Kenny Wayne Shepherd

With a career that began at age 16, Kenny Wayne Shepherd has a storied decade in music’s big-leagues. His first three albums mixed blues and blues-rock; his 1995 debut Ledbetter Heights has sold over a million copies, making it a platinum record. Trouble Is…was released in 1998 selling over a million copies and Grammy-nominated. Live On followed a year later, and also got the Grammy nod. (The latter two were produced by Jerry Harrison, who returned to produce TEN DAYS OUT.) On his most recent record, 2004’s The Place You’re In, Shepherd took most of the album’s lead vocals for the first time. “I cut my teeth as a blues artist,” says Kenny Wayne Shepherd. “My first three records mixed my styles, and the last one, The Place You’re In, was a pretty heavy dose of rock and roll. So this became a perfect time to present a solid dose of the blues.”

www.kennywayneshepherd.net

Anthony Gomes

Rock 'n' Roll for your Cowboy Soul

Saddle up with Anthony Gomes and the New Soul Cowboys, as the award winning, acclaimed tough-rockin' soulful singer-guitarist and his rough 'n' tumble Nashville-based outfit, are ready to take on the world.

Drawing on the musical core that links blues, rock, soul and country, he's joined by the New Soul Cowboys, featuring bassist David Karns, drummer Peter Lang and keyboardist Dylan St. John.

The blazing songs say it all: "Rebel Highway," "Purple Whiskey Sack," and that musical mission statement, "New Soul Cowboy." The crunchy "What It's All About" is a prime slice of catchy-riffing Southern Rock while "Born To Ride" is roadhouse blues, southern fried with a recipe that goes back to classic Allman Brothers.

www.anthonygomes.com

Delta Guitar Slingers featuring
Michael Burks, Sherman Robertson
and Carl Weathersby

Guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Michael “Iron Man” Burks stands tall as a major contemporary blues figure. With a nickname earned by his hours-long, intensely physical performances, fearsome guitar attack, tough, smoky vocals and the thousands of miles logged behind the wheel of his touring van, Burks is a modern blues hero. Nobody in today’s blues world successfully bridges searing electric guitar blues with unbridled rock and roll energy like Burks. The Chicago Sun-Times recently said Burks is “poised on the brink of major stardom.”

www.michaelburks.com

Sherman Robertson is already considered a young master of zydeco, hard-swinging Texas electric blues, R&B and swampy Louisiana blues. Robertson often surprises audiences with his ability to play R&B, zydeco and blues with a rock edge. “I use that driving, road-cooking type zydeco groove, and put blues on top of it,” says Robertson. It's basically rhythm and feel." In June 2000, Robertson played at the Pioneer Valley Blues Festival in Massachusetts. Alligator president, Bruce Iglauer, was in the crowd. “He was always good,” he says, “but when I saw him in June he was on fire. He ruled the stage, had the audience in the palm of his hand, and his just plain physical showmanship reminded me of Albert Collins. As Soon as he walked of the stage I started talking about signing him. He's got that Texas energy, great guitar chops, and is a wonderful, soulful singer.”

www.movinmusic.co.uk/sherman_robertson.htm

Carl Weathersby was born in 1953, in Jackson, Mississippi and moved to East Chicago, Indiana with his family when he was eight. When he started playing guitar as a teen he said his father always had musician friends stopping by the house. One that used to come by often was this big guy that Carl only knew as Albert, the mechanic. Albert happened to be watching the young Weathersby practicing some Albert King songs on guitar one day. Carl said he had been practicing this one song called 'Cross Cut Saw,' playing it over and over until he said, 'I think I got it. So I started playing it and this guy said, 'man, that ain't the way that song goes, that ain't the way I played it.' It turned out to be Albert King who proceeded to show an amazed Weathersby just how it was supposed to be played. King offered some welcome encouragement to Carl and took a liking to the young lad.

