News

Blues Blast magazine has announced the winners for its 16th annual Blues Blast Music Awards. This year, four Alligator artists have received a total of seven awards.

The Cash Box Kings won the coveted Blues Band Of The Year Award.

Multiple GRAMMY Award nominee Shemekia Copeland won the awards for Female Blues Artist and Vocalist Of The Year.

Blues legend Charlie Musselwhite's GRAMMY-nominated Mississippi Son won the Acoustic Blues Album Award. He also won for Harmonica Player Of The Year.

GRAMMY Award-winning guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, whose new album Live In London just hit the digital services (with CD and LP release to follow on October 13), was named Electric Guitarist Of The Year.

Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith, drummer for The Cash Box Kings, won for Percussionist Of The Year.

Voting was free and open to the public. Winners were announced at a ceremony held on September 23, 2023 at the 3300 Event Center in Peoria, Illinois. According to Blues Blast, more than 6,600  readers and blues fans voted in the 2023 Blues Blast Music Awards. The full list of winners can be found here.

Alligator artists and their nominations follow: 

Alligator artists and their awards follow:

Blues Band Of The Year:
The Cash Box Kings

Percussionist Of The Year:
Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith

Female Blues Artist Of The Year:
Shemekia Copeland

Vocalist Of The Year:
Shemekia Copeland 

Acoustic Blues Album Of The Year:
Mississippi Son

Harmonica Player Of The Year:
Charlie Musselwhite  

Electric Guitarist Of The Year:
Christone "Kingfish" Ingram 

        

"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

"Muscular guitar and gorgeous vocals… [there is] an intense rolling melodicism in Ingram’s singing and soloing" —AllMusic

"Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram has already made his mark as one of the best, and undoubtedly most exciting, blues guitarists in the world." —Guitar World

"Kingfish is one of the most exciting young guitarists in years, with a sound that encompasses B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Prince." —Rolling Stone

On Friday, September 15, GRAMMY Award-winning guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Christone "Kingfish" Ingram surprised his legions of fans by dropping his third release, Live In London, at all digital services. The album was recorded on June 6, 2023, in front of a sweaty, sold-out, standing-room-only crowd at the famous UK club, The Garage. Live In London is the guitar-driven live album Kingfish’s diehard fans around the world have been clamoring for since they first watched him perform as a teenager on YouTube.

Live In London is now available at all streaming and download services, and can be experienced in Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos at Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal and Qobuz. The album will be released as a 2-CD set and a 2-LP set on Friday, October 13. Both the CD and LP will include encore performances as bonus tracks. Exclusive versions of the physical products with official merchandise from the concert will be available for pre-order on the Kingfish website today, including his signature Fender Kingfish guitar.

Filmed at the concert, a video of the first single from Live In London, the previously unrecorded track Midnight Heat, premieres today, September 15, at 12:00PM Eastern time, on Kingfish's official YouTube Channel. 

"This album is a short lifetime in the making," says Kingfish. "I’ve long had an interest in recording a live album and I finally felt the timing was right. Not only do I have a deeper catalog of music to choose from, but I also have been extensively touring with my band, both of which truly made recording a live album seamless. Sprinkle in the opportunity to perform in a city I love, it’s all a no-brainer and something that makes me deeply proud."

Throughout the concert, Kingfish’s command over his instrument is awe-inspiring. He remains in the moment, at times raining down incendiary solos, other times picking poignant, blues-drenched licks, but always playing deeply from his heart. Along with his versatile, tight-knit band – bassist Paul Rogers, drummer Christopher Black and keyboardist Deshawn Alexander – he brings intensity and honesty to each song, moving the audience from hushed disbelief to spontaneous, extended ovations. Guitar World, describing a prior Kingfish live performance, declared, "Ingram sets the bar terrifyingly high, all but setting the fretboard ablaze with nimble but tasteful runs that impress while never losing sight of the song."

Soul-stirring and steeped in energy and excitement, Live In London finds the internationally recognized guitar prodigy and vocalist performing 17 songs, with tracks including material from both of his previous studio albums, 2019’s GRAMMY-nominated debut, Kingfish, and 2021’s GRAMMY-winning 662. Live In London also includes two potent, new original songs, Midnight Heat and Mississippi Night, as well as a blistering version of Michael "Iron Man" Burks’ Empty Promises. Singing with the deepest soul feeling and playing guitar with searing, organic intensity, Kingfish immediately draws fans in via his explosive set opener She Calls Me Kingfish. From the reworked, funk-inspired Hard Times to the tender tribute to his late mother, Rock & Roll, to the electric encore, Long Distance Woman (one of the two bonus tracks), Live In London takes the listener on an unforgettable, exhilarating ride.

