News

ALLIGATOR ARTISTS IN AUSTIN, TX,
AT SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST 2010

Alligator artists Guitar Shorty and Anders Osborne will perform in Austin, Texas during the South By Southwest Music Festival. Shorty's new CD, BARE KNUCKLE, was released on March 2, and is already being hailed as a highlight of his long career. Osborne will release his Alligator label debut, AMERICAN PATCHWORK, on April 27. Performance information is as follows:

Guitar Shorty:
Thursday, March 18
11:00pm
Valhalla, 710 Red River Street

Anders Osborne:
Wednesday, March 17
4:30pm
"Export NOLA Showcase"
Momo's, 618 West 6th Street

Thursday, March 18
12:00pm
"Only In Louisiana"
Brush Square Park, 409 E. 5th Street

ALLIGATOR RECORDS PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - MARCH 2, 2010
CONTACT: Marc Lipkin / Alligator Records / 773-973-7736 x235
EMAIL: publicity@allig.com
www.alligator.com

ALLIGATOR RECORDS SETS AN APRIL 13 STREET DATE FOR
JANIVA MAGNESS' THE DEVIL IS AN ANGEL TOO

Alligator Records has set an April 13 street date for The Devil Is An Angel Too, the new release from award-winning blues and R&B vocalist Janiva Magness. The CD is a hard-hitting collection of material that explores the depths of good and evil, with Magness' glorious, soul-baring vocals burning their way through twelve powerful songs. A charismatic performer known for her electrifying live shows, Magness received the coveted 2009 Blues Music Awards for B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year (she is only the second woman to ever win this award, Koko Taylor being the first) and for Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year, an honor she also received in 2006 and 2007. USA Today declared, "Magness is a blues star." In 2008, Magness performed in Iraq and Kuwait as a co-headliner of Bluzapalooza, the first-ever blues concert tour to perform for American troops in an active war zone.

Prior to her extraordinary 2008 Alligator Records debut, What Love Will Do, Magness released seven albums on various labels. The new CD, The Devil Is An Angel Too, co-produced by Magness and Dave Darling (Brian Setzer, Meredith Brooks, Dan Hicks), features Magness' dynamic voice wrapping around original material written especially for her, as well as songs from Julie Miller, Graham Parker, Nick Lowe, Joe Tex, Gladys Knight, Nina Simone, Ann Peebles and James Carr. Magness cuts to the heart of each song with fierce passion, making The Devil Is An Angel Too her most compelling release yet.

Although Magness is now a bona fide blues star, her rise to the top was far from easy. Born in Detroit, Magness was inspired by her father's blues and country record collection, and by the vibrant music of the city's classic Motown sound. By her teenage years, though, her life was in chaos. She lost both parents to suicide by the age of 16 and lived on the streets, bouncing from one foster home to another. At 17, she became a teenage mother who gave up her baby daughter for adoption. One night in Minneapolis, an underage Magness sneaked into a club to see blues great Otis Rush, and it was there that she found her calling. She began going to as many blues shows as possible, soaking up the sounds of her favorite artists, including Johnny Copeland and Albert Collins. She immersed herself in records by James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, and all the other R&B greats.

She moved to Los Angeles in 1986 and slowly began finding work there as a singer. She married musician and songwriter Jeff Turmes, with whom she recorded the album It Takes One To Know One. After three more releases, Janiva signed with Northern Blues in 2004, releasing two albums and increasing her national touring schedule. Blues Revue said, "Magness is a bold and potent artist with a powerful, soulful voice... impossible to forget."

Magness joined the Alligator family in 2008 and released her stunning label debut, What Love Will Do, to massive critical acclaim. The Chicago Sun-Times  raved, "Her songs run the gamut of emotions from sorrow to joy. A master of the lowdown blues who is equally at ease surrounded by funk or soul sounds, Magness invigorates every song with a brutal honesty." Fueled by all the positive press, National Public Radio's Weekend Edition profiled Magness, putting her in front of an audience of millions and expanding her ever-growing fan base.

In addition to her musical accomplishments, Magness is reaching out to help others. She is a National Spokesperson for Casey Family Programs (her fourth consecutive year), promoting National Foster Care Month. "Our fate doesn't have to be our destiny," she says. "I'm living proof of that. And I'm so very grateful."