Mixing Southern charm, soulful vocals, and fierce guitar-playing, Carl plays the blues, from down-and-dirty to scintillating Albert King influenced chops. This is one powerful blues performer that will leave you amazed and thoroughly entertained.

carlweathersby.org

Janiva Magness

Los Angeles based Janiva Magness is one of today’s most talented and recognized blues and roots vocalists. A three-decade darling of the blues genre, Janiva currently resides at the top of the genre. In May 2007, Janiva won her second consecutive Blues Music Award for Contemporary Female Artist of the Year beating out contemporaries Susan Tedeschi, Shemekia Copeland and Marcia Ball.

Janiva is nominated for the 2008 Blues Music Award for the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year Award.

Although her vocals are at times beautiful, this 51 year-old grandmother is best known for her sauciness and the bold, brazen beauty of her recordings and performances. Janiva is known for paying homage to controversial and rule breaking women before her like Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith for fearlessly embracing their age, their sexuality, and truth.

www.janivamagness.com

Jason Ricci

At a young age Jason Ricci has compiled a musical resume that most musicians don't achieve in a lifetime. Jason has won the Sonny Boy Blues Society Contest, The Mars Music National Harmonica Contest, The Muddy Waters Award and many other accolades. Ricci has been featured on television, as well as in various commercials, evening and morning news broadcasts, and on two episodes of Emeril Lagassi's show "Emeril Live." Jason has also gigged/toured or worked with Big Al and the Heavy Weights, Jimmy Lloyd Rea, Susan Tedeschi, Billy Gibson, Bobby Little, The Hounds, Nick Curran, Josh Smith, Enrico Crivellaro, Big Bad Smitty, Satan and Adam, Junior Kimbrough, Shawn Kellerman, and many more.

Jason Ricci is that rare individual that only comes along once in a generation — an artist with the unique ability to help shape and redefine the sound of his chosen instrument and forever change the course of music history. His style is varied and his influences far reaching, having spent countless hours absorbing everything from Sun Ra to Little Walter, the Rolling Stones to the Pixies, Lou Reed to Govt. Mule, and everything in between. The depth of his music criscrosses the audible landscape leaving no stone unturned as he fully explores blues, jazz, funk, rock, punk, and even drawing inspiration from the current crop of jam bands, all while still retaining the stamp of his own inimitable style.

www.jasonricci.com

L.A. Jones

Handy Award nominees, L.A. Jones and The Blues Messengers have been tearing up the floorboards in roadhouses all over the world for the last three decades, touring constantly and playing over 200 gigs a year and thrilling Blues fans where ever they perform.

L.A. Jones and The Blues Messengers represent a new breed from the old school of the blues; crossing racial, spiritual and musical boundaries. Drawing from their past experience playing and recording with many of the great Blues stars like pianist Pinetop Perkins , guitarists Otis Rush, Jimmy Rogers, Luther Johnson and saxophonist Joe Houston they have pioneered a style that is all their own, blending the ever popular jump swing of the great Texas and West Coast traditions. At the same time they have not forgotten to remain deeply and firmly rooted in the 1950's Chicago Blues traditions.



www.lajones.com

Sheba - The Mississippi Queen

Sheba was born Martha Booker with her twin sister Mary Booker in Sunflower Mississippi. Sheba learned to sing the blues while her sister fell into her father's footsteps singing gospel music. Their father, Leroy Booker, a gospel singer who traveled all over the south, was called the "singing insurance man."

In the cotton fields in the and Churches in the Delta, that's where Sheba started singing. Sheba's Family were sharecroppers barely making it. She remembers taking water to her family picking cotton in the hot fields, where a chorus of voices was constantly in the air. After coming home from a hard day's work, the family would relax on the porch and a neighbor might join them with a guitar. They would sing together until they were too tired, then they would just moan. When Sheba was still a teen, her mother left for Florida in search of opportunities, and later returned to collect Sheba and her brothers and sisters. They all came to South Florida in a Migrant Worker Bus.

