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On Friday, July 23, Alligator Records recording artist Christone "Kingfish" Ingram will release his highly anticipated second album, 662. It's the next chapter in the still-unfolding story of the 22-year-old guitarist, vocalist and songwriter from Clarksdale, Mississippi. Ingram describes 662 (the number is northern Mississippi's telephone area code) as "a presentation of my life in and away from the Delta." The album overflows with hard-hitting original songs, jaw-dropping guitar work and deep, soul-possessed vocals. Rolling Stone declared, “Kingfish is one of the most exciting young guitarists in years, with a sound that encompasses B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Prince.”

“The world was introduced to me with Kingfish,” Ingram says of his chart-topping 2019 debut. “Now with 662, I want the world to hear and meet a different, more personal side of me. My sophomore album is a direct reflection of my growth as a young man. This album is very personal to me as it was conceptualized, created and co-written during the Covid-19 pandemic when I returned home to the 662 after a truly whirlwind year of change and growth. Coming home to write this album offered a remarkable history for me to draw upon. 662 is an album that sits upon the legacy and influence my blues music elders have instilled in me, but is also my unique, personal story."

662 was recorded in Nashville and co-written and produced (as was Kingfish) by Grammy-winner Tom Hambridge. It features 13 songs displaying many sides of Ingram’s dynamic personality, as well as his one-of-a-kind guitar and vocal skills. The first single, 662's title track, made its worldwide premiere on SiriusXM's B.B. King's Bluesville channel on May 10. The song immediately became the #1 Most Added Single on the influential BDS AAA (Adult Album Alternative) Indicator Radio Chart. Guitar World, who in 2020 named Kingfish one of the top 30 guitarists in the world, said, "On 662, Ingram takes things all the way back to the place that shaped him, his hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi. Anchoring the song with a hot-rodded, Delta–by-way- of-Chuck Berry riff, and punctuating the proceedings with sweet touches of high-gain, fleet-fingered blues guitar glory, Ingram gives a perfect tribute to the birthplace of the blues, showing all the while that the genre is still incredibly vital."

Since the release of Kingfish, Ingram has quickly become the defining blues voice of his generation. From his hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi, to stages around the world, the young musician has already headlined two national tours (Fish Grease I & II) and performed with friends including Vampire Weekend, Jason Isbell and Buddy Guy (with whom he appeared on Austin City Limits). He was interviewed by Sir Elton John on his Apple Music podcast Rocket Hour, and recently released a duet with Bootsy Collins. In January 2021, Ingram was simultaneously on the covers of both Guitar World and DownBeat magazines, and graced the cover of Living Blues in late 2020. NPR Music says Ingram’s playing is “astounding…it’s almost like he's singing through the guitar.”

Ingram’s journey began in the 662 in the city of Clarksdale, in Coahoma County, Mississippi, just ten miles from the legendary crossroads of Highways 61 and 49. Born to a musical family, he fell in love with music as a small child, initially playing drums and then bass. At a young age, he got his first guitar and quickly soaked up music from Robert Johnson to Lightnin’ Hopkins, from B.B. King to Muddy Waters, from Jimi Hendrix to Prince, but all the while developing his own sound and style. He progressed quickly, making his stage debut a few months later at Clarksdale's famous Ground Zero Blues Club, playing behind one of his mentors, Mississippi blues icon Bill "Howl-N-Madd" Perry. Perry gifted the young musician with a new stage name, "Kingfish." He performed at the White House for Michelle Obama in 2014 as part of a delegation of student musicians from the Delta Blues Museum. By age 16, he was turning heads and winning awards, includin g the 2015 Rising Star Award, presented by The Rhythm & Blues Foundation.

In 2020, Ingram won five Blues Music Awards, including Album Of The Year, Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year, Best Emerging Artist Album, Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year and the coveted Best Guitarist award. He also won four Living Blues Awards, including Album Of The Year and Artist Of The Year. In February 2021, Ingram guest hosted Spotify’s popular In The Name Of The Blues playlist, which featured him talking about and sharing some of his favorite songs.

