CREAM OF MEMPHIS CROP HARKENS BACK TO BEALE STREET’S HEYDAY WITH ‘THE LOVE LIGHT ORCHESTRA’ ALBUM, PRODUCED BY MATT ROSS-SPANG (JASON ISBELL, MARGO PRICE, DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS), OUT NOVEMBER 17 ON BLUE BARREL RECORDS

2X BLUES MUSIC AWARD WINNER & “MAGNIFICENT VOICE” (NO DEPRESSION) JOHN NEMETH FRONTS 10-PIECE BAND ALONGSIDE MEMBERS OF THE BO-KEYS

1ST SINGLE “LOVE & HAPPINESS” RECASTS AL GREEN HIT AS EARLY RHYTHM & BLUES

MEMPHIS PRE-RELEASE SHOW OCT 12 AT LEVITT SHELL

Fans of Pokey LaFarge, the California Honeydrops, the Dustbowl Revival, and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats will delight in the debut album by The Love Light Orchestra, a group of the best Memphis has to offer. The self-titled debut album was recorded live in concert to a full house at Bar DKDC in their hometown by Matt Ross-Spang, who produced Margo Price’s breakout album ‘Midwest Farmer’s Daughter’ and whose other credits include Jason Isbell, Brent Cobb, The Drive-By Truckers, and Corb Lund. It comes out November 17 on Blue Barrel Records.

Two-time Blues Music Award winner John Nemeth fronts The Love Light Orchestra. Esquire said, “There aren't many true soul men left in the world, but John Nemeth is one of 'em.” No Depression raved about his “magnificent voice.”

Meanwhile, band arranger, co-founder, and trumpet man Marc Franklin has previously lent his talents to recordings by Robert Cray, Melissa Etheridge, Jim Lauderdale, and Solomon Burke and toured with Bobby “Blue” Bland, a chief inspiration to the Orchestra. Franklin and guitarist Joe Restivo are also members of the “funky” (Wall Street Journal) and “fiery” (LA Times) “masters of the Memphis sound” (NPR) The Bo-Keys.

Bland and his longtime arranger Joe Scott are a chief inspiration behind the formation of the band, which seeks to distill the sounds of the ‘40s and ‘50s rhythm & blues and blues and was named for Bland’s 1961 hit “Turn On Your Love Light.” Saxophonist Art Edmaiston and drummer Earl Lowe also did stints touring with Bland. Additionaly, The Love Light Orchestra draws from the horn-driven Memphis blues sound of B.B. King, Little Milton, and “Junior” Parker. The band brilliantly recasts Al Green’s iconic hit “Love and Happiness” as a shuffle, with parts inspired by Charles Mingus’ “Fables of Faubus.”

Nemeth says, “The Memphis sound of the ‘50s put in the sophistication with the horns, but it never lost that gritty aspect of the blues. And the spirituality in the vocals was tremendous—the melodies have such great movements, and the lyrical rhythms are perfect.”

The band will perform at the Levitt Shell in Memphis, TN on October 12.

CHARLES "SKIP" PITTS: APRIL 7, 1947 - MAY 1, 2012

Charles “Skip” Pitts, one of the architects of soul, R&B, and funk guitar and a member of the Bo-Keys, passed away this morning at the age of 65. Pitts is best known for creating two of the signature guitar riffs of all time: The Isley Brothers’ “It’s Your Thing” and the wah-wah on Isaac Hayes’ “Theme From Shaft.”

Getting tips from his neighbor Bo Diddley, Pitts learned to play guitar at age 11 on the street corners of his childhood home of Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, Pitts’ uncle owned a hotel next to the prestigious Howard Theater, where he met a who’s who of soul and rhythm and blues legends, including James Brown and Otis Redding. He was soon on stage himself, performing with Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett, and performing and recording with the Isley Brothers and Rufus Thomas.

He first recorded at the age of 15 on Gene Chandler's "Rainbow 65." Following this time with the Isley Brothers' backing band The Midnight Movers, Pitts experienced the longest collaboration of his career with Isaac Hayes, staying with him from 1971 to 2008. After the success of “Shaft,” he appeared in the concert film “Wattstax” and started recorded with other Stax artists, holding his own with Albert King, among others. (He is associated so deeply with the wah-wah pedal that he is interviewed in a new documentary “Cry Baby: The Pedal That Rocks The World” alongside Slash, Buddy Guy, Eddie Van Halen, Kirk Hammett.)

When not on the road or in the studio with Hayes, Pitts was a session player at Stax, and played on many hit recordings by artists such as Albert King and Rufus Thomas. More recently, he has performed on the score for the Academy Award-winning film "Hustle and Flow" with The Bo-Keys and  performed on the Grammy-nominated Al Green record, "I Can't Stop," produced by Willie Mitchell.

Pitts’ accomplishments continue deep into the 21st century; alongside the Bo-Keys, he performed on Cyndi Lauper’s GRAMMY-nominated 2010 album ‘Memphis Blues’ and backed her on the Late Show with David Letterman (CBS). He has also given back to his Memphis community, teaching at-risk youth in Memphis at the Stax Music Academy. He is heavily featured on the Bo-Keys' 2011 release 'Got To Get Back!,' which earned year-end best status from the Associated Press and several Blues Music Award nominations. Guitar Player Magazine did a feature on Pitts. Click here to read it.

Pitts' classic guitar riffs have been sampled by hip hop royalty such as Dr. Dre with Snoop Dogg, Beastie Boys, Massive Attack, Eazy-E, and DJ Shadow with Cut Chemist.

In addition to music, Pitts also delved into acting in his latter years, appearing in the award-winning "Forty Shades of Blue," "Black Snake Moan" and appeared with the Bo-keys along with Samuel L Jackson and Bernie Mac in "Soul Men."

He passed away this morning at Methodist Hospital in Memphis, TN. A burial is planned in Washington, D.C. He is survived by his wife.