in the works February 15, 2010 -------------------------------------------------------------- Congratulations to Bates Meyer royalty client Ramblin’ Jack Elliott who won the Best Traditional Blues Grammy Award for his release “A Stranger Here,” produced by Joe Henry available from the Anti label. T-Bone Walker’s “They Call It Stormy Monday” will be featured on the Eric Clapton’s concert DVD “A Concert By The Lake” due out from Eagle Rock Entertainment. Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne, a Vancouver resident since the 1980s, is one of the main headliners at the Vancouver Blues Festival 2010, a 24-day extravaganza held in conjunction with the Vancouver Winter Olympics, February 5-28. Lew Soloff will be the featured soloist and clinician at the South Central Regional Music Conference in Monroe, Louisiana on February 26 & 27. The event grew out of the Katrina disaster with district schools and colleges subsequently deciding to put a focus on music education for the area. Sonaré Winds Trumpets is the sponsor of this appearance. Soloff will also be spotlighting his new Afro-Cuban Ensemble at the 55 Bar on Saturday, February 22 In March, saxophonist Ernie Watts joins pianist extraordinaire Patrice Rushen, percussionist Babatunde Lea and vocalist Dwight Tribble for concerts in tribute to Leon Thomas at Catalina Bar And Grill in Los Angeles (March 10 & 11) and at Yoshi’s in San Francisco on March 18. The shows are in celebration of the CD release “Umbo Weti” out now on Motema Music. The Open Sky Music Foundation, Inc. has been engaged to produce the musical program for “Blues for the Zoo,” a charity event benefiting the Big Bear Lake Moonridge Zoo. Proceeds from the summer concert will assist the zoo in their rehabilitation program now celebrating 50 years of sanctuary for its wild animal rescue park. The Open Sky Music Foundation is a non-profit 501(C)3 corporation formed by Nancy Meyer and Rick Bates. December 7, 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------- Bates Meyer is pleased to congratulate two of its artists who were just nominated for Grammy Awards. Guitarist Lurrie Bell was nominated in the Best Traditional Blues category for his participation in “Chicago Blues: A Living History.” Royalty management client Ramblin’ Jack Elliott is up for a Grammy in the same category for his Anti release “A Stranger Here,” produced by Joe Henry. Lurrie Bell was also honored with a Blues Music Award nomination for Best Guitar Player by the Memphis Blues Foundation. “Chicago Blues: A Living History” also received Blues Music Award nominations for Best Album and Best Traditional Album. The Academy of Jazz of France has voted Chicago Blues: A Living History, “Best Blues Album of the Year.” The award will be presented in Paris on January 12th. Trumpeter Lew Soloff joins Byron Stripling and Lou Marini for concerts with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra in Ohio, January 22-23, 2010. T-Bone Walker’s classic “They Call It Stormy Monday” has been selected to be part of the “Epicenters” exhibit at the Los Angeles Grammy Museum. The interactive display will explore the times, places and sounds of American music. Visitors will learn about the nation's rich and varied musical legacies with artifacts and storied imagery. A new project for the Bates Meyer royalty management division is with the family of Reverend Cleavant Derricks. Reverend Derricks left behind a catalog of over 400 compositions including the often-recorded “Just A Little Talk With Jesus.” This Gospel gem is out on over 100 releases, having been recorded by Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley. Charlie Daniels, George Jones, The Jordanaires, Jerry Lee Lewis, Loretta Lynn, Bill Monroe, Carl Perkins, Jo-El Sonnier and many others. October 29, 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------- Earlier this month, Bates Meyer artist Lurrie Bell, received a grant from the prestigious 3 Arts Organization. 3 Arts supports Chicago artists working in the fields of music, theater, and visual arts. In addition to the guitarist, the 2009 award recipients include a conductor, a playwright, a painter and a theatrical director. The funds will be spent to record Bell’s next project, a collection of acoustic Gospel blues. Kenny Wayne will be hitting the ivories down under November 13-15 at the Blues at Bridgetown Festival in western Australia. The Shifty Henry song “Get A Move On” which samples Henry’s “Hyping Women Blues” (as recorded by T-Bone Walker) was just licensed for the network TV series “90210.” Saxophonist Ernie Watts will take part in the opening gala of the London Jazz Festival on November 13 at Barbican Hall, in tribute to American song with a 48-piece orchestra and 9 featured vocalists including Natalie Merchant and Brazilian singer Cibelle. Watts will also be appearing with Kurt Elling at the Winter Jazz Festival in Orvieto, Italy Dec. 30 – Jan. 