On 662, Ingram creates contemporary blues  that speaks to his generation and beyond, delivering the full healing power of the music. No Depression calls Ingram, “a young bluesman with an ancient soul and a large presence in the here-and-now.” Living Blues says, "By any measure, Kingfish is one of the brightest new stars of his generation ."

Original Song – Celebrating Ingram's Mississippi Roots – Received World Premiere on SiriusXM Bluesville on Monday, May 10.

Christone "Kingfish" Ingram represents the next generation of great American blues artists.  —PBS NewsHour

Ingram plays guitar with dramatic, searing tone and sure-handed authority. And that's just in the studio; he's even scarier live. —NPR Music

Christone "Kingfish" Ingram is the future of the blues, singing and playing with edge, verve and vitality. Stinging guitar...sweet and melodic vocals. —Guitar World

On Tuesday, May 11, Alligator Records recording artist Christone "Kingfish" Ingram releases his new digital single, 662. The hard-driving original song finds Ingram celebrating his Clarksdale, Mississippi roots. On Monday, May 10, 662 made its worldwide premiere during the 9:00am hour on SiriusXM's B.B. King's Bluesville channel, with continued exclusive airplay throughout the day. The song, co-written by Ingram and producer Tom Hambridge, will be available on all major streaming and download platforms beginning May 11. The number 662 references Ingram's hometown telephone area code, and is also the title of his forthcoming album, set for July 2021 release.

According to the 22-year-old guitarist, vocalist and songwriter, "662 is an ode to my roots, a nod to the area where I was born and raised. This is a track that encompasses how a small corner of the earth influenced my view of life and music. This song also points to the growth I have had since my debut album. As much as I have been fortunate to get 'Outside Of This Town' (the title of his breakout single from his 2019 Grammy-nominated debut album, Kingfish), I do want people to know that the '662' will always be a major part of who I am."

Since the release of Kingfish, Ingram has quickly become the defining blues voice of his generation. From his hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi to stages around the world, the young musician has already headlined two national tours (Fish Grease I & II) and performed with friends including Vampire Weekend, Jason Isbell and Buddy Guy (with whom he appeared on Austin City Limits). He was interviewed by Sir Elton John on his Apple Music podcast Rocket Hour, and recently released a duet with Bootsy Collins. In January 2021, Ingram was simultaneously on the covers of both Guitar World and DownBeat magazines, and graced the cover of Living Blues in late 2020. Rolling Stone declared, “Kingfish is one of the most exciting young guitarists in years, with a sound that encompasses B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Prince.”

Ingram’s journey began in the 662 in the city of Clarksdale, in Coahoma County, Mississippi, just ten miles from the legendary crossroads of Highways 61 and 49. Born to a musical family, he fell in love with music as a small child, initially playing drums and then bass. At a young age, he got his first guitar and quickly soaked up music from Robert Johnson to Lightnin’ Hopkins, from B.B. King to Muddy Waters, from Jimi Hendrix to Prince, but all the while developing his own sound and style. He progressed quickly, making his stage debut a few months later at Clarksdale's famous Ground Zero Blues Club, playing behind one of his mentors, Mississippi blues icon Bill "Howl-N-Madd" Perry. Perry gifted the young musician with a new stage name, "Kingfish." He performed at the White House for Michelle Obama in 2014 as part of a delegation of student musicians from the Delta Blues Museum. By age 16 he was turning heads and winning awards, including the 2015 Rising Star Award, presented by The Rhythm & Blues Foundation.

In 2020, Ingram won five Blues Music Awards, including Album Of The Year, Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year, Best Emerging Artist Album, Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year and the coveted Best Guitarist award. He also won four Living Blues Awards, including Album Of The Year and Artist Of The Year. In February 2021, Ingram guest hosted Spotify’s popular In The Name Of The Blues playlist, which featured him talking about and sharing some of his favorite songs. No Depression calls Ingram, “a young bluesman with an ancient soul and a large presence in the here-and-now.” Living Blues declared, "By any measure, Kingfish is one of the brightest new stars of his generation."