In the four short years since the release of his self-titled debut album, Kingfish, Ingram has taken the music world by storm. From his hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi to stages around the globe, the young blues star has already headlined multiple U.S. and European tours, and amazed fans in Australia, New Zealand, and India. Selected in summer 2022 to open for The Rolling Stones in London’s Hyde Park, Kingfish has also performed and toured with friends including Vampire Weekend, Jason Isbell, Steve Miller and Buddy Guy, a mentor of his, with whom he appeared on Austin City Limits.

Major media has also continued to celebrate Kingfish’s story. In July 2021, NPR’s Morning Edition featured him in a seven-minute story broadcast to its 14 million listeners. In April 2022, Kingfish made his national television debut on CBS Saturday Morning, performing three songs as well as being featured in an in-depth interview segment. In July 2022, The Washington Post Magazine ran a 5000-word feature on the young musician, calling him "a generational talent." He’s appeared on magazine covers including Guitar World, Guitar Player, DownBeat, Living Blues and Blues Music Magazine.

Sparked by his non-stop touring, writing and recording schedule, Kingfish’s natural talent just keeps growing. With his jaw-dropping guitar playing and his reach-out-and-grab-you-by-the-collar vocals, he performs every song with unmatched passion and precision. With both Kingfish and 662, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram delivers contemporary blues music that speaks to his generation and beyond, bringing to bear the full healing and hopeful power of the blues.

Now, Live In London captures Kingfish’s lightning in a bottle. It's an onstage snapshot of the young singer, songwriter and guitarist creating musical magic in real time, leaving his listeners spellbound and always wanting more.

    

"In Ronnie Baker Brooks’ powerhouse hands, blues-rock never sounded so outrageous. Soul never sounded so delicious. And the blues never sounded so profound… one of today’s top live performers."
—Blues Music Magazine

"A monster guitarist with an ample supply of technique and passion."
—AllMusic

Alligator Records is pleased to announce the signing of blues powerhouse Ronnie Baker Brooks. Son of the late Alligator star, Lonnie Brooks, Ronnie is his own bluesman: a blistering guitarist, an innovative, boundary-pushing songwriter and an intensely soulful vocalist. As a live performer, his boundless energy and huge, crowd-pleasing personality keeps his fans on their feet. His label debut will hit in the first half of 2024.

According to Baker Brooks, "I grew up playing with my father, Lonnie Brooks -- witnessing and learning from the legends of the blues. I also watched as Bruce and the team at Alligator created a platform for blues artists. It inspired me to start my own label, Watchdog Records. Now, teaming up with Alligator feels like coming home. I'm excited to continue to create Chicago blues as part of my family legacy and our shared history."  

Alligator Records president and founder Bruce Iglauer is equally excited. "Anyone who has seen Ronnie Baker Brooks in live performance knows what a thrilling blues musician he is. He’s a fiery, world-class guitar player, a straight-from-the-shoulder singer and he writes memorable original songs. He brings the power and presence of his mentors—Luther Allison, Albert Collins and, most of all, his father, Lonnie Brooks—to the stage. Until now, Ronnie has self-released three excellent albums and had one larger-label album. I look forward to his Alligator debut capturing the fireball energy and soulfulness of his live shows in the studio."

Baker Brooks was born in 1967 in Chicago, first playing guitar with his famous father onstage at age nine. Having joined his father's band full time after graduating high school, Ronnie made his recording debut on Lonnie Brooks' Live From Chicago: Bayou Lightning Strikes album in 1988. In 1991, he hit the road as part of The Alligator Records 20th Anniversary Tour band, backing Lonnie, Elvin Bishop, and Katie Webster. He'd join them all, along with Koko Taylor and Lil' Ed Williams (and members of their bands) nightly for unforgettable blues jams. Ronnie performed with his father for 12 years, gaining valuable experience and sharing stages with such notables as Eric Clapton, B.B. King and Buddy Guy, among many others.

Baker Brooks formed his own label, Watchdog Records, in 1998 and released three solo albums over the next eight years: Golddigger in 1998, Take Me Witcha in 2001, and The Torch in 2006. His most recent album, 2017's Times Have Changed, was produced by drummer Steve Jordan (Rolling Stones, Robert Cray) and released on the Provogue label.

