J.P. Soars is soaring high, touring the world after releasing a new studio album last Fall, LET GO OF THE REINS, produced by Tab Benoit on Benoit’s Whiskey Bayou label. Soars was also nominated for “Blues Rock Artist of the Year” in the 40th annual Blues Music Awards, alongside blues music heavyweights Billy Gibbons, Eric Gales, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Tinsley Ellis, rounding out the Blues Rock category.
Former Buddy Guy guitarist and Chicago native Frank Bang combines fiery guitar work and powerful and emotional vocal performances with rich songwriting and showmanship.
Sirius XM Bluesville featured artist & guest DJ on tour now throughout Florida and the US!
5 Piece Band of Friends that loves to see you having as much fun as we are!
Dave has developed a style all his own and has written, recorded, and released three albums, “Rockin’ Roulette” (1980), “Something for the Pain” (1992), and “The Legacy” (2004-2005). The band also has “Live at the Contemporary Arts Center” (2003). Dave plows a path between the rootsy and the revolutionary.
Dave is a legendary songwriter who now calls Florida home. He is considered by many to be one of the best blues guitarist in the industry. It has been said by some that his every performance is a soul stirring, spontaneous healing experience.
Tampa’s Damon Fowler, a masterful singer, guitar player and songwriter, has absorbed the best of and furthered the work of the region’s definitive artists. A hard driving troubadour, his music is steeped with soul and representative of the many styles that make up the roots of American music. He has gained the respect of his peers given his featured slot in Butch Truck’s Freight Train band and his side gig as guitarist in the Dickey Betts Band. Critics have compared Fowler’s guitar work to Johnny Winter and Jeff Beck, while his slide guitar is reminiscent of the late Duane Allman. Fowler can play fiery guitar runs with the best of them, and his lyrical work on lap steel and dobro makes him a stand out performer among the legions of guitar heroes. His new release, ALAFIA MOON, combines all the influences that have shaped his distinctive blues career.
On the strength of Fowler’s hybrid of roots rock, blues, and sacred steel, the Florida native started wowing audiences with his musical exploits as a teenager, building a reputation as one of the hottest young players on the scene. Adding songwriting and vocal skills to his repertoire over the years has brought him many accolades, with music journalists extolling his originality and maturity as well as his technical guitar expertise. All of these attributes have helped further define Damon Fowler as one of the great Southern artists of his time.
Groundbreaking young blues visionary Selwyn Birchwood calls his original music “electric swamp funkin’ blues,” defined by raw and soulful musicianship played with fire-and-brimstone fervor. His gritty, unvarnished vocals draw his audience deep inside his unforgettable tales of love, passion, pain and pleasure. Complementing Selwyn’s electrifying guitar and lap steel playing, the other featured instrument is Regi Oliver’s driving baritone sax. The group is rounded out by bass, drums and, for the first time, keyboards.
Wanting to capture the power of the now larger band, Birchwood wrote and arranged 13 songs. From the rocking opener “I’d Climb Mountains” to the sweet soul of “She’s A Dime” and “One More Time” to the hair-raising “Revelation, Living in a Burning House” the album features some of the most poignant writing on today’s blues scene. Birchwood’s voice and vision are clear, his sound is edgy and compelling, and his stories are memorable and lasting.
According to Birchwood, “I tell my stories in my own way, with my own voice. You won’t ever hear me on stage telling someone else’s story. Muddy Waters, B.B. King and John Lee Hooker all told their own stories. That’s what I’m doing. I write and sing what I know.”
While most bluesy hard rock acts of the ’70s and ’80s hailed from the United States, there were several exceptions to the rule. Canadian singer/guitarist/keyboardist Pat Travers with his hard, edgy tone, rough and rowdy vocals, and barroom boogie aesthetic is a stellar example. Arriving during the reign of hard blues-rock guitar slingers such as Johnny Winter, George Thorogood, and Robin Trower, his eight-album run for Polydor from the self-titled 1976 debut through 1984’s Hot Shot, netted seven Top 200 chart placements (all but one in the upper half) and two Top 40 singles, including the party anthem classic “Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights).” Subsequently, he placed four singles in the Hot 100, and two more — including 1981’s “New Age Music” and 1984’s “Killer” in the upper rungs of the Mainstream Rock Songs charts. As evidenced by his catalog, Travers is equally adept at playing funk and prog. One of rock & roll’s bona fide road dogs, he has toured over 150 dates a year for more than 40 years. In the 21st century, Travers has continued to record for a variety of labels in North America and Europe. Better known dates include 2003’s P.T. Power Trio, 2005’s Bazooka with drummer Carmen Appice, and 2015’s Retro Rocket.