On Monday, May 10, one of America's greatest roots music radio stations, New Orleans' WWOZ, will host the worldwide premiere of award-winning vocalist, songwriter and instrumentalist Curtis Salgado's new video for his original song, Truth Be Told, across all of their social media platforms. The smartly-written, zydeco-flavored, foot-stomping party song was recorded at Dockside Studio in Maurice, Louisiana, where the video was also filmed. It features accordion legend Wayne Toups singing and playing along with Salgado -- the man NPR calls "an icon" with a "huge voice." Truth Be Told is featured on Salgado’s new album, Damage Control.

No Depression says, "Truth Be Told, with the help of singer/ accordionist Wayne Toups, blurs the lines between zydeco and Tex-Mex with a smidgen of Doug Sahm stirred in."

Award Presented In Online Ceremony Hosted by Paul Jones

On Sunday, May 9, award-winning vocalist Shemekia Copeland received the coveted UK Blues Award for International Blues Artist Of The Year. The award was presented in a virtual ceremony hosted by BBC radio personality, actor and musician Paul Jones. The UK Blues Awards were created by the UK Blues Federation to give the blues community in the UK the opportunity to recognize and applaud those actively involved with the music. 

Copeland's latest album, the soulful and uncompromising Uncivil War, tackles the problems of contemporary American life head on, with nuance, understanding, and a demand for change. It also brings Copeland’s fiercely independent, sultry R&B fire to songs more personal than political. NPR Music calls Shemekia “authoritative” and “confrontational” with “punchy defiance and potent conviction. It’s hard to imagine anyone staking a more convincing claim to the territory she’s staked out—a true hybrid of simmering, real-talking spirit and emphatic, folkie- and soul-style statement-making.”

When Shemekia first broke on the scene with her groundbreaking Alligator Records debut CD Turn the Heat Up in 1998, she instantly became a blues and R&B force to be reckoned with. The Chicago Tribune says, “Shemekia Copeland is the greatest fe male blues singer working today.” News outlets from The New York Times to CNN have praised Copeland’s talent, larger-than-life personality, dynamic, authoritative voice and true star power. Shemekia earned three Grammy Award nominations, 12 Blues Music Awards and a host of Living Blues Awards, including being named the 2020 Female Blues Artist of the Year. NPR’s All Things Considered says, “Copeland embodies the blues with her powerful vocal chops and fearless look at social issues.” No Depression declares, “Copeland pierces your soul. This is how you do it, and nobody does it better than Shemekia Copeland.”

Living Blues magazine has announced the nominees for the 2021 Living Blues Readers' Awards. Nine Alligator Records artists received a total of 15 nominations. Vocalist Shemekia Copeland leads all Alligator nominees with four. Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Tinsley Ellis and Charlie Musselwhite received two nominations each. And Rick Estrin (of Rick Estrin & The Nightcats), Billy Branch Roomful Of Blues, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials and Marcia Ball each received one.

The public -- Living Blues subscribers and non-subscribers alike -- can vote at www.livingblues.com by June 15, 2021. Winners will be announced shortly thereafter.

Alligator artists and award nominations are as follows:

SHEMEKIA COPELAND:
Blues Artist Of The Year (Female)
Most Outstanding Blues Singer
Best Live Performer
Best Blues Album of 2020 (New Recordings): Uncivil War

CHRISTONE "KINGFISH" INGRAM:
Blues Artist Of The Year (Male)
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)

TINSLEY ELLIS:
Blues Artist Of The Year (Male)
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)

CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE:
Blues Artist Of The Year (Male)
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)

RICK ESTRIN:
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)

BILLY BRANCH:
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)

LIL' ED & THE BLUES IMPERIALS:
Best Live Performer

ROOMFUL OF BLUES:
Best Blues Album Of 2020 (New Recordings): In A Roomful Of Blues

MARCIA BALL:
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboards)

Cain And Full Band To Perform Songs From Alligator Records Debut Raisin' Cain'

Chris Cain? Now that boy can PLAY the guitar!
—B.B. King

Hands down my favorite blues player on the scene today. He’s an absolute blinder of a guitarist,

with the voice of B.B. King and the chops of Albert King.
—Joe Bonamassa

Chris Cain is a hot-shot guitarist and a singer with the maturity of blues masters like Bobby Bland and B.B. King.
—The Washington Post