www.sheba.cc

JP Soars with Terry Hanck

J.P started playing the guitar at age 11. he grew up in Cedarville, Arkansas and moved to South Florida in 1985 when he was 16. He really got into metal at this time, but at the same time he was also into Hendrix, ZZ-top, and the Beatles; stuff that his parents and uncles listened to. When he moved to Florida and heard bands like Metallica, Anthrax and Slayer, he thought wow!!! "Never heard music like this!!" . After that, JP, along with Jason Blachowitz and Derik Roddy formed Divine Empire. They released 4 albums on Olympic Records and Century Media Records. Touring the US and Canada numerous times, as well as Europe, South America and Puerto Rico. During this time he also put together a band called Burner and released one CD on Arctic Music Group recordings. Then there are the two Wynjara discs which were released on Nocturnal Art Productions Records.

www.myspace.com/jpsoars

Terry Hanck is well known for his hard blowing sax, incredible range and gusty vocals. Born in Chicago, Hanck was heavily influenced by the blues, soul and jazz music of the 50’s and early 60’s. After moving to California in 1965, he toured with Elvin Bishop through most of the 70’s and 80’s and Bishop gave him plenty of opportunities to hone his craft on stage. “Terry Hanck is a fine vocalist, an amazing showman, and my favorite sax player,” says Bishop. Terry Hanck left the Bishop band to tour under his own name in the late 80’s playing a signature mix of New Orleans Gumbo, West Coast Jump and East Bay Funk, all delivered with a heavy dose of blues and soul.

He draws on a vast repertoire of songs, including many originals and his energetic performances spotlight an artist at the peak of his craft. His topnotch band includes J.P. Soars on guitar, Gary Remmington on bass, and Chris Peet on drums.

www.terryhanck.net

Sean Chambers

Sean Burns up the fret board like few can, playing with power and intensity that has earned him comparisons to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnny Winter and Billy Gibbons among others. Chambers grew up listening to blues guitar legends such as Freddie and Albert King, BB King, Howlin Wolf, Jimi Hendrix and Muddy Waters to name a few. Today those influences come through in Sean's style of play and stage performance both instrumentally and vocally. In 2001, Britain's Guitarist Magazine named Sean as one of the 50 Greatest Blues Guitarists of all time. Pretty heady for someone still in his early thirties! If you like your blues blazin hot, this trio will definitely light your fire! Chambers continues to develop his powerful style on his October 2005 release Humble Spirits, which showcases his musical evolution beyond the standard blues idiom.

www.seanchambers.com

King muDDfish

Thirty-five years ago, the seeds of King muDDfish had been planted - teenage saplings, Mike Edwards and Dan Newman were making waves on the South Florida music scene. Daring to stand tall against the pop music winds of the day, Mike and Dan helped lay the roots of what would become the Jam Band scene of today. The boys honed their skills jamming to their own arrangements of classic blues tunes like "Spoonful", "Good Morning Little School Girl", or "Who Do You Love?" while they also worked on perfecting their song writing craft.

Teaming up with Mike and Dan in 1973, percussionist Jerry Crepeau infused his Detroit influences into the mix and the band developed a loyal following by delivering powerful blues-based jams wherever they played. Three more decades of paying the dues and delivering the music they loved led to the cultivation of King muDDfish and their vision of the "new eclectic blues movement". King muDDfish has two CD's available, Hook Water Wolf and No Cover on Bowfin Records.

www.kingmuddfish.com

Big City Blues Band

Big City Blues Band has been honored with numerous awards. In 1991 and 1992 they were given the Jammy Award for Best Blues Band in Florida. In 1991 the South Florida Blues Society chose them as Best Blues Band. In 1991 they were also honored by the National Blues Foundation for winning their national blues competition. They received the coveted B.B. King Lucille Award at the W.C. Handy Awards in Memphis for Best Unsigned Blues Band in the United States. This award was presented by Little Milton and Willie Nelson.

www.bigcityband.com

Blue House

The BlueHouse Band reached #1 on XM Satellite Radio's Bluesville Station.in May 2008.

