New Orleans-based drummer Al Lauro joined the touring band of Southern Rock star David Allan Coe in the late 70s. During his six years with Coe he acquired the nickname Big Al, and became good friends with the band’s guitarist, Warren Haynes. He and Warren started a side project called the Unknown Blues Band, which [...]
Three guitars, three voices; that’s the 18th edition of Ruf’s Blues Caravan which will take off in mid-February 2023. Thus carrying on a tradition which was established in 2005 when Thomas Ruf, founder of internationally operating German record company Ruf Records, came up with the idea for this kind of package tour and with Sue [...]
Finding your place on the blues scene requires a rich vein of history to draw on, and like many of her heroes, Skylar Rogers has lived the blues – starting with being raised in the church and told she couldn’t sing because she wasn’t the right fit. Skylar’s life took many unexpected twists and turns [...]
Multiple Blues Music Award winner Nick Schnebelen today releases his long-awaited, high-powered rock-blues album, What Key Is Trouble In? Nick got his introduction to the blues community in 2008, along with siblings Danielle and Kris, as a founding member of Trampled Under Foot. That same year they overwhelmed the competition to with the International Blues Challenge, Nick claiming the [...]
The NN North Sea Jazz Festival, the world’s largest indoor music festival, has announced the first wave of artists for its hugely-anticipated return to the Ahoy Centre in Rotterdam this July. Taking place from Friday 7th – Sunday 9th July 2023, this year’s event will present a line-up bursting with huge international stars from across the worlds [...]
Each year, Sixthman allows artists to propose their dream collaboration sets to take place on the ship. This week, on board Cayamo: A Journey Through Song, the Stardust Theater came alive with the sounds of Dirt Does Dylan, a Bob Dylan tribute set hosted by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and featuring David Bromberg, Jeff Tweedy, [...]
Gulf Coast Records announces the signing of acclaimed St. Petersburg-based Backtrack Blues Band and will release their label debut, A Day by the Bay, on April 14th. Recorded live at the Tampa Bay Blues Festival on April 10, 2022, the new live album showcases the band that consists of Sonny Charles on harmonica and vocals, [...]
It’s the 50th year for legendary blues and roots band The Nighthawks, and they’re finally back on tour! They recorded a fine 50th Anniversary album, ESTABLISHED 1972, in the dark days of isolation, and once things got rolling again, new songs brought them back into the studio – not originals but great compositions from classic [...]
Magnolia Smoke, the first full-length album from Ralph Beeby & The Elephant Collective, has been a long time coming. After a slew of EPs and singles over the past few years, the UK-based guitarist/songwriter has finally debuted his first definitive collection, self-described as “where the blues gets weird.” And while Magnolia Smoke isn’t necessarily that [...]
The Hold Steady’s Steve Selvidge, North Mississippi Allstars’ Luther Dickinson, and Memphis multi-instrumentalist Paul Taylor are childhood friends who have reunited in the spirit of curiosity. The result is an amalgamation of Memphis sounds of different periods, replete with funk, groove, keys, and at times hip-hop and jazz. The three grew up playing music together [...]