 

World-renowned blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Chris Cain will release his Alligator Records debut album, Raisin' Cain, on Friday, April 9, 2021. The same evening he will celebrate the release with a full-band live streaming concert from The Center in Grass Valley, California. Concert information is as follows:

Date: Friday, April 9, 7:00pm Pacific time

Tickets: $10.00

Ticket Purchase

Phone: 530- link: https://thecenterforthearts.org/event/from-the-center-the-chris-cain-quartet/

274-8384

Raisin' Cain features 12 original songs, each show casing Cain's fiery musicianship and deft, memorable songwriting skills. According to Cain, who recently received two Blues Music Award nominations (for Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year and Best Guitarist), "These are the best pack of tunes I've ever written. My songs are funky and danceable and my writing is now less personal diary than in the past. I want my songs to tell universal stories.”

From the rocking opener Hush Money to the instantly relatable Too Many Problems to the late-night jazzy blues of I Don’t Know Exactly What’s Wrong With My Baby, the universal appeal of Cain's music is abundantly clear. His songs deliver uncommon, surprising hooks and riffs coming in rapid-fire succession. On four songs, Cain shows off his stellar keyboard skills, and on the far-out instrumental Space Force, he proves himself a funky and jazzy ARP Soloist player. Along with Cain is his road-tested band -- of bassist Steve Evans and keyboardist/organist Greg Rahn, with Chris’ touring drummer Sky Garcia and veteran D’Mar Martin (Little Richard, Rick Estrin & The Nightcats) sharing the skins. The album was produced and recorded by Kid Andersen (Rick Estrin & The Nightcats) at Andersen's Greaseland Studio in San Jose, California.

With more than three decades of worldwide touring and 14 acclaimed previous albums, Cain has earned his reputation as both a fan favorite and a musician’s musician. Since his first release in 1987, he has created his very own blues sound inspired by his heroes 

Both the media and his fellow musicians rave about Cain. Guitar Player said, “Cain is an impressive, top-notch guitarist. His full-bodied tone and big voice pack a punch that had me reeling.” Guitar icon Robben Ford said, “Chris Cain is for real. He’s a great blues player with an intensity that keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering what he’s going to do next. Plus he knows how to write a song you haven’t heard before, full of humor and insight. If you like the blues, you’ll like Chris Cain. I am a stone fan."– B.B. King, Albert King, Ray Charles, Albert Collins, Grant Green and Wes Montgomery. His jazz-informed blues guitar playing is fiery, emotional and always unpredictable. His vocals – gruff, lived-in and powerful – add fuel to the fire. His indelible original songs keep one foot in the blues tradition and both eyes on the future. The pure joy Cain brings to his playing and singing is palpable, and draws fans even closer in.

With Raisin’ Cain, Chris Cain says he is at a new point in his career. “I’m playing and writing better than ever before. I can say more with less,” he says, referring to his dynamic guitar playing and superb songwriting. “I’m as much a fan as a musician,” Cain says. “And I’m as excited to be making music today as I was when I was a teenager. More than ever before, I just play what I feel.”

his singer-songwriter continues to leap forward…intent on both working in the blues idiom and expanding on it. His vocals are as tough as these funky, surprising sounds demand. The 13 original songs are constructed for drama….stories and sounds combine to haunt beyond their specific references, as the best blues songs will."
--The Wall Street Journal

"Living In A Burning House has a big, ferocious sound...it's in your face and exquisitely detailed. Massive, funky greasy grooves...scorching barroom anthems with nasty slide and honking, baritone sax  Strolling rave-up, soul blues with killer vocals. Birchwood delivers knotty, ladder-climbing, biting, distorted guitar, as he testifies to the core about the relentless search for belonging. His solos bleed emotion. On Living In A Burning House, Birchwood erases arbitrary boundaries between blues and R&B. He openly draws from history but situates his original music expansively in the here and now...emotionally resonant and visionary."
--AllMusic

"Selwyn Birchwood reaches back in the blues tradition to launch something out of this world."
--No Depression

Groundbreaking young blues visionary Selwyn Birchwood has just released a riveting new video for his song, Revelation. The highly-charged, hair-raising track appears on Birchwood's recently released third Alligator album, Living In A Burning House. Living Blues declared, "With Living in a Burning House, the 35-year-old guitarist may have made his most fully realized artistic statement to date. But it’s clear, too, that in many ways he’s just getting started."