The BlueHouse Band's WHO'S IN THE HOUSE???" CD was picked up by XM Satellite Radio's Bluesville station. Bluesville has been regularly featuring BlueHouse's "Gimme The News", "Won't Forget My Spoons" and most frequently, "Bang Bang Bang". The CD has steadily climbed the Pick To Click charts starting in the "next in the rack" section all the way up to #1 (for the week of May 10th). If you are a regular listener, you have likely heard these energetic cuts more than once.

Blues Wax says:
"The fun these guys are having is contagious and the album grows on the listener with each playing. Locals might understand the liner notes, but I'm still trying to figure out all of them. One thing I'm certain of: these guys rock the house. When they shout, 'Who's In the House?' Yes, the answer is Blue House."

www.bluehouseband.com

Pat Pepin

Pat Pepin is a singer and saxophonist who knows the blues from the inside out. She sings with conviction and power, infusing her music with heart-felt emotion reminiscent of her vocal influences: Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin and Etta James. From a hardscrabble childhood in central Maine, Pepin began her singing career in the church choir, like countless blues and soul singers before her. As a young single mother, she earned a B.S. degree in music from the University of Maine at Augusta..s respected music program, majoring in saxophone and vocals

While getting her degree, she began fronting her own band, the Pat Pepin Project, playing local and regional gigs. Pepin plays saxophone, guitar, flute, drums and bass. She THREE TIMES won the Maine Blues Society competition, representing the state at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in 2002, 2004 and 2008. This is the nation's best search for undiscovered blues talent.

www.patpepin.com

Reverend Billy Wirtz and Victor Wainwright

From the moment he sits down at the piano and lights into his Southern old-time gospel and blues with a twist, the six-foot-five-inch, goateed, tattooed tongue-in-cheek "Rev" commands the stage and spreads the "gospel" like nobody's business. With puns flying as fast as his fingers, the Rev plays masterly boogie-woogie and barrelhouse riffs while holding forth on subjects as diverse as W.W.E.D.? (What Would Elvis Do?), Mennonite Surf Parties, and dubious relationships between people you are terrified that you may actually know.

While widely recognized as a humorist, music is his forte. In the early 80s, he shared a walk-up with the late blues legend Sunnyland Slim, learning to appreciate the Blues and to perform it with fervor. A recognized musicologist, Billy has written about music, legendary performers and life on the road for Musician, Keyboard and BluesWax. He is a regular contributor to the Charlotte Observer. Workshops on Blues and/or Gospel Music at festivals and universities have left students clamoring for more.

www.reverendbilly.com

Wainwright has just returned from Daytona Beach where he joined Reverend Billy C. Wirtz for several "Bike Week" events. Victor and the Reverend played to sold-out, standing room only crowds at each show. They performed at the following locations: Wise Guys, Frank’s Front Row, Flagler Tavern, Angell and Phelps, and the Fedorra Ranch.

www.myspace.com/victorwainwright

Jamie King Colton

This high powered multi-instrumentalist (plays 28 instruments) has had seven records in the top 10, and recorded hits with Motown. He has done 13 world tours with Dion and Little Eva. King has played in concert with The Greg Allman Band, Bob Seger, Edgar Winter, Three Dog Night, The Temptations, Little Richard, Herbie Hancock, Pat Travers, Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter and more.

He has received several awards including an award for "39 Sold Out Shows in 28 Cities" across the UK, three "Outstanding Soloist" awards at the NAJE conventions, and was voted "Best Nightclub Act" and "Entertainers of the Year" with Mark and Clark. King Colton received rave reviews at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Orange Bowl, B.B. Kings in Nashville and Memphis, also at the Georgia Dome. I'm sure this guitar virtuoso will blow you away. His soulful voice wails over his monster band, which includes some of the finest players in the country. He is sure to be one of the highlights at this year's South Florida International Blues Festival. www.myspace.com/jamiekingcolton

Hep Cat Boo Daddies

The power trio known as the Hep Cat Boo Daddies were formed 13 years ago. Joel DaSilva, Sean Gerovitz and Randy Blitz, HCBD...the lineup remains the same in 2007, with occassional special keyboard and sax and horn guest performers. With frontman Joel Dasilva's mix of both Chicago and Texas style blues guitar, as well as his wide variety of influences combined with Evil's hard driving bass lines and Randy Blitz's hard hitting backbeats (and old school New York punk rock attitude), this band quickly gained a reputation as one of the best local rock bands around.