Janiva Magness' deeply emotional music, sung with passion, conviction and soul, and her telepathic ability to connect with an audience, assure her place among the blues elite.  "We need real music now more than ever because it gives us strength to pull through tough times," says Magness. "We need it in a real bad way. Blues is a ray of hope. It articulates what's lacking in people's lives." With The Devil Is An Angel Too and her explosive live shows hitting cities across North America and Europe, Janiva Magness continues to spread her empowering message of hope through music.

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The one-hour special aired on March 2nd.  There will be additional encore broadcasts on March 5 at 1:00pm ET and March 7 at 3:00pm ET on XM/SIRIUS Channel 74.

For additional info see

http://www.xmradio.com/bbkingsbluesville.

ALLIGATOR RECORDS SIGNS ANDERS OSBORNE

AMERICAN PATCHWORK SCHEDULED FOR
APRIL 27, 2010 RELEASE

Alligator Records is proud to announce the signing of award-winning guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Anders Osborne. Osborne's Alligator Records debut album, American Patchwork, is a moving collection of soul-baring roots rock, blues and ballads. Many of the songs on American Patchwork deal with healing and redemption, spirituality and acceptance. Often compared to Townes Van Zandt, Bruce Springsteen and Van Morrison, Osborne is an exceptional and singular talent. Paste Magazine says, "Osborne has an impossibly great voice and the songs to match." American Patchwork will be released on April 27, 2010.

According to Alligator president Bruce Iglauer, Anders is a perfect fit for the label. "We at Alligator are very excited to have a visionary artist like Anders Osborne join our roster. Having traveled over much of the world and honed his music in New Orleans, Anders combines a deep feeling for many genres of American roots music with straight-from-the-heart, deeply soulful songwriting. His voice has the unvarnished emotional honesty that we love. As a guitarist, he's simply thrilling. He's one of America's finest roots music artists, and we're honored to have him on Alligator."

Anders Osborne is in full agreement, saying, "I am very pleased to be working with such a reputable and classic American label like Alligator Records. This record, American Patchwork, means a helluva lot to both me and the guys helping me get it done. I wouldn't hand it over to just anybody. I am proud to call Alligator Records my label."

Osborne and friend Stanton Moore (Galactic) produced the album, with co-production by Pepper Keenan (of Down). Each track is delivered with soul muscle and contains unforgettable melodies. The ten original songs on American Patchwork are among the strongest Osborne has ever written. With musical assistance from Moore on drums, Keenan on percussion and guitar, and Robert Walter on keyboards, American Patchwork is a bright new chapter in Anders Osborne's remarkable journey. According to Osborne, "This is the healing, the patching back together, of a man scattered to the wind, broken and in pieces. The rebuilding of my home, a city under water and in ruins, friends lost, my community in disarray, all carefully patched and made whole again by the power of my America, and its endless source of inspiration to me. This is my American patchwork."

Since 1995 Osborne has released a series of successful albums for major and independent labels to wide critical and popular acclaim. His music mixes blues, soul, funk and R&B into a signature sound and style. Osborne is as well-known and well-loved for his songwriting as for his blue-eyed soul vocals and jaw-dropping guitar playing. Two songs co-written by Osborne appear on blues great Keb Mo's Grammy-winning 1999 release, Slow Down. Osborne's compositions have been covered by artists as diverse as Brad Paisley, Tab Benoit, Jonny Lang and Kim Carnes. Country superstar Tim McGraw scored a #1 hit with Anders' song Watch The Wind Blow. His song What's Going On Here appeared in the 1996 feature film Fled. Most recently, Osborne, along with Ivan Neville, wrote and will perform the title track for the upcoming Kate Hudson film, Earthbound.

Osborne was born in Sweden in 1966. His father was a professional jazz musician and, at an early age, Anders began playing guitar and discovering the musical power of the blues and the lyrical depth of songwriters such as Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and Jackson Browne. At 16, he was traveling across Europe, North Africa, Asia and the Middle East, earning money by performing at every opportunity. His grandfather, a sailor, had often told him vivid stories of New Orleans, so when he arrived there in 1985, he felt right at home. He effortlessly incorporated the sounds of New Orleans into his own music, and the city quickly became a large part of his soul.