3. Immediately after, Watts heads off to India for a series of concerts with acclaimed violinist L. Subramaniam, January 7-14. Lew Soloff continues his commitment to education with an appearance at the upcoming Midwest Band and Orchestral Conference on December 16-17 in Chicago. The Midwest Clinic is the world's largest instrumental music education convention, annually drawing approximately 15,000 attendees from all 50 states and as many as forty countries. Soloff will be a featured trumpet soloist with a group of students along with a Sonare Winds Showcase night at Andy’s Jazz Club. September 28, 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------- Trumpeter Lew Soloff joins an all-star group for the 2009 Jazz At Pitt concert on November 7 at the University of Pittsburgh. Soloff will be performing that evening with Jimmy Owens, Donald Harrison, Benny Golson, George Cables, Leon Lee Dorsey, and Terri Lyne Carrington. Chicago blues guitarist Lurrie Bell is taking his band to Europe in November. Dates include; the Lucerne Blues Festival featuring special guest Eddie Shaw, with other shows in Sweden, Czechoslovakia, and Poland. Check out www.lurrie.com for more details. Ernie Watts heads to Mira Costa College in Southern California for a clinic and concert on December 12. The program will include music written by the saxophonist. Blues scribe Mighty Mo Rodgers has just finished his latest CD “Dispatches From The Moon.” The disc, with more politically poignant Rodgers-penned material is due out on Dixie Frog Records in France this fall. Guitar ringer Jimmy Thackery is recording a live CD and accompanying DVD on November 19 at Callahan’s Music Hall in Detroit. Kenny Wayne has a new live piano project brewing for Electro-Fi Records. Kenny Wayne’s Pianorama will feature fellow ivory ticklers Curly Bridges, Julian Fauth and Bobby Dean Blackburn. Recording is set to take place at the historic Gladstone Hotel Ballroom in Toronto on October 29. Look for special “Pianorama” shows in 2010. Wayne will also be showcasing his boogie woogie piano skills for cruisers on the upcoming Pacific Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise. The blues party departs San Diego for points south of the border on October 17 for a week-long sail of sunshine and music. Fellow artists include Mavis Staples, Susan Tedeschi, Buckwheat Zydeco and more. Look for possible collaborations with the other Kenny Wayne on the Cruise; Kenny Wayne Shepherd August 31, 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------- The classic T-Bone Walker composition “They Call It Stormy Monday” has been licensed for the documentary film “Delta Rising,” a story about the people, music and history of the Mississippi Delta. The homage to this great American genre features performances and interviews with Blues and country legends such as Willie Nelson, John Lee Hooker and Pinetop Perkins. “Tomorrow Night” the 1947 hit by singer and guitar virtuoso Lonnie Johnson appears in the film and soundtrack to the new Martin Scorsese film “Shutter Island” starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Saxophonist Ernie Watts joins Kurt Elling for several concert dates in Europe this October and November, with dates in Cork, Milan, London, Athens, Belgrade, Sarajevo and Vienna. Watts then hooks up with his own quartet for dates in Germany and Turkey. Lew Soloff will take part in Billy Cobham And Friends at Yoshi’s in Oakland, October 23-25. The trumpeter joins the allstar group which also features Patrice Rushen, Donald Harrison and Essiet Okon Essiet. Soloff then heads to Los Angeles for shows at jazzclub Charlie O’s as he reunites with his New York friends (and Conan O’Brien musicians) Jerry Vivino, James Wormworth & Mike Merritt, plus Larry Goldings on piano (October 29 & 31). Nancy Meyer will be heading a seminar for the Big Bear International Film Festival on Finding and Licensing Great Affordable Music: MUSIC CLEARANCE ESSENTIALS, scheduled for Friday, September 18. This is the festival’s 10-Year anniversary! June 30, 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------- Bates Meyer partner Rick Bates is now bringing Blues to the airwaves in Big Bear Lake. His new radio show “Blues on the Bear” can be heard every Friday at 6:00pm (Pacific Standard Time) on the commercial station KBHR-FM. Listen on-line at www.kbhr933.com Ace Records, LTD. recently released a new Jimmy Witherspoon compilation “I’ll Be Right On Down.” The compilation contains 24 classic Witherspoon sides from his Modern Records archive, recorded between 1947 and 1953. A new Ted Hawkins CD is now out on Rounder Records. From the “Perfect 10 Series” (the Best of Rounder Records) comes “Essential Recordings: Cold And Bitter Tears.” Tracks are taken from his critically acclaimed records “Watch Your Step” and “Happy Hour.” Saxophonist Ernie Watts is back in the studio in August to finish up tracks for his new CD “Double