The 'New Blood' of St. Louis Blues music

Brian
Curran		 Rob Garland &
the Blue Monks		 The Bottoms Up Blues Gang Goodnight
Irene		 The Kevin
Leman Group		 Matt
Watson

St. Louis is drenched in a rich tradition of Blues Music. The likes of Albert King, Roosevelt Sykes, Tommy Bankhead, James Crutchfield, Peetie Wheatstraw, and Lonnie Johnson have all come from the breeding grounds that are St. Louis.

While older musicians like Henry Townsend, Bennie Smith, Boo Boo Davis, Johnnie Johnson, and Arthur Williams currently lead the large group continuing the tradition of St. Louis Blues – there are fewer and fewer young musicians even considering playing blues.

The goal of the 1st Annual Baby Blues Showcase is to feature the small group of young St. Louisians playing blues. Brian Curran, one of St. Louis’ youngest fingerstyle guitarists, will host and perform at this years Showcase which will feature: Rob Garland & the Blue Monks, The Bottoms Up Blues Gang, Goodnight Irene, The Kevin Leman Group, Matt Watson and many special guests.

There are several different types of blues represented this year. Solo acts like Brian Curran and Matt Watson offer a unique chance to see authentic delta style blues. "Good Night" Irene Allen and pianist Matt Murdick perform traditional jazz and blues. The Bottoms Up Blues Gang play a wide range of acoustic blues featuring vocalist Kari Liston, Adam Andrews on harmonica and Jeremy Segel-Moss on guitar. Finally, Rob Garland and the Blue Monks and the Kevin Leman Group represent St. Louis’ up and coming electric urban blues.

Included are short biographies and contact information for each band. All of the musicians are more than willing to talk about their experiences with blues music in St. Louis and are available for interviews or on-air performances. For more information about the Baby Blues Showcase please email Jeremy Segel-Moss, or call (314) 664-6119
BRIAN CURRAN


4589 Milentz
St. Louis, MO. 63116
314.753.1395
 
Brian Curran is probably St. Louis’ youngest working acoustic finger - style guitar player and this year’s host of the Baby Blues Showcase. At only 25, he has been playing professionally for over 6 years and has earned himself a reputation locally and nationally. Curran has studied with some of St. Louis’ finest guitar players such as Tom Hall and Billy Barnett. He has also performed with internationally known artists such as Ron Edwards, Leroy Pierson, and Eric McSpadden.
Curran has a wide range of styles from gritty delta slide guitar to the soft sounds of Mississippi John Hurt. He plays a variety of pre-war blues like Tampa Red and Robert Johnson and more modern artists such as Eric Clapton and Johnnie Johnson.
In addition to playing covers, Curran has a large arsenal of original music. Songs such as Love Bug and I Believe In Love - recorded on his first album, Straight Up Blues (Wildstone, 2001) - have earned him a large fan base and some outstanding reviews. Curran’s new album is out, and features several new songs and styles.

As host of the Baby Blues Showcase, Curran is showing his maturity as a young blues musician and providing a good example of the future of St. Louis Blues.
 
You can see Brian Curran at the following locations:
Every Other Monday at Pop’s Blue Moon with Sharon Foehner; Third Thesday of Every Month at the Venice Café; Every Other Thursday at the Beale On Broadway with Eric McSpadden, Every Saturday at Mike & Min’s with friends, Every Sunday at B.B.’s Jazz, Blues & Soups
Bottoms Up Blues GangBOTTOMS UP BLUES GANG

3542-A Hartford
St. Louis, MO. 63118
314.664.6119
www.bottomsupblues.com
 
 
The Bottoms Up Blues Gang is St. Louis’ newest acoustic blues trio — featuring vocalist Karl Liston, Adam Andrews on harmonica, and Jeremy Segel-Moss on acoustic guitar. The BUBG has been together since August 2001 and has already carved a small niche for themselves in St. Louis. They play a unique blend of originals and covers in the styles of Delta Blues, R&B, Soul and blues influenced Rock & Roll. Their unique sound has been influenced by national artists like Muddy Waters, Bessie Smith, Bonnie Paitt, B.B. King and Little Walter. Locally, they have been heavily influenced by musicians such as Brian Curran, Bernie Smith and Eric McSpadden.