In April Osborne will play three times at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (and make many more area appearances during the festival period), followed by a six-week tour of the U.S. on a double bill with The Stanton Moore Trio. With a new label, a new recording, and a new appreciation of life itself, Anders Osborne is ready to move forward. As a youth he traveled the globe before settling in New Orleans. Now, as a proud American, he'll travel from New Orleans, bringing his powerful original songs and soulful, bluesy, rock-fueled music to destinations all over the world.

BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO'S LAY YOUR BURDEN DOWN
WINS GRAMMY AWARD!

Buckwheat Zydeco, the band USA Today called "zydeco trailblazers," won a Grammy Award for the 2009 release LAY YOUR BURDEN DOWN in the Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album category. The band has been nominated five previous times in three different categories. This is their first Grammy Award.

LAY YOUR BURDEN DOWN, the album OffBeat called "the band's most adventurous disc yet," was released on May 5. 2009. American musical icon and bandleader Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural, Jr. has been leading the band for 30 years. "I'm thrilled the album won the Grammy," says Dural. "We really appreciate it. Thanks to all of our fans who have been so supportive over the years. Now come out and see us next time we're in your town."

Buckwheat Zydeco recorded LAY YOUR BURDEN DOWN at Dockside Studios in Maurice, Louisiana in January and February 2009 with Steve Berlin (Los Lobos) producing as well as leading the horn section. Guest stars including Louisiana slide guitar wizard Sonny Landreth, Gov't Mule and Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes and Alligator label mate JJ Grey (on their own compositions) and New Orleans phenomenon Trombone Shorty lent their formidable talents. The album boasts five new Buckwheat originals and complete reinventions of songs by Memphis Minnie (When The Levee Breaks, made famous by Led Zeppelin), Bruce Springsteen (Back In Your Arms), Gov't Mule (Lay Your Burden Down), Captain Beefheart (Too Much Time), Jimmy Cliff (Let Your Yeah Be Yeah) and JJ Grey & Mofro (The Wrong Side).

LAY YOUR BURDEN DOWN has received some of the best reviews of 2009 for a roots/blues album. Living Blues says, "Buckwheat Zydeco returns with a new release on famed Chicago blues label Alligator Records, and the results are stunning." Blues Revue continues, saying the album "is as steeped in blues as in the joyous Louisiana soul at the heart of this outstanding, wonderfully diverse set." Chris Morris, writing in Sonicboomers.com, which named LAY YOUR BURDEN DOWN an "Album Of The Week," called it "a vastly entertaining and appealingly diverse package."

Scott Simon, on National Public Radio's Weekend Edition Saturday - in a nearly 10 minute feature airing shortly after the album's release - brought Buckwheat Zydeco's music to millions of listeners across the country. Simon called leader Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural, Jr., "the go-to guy for zydeco music...a master of accordion and organ," and praised the new CD's scope from "feel good, get-up-and-dance music to slow R&B grooves and brooding blues." Simon's far ranging discussion with Dural was heard by more than five million listeners worldwide, helping to start the 30th anniversary celebration.

The album remained on the Billboard Blues Chart for weeks, and has landed in rotation on top tastemaker radio stations nationwide including WXPN in Philadelphia, WTEP in Pittsburgh, WYMS in Milwaukee, WFDU in Teaneck, NJ, KRSH in Santa Rosa, CA, KUT in Austin, TX, with new music airplay from WXRT in Chicago and WFUV in New York City, among many others.

As Living Blues says, "The entire work is a vibrant testament to Buckwheat Zydeco's spirit, reminding us that Louisiana's musical heritage has taken all the hurricanes could give. This is an album that can introduce a new generation of music fans to the world of zydeco music and serve as a wonderful reminder about what a great zydeco band can do."

