LP FOLLOWS 2014 GRAMMY NOMINATION, TWO 2014 BLUES MUSIC AWARD WINS FOR FRONTMAN SUGAR RAY NORCIA
SUGAR RAY & THE BLUETONES MIDWEST TOUR KICKS OFF JULY 15
Sugar Ray & The Bluetones – the storied blues ensemble which has
backed Otis Rush, Jimmy Rogers, Joe Turner, Roosevelt Sykes, Big Walter
Horton, Big Mama Thornton, and JB Hutto – marks its 35th anniversary and
sixth album for Severn Records with the August 19
release ‘Living Tear To Tear.’ The hard-swinging band fully absorbed
the lessons learned from those Chicago blues masters, making it one of
New England’s most beloved blues institutions. The Boston Phoenix said
of its frontman, "A fixture on the national blues scene[, Sugar Ray]
Norcia's elegant, emotive voice is his calling card [alongside his]
rich, melodic harmonica blowing."
Sugar Ray & The Bluetones have an incredible history, from early
tours with Big Walter Horton; collaborations with Ronnie Earl; backing
legendary artists in Cambridge and on tour; being invited for a
residency at Chicago’s legendary south side juke joint Theresa’s,
musical home of Junior Wells (though they had to decline due to other
commitments); and earning five Blues Music Awards nominations for their
last album ‘Evening’ including Band of the Year and Album of the Year.
‘Living Tear To Tear’ promises to be even bigger, coming on the heels of
an eventful year that saw the blues world take notice of Sugar Ray
& The Bluetones. Norcia was nominated for a GRAMMY and won two Blues
Music Awards for his singing and harmonica on the album ‘Remembering
Little Walter,’ his third nomination.
Tightly-knit after decades of performances together, Sugar Ray & The
Bluetones feature four strong songwriters who penned ten of the album’s
twelve tracks: Norcia, guitarist Monster Mike Welch, bassist Mudcat
Ward, and pianist Anthony Geraci. ‘Living Tear To Tear’ delivers a
breath-of-fresh-air set including the hard-driving roadhouse music of
“Rat Trap,” the gritty, South Side-style “Things Could Be Worse,” the
taste of Memphis on “Short Ribs,” the stinging slow blues of “Misery,”
Louisiana swamp pop on “Our Story,” the expertly done Sonny Boy
Williamson II cover “99,” and the tongue-in-cheek, jazzy “Hungry But
Happy.”
Kim Wilson said, “Sugar Ray is the real deal.” Norcia fronted Roomful of
Blues for the better part of the ’90s. Along with Ward and Geraci, he
earned a GRAMMY nomination for ‘Superharps,’ which put his musicianship
alongside that of Charlie Musselwhite, Billy Branch, and James Cotton.
‘Living Tear To Tear’ marks his 17th album as a leader. All Music Guide
raved, “Aside from his stellar harp work, Norcia is an excellent singer,
and at his best, brings a touch of country and jazz to the blues.” For
The Boston Globe, Steve Morse wrote, “Sugar Ray’s voice combines the
roadhouse grit of Muddy Waters with a lonesome desperation all his own.
Sugar Ray gets so down and out that he makes your skin crawl. He has an
ability to convey pain as few bluesmen of his generation can.”
Mudcat Ward has been heard on over fifty albums, including Hubert
Sumlin’s GRAMMY-nominated ‘About Them Shoes,’ which also featured Keith
Richards and Levon Helm. He's contributed both acoustic and Fender bass
in live performance with Jr. Wells, Buddy Guy, Memphis Slim, James
Cotton, Lowell Fulson, Otis Rush, Big Mama Thornton, and many more.
The band’s junior member, Monster Mike Welch began his recording career
as a blues guitarist at thirteen years of age and has seen the depth of
feeling in his playing grow exponentially over the ensuing two decades
as he’s played with individual members of the Bluetones. He has joined
the likes of Junior Wells, Johnny Copeland, Joe Walsh, Susan Tedeschi,
James Cotton, and Johnny Winter on stage and is featured prominently on
last year’s ‘Independently Blue’ with Duke Robillard.
Anthony Geraci is one of the finest blues pianists working today, having
graced performances with B.B. King, Otis Rush, and Chuck Berry, and
played at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Drummer Neil Gouvin’s many credits
include albums by Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters, John Hammond,
Jr., and Luther Allison.
Sugar Ray & The Bluetones Summer Tour Dates:
July 12 – Ottawa, Canada – Ottawa Blues Festival
July 13 – Toronto, Canada – Waterfront Festival
July 15 - St Louis, MO - BB's Jazz Blues & Soups
July 16 - Okoboji, Iowa - Pearson Lakes Art Center
July 17 - Decatur, IL - Summer Blues in Central Park
July 18 - Chicago, IL - Buddy Guy’s Legends
July 19 – Pittsburgh, PA Thunderbird Cafe
July 26 - Boston, MA - Save The Harbor Boston Boat Cruise
July 30 - Westerly, RI - Blues On The Beach
August 9 – Gloucester, MA - Gloucester Blues Festival, Fort Stage Park
August 24 – Marshfield, MA – Marshfield Fair
No comments:
Post a Comment