket.
“It’s a soul/Caribbean record that rocks,” Mohr says. “We almost went out of our way to take all the rock out of it, but it really rocks. It’s the very first album we’ve ever done that’s this cohesive and focused. That's what makes it shine and stand out from our other albums."
Their formidable reputation rests on their stage performances; Big Head Todd and The Monsters Live was recorded on the fabled H.O.R.D.E. tour. Over the years, the group has developed a close relationship with their fans: Their last album, All the Love You Need, was released as a free download, and was snapped up by half a million of The Monsters’ followers.
MAVIS STAPLES
"Mavis Staples is the most underrated diva of the century. She has an almost superhuman ability to implant the pure power of passion and emotion." - Rolling Stone
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LOS LOBOS
Los Lobos were one of America's most distinctive and original bands of the '80s. They may have had a hit with "La Bamba" in 1987, yet that cover barely scratches the surface of their talents. Los Lobos are eclectic in the best sense of the word. While they draw equally from rock, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B, blues, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music, their music never sounds forced or self-conscious. Instead, all of their influences become one graceful, gritty sound. From their very first recordings, their rich musicality was apparent; on nearly every subsequent record, they have found ways to redefine and expand their sound, without ever straying from the musical traditions that form the heart and soul of the band.
JON CLEARY
In the hallowed ranks of New Orleans “piano professors,” Jon Cleary is on the tenure track. Born in England and bred in New Orleans, Jon Cleary is a triple threat combining soulful vocals, masterful piano skills, and a knack for composing infectious grooves with melodic hooks and sharp lyrics. He balances performing on solo piano, with noted funk band The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, and his new trio Piano, Bass & Drums, alongside a career as a notorious hired gun with the likes of Bonnie Raitt and John Scofield. Cleary is featured on vocals and keyboards on the recently released, Piety Street by John Scofield & The Piety Street Band. Cleary has toured with Bonnie Raitt since 1999, and has appeared on the albums Silver Lining and Souls Alike. On these recordings, Raitt covered the Cleary originals, “Fool’s Game,” “Monkey Business,” “Unnecessarily Mercenary,” and ”Love on One Condition.”
Cleary has produced five recordings to date including his latest, a live recording from Sydney, Australia called Mo Hippa, which features a mix of the styles that inform the New Orleans’ sound -- from island rhythms, to soul-drenched funk jams, to Mardi Gras Indian street-parades. Prior to this he released Pin Your Spin (2004), Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen (2002), Moonburn (1999), and Alligator Lips & Dirty Rice (1994). Cleary has a long list of recording credits with artists such as Taj Mahal, Keb Mo, India Arie, and Ryan Adams.
RICK ESTRIN & THE NIGHTCATS
One day back in 1970, a 20-year old Rick Estrin had the opportunity to play harmonica with Muddy Waters and his band at the Sutherland Hotel on 47th and Drexel on Chicago's South Side. During the break, Muddy called Estrin over, shook his finger in his face, and shouted, "You outta sight, boy! You got that sound, boy! You play like a man, boy!"
Rick Estrin ranks among the very best harp players, singers and songwriters in the blues world today. His work on the reeds is deep in the tradition of harmonica masters Sonny Boy Williamson II and Little Walter Jacobs, while at the same time pushing that tradition forward. The Associated Press called his harp playing, "endlessly impressive." The great guitarist Robert Lockwood, Jr. (who was schooled by Robert Johnson and who played on most of Little Walter's Chess recordings) told Estrin, "Little Walter would be very proud of you." His award-winning original songs have been favorably compared with those of Willie Dixon and the team of Leiber and Stoller. And his hipster, street-smart vocals are the perfect vehicle for driving his songs home.
BLINDDOG SMOKIN'
Blinddog Smokin's first gig was on the Sinai Peninsula in 1993, which kicked off a 2 month tour in nine countries around the Mediterranean Sea. The following decade, the band travelled the United States playing over 200 events per year.