Quartet.” Recorded both in Germany with his European quartet and in the U.S. with his longtime Los Angeles group, the release will contain new Watts compositions and the fine performances of the rhythm sections he has been touring with for many years. Watts also heads to the Incheon Jazz Festival in Seoul on September 6 for a performance with Charlie Haden’s Quartet West. Dates in Japan follow. Lew Soloff will be a featured soloist with the Lionel Hampton Celebration for two summer festivals in August. The trumpeter will appear on August 12 at the Marciac Jazz Festival in Toulouse, France and on August 14 at Sildajazz in Haugesund, Norway. May 22, 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------- The Fourth Annual T-Bone Walker Blues Festival is set for June 19-20 in Linden, Texas where Walker was born. Patron sponsor this year is Don Henley (also from Linden) and headliners include Jimmy Vaughan and Honeyboy Edwards. The Lonnie Johnson song “Rambler’s Blues” appears on the new release from Ramblin’ Jack Elliott “A Stranger Here.” The collection of depression-era blues was produced by Joe Henry, out on Anti- Records. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings has released a collection of historic recordings entitled “American Roots Music” in cooperation with the U.S. Department of State. The Memphis Slim track “Boogie Woogie Piano Styles” is included along with music by Woody Guthrie, Lucinda Williams, Honeyboy Edwards and Tracy Chapman. Lurrie Bell appeared as one of the headliners at the Metro Fountain Blues Festival in San Jose on May 9. The festival, in its 29th year was established by Bates Meyer partner Rick Bates while he ran the program board at San Jose State University. Bell is also set to appear at this year’s Chicago Blues Festival on June 13 and at the Waterfront Blues Festival in Toronto on June 14. Ernie Watts participated in two big band concerts this month on the West Coast. May 13 the saxophonist performed in the Columbia Jazz Series at Columbia College in Sonora. On May 14 Watts was part of the Left Coast Festival with the West Valley College jazz orchestra at the Theater On San Pedro Square in San Jose. April 13, 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------- Otis Rush’s performance at the 2001 Chicago Blues Festival has just been released on CD in Japan on P-Vine Records. The performance, which was also filmed as part of Martin Scorsese’s blues documentary, features Otis in fine form with a full horn section. The Lurrie Bell Blues Band with special guest Eddie Shaw has been set as one of the featured headliners at the Lucerne Blues Festival in Switzerland in November. Kenny Wayne has been invited downunder to the Blues in Bridgetown Festival in Western Australia in November. He will be performing at the event backed by the popular Aussie blues group The Nervous Investors. Kenny will also be at the Sasktel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival this summer on July 5th with his band opening a main stage concert for bluesman Johnny Winter. Lew Soloff will be a guest soloist at the MENC Convention in Washington, DC this coming June. Trumpeter Soloff will perform and also conduct a workshop at the educators’ gathering, all on June 18. MENC is the world's largest arts education organization and the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. The Singapore Arts Festival has been added to the schedule for saxophonist Ernie Watts. Watts will appear with Randy Brecker, Jeremy Monteiro and the T’ang Quartet on May 29-30 at the Esplanade Concert Hall. Immediately following, Watts joins Monteiro for dates in Perth, June 2-4. In early July, Ernie Watts will celebrate the music of Johnny Harman & John Coltrane with Kurt Elling at festivals in Canada. The dates are JazzFest International in Victoria (July 2), Vancouver International Jazz Festival (July 3) and Sasktel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival (July. 4). February 25, 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------- Saxophonist Ernie Watts has a busy April. After a concert at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor (April 16) with Kurt Elling he heads off to Australia for concerts with Charlie Haden’s Quartet West at the Melbourne Jazz Festival and the Sydney Opera House. Lew Soloff will be headlining the Newport at Newcastle Jazz Gala in Bellevue, Washington on April 23-24. The trumpeter’s workshops and concert are sponsored by Sonaré Winds. Bates Meyer is sending Blues scribe Mighty Mo Rodgers to the Bern International Jazz Festival for concerts March 17-21, with a special media performance on March 16. Guitarist Lurrie Bell is the featured guest artist on Nick Moss and The Flip Tops new CD “Live at Chan’s” and will be working a few special dates this spring and summer with Nick starting with a CD release party at Buddy Guy’s Legends on Saturday April 4. Lurrie will be touring the Europe