Since he was a teen, Ronnie Baker Brooks has toured the world, first with his dad and then leading his own band, and has earned his reputation as a white-hot live performer. He's considered one of the best artists on the blues scene, playing festivals and concert halls across the U.S. and throughout Europe.

Living Blues says, "Baker Brooks bristles with energy, inspiration and self-confident swagger." The Boston Herald calls him "ferocious and unrelenting." 

Album Originally Released In 1992 On CD Only

All Tracks Remastered Under The Supervision Of The Original Producer, Alligator Founder Bruce Iglauer

      

"Superb, original tinsel-sprinkled blues"  —Blues & Rhythm (UK)

"Entertaining and rollicking....a rare Christmas blues album."  —AllMusic.com

Alligator Records has set an October 6 street date for the timeless blues holiday classic, The Alligator Records Christmas Collection. The album, originally released on CD only in 1992, will be available on LP (red opaque vinyl) for the first time ever. The new LP has been remastered under the supervision of Alligator founder and president Bruce Iglauer. The original CD has sold over 90,000 copies.

The Alligator Records Christmas Collection features music recorded specifically for the album by 14 of the label's greatest artists. Songs include instant favorites by Koko Taylor, Lonnie Brooks, Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Kenny Neal, William Clarke, Little Charlie & The Nightcats, Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women, Katie Webster. Charles Brown, Charlie Musselwhite, Elvin Bishop, Son Seals and Tinsley Ellis.

THE ALLIGATOR RECORDS CHRISTMAS COLLECTION

Side 1
Koko Taylor - Merry, Merry Christmas
Kenny Neal - Christmas Time In The Country
Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials - I'm Your Santa
Katie Webster - Deck The Halls With Boogie Woogie
William Clarke - Please Let Me Be Your Santa Claus
Tinsley Ellis - Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin'
Charles Brown - Boogie Woogie Santa Claus

Side 2
Son Seals - Lonesome Christmas
Lonnie Brooks - Christmas On The Bayou
Little Charlie And The Nightcats - Santa Claus
Elvin Bishop - The Little Drummer Boy
Saffire—The Uppity Blues Women - One Parent Christmas
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown - Christmas
Charlie Musselwhite - Silent Night

   

"One of the most prodigious and gifted electric bluesmen on the planet...a deeply soulful singer and incendiary guitarist [with] a seemingly endless penchant for invention." —AllMusic

"Smoking songs and heavy hitting guitar full of fire and passion...Montoya’s rough-edged voice is filled with feeling. Bluesy, powerful and unpredictable...[It]really gets the blood flowing." —Blues Music Magazine

"Montoya is a show-stopper...heartfelt singing and merciless guitar with a wicked icy burn. He is one of the truly gifted blues artists of his generation." —Living Blues

On Monday, July 31, award-winning, internationally renowned blues-rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Coco Montoya will release I Was Wrong, the first single from his upcoming album, Writing On The Wall. This signature, career-defining performance of the soul-baring I Was Wrong is among the most powerful tracks Montoya has ever recorded. According to Coco, the song -- written by Coco's friend and occasional writing partner, Dave Steen -- is one he's had his eye on for awhile. "I've known about I Was Wrong for some time and am a big fan of Dave's songs whether I write with him or not," Montoya says. "When we started recording I Was Wrong and getting into it, I realized that I was channeling my Bluesbreaker days with John Mayall. I wasn't thinking of that when we started, but it just naturally evolved. It felt really good to record this song and approach it from that style."

Writing On The Wall will be released on September 1, and will initially be available on CD and at all digital sites, with the 140g translucent blue vinyl LP to follow on September 29. 

With Writing On The Wall, Montoya delivers what he is calling one of the best records he’s ever made. For the very first time on Alligator, he decided to bring his road-tested band—noted keyboardist and songwriter Jeff Paris (Keb’ Mo’, Bill Withers), bassist Nathan Brown, and drummer Rena Beavers—into the studio with him. Guests on the album include Lee Roy Parnell, who adds his well-seasoned slide guitar to the smoldering A Chip And A Chair, and Coco’s friend, guitarist Ronnie Baker Brooks (son of late Alligator star Lonnie Brooks), on the searing cover of Bobby Bland’s You Got Me (Where You Want Me) and on the droll Baby, You’re A Drag. Between the camaraderie of the long-time bandmates and the sheer talent of all involved, the results have Coco feeling, in his words, “over the moon." He continues, "I am so proud of this one. The band played so great, they ended up making me play even harder. They made me sound better than I am!” 