They continued to perform major festivals across the country, including the prestigious King Biscuit Blues Festival (which later became the Arkansas Heritage Festival),the Tulsa Blues Festival, and a multitude of others. During this time, the band graced the cover of three different major Blues publications.
In 2001 the band moved from Wyoming to California and began touring more frequently in the summer months. They added L.A. guitarist Gino Matteo after long time lead, Jason Coomes, decided to stay in the Rocky Mountain area. Over the years Blinddog Smokin’ has evolved into a musical revue, as well as a band. Recently, they've been known for adding famous musicians to their lineup, to present mini-festivals that feature various stars backed by the Blinddog rhythm section. With seven recorded CD's of primarily original music (one of which is a collaboration with legendary Mississippi Blues/Soul man, Bobby Rush), the band is currently in the process of releasing an album of new/reworked material. Blinddog is known for their versatility, originality, sense of humor, and showmanship. From playing routinely in the juke joints of the Mississippi Delta, to renowned Festivals, and worldwide travel, the band brings a seasoned sophistication to its show.
ANA POPOVIC
You must have heard it before, but I'm telling you; 'being a musician is the BEST job in the World!' You just got to love being on stage, playing LOUD guitar with a strong band backing you up!
.... and the good thing is; I got to do it a lot!!
The blues and I go back a long way.... It's the only music I've been hearing at home throughout my childhood, and the reason I picked up the guitar and started to play.
I worked very hard getting where I am now. My fathers' (rehearsal-) garage in Belgrade became the Yugoslavian blues scene. Later -after moving to the Netherlands- the Dutch blues scene, then the European blues scene, and now Im already on my 20th US tour! It was a journey without rules. Just possibilities and challenges..... And its challenge that gives me my biggest inspiration.
I play a kind of mainstream blues with a bit of everything; Electric funk and slide guitar, jazzy instrumentals and raw rock, tight blues grooves, acoustic slide and soulful guitar. My sets have something for everyone.
EDEN BRENT
Eden Brent's piano playing and singing style ranges from a melancholic whisper to a full-blown juke joint holler. She's simultaneously confident and confiding, ably blending an earthy meld of jazz, blues, soul, and pop as she huskily invites listeners into her lazy, lush world.
Since launching her career, she's won the Blues Foundation's 2006 International Blues Challenge, and was a 2004 inductee on the Greenville Blues Walk. Sharing a bill with B.B. King, Brent performed at the 2005 presidential inauguration, and solo, she's appeared at the British Embassy and at the My South celebrations in Mississippi and New York. She's also burnished her reputation via appearances on radio shows like the syndicated Beale Street Caravan and XM's Bluesville, at festivals like the Waterfront Blues Festival, Edmonton Labatt Blues Festival and the annual B.B. King Homecoming, and aboard the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise.
BILLY BRANCH & THE SONS OF BLUES
Billy Branch has followed a very non-traditional path to the blues. Unlike many blues artists, he isn't from the South. Billy was born in Chicago in 1951 and was raised in Los Angeles. He first picked up a harmonica at the age of ten and immediately began to play simple tunes.
Billy returned to Chicago in the summer of '69 and graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in political science. It was during these years that he was introduced to the Blues.
His big break came in 1975 during a harmonica battle when he beat Chicago legend, Little Mac Simmons at the Green Bunny Club. He made his first recording for Barrelhouse Records and began to work as an apprentice harp player in Willie Dixon's Chicago Blues All-Stars. He eventually replaced Carey Bell and worked with Willie Dixon for six years.
During this time, Billy formed the Sons Of Blues (S.O.B.s) featuring musicians who where the sons of famous blues artists. Shortly afterward, they recorded for Alligator Record's Grammy-nominated Living Chicago Blues sessions, and Billy has been a regular studio player appearing on over fifty albums.
Billy has recorded and/or performed with an incredible list of Blues legends including: Muddy Waters, Big Walter Horton, Son Seals, Lonnie Brooks, Koko Taylor, Johnny Winter, and Albert King. In 1990, he appeared with three harp legends:Carey Bell, Junior Wells, and James Cotton on W.C Handy Award winner, Harp Attack! His most recent recordings for the Polygram label are entitled The Blues Keep Following Me Around and Satisfy Me.