festival circuit for 5 weeks this summer with fellow Chicagoans Billy Branch, John Primer and Billy Boy Arnold as part of the Chicago Blues Living History Tour. Vancouver-based Kenny Wayne takes his piano Blues on tour in the US in April with dates in Chicago (Buddy Guy’s Legends), Norfolk (Attucks Theatre), St. Louis (BB’s Blues and Soup), Kansas City (Knuckleheads), Des Moines (Blues On Grand) and Omaha (Holland Performing Arts Center). Kenny is also one of the headliners at the BC Music Scene event that takes place the first weekend in May across the country in Ottawa. Matt “Guitar” Murphy has two songs on James Cotton’s classic 1974 recording “100% Cotton” being reissued by the Sony Legacy label. Besides handling guitar chores on the album, Matt contributed “Burner” and “Boogie Thing” to the session. The Blues Foundation has announced the inductees for the Blues Hall of Fame in 2009, including “T-Bone Blues” by T-Bone Walker (originally released in 1959 on Atlantic Records) in the “Classics of Blues Recording: Albums” category. The Hall of Fame committee consists of scholars, record producers, radio programmers and historians. The Blues Hall of Fame is a program of The Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization established to preserve Blues history, celebrate Blues excellence, support Blues education and to ensure the future of this uniquely American art form. January 12, 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------- Bates Meyer, Inc. has spent the last few months getting settled in our new location in Big Bear Lake, California. We are now situated in this scenic mountain community, about two hours from the greater Los Angeles area, at a 7000 ft. elevation. Yes we have snow in California! Our new mailing address and numbers can be found in the contact section of this website. Current projects include music licensing for the documentary film “Closer To The Dream” about the grassroots movement that helped elect Barack Obama. The unrelenting roar of the campaign resonated all the way to Paris, where African-American expatriate filmmaker, Guetty Felin has been living for the last 20 years. She embarks with French husband, Hervé Cohen and their two young sons on a journey to witness the historical movement that united Americans across party and racial lines As the media and political pundits spend airtime dissecting the American electorate, the family journeys across the country, unearthing the compelling stories of an array of charismatic individuals, a mosaic of American faces. Bates Meyer has also been assisting the family of the late Sean Costello, organizing the intellectual property rights created by the guitarist. Also a noted singer/songwriter, Costello created a respected body of work. Costello is a nominee in the upcoming Blues Music Awards for Best Contemporary Blues Artist and Best Contemporary Blues Album for his final CD “Can We Get Together” on Delta Groove Music. Ernie Watts will be recording live with Kurt Elling and string quartet ETHEL at Lincoln Center in New York on January 21 for the Concord Label. The project, “Dedicated to You – a Tribute to Johnny Hartman and John Coltrane” will also be appearing at the Crystal Ballroom as part of the Portland PDX Jazz Festival on February 22. Trumpeter Lew Soloff has entered into a new endorsement with Sonaré Winds. The company is known for its superior quality instruments including Powell Flutes, Keilwerth Saxophones and Blackburn Trumpets. Chicago guitarist Lurrie Bell has been nominated for two 2009 Blues Music Awards; Best Guitarist and Best Traditional Male Blues Artist. The 30th Annual Blues Music Awards take place in Memphis on May 7th. Pianist Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne will join musicians Corey Harris, John Cephas and Alvin ‘Youngblood” Hart on the faculty for the 2009 Port Townsend Country Blues Festival and Workshops July 26 – August 2nd. October 29, 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------- Guitarist Lurrie Bell continues to spread the Chicago Blues gospel to international audiences. He will headline the Festival Aulnay ALL BLUES on November 20 & 22 in Aulnay-Sous-Bois, (outside Paris). Bell brings it all home for his 50th birthday celebration at Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago on Saturday, December 13th. Bates Meyer artists have recently received some good reviews The Sputnikmusic.com blog opines about Ernie Watts’ latest live recording “To The Point.” “Defining self is an ageless philosophical conundrum; 63-year-old Watts succeeds brilliantly. A dark room, a hushed crowd, and an eternity elapses – a spotlight shines on the solitary source of sound, a gleaming Keilwerth SX 90R (get past the horn, tenor players, pay attention to who’s behind it). A cacophonic cadenza – dissonant arpeggios, off-balance blasts, and supersonic swing melt into the major-tonal melody of “Hot House,” a Tad Dameron