According to Birchwood, Revelation is a reflection on what's happening now, with the song's message amplified through the video. "This music and video are meant to be felt, not just seen. Revelation projects my interpretation of the Book of Revelation as it unfolds before our eyes. It sizzles in a fever dream of haunting sounds and powerful imagery.”

Watch and listen to Revelation:

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. No other band on the current blues scene is built quite like Birchwood’s. In addition to 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 keyboards.

Since the 2014 release of his Alligator Records debut, Don’t Call No Ambulance, Birchwood’s meteoric rise from playing small Florida clubs to headlining international festival stages is nothing short of phenomenal. The album received the Blues Music Award and Living Blues Critics’ Award for Best Debut Album Of 2014, and he won the 2015 Blues Blast Rising Star Award. Rave reviews ran in publications from Rolling Stone to The Wall Street Journal, from The Chicago Tribune to The San Francisco Chronicle. He followed in 2016 with Pick Your Poison. DownBeat said, “There’s a deep-seated power about Birchwood’s singing and six string/lap steel guitar work...and there’s an unmistakable emotion and honesty linking him to forebearers like Muddy Waters.”

Chris Cain is a hot-shot guitarist and a singer with the maturity of blues masters like Bobby Bland and B.B. King.
—The Washington Post

Chris Cain? Now that boy can PLAY the guitar!
—B.B. King

Hands down my favorite blues player on the scene today. He’s an absolute blinder of a guitarist, with the voice of B.B. King and the chops of Albert King.
—Joe Bonamassa

World-renowned blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Chris Cain will release his Alligator Records debut album, Raisin' Cain, on Friday, April 9, 2021. The album features 12 originals, each showcasing Cain's fiery musicianship and deft, memorable songwriting skills. According to Cain, who recently received two Blues Music Award nominations (for Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year and Best Guitarist), "These are the best pack of tunes I've ever written."

Of Raisin’ Cain, Chris Cain says, “My songs are funky and danceable and my writing is now less personal diary than in the past. I want my songs to tell universal stories.” From the rocking opener Hush Money to the instantly relatable Too Many Problems to the late-night jazzy blues of I Don’t Know Exactly What’s Wrong With My Baby, the universal appeal of Cain's music is abundantly clear. His songs deliver uncommon, surprising hooks and riffs coming in rapid-fire succession. On four songs, Cain shows off his stellar keyboard skills, and on the far-out instrumental Space Force, he proves himself a funky and jazzy ARP Soloist player. Along with Cain is his road-tested band -- of bassist Steve Evans and keyboardist/organist Greg Rahn, with Chris’ touring drummer Sky Garcia and veteran D’Mar Martin (Little Richard, Rick Estrin & The Nightcats) sharing the skins. The album was produced and recorded by Kid Andersen (Rick Estrin & The Nightcats) at Andersen's Greaseland Studio in San Jose, California.

With more than three decades of worldwide touring and 14 acclaimed previous albums, Cain has earned his reputation as both a fan favorite and a musician’s musician. Since his first release in 1987, he has created his very own blues sound inspired by his heroes – B.B. King, Albert King, Ray Charles, Albert Collins, Grant Green and Wes Montgomery. His jazz-informed blues guitar playing is fiery, emotional and always unpredictable. His vocals – gruff, lived-in and powerful – add fuel to the fire. His indelible original songs keep one foot in the blues tradition and both eyes on the future. The pure joy Cain brings to his playing and singing is palpable, and draws fans even closer in.

Both the media and his fellow musicians rave about Cain. Guitar Player said, “Cain is an impressive, top-notch guitarist. His full-bodied tone and big voice pack a punch that had me reeling.” Guitar icon Robben Ford said, “Chris Cain is for real. He’s a great blues player with an intensity that keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering what he’s going to do next. Plus he knows how to write a song you haven’t heard before, full of humor and insight. If you like the blues, you’ll like Chris Cain. I am a stone fan."

