News


NEW RELEASES FROM THE HOLMES BROTHERS AND KENNY NEAL & BILLY BRANCH SET FOR RELEASE
11/20/2003
Alligator Records has set a January 13, 2004 release date for SIMPLE TRUTHS, the second Alligator release from the Holmes Brothers and DOUBLE TAKE, an intimate acoustic album from guitarist/vocalist Kenny Neal and harmonica master/vocalist Billy Branch.

NEW RELEASES FROM THE HOLMES BROTHERS AND KENNY NEAL & BILLY BRANCH SET FOR RELEASE

SIMPLE TRUTHS features 13 striking songs reflecting The Holmes Brothers’ wide-ranging musical palette. The CD brings the group back into the secular world (after their spiritually-driven Alligator debut, the Joan Osborne-produced SPEAKING IN TONGUES) while still holding tight to their rich gospel harmonies and rough-edged vocals. Produced by Grammy winner Craig Street (Norah Jones), SIMPLE TRUTHS features an amazing collection of songs written by some of the greatest songwriters of the last 60 years, including Townes Van Zandt (If I Needed You), Bob Marley (Concrete Jungle), Gillian Welch (Everything Is Free), Willie Nelson (Opportunity To Cry) and Hank Williams (I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry) as well as soulful reinventions of Collective Soul’s Shine and Bruce Channel’s Hey Baby. The Holmes Brothers’ spirited original material (Run Myself Out Of Town; We Meet, We Part, We Remember; You Won’t Be Livin’ Here Anymore; and I’m So Lonely) fits perfectly alongside the rest of the songs on this transcendent, boundary-defying release. Already, the All Music Guide said, “Music like this deserves to be played from every open window. This is the first great record of 2004.”

DOUBLE TAKE is the first recorded collaboration between Kenny Neal and Billy Branch – and the first acoustic album for both. The CD blends deep blues tradition with a contemporary, pulsating edge, with Neal and Branch delivering a foot-stomping and uplifting celebration of blues tradition. From St. Louis Jimmy’s Goin’ Down Slow to the Little Walter gems My Babe (written by Willie Dixon) and I Just Keep Loving Her to Sonny Boy Williamson’s Don’t Start Me Talking to the originals Billy and Kenny’s Stomp and Northern Man Blues, the two trade vocals in a relaxed and warm meeting of styles, riffs, whoops and hollers.

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HOLMES BROTHERS ON NEW PETER GABRIEL SINGLE
11/20/2003
The Holmes Brothers contributes backing vocals on a newly released Peter Gabriel track, “Burn You Up, Burn You Down,” which appears on the Peter Gabriel compilation album, “Hit,” on Geffen Records. The track has been released as a single in Europe, and also appears in a new MYST video game, a best-selling video game franchise with sales topping 12 million. Released in November of 2003, the track was actually recorded in 1991.

HOLMES BROTHERS ON NEW PETER GABRIEL SINGLE

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SHEMEKIA COPELAND APPEARS ON PUBLIC RADIO INTERNATIONAL’S “WHAD’YA KNOW?”
11/20/2003
Blues superstar Shemekia Copleland and her band appeared live on the Public Radio International program “Whad’ya Know” on Saturday, November 29. They performed the new Christmas classic, “Stay A Little Longer, Santa,” from the just-released Alligator cd, GENUINE HOUSEROCKIN’ CHRISTMAS. “Whad’ya Know” is syndicated to 319 stations nationwide and broadcast live from Madison, Wisconsin starting at 10:00am Central Time. The show reaches an audience of 1.3 million people.

KOKO TAYLOR TO APPEAR ON THE PBS TELEVISION CHILDREN’S PROGRAM “ARTHUR”
11/20/2003
Queen of the Blues Koko Taylor will appear on the PBS Television children’s series “Arthur” on most PBS stations on Friday, December 26. In the episode, entitled “Big Horns George,” Taylor (animated as a bear), helps the character George find the confidence to play and sing the blues. According to Taylor, “Children are tomorrow’s generation and I’m doing the show for them. This is a wonderful opportunity to educate children about the blues.” Please check local listings for airdate and time in your area.

MARCIA BALL APPEARS ON NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO’S “DAY TO DAY” AND “A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION”
9/25/2003
Pianist/vocalist/songwriter Marcia Ball appeared on the NPR program “Day To Day” on Monday, September 29. She discussed the PBS television series, “The Blues,” and displayed various piano blues styles and vocal techniques. The program is carried on 78 stations around the country.

PBS TELEVISION SERIES, “THE BLUES” AND PUBLIC RADIO INTERNATIONAL 13-PART BLUES RADIO SERIES SCHEDULED TO BEGIN RUNNING SEPTEMBER 28
9/25/2003
The seven-part television film series (from executive producer Martin Scorsese), “The Blues,” is scheduled to begin running on Sunday, September 28, 2003 on PBS stations nationwide. Four Alligator artists are featured in the films: Koko Taylor and Lonnie Brooks (“Godfathers and Sons” directed by Marc Levin), Shemekia Copeland (“The Soul Of A Man” directed by Wim Wenders) and Marcia Ball (“Piano Blues” directed by Clint Eastwood).

Tary Owens 1943 - 2003
9/23/2003
Tary Owens, famed producer/songwriter/performer, died Sunday, September 21, 2003 in Houston, Texas. He was 60. Owens co-produced all of Texas bluesman Long John Hunter’s Alligator CDs: “Border Town Legend,” “Swinging From The Rafters,” “Ride With Me” and the Hunter, Lonnie Brooks, Phillip Walker collaboration “Lone Star Shootout.” Owens, one-time owner of Austin-based Catfish Records, is often credited with being a key player in the birth of the Austin blues scene.