The BUBG play a wide range of venues in and around St. Louis; including the Beale on Broadway, Broadway Oyster Bar, Venice Cafe, and Pop’s Blue Moon. They have recently been featured at the Grand Opening of the Lamproom in the Pepper Lounge and performed at the 2002 Big Muddy Blues Festival. The Bottoms Up Blues Gang's first album, South Broadway Blues, was released in early November 2002. It includse several original songs and features special guests; Matt Murdick, Brian Curran, Sharon Foehner and Irene Allen.
 
You can see The Bottoms Up Blues Gang at the following locatiors:
Every Thursday at the Red Sea; Second Tuesday of Every Month at the Venice Café; Monthly at venues such as: Corky's, the Shanti, Pop’s Blue Moon, Crusoe’s, the Lamproom, Broadway Oyster Bar and the Duck Club Yacht Club
Rob GarlandROB GARLAND & THE BLUE MONKS

822 Curnberland Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63325
314.630.4791
www.geocities.com/stratman/thebluemonks

Rob moved to St. Louis in September 1999 from Canterbury, England and found it to be the perfect place to focus on his love affair with the Blues. Having played a variety of genres of music, he began the Blue Monks with the premise of mixing styles against a backdrop of the Blues and looked for players capable of bringing in jazz, funk and rock influences. Rob cites his main influences as Larry Carlton, Robben Ford, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Miles Davis and George Benson.
 
Rob Garland and the Blue Monks include: Rob Garland on guitar and vocals, Byron James (Hi) on Bass, Tobin Hall on Drums, and Frank Bauer on Saxophone and vocals.
 
You can see Rob Garland at the following locations:
 
Monthly at the Broadway Oyster Bar, Sqwires, the Ritz Carlton, Mount Pleasant Winery, Mike & Mins, Hammerstones, CJ Muggs, the Famous Bar and the Beale On Broadway.
G00DNIGHT IRENE

523 South 10th #201
St. Louis, MO. 63104
314.436.7726 / 901.230.8296

The music we play is old. 20’s-30’s-40’s, sit-on-top-of-the-grand-piano torchy stuff. lt’s somewhere between ragtime and early rhythm and blues. It’s hard to explain. Matt has played with everybody; I have played with nobody. We like Ray Charles and Nina Sirnone and all kinds of people. Matt is a Virgo and I am a Capricorn, but we both enjoy vile humor.
Hopefully what makes Coodnight Irene interesting is our vigilant toll to present songs in a unique way. Sadly what makes Coodnight Irene unique is probably the unorthodox mariner of this “brief bio’
 
You can see Goodnight Irene at the following locations: Every Other Monday at Pop’s Blue Moon
KEVIN LEMEN

Kevin Lemen has been playing the guitar for about four years and has already accompllshed a lot. He started out sitting in with different musicians in Soulard. Some of the musicians included Keith Doder, Bennie Smith, Jimmy Lee, Pennsylvania Slim and Steve Pecaro.
 
In the past year Kevin participated in the Miles Davis Tribute held at the Museum of Art and History where he had the opportunity to play with older experienced jazz musicians. Kevin then went into a recording studio to make a demo which got some air play on 88.1 FM Community Radio. In August Kevin and iRs group was invited by Steve Pecaro to be the opening act at the Stevie Ray Vaughn tribute held at the Pageant. A week later Kevin played with Steve Pecaro at the Big Muddy Blues Festival held on Laclede’s Landing.
 
The members of the Kevin Lemen Group are Marie Brown on vocals, Sterling Burgess on Keyboard, Mike Lewis on Drums, Neil Schenk on Bass, and Kevin on Guitar.
MAT WATSON

647A Sugur Trail Ct.
St. Peters, MC 63376
314.452.3746
xixfux@hotmail.com

At 17, Mat Watson is the youngest participant in the Baby Blues Showcase. Mat plays fingerstyle blues and is currently doing his apprenticeship with Mike King and Saliem Watt at Delta Strings Repairs and Restorations — working on old Kays, Harmonys, and Silvertone guitars. Mat is virtually unknown in the blues community because he is actually a punk rocker. His band is called Nineteen. They have been together for five years, have two albums out and play all over St. Louis.

Mat’s dedication to blues can be seen in his particular style that has developed without much formal training. His main influences include John Lee Hooker and Robert Johnson. Mat plans to put together a blues recording while continuing to study fingerstyle blues.

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