Cain formed his first band in 1986 in his hometown of San Jose, California, and released his first album in 1987, Late Night City Blues, on the locally-based Blue Rock’It label. Almost immediately, booking agents came calling. Incredibly, he was touring Europe even before he started barnstorming the U.S. The album received four W.C Handy Award nominations (now the Blues Music Awards) and the offers to perform kept rolling in. He even opened for his heroes Albert King and Albert Collins, who both asked Chris to jam on stage. The more Cain toured and recorded, the greater his reputation grew. His releases include four albums on Blue Rock’It and three on Blind Pig Records, and his live performances number in the thousands.

Cain has toured all over North America and made repeated trips around the world. He’s performed at the Chicago Blues Festival, The Doheny Blues Festival, The Philadelphia Blues Festival, The Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland, and many others. He’s played concerts and festivals in Argentina, Uruguay, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Brazil, Belarus, Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Russia and Ukraine.

With Raisin’ Cain, Chris Cain says he is at a new point in his career. “I’m playing and writing better than ever before. I can say more with less,” he says, referring to his dynamic guitar playing and superb songwriting. “I’m as much a fan as a musician,” Cain says. “And I’m as excited to be making music today as I was when I was a teenager. More than ever before, I just play what I feel.”

 
"Selwyn Birchwood heralds a fresh, exciting new direction in the blues. Toe-tapping, hip-shaking, joyful and inviting... always original. [This is] The Selwyn Birchwood Band at their very best…a new level of excellence and artistic achievement." —Blues Music Magazine
 
"No one in blues compares to young Florida-based blues guitarist Selwyn Birchwood. Fresh, powerful blues [that] pulses and stings. Birchwood balances clever concepts with authoritative playing and stinging solos. Living In A Burning House is his finest release. It’s the mark of a true iconoclast that the album's 13 songs pay tribute to his influences without sounding like any of them." —American Songwriter
 
Today, Friday, January 29, groundbreaking young blues visionary Selwyn Birchwood releases his highly-anticipated third Alligator album, Living In A Burning House. To accompany the release, Alligator Records is premiering a new video interview with Birchwood, album producer Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Susan Tedeschi) and label president Bruce Iglauer. During the far-reaching conversation, Birchwood talks about the album, his songwriting process and his already highlight-packed career.

Click the image below to watch Part 1:
 

Click the image below to watch Part 2:


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. The Wall Street Journal says Birchwood is "a skilled, energetic and original artist...his songwriting is observant, clever and pointed. His guitar fluency generates new licks and rhythmic surprises. Expectations have been high for Mr. Birchwood—and he lives up to them."
 
No other band on the current blues scene is built quite like Birchwood’s. In addition to 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 new songs, and brought in famed Grammy Award-winning musician Tom Hambridge to produce. 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 features some of the most vividly striking 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.
 
“I write and sing what I know,” says Birchwood, whose musical innovations are as expansive as his influences are deep. “They say everything is better when it’s made with love,” says Birchwood. “That’s how we play our music and that’s how we made Living In A Burning House. I want my audience to say, ‘I know exactly what that feels like,’ when a song hits them. Because that’s when it stops just being music and starts being medicine. After all, we are all stricken with the condition of being human.”

 
Thursday, January 28, 2021 -- Today the Blues Foundation announced the nominees for the 42nd Annual Blues Music Awards, the blues world's highest honors. A total of 15 Alligator recording artists received a remarkable 27 nominations. Rick Estrin & The Nightcats lead all artists with seven nominations (including one each for guitarist Christoffer "Kid" Andersen and drummer Derrick "D'Mar" Martin). Shemekia Copeland received five nominations, while Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite, Tinsley Ellis, Chris Cain, Billy Branch and Christone "Kingfish" Ingram each received two. Curtis Salgado, Lil' Ed Williams (leader of Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials), Selwyn Birchwood, Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith (drummer with The Cash Box Kings) and Dennis Gruenling (harmonica player with The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling), each received one nomination.