Produced by Grammy Award-winner Tony Braunagel (Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal) and co-produced by Jeff Paris, Writing On The Wall is a tour-de-force of memorable, hook-filled songs, sung with passion and fueled by Montoya's fiery guitar and the band's spot-on musicianship. The 13 tracks include five written or co-written by Montoya.

Now, with the dynamic Writing On The Wall and an overflowing tour schedule, Coco Montoya is excited to perform the new songs live with his burning-hot band. Montoya’s reputation as an incendiary live performer is well-earned, as he delivers the goods night after night. Vintage Guitar declares, “Coco keeps getting better and better. He plays with fire and passion rarely seen in this day and age.”

71st Annual DownBeat Critics Poll
Blues Artist Or Group Of The Year
Blues Album Of The Year - Done Come Too Far

"Singer Shemekia Copeland can belt with gusto. Her artistry has reached a new level …remarkable, substantive. Copeland’s work has expanded the audience for the blues."  —DownBeat

Legendary music publication DownBeat, in its August 2023 issue, announced the winners of the 71st Annual Critics Poll. The magazine honored Grammy-nominated blues, roots and soul singer Shemekia Copeland with two coveted DownBeat Critics Awards: Blues Artist Or Group Of The Year and Blues Album Of The Year (for her Grammy-nominated, Will Kimbrough-produced 2022 release, Done Come Too Far).

Copeland recently won the 2023 Blues Music Award for Best Instrumentalist -- Vocals, the 15th Blues Music Award of her career. She also just took home four Living Blues Awards, including Blues Artist Of The Year (Female) and Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year for Done Come Too Far, and won the A2IM Libera Award for Best Blues Album as well. UK tastemaker magazine MOJO named the album the 2022 #1 Blues Album Of The Year. The equally influential Americana music site No Depression included the release among the top ten best albums of the year. Done Come Too Far’s title track was the #2 most played track on SiriusXM's Bluesville channel, where Copeland continues to host her own daily radio program.  
 
Possessing one of the most instantly recognizable and deeply soulful roots music voices of our time, Copeland is beloved worldwide for the fearlessness, honesty and humor of her revelatory music, as well as for delivering each song she performs with unmatched passion. Copeland connects with her audience on an intensely personal level, taking them with her on what The Wall Street Journal calls “a consequential ride” of “bold and timely blues.” 

The full list of winners can be found here.

Alligator artists and their awards follow:

Song Written And Sung, Video Produced, Directed And Edited By
Harmonica Master Dennis Gruenling

      

"Gruenling is a contemporary harmonica master…impressive, genuine and fresh-sounding."
—Living Blues
 
"Gruenling’s harp, along with the Midwestern intensity of Moss’ blues guitar, is pure ecstasy."
—Vintage Guitar 

On Monday, July 24, Dennis Gruenling, harmonica wizard from the award-winning, Chicago-based blues group The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling, will premiere his new video for his original, harmonica-driven barn-burner, Man On The Move. The song, written and sung by Gruenling, is a featured track on the band's just-released new album, Get Your Back Into It!. Filmed, edited, directed and produced by Gruenling, the video follows the gifted Gruenling's grueling, gratifying life as a traveling bluesman.

Blues Music Magazine says the band "demonstrates their mastery of high-energy jump blues" on Man On The Move, which features Gruenling's "no-nonsense vocals and boisterous chromatic." According to Gruenling, being on the move is what makes it all worthwhile. "The idea for this song came from so many friends commenting on how I’m always so busy. And while it may look easy with all my animal print clothes and this fun group of guys, we’re always on the move to bring you our music. Won’t you join us as we celebrate our new release this year?" 

On the just-released Get Your Back Into It!, Chicago native, guitarist and vocalist Nick Moss and New Jersey born and bred harmonica player and vocalist Dennis Gruenling – together with Rodrigo Mantovani on bass, Taylor Streiff on keyboards and Pierce Downer on drums – deliver a deeply rooted, timeless blue collar blues album. According to Moss, “We are a rare breed as far as how authentic we like to keep the music." That's not a surprise to longtime fans, as Moss proudly represents the city of Chicago as one of the few bluesmen working today to have learned his craft firsthand directly from many of the genre’s original creators.

Get Your Back Into It! was produced by Moss and Mantovani and contains fourteen original songs -- twelve by Moss and two by Gruenling. Guests include saxophonist “Sax” Gordon Beadle and organist “Brother” John Kattke. The album is inspired by the electrifying blues sounds of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, and is performed with taste, restraint, sly humor and pure joy. In addition to the expertly crafted lyrics, the album features three wild instrumentals that simply dare you to stay seated.