standard. Setting the perfect foundation for a Watts Quartet experience, the escalating tension is finally released with a Witham-Watts transitional duet. The Hot House ignites. Watts isn’t just the sum of his influences; he’s carved his own name into the bark of the maturing jazz-family tree.” About pianist Kenny Wayne and his new CD "Can't Stop Now," Living Blues Magazine writes, “In the hands of an artist, eighty-eight keys can deliver a range of sounds that both inspire and entertain. In the hands of a master, eighty-eight keys can become a mesmerizing blend of power and sound. Welcome to the world of boogie woogie piano master Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne.” September 30, 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------- The ERNIE WATTS QUARTET returns to the Jazz Bakery October 8 – 11 to celebrate the release of “To The Point” which was recorded live at the Bakery in 2007. The artist will also be recording live at Yoshi’s in Oakland later this month (Oct. 14-15) with Patrice Rushen , Babatunde Lea and vocalist Dwight Tribble in a tribute project to Leon Thomas. A tour of Canada has been organized for Watts this coming February 6 – 10 with two days at Vancouver Island University along with concerts in Vancouver and Edmonton. T-Bone Walker’s standard “They Call It Stormy Monday” has just been honored by the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. Recordings chosen for the Registry are considered to have cultural, historic or aesthetic significance. The list of recordings showcases the diversity, humanity and creativity of the nation’s sound heritage spanning the years 1925-1982. Among this year’s selections are Harry S. Truman’s legendary address to the Democratic National Convention in 1948, the first trans-Atlantic radio broadcast in 1925 and the “Sounds of Earth” disc that traveled with Voyager through space. In addition to “Stormy Monday” other musical selections include works by Roy Orbison, Art Tatum, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington and Smokey Robinson. Trumpeter LEW SOLOFF will join the Northern Illinois University Jazz Ensemble for four concerts February 4-7, 2009. LURRIE BELL was just named Living Blues Magazine’s 2008 Blues Artist of The Year in both Readers’ and Critics’ Polls. Lurrie was also named Most Outstanding Musician (guitar) on their Critics’ Poll. Bell will fire things up for the Legendary Blues Cruise as a featured artist for the Bon Voyage Party on October 4. Bell is also part of the Pacific cruise line-up (Oct. 5 – 12) that includes Los Lobos, Etta James, Dr. John, Koko Taylor, Marcia Ball and others. KENNY WAYNE’S performance at the Detroit International Boogie Woogie Festival has been released on DVD. It will also be screened on various local PBS stations throughout the fall. August 27, 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------- Trumpeter Lew Soloff has been booked as a featured artist at the Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival in Birmingham on September 27. His appearance is sponsored by the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Soloff will also take part in an all-star Tribute to Lionel Hampton at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York October 29 – November 2. Joining Soloff on stage will be Abbey Lincoln, Clark Terry, Curtis Fuller, Jason Marsalis, Grady Tate, Red Holloway, Frank Vignola and others. Ernie Watts is heading to New York in early September for sessions with the legendary Billy Cobham. After dates in Europe with his own quartet October 29-November 8, the saxophonist heads to Bangkok for a two-week run November 18-30. Guitarist Lurrie Bell has just had his tour of Brazil (Aug. 21-31) extended for an additional week with concerts in Sao Paulo and Bauru. Real Folk Blues Sessions shows with Lurrie Bell, Kenny Wayne and Paul Oscher have been set for October 15th at The Triple Door in Seattle and October 16th in Victoria, BC at the DaVinci Centre. The musicians will be performing solo acoustic sets as well as a collaborative trio set for the concerts. July 28, 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------- The new BB King CD “One Kind Favor,” produced by T-Bone Burnett features several songs from Bates Meyer artists. King reaches back to his roots for this recording, (due out August 26) and includes the titles “Get These Blues Off Me” by T-Bone Walker, “Tomorrow Night” and “My Love Is Down” by Lonnie Johnson, plus “Midnight Blues” which was written by Shifty Henry. Saxophonist Ernie Watts makes a very personal statement about his place in life and music on his new CD. The two-time Grammy Award winner continues to demonstrate his commitment to acoustic jazz with the release of “To The Point," which comes out September 16 on his own Flying Dolphin label (distributed by Burnside Dist. Corp). Recording live at The Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles, Watts