Good morning everybody….
Today's the day our two new releases hit the street: Lil' Ed and The
Blues Imperials' RATTLESHAKE and Cephas & Wiggins' SHOULDER TO
SHOULDER. Coming from two opposite ends of the blues spectrum, both
releases showcase authentic blues from masterful musicians. If you
haven't already, please listen and plan your CD reviews, feature stories,
radio and television bookings.
RATTLESHAKE is Lil' Ed and The Blues Imperials' breakthrough. This
is greasy Chicago West Side blues from one of the very last authentic
West Side players. Ed Williams, of course, is the nephew of the late
"Slidewinder" himself, guitarist J.B. Hutto. Listen to their
version of "Leavin' Here," an old Motown song once performed
by the Isley Brothers and later covered by The Who. The potent combination
of blues and rock will leave you breathless. If the Ramones were a
Chicago blues band, they just may have sounded something like this.
Many
of you caught Ed back in April when he joined Conan O'Brien in Chicago
for a hilarious skit whereby Ed teaches Conan the finer points of
being a bluesman. The two played off each other perfectly. The "Late
Night" staff loved Ed, and they've invited him and the whole
band back for a full performance on the show on July 12. And "Weekend
Edition," National Public Radio's Saturday morning flagship
program, will feature an interview with Ed sometime in early July
as well. More specific information will follow.
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER is a remarkable recording from the masters
of the acoustic Piedmont blues. Guitarist John Cephas and harmonicist
Phil Wiggins have been together for almost 30 years. Their telepathic
interplay, soulful singing, elegant songwriting and remarkable performances
have been delighting music fans since day one. While the Piedmont
style of blues goes way back, the sound of the CD is contemporary
and joyful.
Cephas & Wiggins have played all over
the world, even performing at President Clinton's 1997 inaugural
party. John received a national Heritage Fellowship Award in 1989;
the highest honor the United States government offers a traditional
artist. John's gently rolling guitar and Wiggins' roller-coaster
harmonica are a hard combination to beat, and SHOULDER TO SHOULDER
is a remarkable and rewarding CD.
|