Moss first made a name for himself playing bass for bluesman Jimmy “Fast Fingers” Dawkins. Dawkins encouraged Nick to unleash his fire and passion. From there, Moss was chosen by Willie “Big Eyes” Smith to join his Legendary Blues Band, but Smith insisted Moss switch to guitar. Blues icon Jimmy Rogers (whose best known songs include Walking By Myself and Ludella) hired Moss as his touring guitarist, mentoring him on the blues lifestyle along the way. Today, Moss’ blistering fretwork, impassioned, soul-charged vocals and memorable original songs place him in a league of his own.

Dennis Gruenling, Moss’ friend of over 20 years, is considered among today’s most innovative and creative blues harmonica players. His high-energy, full-throttle reed work has earned him comparisons to many of the greats, including the late James Cotton. A self-taught player and a natural entertainer with seven solo albums and numerous guest appearances to his credit, Gruenling’s giant, fat-toned harp work, raw-boned singing and untamed energy are a perfect foil for Moss’ inspired guitar playing and straight-from-the-shoulder blues vocals.

   

"An incendiary brew…fiery fretwork and wailing harmonica…soulful, playful and exuberant."
—Living Blues

"Superb…Nick Moss is one of the best existing purveyors of Chicago blues. Dennis Gruenling wails expertly on harp."
—Blues Music Magazine
 
"Foot-stomping, classic Chicago blues with clever lyrics and great harp. You won’t be disappointed."
—Blues & Rhythm (UK)

On Friday, July 14, award-winning, Chicago-based blues group The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling released their new album, Get Your Back Into It!. This is the third Alligator release from the 2020 Blues Music Award-winning Band Of The Year. Also on July 14, Moss unveiled the new mini-documentary, The Making Of Get Your Back Into It!. Filmed, edited and produced by Moss' daughter, Sadie, the video reveals all the secrets behind Moss' and Gruenling's songwriting process and the fun and exciting time spent recording.

On the just-released Get Your Back Into It!, Chicago native, guitarist and vocalist Nick Moss and New Jersey born and bred harmonica player and vocalist Dennis Gruenling – together with Rodrigo Mantovani on bass, Taylor Streiff on keyboards and Pierce Downer on drums – deliver a deeply rooted, timeless blue collar blues album. According to Moss, “We are a rare breed as far as how authentic we like to keep the music." That's not a surprise to longtime fans, as Moss proudly represents the city of Chicago as one of the few bluesmen working today to have learned his craft firsthand directly from many of the genre’s original creators.

No Depression says This Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling is "a  great band," and that Get Your Back Into It! "feels so authentic you keep thinking the original offerings [are] obscure cuts from legends like James Cotton, Little Walter, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, and the Wolf." 

Get Your Back Into It! was produced by Moss and Mantovani and contains fourteen original songs -- twelve by Moss and two by Gruenling. Guests include saxophonist “Sax” Gordon Beadle and organist “Brother” John Kattke. The album is inspired by the electrifying blues sounds of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, and is performed with taste, restraint, sly humor and pure joy. In addition to the expertly crafted lyrics, the album features three wild instrumentals that simply dare you to stay seated. “We're not reinventing the wheel," says Moss of the songs and performances on the new album, "but we like to push ourselves out of our comfort zone, and I feel like we accomplished that.”

Moss first made a name for himself playing bass for bluesman Jimmy “Fast Fingers” Dawkins. Dawkins encouraged Nick to unleash his fire and passion. From there, Moss was chosen by Willie “Big Eyes” Smith to join his Legendary Blues Band, but Smith insisted Moss switch to guitar. Blues icon Jimmy Rogers (whose best known songs include Walking By Myself and Ludella) hired Moss as his touring guitarist, mentoring him on the blues lifestyle along the way. Today, Moss’ blistering fretwork, impassioned, soul-charged vocals and memorable original songs place him in a league of his own.

Dennis Gruenling, Moss’ friend of over 20 years, is considered among today’s most innovative and creative blues harmonica players. His high-energy, full-throttle reed work has earned him comparisons to many of the greats, including the late James Cotton. A self-taught player and a natural entertainer with seven solo albums and numerous guest appearances to his credit, Gruenling’s giant, fat-toned harp work, raw-boned singing and untamed energy are a perfect foil for Moss’ inspired guitar playing and straight-from-the-shoulder blues vocals. Vintage Guitar says, “Gruenling’s harp, along with the Midwestern intensity of Moss’ blues guitar, is pure ecstasy.”