Tary Owens 1943 - 2003

Owens was born in Illinois and raised in Port Arthur, Texas, where he was a classmate and friend of Janis Joplin. All through his life, Owens championed forgotten or unsung Texas bluesmen. He collected field recordings of blues, hillbilly music, old-time fiddlers, work songs, toasts and prison songs from across Texas. These recordings are considered an invaluable part of Texas’ musical heritage, and are included in the permanent collection at the University of Texas’ Center for American History.

In 1986, Owens sought out 1920s-era barrelhouse piano legend Roosevelt Williams - the Grey Ghost - and revived his career. Williams, inspired by Owens' encouragement, put out a well-received solo album, “Grey Ghost,” on the Spindletop label in 1992 and found a new generation of fans.

Owens and his partner Jon Foose revived the career of East Austin blues players T.D. Bell and Erbie Bowser, and brought attention to East Texas blues musicians such as Frank Robinson and Long John Hunter.

During the last several years, he began writing and recording music of his own with a band called the Texas Redemptors and released a solo album, "Milagros."

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SHEMEKIA COPELAND WINS LIVING BLUES READER AWARD; APPEARS ON FRONT OF NEW YORK TIMES ARTS & LEISURE SECTION
9/22/2003
Singing sensation Shemekia Copeland received the 2003 Living Blues Reader Award for “Best Blues Singer – Female” as published in issue #169 (dated Sept/Oct 2003). This is her second time winning this coveted award. In May 2003, she won three W.C. Handy Blues Awards including “Blues Album Of The Year” for her most recent CD, “Talking To Strangers.”

Marcia Ball on Acoustic Cafe
8/13/2003
Marcia Ball will be the featured artist on the nationally syndicated radio program, Acoustic Cafe. The show will begin airing on affiliate stations starting August 18th. Join Macia and her band as they work through acoustic versions of songs from her latest Alligator release, So Many Rivers.

ALLIGATOR SET TO RELEASE GENUINE HOUSEROCKIN' CHRISTMAS!
7/30/2003
Alligator Records has set an August 26 release date for GENUINE HOUSEROCKIN' CHRISTMAS. The CD showcases 16 songs (including 14 written specifically for this release) from 16 of the label's best-selling artists celebrating the holiday season with over an hour's worth of brand new recordings. Recorded at studios all over the country, the disc features an infectious blast of holiday cheer from the biggest names in blues and roots music, including Koko Taylor's explosive opener "Have You Heard The News?," Shemekia Copeland's new classic, the jazzy Christmas come-on "Stay A Little Longer, Santa," Little Charlie And The Nightcats' satirical "It's Christmas Time Again (Spend, Spend, Spend)," and Marcia Ball's Cajun-flavored "Christmas Fais Do Do."

ALLIGATOR SET TO RELEASE GENUINE HOUSEROCKIN' CHRISTMAS!

Full track listing is as follows:
KOKO TAYLOR - Have You Heard The News?
CAREY BELL - Christmas Train
MICHAEL BURKS - Christmas Snow
LIL' ED AND THE BLUES IMPERIALS - Christmas Time
SHEMEKIA COPELAND - Stay A Little Longer, Santa
THE HOLMES BROTHERS - Back Door Santa
W.C. CLARK - Christmas Party
C.J. CHENIER - Zydeco Christmas
CEPHAS & WIGGINS - Christmas Day Blues
MARCIA BALL - Christmas Fais Do Do
ROOMFUL OF BLUES - Santa Claus, Do You Ever Get The Blues?
SAFFIRE - THE UPPITY BLUES WOMEN - Really Been Good This Year
LONNIE BROOKS - All I Want For Christmas
COCO MONTOYA - A Blues Man's Christmas
LITTLE CHARLIE AND THE NIGHTCATS - Christmas Time Again (Spend, Spend, Spend)
DAVE HOLE - Fattening Up The Turkey
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Roomful of Blues Live in Detroit on 7/31
7/29/2003
Roomful of Blues will be performing live tracks from their new Alligator release, That's Right, on Thursday, August 31st at 1:30 PM EST on WDET-FM in Detroit. Join Roomful and WDET host, Martin Bandyke, for this exclusive live performance and interview.

FOUR ALLIGATOR ARTISTS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE UPCOMING PBS SERIES, THE BLUES!
7/29/2003
As part of the continuing celebration of the Congressionally-declared "Year Of The Blues," Koko Taylor, Lonnie Brooks, Marcia Ball and Shemekia Copeland will all be included in the upcoming Martin Scorsese-produced PBS series, "The Blues." The seven-part series premieres nationally on September 28 and includes films by Martin Scorsese, Wim Wenders, Richard Pearce, Charles Burnett, Marc Levin, Mike Figgis, and Clint Eastwood. In addition, a 13-part radio program, airing on Public Radio International, will begin on September 27 and will feature a number of Alligator artists including Elvin Bishop, Marcia Ball, Shemekia Copeland, Koko Taylor, Cephas & Wiggins, as well as Alligator president Bruce Iglauer. Both Taylor and Copeland recorded new songs specifically for the program.

FOUR ALLIGATOR ARTISTS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE UPCOMING PBS SERIES, THE BLUES!

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