When I created Alligator Records, the very first promo piece to promote that very first Hound Dog Taylor album was headed "Genuine Houserockin' Music." That became our slogan, and we wear it proudly today. "Genuine" because the music we record is deeply rooted in the blues tradition (even when it pushes the standard definition of blues) and is created by musicians who have honed their songs not on synthesizers in their bedrooms, but in front of real audiences, responding to the emotional needs of their listeners. "House" instead of "theatre" or "arena" or "stadium," because our music is ultimately intimate, even when it's big and loud. It's not meant to be presented. It's meant to be shared between the musicians and the audience, like everyone at Florence's shared the music with Hound Dog Taylor. And "Rockin'" because it's designed to move you. Most of Alligator's records will move your feet or your body, but we've tried to make records that will move that other part of you�your soul. Sometimes that can mean music that cleanses your inner pain by pulling it out of you, the "hurts so good" that is so special to the blues. And sometimes it just means the pure release and fun of musicians pouring their energy into a great groove.
-Bruce Iglauer
First single from JJ Grey & Mofro's 2013 release THIS RIVER!
Michael Bloomfield If You Love the Blues BOOK/CD
On February 15, 1981, Michael Bloomfield’s lifeless body was found locked inside a car on a side street in San Francisco. The police were called in, and the body lay unclaimed in the morgue until its identity could be ascertained. Thus ended the troubled life of a world-class bluesman who changed an entire generation of music lovers and guitar players. This book traces the rise and fall of one of the most talented, charismatic, and influential guitarists of the 1960s. Born into a wealthy f...
JAMES COTTON APPEARS ON NPR'S WEEKEND EDITION SATURDAY ON MAY 11, 2013
NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday featured blues harmonica legend James Cotton on Saturday, May 11.
RT @CosmicAmericana: Shoutout to our listeners in The Netherlands. JJ Grey & Mofro with new music now, "Tame a Wild One" @JJGREYandMOFRO h… 5/16/2013 9:39AM
Michael Bloomfield If You Love the Blues BOOK/CD