The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling's first two Alligator albums, 2018's The High Cost Of Low Living and 2019’s Lucky Guy!, hit blues fans, press and radio by storm. Moss, Gruenling and the band  received a total of five Blues Music Awards, with wins in 2020 for Band Of The Year, Song Of The Year (Lucky Guy) and Traditional Blues Album Of The Year (Lucky Guy!), and in 2019 for Traditional Blues Male Artist (Moss) and Instrumentalist—Harmonica (Gruenling). Blues Music Magazine says, “Nick Moss is a major force in contemporary blues. Dennis Gruenling plays soaring harp...infectious and finger-snappin’.” 

Living Blues magazine, in its new issue #285 (July/August), announced the winners of of the 30th Annual Living Blues Critics and Readers Awards. This year, five Alligator artists received a total of 10 awards: five Readers Awards and five Critics Awards.

Leading all artists with four wins is beloved blues and soul vocalist Shemekia Copeland. She received both the Readers and the Critics Award for Blues Artist Of The Year (Female), and also won the Readers Award for Most Outstanding Blues Singer. Copeland's 2022 Grammy-nominated release, Done Come Too Far, won the Critics Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album of 2022. Additionally, the album's producer, musician Will Kimbrough, won the Critics Award for Producer Of The Year.

Grammy Award-winning guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Christone "Kingfish" Ingram won the Readers Award for Blues Artist Of The Year (Male), and the Critics Award for Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar).

Blues icon Charlie Musselwhite won both the Readers and Critics Award for Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica).

Texas pianist/vocalist Marcia Ball won the Readers Award for Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboards). And Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith (drummer for The Cash Box Kings) won the Readers Award for Most Outstanding Musician (Drums).

The full list of winners can be found here.

Alligator artists and their awards follow:

CRITICS AWARD
Blues Artist Of The Year (Female)
Best Blues Album Of 2022:
New Recording/Contemporary Blues - Done Come Too Far

READERS AWARD
Blues Artist Of The Year (Female)
Most Outstanding Blues Singer

CRITICS AWARD
Blues Artist Of The Year (Male)

READERS AWARD
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)

CRITICS AWARD
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica) 

READERS AWARD
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica) 

READERS AWARD
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboards)

CRITICS AWARD
Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith - Most Outstanding Musician (Drums)

    

"One of the most prodigious and gifted electric bluesmen on the planet...a deeply soulful singer and incendiary guitarist [with] a seemingly endless penchant for invention."
—AllMusic 
 
"Smoking songs and heavy hitting guitar full of fire and passion...Montoya’s rough-edged voice is filled with feeling. Bluesy, powerful and unpredictable...[It]really gets the blood flowing."
—Blues Music Magazine 

"Montoya is a show-stopper...heartfelt singing and merciless guitar with a wicked icy burn. He is one of the truly gifted blues artists of his generation."
—Living Blues 

On Friday, September 1, award-winning, internationally renowned blues-rock guitarist, singer and songwriter Coco Montoya will release Writing On The Wall, his sixth album for Alligator Records and his first release in four years. The album will initially be available on CD and at all digital sites, with 140g translucent blue vinyl LP to follow on September 29.

In addition to the new album, Montoya today announced his coast-to-coast Writing On The Wall Tour, beginning September 21 in Salt Lake City and moving to Chicago, New York and Texas with many stops in between. See full list of tour dates below.

With Writing On The Wall, Montoya delivers what he is calling one of the best records he’s ever made. For the very first time on Alligator, he decided to bring his road-tested band—noted keyboardist and songwriter Jeff Paris (Keb’ Mo’, Bill Withers), bassist Nathan Brown, and drummer Rena Beavers—into the studio with him. Guests on the album include Lee Roy Parnell, who adds his well-seasoned slide guitar to the smoldering A Chip And A Chair, and Coco’s friend, guitarist Ronnie Baker Brooks (son of late Alligator star Lonnie Brooks), on the searing cover of Bobby Bland’s You Got Me (Where You Want Me) and on the droll Baby, You’re A Drag. Between the camaraderie of the long-time bandmates and the sheer talent of all involved, the results have Coco feeling, in his words, "over the moon." He continues, "I am so proud of this one. The band played so great, they ended up making me play even harder. They made me sound better than I am!” 