Billy is also passing on the blues tradition to a new generation through his Blues In The Schools program. He is a dedicated blues educator and has taught in the Chicago school system for over twenty years as part of the Urban Gateways Project.
Blues producer, Chicago Beau has written, "Billy Branch has become a beacon, and model for his times; as an artist, and social/cutural activist... Billy Branch is a Bluesman; Billy Branch is the Blues."
CARL WEATHERSBY
Carl Weathersby was born in 1953, in Jackson, Mississippi and moved to East Chicago, Indiana with his family when he was eight. When he started playing guitar as a teen he said his father always had musician friends stopping by the house. One that used to come by often was this big guy that Carl only knew as Albert, the mechanic. Albert happened to be watching the young Weathersby practicing some Albert King songs on guitar one day. Carl said he had been practicing this one song called 'Cross Cut Saw,' playing it over and over until he said, 'I think I got it. So I started playing it and this guy said, 'man, that ain't the way that song goes, that ain't the way I played it.' It turned out to be Albert King who proceeded to show an amazed Weathersby just how it was supposed to be played. King offered some welcome encouragement to Carl and took a liking to the young lad.
After his tour of duty in Viet Nam, Carl found employment as a steel mill worker, as a prison guard and even a police officer. Weathersby was Albert King's rhythm guitarist between 1979 and 1982, and then spent some 15 years with Billy Branch's Sons of Blues as lead guitarist before striking out on his own. His debut solo album on Evidence Records, 'Don't Lay Your Blues On Me', was nominated for the W.C. Handy 'Blues Album of the Year' award. His latest release 'Hold On' is available online at Cdbaby.com.
Mixing Southern charm, soulful vocals, and fierce guitar-playing, Carl plays the blues, from down-and-dirty to scintillating Albert King influenced chops. This is one powerful blues performer that will leave you amazed and thoroughly entertained.
THE DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND
In 1977, the Dirty Dozen Social and Pleasure Club in New Orleans began showcasing a traditional Crescent City brass band. It was a joining of two proud, but antiquated, traditions at the time: social and pleasure clubs dated back over a century to a time when black southerners could rarely afford life insurance, and the clubs would provide proper funeral arrangements. Brass bands, early predecessors of jazz as we know it, would often follow the funeral procession playing somber dirges, then once the family of the deceased was out of earshot, burst into jubilant dance tunes as casual onlookers danced in the streets. By the late '70s, few of either existed. The Dirty Dozen Social and Pleasure Club decided to assemble this group as a house band, and over the course of these early gigs, the seven-member ensemble adopted the venue's name: the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.
Thirty years later, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a world famous music machine, whose name is synonymous with genre-bending romps and high-octane performances. They have revitalized the brass band in New Orleans and around the world, progressing from local parties, clubs, baseball games and festivals in their early years to touring nearly constantly in the U.S. and in over 30 other countries on five continents. The Dirty Dozen have been featured guests on albums by artists including David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Dr. John and the Black Crowes.
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SOULIVE
Not many bands can say they’ve recorded with Chaka Khan, Dave Matthews, Talib Kweli and John Scofield. Nor can many bands open for The Rolling Stones on one tour and have Stevie Wonder sit in with them on the next tour. The musical relationships the band has developed, from the aforementioned artists to Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Robert Randolph, Joshua Redman, Kenny Garrett, Fred Wesley, The Roots, Ivan Neville and so many others, speak volumes about both how versatile these talented musicians are. Jazz, hip-hop, rock, soul, funk, R & B, Blues – musically, there is not much the band hasn’t done.
GINO MATTEO
Gino Matteo is both an award winning guitarist and songwriter, having garnered awards and accolades from, Guitar Center's "King of the Blues " competition, Billboard Magazine, The International Songwriting Competition and the Just Plain Folks Music Awards. He has been featured on the cover of Southland Blues Magazine and his songs are being used in a feature film.