They are known for their raw edged and unique style and have won many awards. They combine both original and cover tunes and incorporate a wide variety of styles including blues, rock, surf, funk, and rock-a-billy for a great combination of high energy rock that electrifies their fans, who affectionately refer to them simply as "The Boo Dads." The unique hybrid style of the band is appealing to a wide variety of music lovers who are ready for something besides straight blues or rock. The Boo Dads have performed at such events as the Toys in the Sun Run, several tattoo expos, The Ft. Lauderdale Blues Festival, City Link Music Fest, Franipalooza, Sun Fest and clubs throughout Florida.

www.hepcatboodaddies.homestead.com

Daniel Ballenger

The spirit of the blues moves Daniel "Slick" Ballinger like the spirit of the lord moves a preacher. Hailed by many as a prodigy, he is in the midst of transforming into a deep bluesman. Born May 26,1984, this young man with an old soul developed an intense love and appreciation of Traditional Blues that led the native North Carolinian to make numerous pilgrimages to Mississippi, Arkansas, and Memphis, Tennessee, fueling his musical ability along the way. Before the age of 18 he had played with legendary artists: Hubert Sumlin, Pinetop Perkins, Othar Turner, "Steady Rollin" Bob Margolin, Calvin "Fuzz" Jones, Big Bill Morganfield, Henry Butler, Blind Mississippi Morris, T-Model Ford, Paul "Wine" Jones, and North Carolina's, Algia Mae Hinton. These renowned blues artist have all mentioned three words to describe Daniel Ballinger, "He's Got It". www.slicksblues.com

Blind Mississippi Morris

The hot, dusty Mississippi Delta and Memphis, TN, known alternatively as "the Eden of the Blues" and "the Home of the Blues", are prolific and legendary producers of unique and diverse Blues' greats like Robert Johnson, Elmore James, Jr. Kimrough and BB King. Drawing continously from that tradition comes Blind Mississippi Morris.

Morris comes from a talented lineage. His cousins, Robert and Mary Diggs, led the famed Memphis Sheiks, and his Aunt Mary Tanner played with the "Harps of Melody". Morris is also a cousin of the late, great Willie Dixon. Blind since age 4, Morris is the very embodiment of the Delta Bluesman. He has been called 'a new disciple of the Delta' and the 'Real Deal on Beale' and, he was rated one of the 10 best harmonica players in the world by Bluzharp magazine.

www.bradwebb.com/blindmississippimorris.html

Super Chikan

Super Chikan says he was " hatched" on February 16 1951 in Darling, MS. He spent his childhood in the small towns of rural Mississippi and now resides only a stone's throw from the famous Crossroads in Clarksdale. As a child he was fascinated by the sounds of the family's chickens and soon discovered he had a keen ear for noticing the slightest nuances. Too young to work in the fields, he spent his days trying to talk to the chickens and to understand their mysterious language. It wasn't long before friends and family alike were calling him "Chikan Boy." With what has become his trademark wit and sense of humor, Chikan not only accepted the title willingly, he took it as a badge of honor. Even as a small child, Chikan displayed an innate understanding of the attention that one gains when one stands apart from the "flock".

Recognized the world over for his unique style and appreciated by fans from all genres of music, this self taught songwriter, guitarist, folk artist, and yes, philosopher continues to create, and with at twinkle in his eye he is quick to tell his listener, "I don't just sing the blues; I am the blues.

www.superchikan.com

University School Blues Band

Winner of Band Auditions at the Flight Deck!

Selected from musicians in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach middle and high schools. At the end of band performance a PRS guitar will be given away in a drawing. Winner must be present to receive prize