The Hummingbirds are husband-wife team S.G. and Rachel Wood. Born and raised in Detroit, now residing in Tampa, their music is both northern and southern Americana, blending both grit, and self reliance with hospitality, and charm. They play old guitars through old amps, bang drums, and even pluck banjos sometimes. Their live stage chemistry and organic duo harmonies immediately captivate and charm audience members while Rachel’s solid command of rhythm guitar, peppered with S.G.’s thoughtful lead work, keep their songs rolling in true Americana form.
S.G. and Rachel were fans of classic country music, as well as myriad of other genres when they started their band in the early 2000’s. And while they continue to draw on these influences, what comes out in their own songwriting is a hybrid sound all their own, genuine & playful, earnest & soulful. Their songs twist through tales of loss & heartache, while others whisper sounds of hope, love, and journeys from the road.
Through the past years, The Hummingbirds have been doing it all. They’ve played for small crowds in smoky bars, and large concert venues for hundreds of people. They present their songs to welcoming audiences at hospitals and intimate house concerts. They enjoy the excitement of singing live on radio and performing at festivals throughout the country. Their enthusiasm for music and songwriting has even lead them to found a songwriting workshop in Northern Michigan for other songwriters passionate about the craft called, “Above The Bridge Songwriter’s Weekend.”
The Hooten Hallers are a high-energy blues-rock band known for wild live shows. Based out of Columbia, Missouri, the myriad of influences in their music incorporates elements of R&B, rock’n’roll, honky tonk, jazz, soul, and punk with a thematic penchant for the strange and the unexplained. Their live performances take the listener on a seamless journey from unapologetically raucous blues on the lap steel and bass sax, to a sweet three part harmony country ballad, to a romping dance number.
2017’s self-titled album ‘The Hooten Hallers’ on Big Muddy Records, is the culmination of their experiences from a decade of performing and traveling together. Their latest effort showcases their evolution as musicians and songwriters. It garnered attention by Vice’s Noisey – “This is a band that really understands and exudes the history of rock and roll”.
Listeners often detect hints of George Thorogood, Morphine, and Tom Waits, but anyone who has seen The Hooten Hallers live knows that this power trio is unlike anything they’ve experienced before.
John Randall’s demonically-tinged vocals and manic guitar, and Andy Rehm’s screaming falsetto vocals and steady, pounding drum beat keep the band focused on their unique blend of deep blues and country punk. Kellie Everett brings the power with the deep rumble of her baritone and bass saxophones. When The Hooten Hallers come to town, you know it’s gonna be a party!
Miami-raised Albert Castiglia served an apprenticeship while backing legendary blues musician Junior Wells. He later went on to work with singer Sandra Hall. Never content to allow himself to be confined to any particular category, he embarked on a solo career that’s yielded many critically-acclaimed albums and consist kudos for his exceptional instrumental prowess, his searing vocals, and live performances that have dazzled audiences from coast to coast. It’s little wonder that Miami’s New Times lauded him as South Florida’s “Best Blues Guitarist” or that USA Today was inspired to remark “It’s a revelation to discover the thrilling retro-electric blues from this astonishing young guitarist.” M Music & Musicians once noted, “His back-to-basics approach follows in the footsteps of those who fostered the blues in the Mississippi Delta and the smoky late-night haunts of Chicago.” After the highly successful and critically acclaimed release of Masterpiece on Gulf Coast Records, Castiglia was nominated for two Blues Music Awards in the categories of Blues Rock Album of the Year and Blues Rock Artist of the Year and won Blues Rock Album of the Year..