Stacy Davies of the L.A. Weekly says, ".....Perhaps it's his vibrato and time-warping note bending that draws them in - it's certainly worth watching him throw his stocky frame, body and soul into passionate storytelling. Now's your chance to catch this eclectic axeman and his "urban blues"....
ANDERS OSBORNE
“I’m in the promised land,” says proud American immigrant and Grammy-winning singer/songwriter/guitarist Anders Osborne. The Swedish-born, longtime New Orleans resident is among the most original and visionary musicians performing today. In a city overflowing with stellar artists, bands and performers, Osborne is one of the Big Easy’s favorite musical heroes. His Alligator Records debut, American Patchwork, is a moving collection of soul-baring rock, blues and ballads. Many of the songs on American Patchwork deal with healing and redemption, spirituality and acceptance. It is about rebuilding what has been destroyed, not only a ravaged city, but also a hollow man. Often compared to Townes Van Zandt, Bruce Springsteen and Van Morrison, Osborne is an exceptional and singular talent. Paste Magazine says, “Osborne has an impossibly great, soulful voice and the songs to match.” Living Blues adds, “Osborne is a songwriter of enormous depth and an incredibly passionate musician."
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Another Kind of Magick
Another Kind of Magick is an exciting, high-energy Blues group from Cheyenne, Wyoming. The band is comprised of five young musicians ranging in age from thirteen to seventeen. The group fully formed during the summer of 2009 and since then has been playing in Wyoming and all across the Colorado Front Range. Bringing original Blues music stylings into a modern setting has made them a hit among all age groups. Another Kind of Magick’s live performances continue to astound audiences through a combination of musical talent, innovative song writing, and incredible showmanship. The band’s success can be attributed to the fact that each member feels a strong passion for the music and puts in an extraordinary amount of time working on that music offstage. The Blues is alive and well in these young musicians. Another Kind of Magick’s goal is to bring their passion for the Blues to both new listeners and seasoned music
fans.
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JACK HADLEY
Born in the Philippines, Jack Hadley grew up in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. His mother bought him an acoustic guitar at the age of twelve because she wanted to keep him busy. The family moved to Denver, Colorado, where he learned to play music by ear, playing music by everyone from Hendrix to Dylan, unaware that he was learning the foundation of American music – the blues.
Jack played in a number of Denver area bands, all the while sharpening his guitar skills and discovering his vocal talent along the way. In addition to performing as a solo artist and hired gun, Hadley was a member of reggae band Rude Culture and r&b/funk outfit Network. A few years ago he struck out on his own and started The Jack Hadley Band, a blues-based project, to focus on writing and performing his original material. In 2005, Jack was playing at a local club when he was approached by blues veteran Otis Taylor who happened to be in the audience. For the next 18 months Jack was Taylor’s lead guitarist, playing at festivals and shows all over the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom. In November 2006 he recorded two songs with keyboard wizard Steve McQuarry at the legendary Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco including his revolutionary track "You & Me". He appears on Otis Taylor’s 2007 Telarc release “Definition Of A Circle” playing lead guitar and lap steel guitar. Notable musicians on this recording include ex-Thin Lizzy axeman Gary Moore and blues harmonica legend Charlie Musselwhite.
Blood & Bone" is a fresh look at the blues today that includes new songs from Treanor and Hadley along with their updated versions of classics from Blind Lemon Jefferson, Sonny Boy Williamson and Walter "Billy Boy" Arnold.The fall of 2007 marked the beginning of a new project with bluesman Dan Treanor. "Brothers
CARRIE RODRIGUEZ
Love and family have always been sources of inspiration for critically acclaimed singer/songwriter/musician Carrie Rodriguez, but never have they featured so prominently than on her brand new release Love & Circumstance, a covers album that includes songs written by her father, and once performed by her great aunt.
Rodriguez' journey from teenage violin student to touring the world with the likes of Chip Taylor (famed songwriter of "Wild Thing), Lucinda Williams and Alejandro Escovedo, has resulted in a prodigious output of recordings - eight albums in as many years - for the young musician; with the new album, Carrie relies on others to handle the songwriting duties, she provides the interpretations.