 
According to Alligator president Bruce Iglauer, "I’m very proud of so many Alligator artists getting the recognition they so richly deserve. This is a great emotional boost for them in this tough year. This is a time we need the healing power of the blues more than ever, and these wonderful bluesmen and women have delivered that healing on recordings even though they haven’t been able to deliver it in person.”
 
The Contemporary Blues Artist Of The Year category includes four Alligator artists of the five nominees: Rick Estrin, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Selwyn Birchwood and Chris Cain (whose Alligator debut Raisin' Cain will be released on April 9, 2021).
 
The highly coveted B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year Award nominees list includes three Alligator artists: Rick Estrin, Shemekia Copeland and Lil' Ed Williams.
 
Both the Instrumentalist -- Guitarist (Christone "Kingfish," Ingram, Chris Cain and Kid Andersen) and Instrumentalist -- Harmonica (Rick Estrin, Billy Branch and Dennis Gruenling) nominees lists also include three out of five Alligator artists.
 
The 42nd Annual Blues Music Awards will be presented as a virtual event on Sunday, June 6, 2021. It will be live-streamed on the Blues Foundation's Facebook page as well as on its YouTube channel.

Alligator artists and awards are as follows:

RICK ESTRIN & THE NIGHTCATS:
B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year
Band Of The Year
Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year
Song of the Year: All My Dues Are Paid (by Kathy Murray, Rick Estrin, Frank Bey and Kid Andersen -- performed by Frank Bey)
Instrumentalist - Harmonica
Instrumentalist - Guitar (Christoffer "Kid" Andersen)
Instrumentalist - Drums (Derrick "D'Mar" Martin)

SHEMEKIA COPELAND:
B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year
Album Of The Year: Uncivil War
Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year: Uncivil War
Song Of The Year: Uncivil War (by John Hahn and Will Kimbrough)
Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year
 
ELVIN BISHOP & CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE:
Album Of The Year: 100 Years Of Blues
Traditional Blues Album Of The Year: 100 Years Of Blues

BILLY BRANCH & THE SONS OF BLUES:
Traditional Blues Male Artist Of The Year
Instrumentalist - Harmonica

CHRISTONE "KINGFISH" INGRAM:
Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year
Instrumentalist -- Guitar

TINSLEY ELLIS:
Blues Rock Album Of The Year: Ice Cream In Hell
Blues Rock Artist Of The Year

CHRIS CAIN:
Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year
Instrumentalist -- Guitar

LIL' ED & THE BLUES IMPERIALS:
B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year

CURTIS SALGADO:
Soul Blues Male Artist Of The Year

SELWYN BIRCHWOOD:
Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year

KENNY "BEEDY EYES" SMITH (THE CASH BOX KINGS):
Instrumentalist - Drums (Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith)
 
DENNIS GRUENLING (THE NICK MOSS BAND FEATURING DENNIS GRUENLING:
Instrumentalist - Harmonica (Dennis Gruenling)

Partnership Between Legendary Blues/Roots Label And Exceleration Music To Create Global Growth Opportunities

Alligator Records, the acclaimed independent blues and roots label currently celebrating its 50^th anniversary, has announced it is joining forces with Exceleration Music. Exceleration Music is a newly established company founded by Glen Barros(former CEO of Concord Music Group) along with four other world-renowned industry veterans, dedicated to enhancing the future of independent labels and artists.

Alligator founder Bruce Iglauer's partnership with Exceleration will strengthen the label by creating opportunities for expanded promotion and marketing along with providing resources enabling Alligator to sign more established blues and roots artists. Iglauer remains at Alligator's helm, just as he has been for the last 50 years. He and his Chicago-based team will continue to handle artist signings, A&R, new release production, project marketing, publicity, and promotion for an aggressive lineup of new recordings by the label’s existing roster as well as by newly-signed artists. Alligator will also continue to market and promote its catalog of over 350 releases. Exceleration will handle financial, operational, and administrative functions for the label. Both partners will also collaborate on marketing initiatives designed to build on Alligator’s great legacy. 