Produced by Grammy Award-winner Tony Braunagel (Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal) and co-produced by Jeff Paris, Writing On The Wall is a tour-de-force of memorable, hook-filled songs, sung with passion and fueled by Montoya's fiery guitar and the band's spot-on musicianship. The 13 tracks include five written or co-written by Montoya. The set opens with a signature, career-defining performance of the soul-baring I Was Wrong, written for Coco by songwriter Dave Steen. The song will be released as the first single from the album, along with a visualizer video, on Monday, July 31.

The self-taught, left-handed Montoya mastered his craft under blues master Albert Collins’ tutelage and friendship. Initially hired to be Collins' drummer, Montoya, at Collins' urging, became the band's second guitarist. A few years later, UK legend John Mayall chose Montoya to be his lead guitarist in the famous Blues Breakers. Montoya traveled the world, soaking up both musical and life lessons.

Montoya’s recorded debut as a bandleader came with 1995’s Gotta Mind To Travel (originally on Silvertone Records in England and later issued in the USA on Blind Pig Records). The album became an instant fan favorite and made it clear that Montoya ranked among the best players on the contemporary blues scene. Two more Blind Pig albums followed, and Coco, with his endlessly inventive guitar work and passionate, hard-hitting vocals, became one of the top draws on the blues circuit.

In 2000, Montoya’s Alligator debut, Suspicion, quickly became the best-selling album of his career, earning regular radio airplay on over 120 commercial stations nationwide. Montoya’s fan base exploded. After two more highly successful and massively popular Alligator releases—2002’s Can’t Look Back and 2007’s Dirty Deal—Montoya signed with Ruf Records, cutting both a live and a studio album. Returning to Alligator with 2017’s Hard Truth and 2019’s Coming In Hot, the guitar master continued to blaze his trail. "Montoya unleashes one career-topping performance after another," declared the UK’s Blues Matters.

Now, with the dynamic Writing On The Wall and a tour overflowing with dates, Coco Montoya is excited to perform the new songs live with his burning-hot band. Montoya’s reputation as an incendiary live performer is well-earned, as he delivers the goods night after night. Vintage Guitar declares, "Coco keeps getting better and better. He plays with fire and passion rarely seen in this day and age." 

Blues Blast magazine has announced the nominees for its 16th annual Blues Blast Music Awards. This year, thirteen Alligator artists received a total of 19 nominations. The Cash Box Kings and Rick Estrin & The Nightcats received four nominations including (for both) Blues Band Of The Year. Blues legend Charlie Musselwhite and multiple Grammy Award nominee Shemekia Copeland received three nominations.

Grammy Award-winning guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Chicago slide guitar legend Lil' Ed Williams, master West Coast guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Chris Cain, and Dennis Gruenling and Rodrigo Mantovani (of The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling) each received one nomination.

Voting, which is free and open to the public, begins July 1 at www.bluesblastmagazine.com and ends on August 18, 2023. See a full list of nominees here. Winners will be announced at a ceremony to be held on September 23, 2023 at the 3300 Event Center in Peoria, Illinois.

Alligator artists and their nominations follow:

Blues Band Of The Year:
The Cash Box Kings

Traditional Blues Album Of The Year:
Oscar's Motel

Vocalist Of The Year:
Oscar Wilson

Percussionist Of The Year:
Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith 


Blues Band Of The Year:
Rick Estrin & The Nightcats

Electric Guitarist Of The Year:
Christoffer "Kid" Andersen

Producer Of The Year:
Christoffer "Kid" Andersen

Percussionist Of The Year:
Derrick "D'Mar" Martin 


Acoustic Blues Album Of The Year:
Mississippi Son

Male Blues Artist Of The Year:
Charlie Musselwhite

Harmonica Player Of The Year:
Charlie Musselwhite 

Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year:
Done Come Too Far

Female Blues Artist Of The Year:
Shemekia Copeland

Vocalist Of The Year:
Shemekia Copeland 

Harmonica Player Of The Year:
Dennis Gruenling

Bass Guitarist Of The Year:
Rodrigo Mantovani 







Electric Guitarist Of The Year:
Christone "Kingfish" Ingram 


  

Slide Guitarist Of The Year:
Lil' Ed Williams  

  

Electric Guitarist Of The Year:
Chris Cain 

   

"An incendiary brew…fiery fretwork and wailing harmonica…soulful, playful and exuberant."
—Living Blues

"Superb…Nick Moss is one of the best existing purveyors of Chicago blues. Dennis Gruenling wails expertly on harp."
—Blues Music Magazine
 
"Foot-stomping, classic Chicago blues with clever lyrics and great harp. You won’t be disappointed."
—Blues & Rhythm (UK)

Today, Wednesday, June 14, award-winning traditional electric Chicago blues group The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling will premiere the first single, The Bait In The Snare, from their eagerly awaited third Alligator Records release, Get Your Back Into It!. The album will be available on July 14 on CD, red vinyl LP, and on all popular streaming and download services. The band has recently signed with the Blues Pros Talent booking agency with national and international tour plans in the works.