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THE COLORADO ALL-STARS FEATURING
HAZEL MILLER & LIONEL YOUNG
Hazel Miller is not just a great singer, "she is a force of nature!" quotes the Rocky Mountain News. Her voice has been called "stunning, moving and powerful." Hazel has been a sought after performer in Colorado for the past 24 years. Whether she is singing blues, jazz, pop, or Gospel, her voice charges the songs with a primal dose of genuine soul.
Hazel began her 38-year career in Louisville, Kentucky, where she rose to the top of the music scene. She opened for popular artists such as Mel Torme, James Brown, Temptations, Earl Klugh, Bob James and many others.
Throughout his career, Lionel has won numerous awards including: The Young Artist Award (Pittsburgh Symphony); The Concerto Contest (Carnegie-Mellon); The Passamenic Award (Branchwood String Quartet); and the award for the Best Blues Band in Westword's Best of Denver in 1989 for his band The Last Fair Deal. In 1992 he won a position with The Denver Chamber Orchestra and premiered a solo piece by William Hill with them in 1994. His current band, The Lionel Young Band, won back-to-back "Best Blues Band" honors in Westword's Best of Denver 1996 and 1997. In 2008, Lionel won the solo/duo competition at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN.
MICHAEL HURWITZ
Take a big helping of traditional cowboy music, stir in a little country honky-tonk and western swing, some southern blues and rockabilly, a bit of Louisiana Cajun, a taste of the high lonesome , add pinch of Mexican Norteno Accordion, and a spoonful of Hawaiian slack-key guitar and you’re getting close to the tasty gumbo of styles you’ll hear in the music of Michael Hurwitz.
Initially Mike was influenced by the country and cowboy music he heard growing up in rural Wyoming, His Mother turned him on to the Southern country blues and jazz from her Mississippi home. Then years on the road, picking with anyone and everyone , and he absorbed many of the regional styles played in the different parts of the country that he traveled.
Ken Saydak
KEN SAYDAK has enjoyed a nearly forty-year career as a musician, writer, vocalist, and producer. His work as a pianist and organist on over fifty albums is well known in the national and international blues scene. His 2005 release It’s My Soul, on Evidence Records follows his two previous CDs on the Delmark label, Love Without Trust and his solo debut Foolish Man. All of his recordings showcase his instantly recognizable vocal and piano styles as well as his insightful and engaging songwriting. A co-producer of the two Rounder Records CDs with his 1990′s American roots band, Big Shoulders, Big Shoulders and Nickel History, he continued his growth as a producer on both of his own Delmark CDs as well as the label’s critically embraced 2000 release, Learned My Lesson, for Chicago blues singer Zora Young.
Ken’s career as a performer has taken him to concert and festival stages on four continents, including tours and appearances in Israel, South Africa, France, and Switzerland. The list of artists who have enlisted his talents include Johnny Winter, Otis Rush, Willie Kent, Lonnie Brooks, John Primer, Mighty Joe Young, Billy Boy Arnold, Sam Lay, Dave Specter, James Wheeler, Tad Robinson, Lurrie Bell, Johnny B. Moore, and Karen Carroll.
Gretchen Troop
Gretchen started her career singing professionally in New York City. Then when she decided to become a jazz singer she picked San Francisco as her new home. The acid-jazz scene was in full swing when she moved there and she jumped right in. Her most successful band in that genre was Sideways, an all original "lead-bass band", highlighting her favorite instrument.
In 2003 she moved to the Denver area. About a year after moving here she was contacted by Jasco (Jason Coomes), they formed The Shamans, a band playing their own unique versions of classic blues, funk & soul tunes. They played together for over 2.5 years in the Denver area.
In the beginning of 2008 Gretchen formed the "Gretchen Troop Band". This band rearranges soul, funk, jazz and blues standards, but most importantly highlights Gretchen's lyrical songwriting skills. The Gretchen Troop Band plays many of the Denver area’s finest clubs and brings accomplished skill and a deep love of music to every show they play.