MORE PRESS QUOTES:

"A zydeco trailblazer with a soulful bayou-steeped set of originals and covers."
--USA TODAY

"The results are stunning. The entire work is a vibrant testament to Buckwheat Zydeco's spirit, reminding us that Louisiana's musical heritage has taken all the hurricanes could give. This is an album that can introduce a new generation of music fans to the world of zydeco music and serve as a wonderful reminder about what a great zydeco band can do."
--LIVING BLUES

"Lay Your Burden Down ends up being Dural's most accomplished and mature album yet, moving from start to finish like everything belongs together. Nothing misses its mark, and several tracks do so much more than that. He has given us something else again, an album that works both at the dance party and still rings clear the next day when maybe it's time to dig deeper and do a little thinking. It's the best kind of musical synthesis."
--ALLMUSIC.COM

"On this sucker he nails it firm and deep.The opener When The Levee Breaks, the Memphis Minnie/Kansas Joe McCoy classic known to rock fans from Led Zep's version, signals that something magical is happening here with its Louisiana-style Southern rock fury. With the able assistance of Steve Berlin as producer, the singer and accordionist creates a potent brand of greater Gulf music. By the time this delicious disc cools down on the closing grace note instrumental waltz of Finding My Way Back Home, you know you're in the presence of bayou music greatness."
--BLURT

"Ace accordionist Buckwheat Zydeco (Stanley Dural, Jr.) celebrates his 30th anniversary in the business with the hands-down best album he's ever waxed, moving away from straight zydeco and into a vital, ultra-soulful zone of his ownIs this the R&B-based zydeco with which Dural made his bones? No. It's something deeper and better."
--THE BOSTON HERALD

"Producer Steve Berlin captures Dural's natural bayou bounce but lets him wander into other territory while keeping one foot firmly in zydeco. But Dural's sound is as steeped in blues as in the joyous Louisiana soul at the heart of this outstanding, wonderfully diverse set."
--BLUES REVUE

"You can't attack a levee with a guitar, but Buckwheat Zydeco and Sonny Landreth seem to try on When the Levee Breaks. It's a startling and potent opening to an album that goes on to subvert all expectations.There's almost too much life on this near-bursting release, proving that thirty years into the music game, Buckwheat Zydeco is still brimming with ideas."
--RHAPSODY.COM

"Buckwheat Zydeco is a bona-fide roots music legend, and Lay Your Burden Down proves that the old dog still has a few tricks up his sleeve. Although long-time fans will revel in zydeco's playful accordion-bashing and friendly vocals, Lay Your Burden Down is more than just another Fat Tuesday soundtrack album. Featuring a number of great vocal performances on a wide range of challenging rock, blues, and soul material, zydeco exceeds expectations and, after thirty years in the trenches, shows that he can still surprise and educate his audience as well as entertaining them." (Four stars)
--ABOUT.COM

"Buckwheat Zydeco has been carrying the torch for his eponymous music for more than three decades. He is a fine accordionist, but there's always been more to his sound. He is a gutsy pianist and organist who earned his stripes in a funk/soul band, and the functions brilliantly outside the confines of zydeco... Alligator Records evidently thought that regrouping Dural and his former producer might ignite some lively music, and Berlin was brought in to supervise Lay Your Burden Down, Buckwheat Zydeco's label debut. The notion has paid off with a vastly entertaining and appealingly diverse package."
--SONICBOOMERS.COM

"Buck's most adventurous disc yet...Buck jams and slices a fat groove...slow-grinding and hypnotic."
--OFFBEAT

"Buckwheat Zydeco shines on accordion and vocals, and his tight band is superbly captured by producer Steve Berlin of Los Lobos. Stanley 'Buckwheat' Dural, Jr.'s in terrific form on Lay Your Burden Down."
--THE DETROIT FREE PRESS

"Great New Orleans stylings, but it's also got a lot of heart and mind behind it. Dural has put together a collection of thoughtful, wide-ranging songs...that come up pulsating with the Buckwheat spirit."
--THE PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE

"An album of highlights...a great party."
--POPMATTERS.COM

ALLIGATOR PREPARES NEW CDS FROM THE HOLMES BROTHERS AND GUITAR SHORTY

Alligator Records has set a March 2, 2010 street date for new releases from American roots masters The Holmes Brothers and legendary blues-rock guitarist/vocalist Guitar Shorty. The Holmes Brothers' Feed My Soul, produced by platinum-selling artist (and longtime friend) Joan Osborne, is a joyous and moving blend of blues, gospel, soul, R&B, rock 'n' roll and country. Their amazing, signature three-part harmony singing, mixing Wendell Holmes gruff and gravelly vocals with Popsy Dixon's soaring falsetto and Sherman Holmes' rich baritone brings the soul and spirit of gospel music into everything they perform. Guitar Shorty's Bare Knuckle, produced by famed songwriter and bassist Wyzard (a member of Mother's Finest who has toured with Stevie Nicks and others) burns with heavy blues-rock fire from start to finish, putting Shorty's infectious energy and guitar pyrotechnics on full display.