Speaking of his original song, The Bait In The Snare, Moss says, "Nowadays, when it seems like trolling people is sport, I decided to take a fun approach, and remind everybody not to fall for the bait!”

With Get Your Back Into It!, Chicago native, guitarist and vocalist Nick Moss and New Jersey born and bred harmonica player and vocalist Dennis Gruenling – together with Rodrigo Mantovani on bass, Taylor Streiff on keyboards and Pierce Downer on drums – deliver a deeply rooted, timeless blue collar blues album. According to Moss, “We are a rare breed as far as how authentic we like to keep the music." That's not a surprise to longtime fans, as Moss proudly represents the city of Chicago as one of the few bluesmen working today to have learned his craft firsthand directly from many of the genre’s original creators.

Get Your Back Into It! was produced by Moss and Mantovani and contains fourteen original songs -- twelve by Moss and two by Gruenling. Guests include saxophonist “Sax” Gordon Beadle and organist “Brother” John Kattke. The album is inspired by the electrifying blues sounds of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, and is performed with taste, restraint, sly humor and pure joy. In addition to the expertly crafted lyrics, the album features three wild instrumentals that simply dare you to stay seated. “We're not reinventing the wheel," says Moss of the songs and performances on the new album, "but we like to push ourselves out of our comfort zone, and I feel like we accomplished that.”

Moss first made a name for himself playing bass for bluesman Jimmy “Fast Fingers” Dawkins. Dawkins encouraged Nick to unleash his fire and passion. From there, Moss was chosen by Willie “Big Eyes” Smith to join his Legendary Blues Band, but Smith insisted Moss switch to guitar. Blues icon Jimmy Rogers (whose best known songs include Walking By Myself and Ludella) hired Moss as his touring guitarist, mentoring him on the blues lifestyle along the way. Today, Moss’ blistering fretwork, impassioned, soul-charged vocals and memorable original songs place him in a league of his own.

Dennis Gruenling, Moss’ friend of over 20 years, is considered among today’s most innovative and creative blues harmonica players. His high-energy, full-throttle reed work has earned him comparisons to many of the greats, including the late James Cotton. A self-taught player and a natural entertainer with seven solo albums and numerous guest appearances to his credit, Gruenling’s giant, fat-toned harp work, raw-boned singing and untamed energy are a perfect foil for Moss’ inspired guitar playing and straight-from-the-shoulder blues vocals. Vintage Guitar says, “Gruenling’s harp, along with the Midwestern intensity of Moss’ blues guitar, is pure ecstasy.”

The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling's first two Alligator albums, 2018's The High Cost Of Low Living and 2019’s Lucky Guy!, hit blues fans, press and radio by storm. Moss, Gruenling and the band  received a total of five Blues Music Awards, with wins in 2020 for Band Of The Year, Song Of The Year (Lucky Guy) and Traditional Blues Album Of The Year (Lucky Guy!), and in 2019 for Traditional Blues Male Artist (Moss) and Instrumentalist—Harmonica (Gruenling). Blues Music Magazine says, “Nick Moss is a major force in contemporary blues. Dennis Gruenling plays soaring harp...infectious and finger-snappin’.”

Lucky Guy! finished in the Top 10 on the Living Blues Radio Chart’s Top 50 Albums of 2019. Internationally, the album peaked on blues charts at #1 in Australia, #3 in France and #7 in the UK. Songs from Lucky Guy! were also prominently featured on BBC2 in Britain and CBC in Canada. The title track became one of the most played songs on SiriusXM’s Bluesville.

Now, with Get Your Back Into It! and upcoming North American and European tours in the works, The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling will bring their brash, exciting blues to old fans and new. Performing at clubs, concert halls and on festival stages across the country and around the world, the band ignites an irresistible, musical firestorm onstage. “When we get together, the music takes over,” says Moss. “We can’t hold back, and the energy just comes pouring out. We get carried away and the audience gets carried away with us.”