According to Iglauer, "I’m very excited to ally Alligator with Exceleration. I have tremendous respect for the vision, intelligence, industry expertise and professional ethics of the Exceleration team. I’m confident that this partnership will grow the worldwide audience for Alligator’s records and artists. It’s a win-win for all of us."

In addition to its partnership with Alligator, Exceleration has also entered into an alliance with The Ray Charles Foundation, by which they will jointly issue special releases from the Ray Charles vaults, most of which have not been widely available on digital music services for the past decade. In January 2020, Exceleration acquired the venerable but mostly dormant jazz label Candid Records, with plans to relaunch the label later in 2021.

Exceleration Music was formed by five of the independent music industry’s most influential executives. Started by Glen Barros (former CEO of Concord Music Group), Exceleration Music has developed into a partnership of global music industry leaders who will be investing in the future of independent labels from a wide range of culturally important genres. In addition to Barros, Exceleration is led by Dave Hansen (Executive Chairman of Merlin, the digital licensing partner for independents, and previous GM of Epitaph Records), Charles Caldas (CEO of Merlin for 12 years, during which time the organization grew to over 20,000 independent label and distributor members), Amy Dietz (previously GM of independent music distribution leader Ingrooves)and John Burk (Grammy-winning producer and former President of Concord Records).

Backed by substantial investment capital and based on core founding values of integrity, fairness, openness, humility and excellence, Exceleration plans to leverage its partners’ extensive expertise and deep understanding of the independent music culture to make tailored investments in independent music rights and the individuals that create them.

According to Barros, “When I started the company, I decided to go with a ‘first who, then what’ strategy. With our industry becoming more and more commoditized, I wanted to put people first – people who care about independent music and share similar values. Quite frankly, I am completely amazed and truly blessed by how this strategy has developed. To have partners like John, Amy, Charles and Dave is truly a dream come true.  But it goes beyond this, to the great investors we’re working with, the team we’re assembling, our professional advisors, and now the opportunity to work with Bruce Iglauer at Alligator Records. With a dedicated group like this, I know we’re going to do great things for the indie community and have a lot of fun along the way.”

 

Song Featured On New Album, Living In A Burning House, Set For January 29 Release

"A remarkable, contemporary bluesman...a powerhouse young guitarist and soulful vocalist...a major player...highly recommended" —Rolling Stone

"Rising blues star Selwyn Birchwood is the real deal. Birchwood puts his own fresh spin on the blues, taking the tradition and making it into something new." —Guitar World

On Monday, January 18, groundbreaking young blues visionary Selwyn Birchwood debuts his new video for the song Freaks Come Out At Night. The original track is featured on his highly-anticipated third Alligator album, Living In A Burning House, set for release on Friday, January 29, 2021.

Of the song, the rising singer, songwriter, guitar and lap steel player says, "Freaks Come Out At Night was written for, about, and filmed on-site at the last “real” Jook Joint in Florida: Bradfordville Blues Club. This song and music video capture the magic that happens at every show we play there. The song projects the rawness of the music, the sweatiness of the dance floor, the heat of the bonfire, and the greasiness of the fried catfish! The freaks definitely come out at night! And I wouldn’t have it any other way! "

Click on the image below to watch and listen to Freaks Come Out At Night. 

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. The Wall Street Journal says Birchwood is "a skilled, energetic and original artist...his songwriting is observant, clever and pointed. His voice is smooth; his singing on target. His guitar fluency generates new licks and rhythmic surprises. Expectations have been high for Mr. Birchwood—and he lives up to them."

No other band on the current blues scene is built quite like Birchwood’s. In addition to 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 new songs, and brought in famed Grammy Award-winning musician Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Susan Tedeschi) to produce. 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 features some of the most vividly striking 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.

“I write and sing what I know,” says Birchwood, whose musical innovations are as expansive as his influences are deep. “They say everything is better when it’s made with love,” says Birchwood. “That’s how we play our music and that’s how we made Living In A Burning House. I want my audience to say, ‘I know exactly what that feels like,’ when a song hits them. Because that’s when it stops just being music and starts being medicine. After all, we are all stricken with the condition of being human.”