guides his longtime quartet through a fire-of-the-moment journey in a set of original music (plus a cover of Tad Dameron’s classic “Hot House).” Another date has been added to the Kurt Elling/Ernie Watts tribute to Johnny Hartman & John Coltrane (with string quartet) on January 21, 2009 in New York as part of the Jazz at Lincoln Center series. Recent concerts added to the tour schedule include USC in Los Angeles on September 11 and The Eastman Theater in Rochester on October 19. Lurrie Bell was named the 2008 Chicago Blues Artist of the Year in the Chicago Reader Critics Poll. Quotes the Reader, “His guitar work melds raw emotion and fiery technique in a majestic meld of tonal aggression, linear sureness, and exploratory drive, with an undercurrent of hard-won tranquility that reminds us that the blues, for all its stereotypes about pain and suffering, is ultimately about overcoming.” Bates Meyer is coordinating the 2008 Chicago Blues Festival tour of Europe, assembling a unique group of artists for a 5 week European tour staring this November. Included in the bill are DC Bellamy, Andrew “Jr. Boy” Jones, and up and coming singer Shakura S’Aida. The band will appear at festivals and performing arts centers in France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. June 23, 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------- Bates Meyer has been hired by Movement Revolution Productions to license music for the documentary film “Nora” about contemporary African choreographer and performance artist Nora Chipaumire. Shot in Mozambique, the film creates a portrait of the artist and her country, - its landscape and people, as well as its history and politics. Licensed tracks include classical pieces “The Swan” by Camille Saint-Saens and an operatic version of “Ave Maria.” Guitarist Lurrie Bell has just been booked for a series of concerts in Brazil. Bell will bring his traditional Chicago Blues to São José do Rio Preto, Ribeirão Preto and São Paulo August 22-24. Bell will also be a special guest guitarist with the Queen of The Blues, Koko Taylor on the Legendary Blues Cruise Pacific which sails this October 5-12 from San Diego to Baja Mexico. Kenny Wayne's Piano Summit featuring Wayne, Deanna Bogart and Julian Fauth will be presented on the mainstage at Festival International du Blues de Tremblant in Quebec on July 11. A New York Times review of the JVC Jazz Festival (dated June 20, 2008) begins with a muse on Ernie Watts. “Charlie Haden’s Quartet West opened its late set at the new club Le Poisson Rouge on Wednesday with Charlie Parker’s ‘Passport’ and got right into it. The saxophonist Ernie Watts began as if he were in the middle of things, with a controlled medium projection, playing fast and smoothly and using language from Parker and Coltrane, devices that coolly showed how much he knew.” Watts will be joining Kurt Elling as special guest on November 5 at the renowned Salzburg Jazz Festival in Austria. Jimmy Witherspoon “Live From The Monterey Jazz Festival 1972” featuring guitar great Robben Ford is scheduled for release in August. The live set on Monterey Jazz Festival Records is being marketed and distributed by Concord Records and will benefit the festival’s educational programs. April 29, 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------- Trumpeter Lew Soloff will be the featured soloist with the Harmonie Ensemble for a performance of the classic Miles Davis/Gil Evans work "Sketches of Spain" on May 21 at St. Peters Church in Manhattan. The concert is part of the Midtown Jazz at Midday series. Under the direction of conductor Steven Richman, Soloff and the Harmonie Ensemble will also be moving into the studio later that week to record the piece. Bates Meyer, Inc. has been hired by the famed Sun Studios in Memphis to license the name and image of several artists who recorded under the now classic brand. Bates Meyer will research, negotiate and consummate licenses for product to be sold in the Sun Studios Museum store. Mighty Mo Rodgers just completed the voice-over narration for the documentary film "Flood Street" about one man's struggle to bring sanity to the Lower Ninth Ward. Rodgers also wrote and recorded an original song for the film. Bates Meyer has booked singer/actress Vivian Reed for a rare nightclub appearance at the Lionel Hampton Room in Paris for a run June 17-21. Reed is best known for her performances in the Broadway productions of Bubbling Brown Sugar (for which she received a Drama Desk Award and her first Tony Award nomination) and for The High Rollers Social and Pleasure Club for which she received her second Tony Award nomination. Reed has also recorded albums for Epic Records and the United Artists label and has been recently developing her own musical production Three Mo' Divas. Pianist Kenny Wayne will be staging a theatrical performance of his self-created homage to Fats Domino entitled Ain't That A