Over the course of their 30-plus year career, The Holmes Brothers have been feeding the souls of their devoted and ever-growing fan base. Sherman's bass playing and Popsy's drumming perfectly complement Wendell's blues-soaked guitar solos and church-inspired piano playing. The band easily blends Saturday night's roadhouse rock with the gospel fervor and harmonies of Sunday morning's church service.

From winning multiple Blues Music Awards to sharing stages and recordings with Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith, Willie Nelson, Lou Reed, Peter Gabriel, Merle Haggard, Keith Richards, Al Green, Ben Harper, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Levon Helm, Rosanne Cash, Odetta, and The Jungle Brothers, The Holmes Brothers have seemingly done it all. Recently though, The Holmes Brothers confronted a stark reality when brother Wendell was diagnosed with cancer in 2008. Tight-knit on and off the stage, they found strength in their family, friendship and faith to overcome this setback.

With Wendell's victory over the disease, the group emerged fully energized and inspired to create the deepest, most original, most satisfying album of their career. Feed My Soul is an album born from this harrowing experience. The songs deal with friendship, loyalty, family, aging, illness, as well as politics and the current state of the world, while still maintaining the patented Holmes Brothers sense of humor.

With their deeply soulful singing, uplifting harmonies and unsurpassed musicianship, The Holmes Brothers continue to grow as artists. Billboard declares, "It seems like The Holmes Brothers get more assured and exciting with each passing year. They remain a musical force unto themselves." 

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Legendary guitarist/vocalist Guitar Shorty is a giant in the blues world. Credited with influencing both Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy, Guitar Shorty has been electrifying audiences for five decades with his supercharged live shows and his incendiary recordings. Like a bare knuckled boxer, Shorty strikes with his blistering, physical guitar playing and his fierce vocals, connecting directly with body and soul.

What really sets Shorty apart is his absolutely unpredictable, off-the-wall guitar playing. He reaches for sounds, riffs and licks that other blues players wouldn't even think of. Amazon.com says his guitar work "sounds like a caged tiger before feeding time. His molten guitar pours his psychedelicized solos like lava over anything in his path." The Chicago Reader declares, "Guitar Shorty is a battle-scarred hard-ass. He slices off his phrases and notes with homicidal fury. He is among the highest-energy blues entertainers on the scene."

Through the years, Shorty has performed with blues and R&B luminaries like Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, B.B. King, Guitar Slim and T-Bone Walker. He started playing with these legends while still in his teens and recorded a handful of singles for a variety of labels and an obscure LP during the first 30 years of his career. After decades of paying his dues (like so many unheralded American bluesmen), it took a tour of England to establish Shorty's fame in his home country. His recordings since then all received massive critical acclaim, and his renowned live performances have kept him constantly in demand all over the world. His 2004 Alligator Records debut, Watch Your Back, became his best-received, best-selling album to date. His 2006 follow-up, We The People, won the coveted Blues Music Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year.

With his new CD, Bare Knuckle, Guitar Shorty has created an album that is as memorable for its defiant vocals and contemporary, socially conscious lyrics as it is for his trademark menacing, slashing guitar work and hard-rocking spirit.

In a major feature in Texas Music Magazine, writer John Morthland summed things up perfectly, saying, "Axebuster extraordinaire Guitar Shorty is an old-school guitar showman. He plays with technique and flash, without ever sacrificing the passion. He's a blues-rock hero." Now, with Bare Knuckle, Guitar Shorty proves again that he is one of today's true, undisputed heavyweight champions of the blues.

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In international news, Castro has been nominated for a 2009 Maple Blues Award in the Best International Artist category. Winners will be announced in a ceremony to be held in Toronto on January 18, 2010.

The Maple Blues Awards are Canada’s national blues awards program. Their goal is to promote blues music across Canada, and to recognize outstanding achievement in the field.

The nominees are selected by a distinguished panel of blues DJs and journalists from across Canada. Members of the Nominating Panel are not eligible for any of the awards.

The winners are selected by the votes of blues fans from across Canada.