Shame at the Creekside Theatre in Lake Country, BC on September 6. Wayne acknowledges his own style is hugely influenced by the New Orleans piano giant. March 30, 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------- Charlie Haden's Quartet West, with founding member Ernie Watts on saxophone is set to tour Canada and Europe this June and July, with stops at several major festivals including; Vancouver Coastal Jazz & Blues Fest, Ottawa Jazz Festival and the International Festival Du Jazz in Montreal. The award-winning group will also appear in New York City at the JVC Jazz Festival on June 19 and at The North Sea Jazz Fesival on July 12. Three Memphis Slim tracks will appear on an upcoming compilation "Classic Piano Blues" for the Smithsonian Folkways label, set for a June 24 street date. The offering will include Memphis Slim's takes of "Key To the Highway," "Wish Me Well" and "Dedication to Pete Johnson," along with music by Champion Jack Dupree, Little Brother Montgomery and others. Kenny Wayne will be performing special "Pianorama" shows this Summer with fellow piano men D. K. Stewart and David Vest. Dates are set for June 20th at the Triple Door in Seattle, July 19th at the Winthrop Blues Festival and August 24th at the Edmonton Blues Festival. "Get A Move On," the successful song co-written by the late Shifty Henry has been tapped for the documentary film "Arctic Hip Hop," the story of how Inuit teens retain their cultural identity in the melting pot of globalization. In the remote hamlet of Cambridge Bay, Nanavut, kids are encouraged to blend their rich ancient traditions with a modern beat. T-Bone Walker's "It's A Mean Old World" is set to appear in the documentary "Where I Stand," a film about legendary newspaper publisher Hank Greenspun and his crusade against racial discrimination, McCarthyism, political corruption and organized crime. Lonnie Johnson was recently featured (March 28) on NPR's "All Things Considered" in conjunction with the newly released tribute CD "Re-Discovering Lonnie Johnson" on Philadelphia-based Range Records. The interview includes audio of Lonnie recalling his life experiences to Moses Asch of Folkway Records from 1967. Lew Soloff just finished up 10 days in Israel earlier this month, with 4 performances around Tel Aviv, in Hemdat Yamin and a workshop at the Rimon School of Jazz in Ramat HaSharon. February 14, 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------- Ernie Watts has been working at Big City Recording Studios mixing his latest CD "To The Point," set for a spring release. His CD "Ernie Watts Quartet ALIVE" recorded in Germany will be released by Laika Records (Bremen) in April, distributed in Europe by Rough Trade. Ernie will be joining vocalist Kurt Elling for a 4-night run at Jazz Alley in Seattle, June 5-8, 2008. Lew Soloff will be a featured soloist at the Auburn Invitational Jazz Festival in Auburn, Washington (Seattle-Tacoma area) on March 1, 2008. On February 28, he'll join Steve Tyrell at the Triple Door in Seattle for a charity concert benefiting colon cancer research. "Can't Stop Now," the latest recording by Kenny Wayne hits the street on May 20, 2008 on Electro-Fi Records. The CD has a distinct New Orleans groove, featuring songs by Fats Domino and Johnny Johnson as well as the track "Ragin' Storm," his tribute to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The recording also features one of the last performances by the late guitar great Jeff Healey. Lurrie Bell's "Blues In The Blood" group will be featured at this year's Bern International Jazz Festival March 25-29. Greece will be the next international stop at the Half Note Jazz Club in Athens, April 11-17. Lurrie is very much in demand in North America as well. Appearances are set for the North Atlantic Blues Festival, the Poconos Blues Festival, Beale Street Music Festival, Cisco Systems Ottawa Blues Festival and the Chicago Blues Festival with more to be announced shortly. December 20, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------- Congratulations to our Award nominees (and winner)! Guitar legend Otis Rush is up for a Grammy Award in the Best Traditional Blues category for his recording "Live In San Francisco." Lurrie Bell, in the same Chicago blues tradition is up for three Blues Music Awards, presented by the Blues Foundation in Memphis; Best Blues Guitarist, Best Traditional Blues Artist, and Best DVD for the project recorded with his late father harpist Carey Bell "Getting' Up: Live." An Independent Music Award was bestowed earlier this month on Ernie Watts for his recording "Analog Man" in the Best Jazz Album category. Watts' upcoming plans include more dates with Charlie Haden's Quartet West plus a collaboration with Kurt Elling in tribute to Johnny Hartman & John Coltrane with Ethel, the contemporary string quartet. Concerts are planned for 2008 and 2009. Kenny Wayne is nominated for a Maple Blues Award (Canada's National Blues Awards presented by The Toronto Blues Society) in the category of Best Keyboard/Piano Player. November 30, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------- Lurrie Bell's new CD "Let's Talk About Love" is off to a good start and is the #1 record on the November Living Blues Radio Charts. Bell starts 2008 off with trips to Chile and Argentina as well as tour dates in Canada and the Midwest. Kenny Wayne will be participating in a special piano summit this January with several dates in the Pacific Northwest anchored by a concert at the Triple Door in Seattle on January 10, 2008. Wayne's latest recording tentatively titled "Can't Stop Now" (the follow-up to his Juno Award winning "Let It Loose") is scheduled for release this April on Electro-Fi Records. "River of Light" written and performed by Ernie Watts was licensed for the documentary short "Juanote." The film, slated to air several times during the month of December on the Independent Film Channel (IFC), explores the story of Monsignor John V. Coffield, a Latino civil rights activist in early California history. Watts was also the recent subject of a 4-hour career retrospective on "Jazz From Studio Four" produced by the NPR flagship station WGBH in Boston. October 22, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------- The Lurrie Bell "Let's Talk About Love" CD release party is scheduled for Friday, November 2, 2007 at Buddy Guy's Legends. The Chicago Sun Times, Time Out Chicago and The Daily Herald are all preparing advance stories on the event. Lew Soloff will be headlining the Gene Harris Jazz Festival in Idaho April 4, 2008. Later that month he joins good friend Jon Faddis, and fellow trumpeters Randy Brecker, Terrell Stafford and Tom Harrell for a special performance with the Chicago Jazz Ensemble at the Harris Theater in the windy city, on April 11. Cherry Lane Music Company is developing an instructional DVD to teach the most famous versions of the T-Bone Walker classic "They Call It Stormy Monday." The video will include tips on solos from the song, as previously performed by not only Walker, but also Duane Allman, Dickey Betts, Eric Clapton, B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughan. "Blues Masters By The Bar," a printed folio and audio CD with these transcribed solos is already on the market. Ernie Watts will be performing at the London Jazz Festival at Queen Elizabeth Hall this November 17, the final date of a three-week tour with Charlie Haden's Quartet West. Watts will join Indian violinist L. Subramaniam and Billy Cobham for a concert at the Muscat Festival in Oman on February 15, 2008. This annual event is a global gathering celebrating cultural heritage exchange. September 25, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------- Lurrie Bell's first studio release in 8 years "Let's Talk About Love," bows in October with a flurry of interest building. Cover articles in Living Blues Magazine and Blues Review magazine are already in the works. The recording follows the recent passing of his longtime companion Susan Greenberg and debuts on the label named after their daughter, Aria (Aria B.G. Records). Karen Leipziger Publicity is handling the media chores and Todd Glazer Promotions is working the disc at radio. Ernie Watts' label Flying Dolphin Records has entered into a distribution deal with Laika Records for Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The first release for those territories will be "Analog Man" set for a November 9, 2007 street date via Rough Trade Distribution. Watts will also be participating in the Steiner Settlement, a class action suit against ABC Television. Seven compositions by the artist were used without authorization. T-Bone Walker graces the cover of the Starbucks Entertainment / XM Satellite Radio compilation "Bluesville," (manufactured and distributed by Concord Records). In addition to the image use, the collection also features the track "I've Been Treated So Wrong," performed by Walker with friend and musical associate Jimmy Witherspoon on vocals. The Memphis Slim track "Steppin' Out" appears on the newly released "Vee Jay Definitive Collection" (Box Set). Compiled and released by Shout Factory, this collection features classics from the early Chicago label including tracks by John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed, The Staple Singers, Elmore James and the Jay McShann Orchestra among others. Boogie Woogie piano man Kenny Wayne joins the roster for this year's Rhythm Riot Festival in the U.K. on November 23, 2007. The event features a mix of jump blues and rockabilly on England's southern coast. August 21, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------- The perennial T-Bone Walker classic "They Call It Stormy Monday" (performed by the Allman Bros) will be in the pilot episode of the anticipated new CBS series "Cane" starring Jimmy Smits, airing this fall. Bates Meyer, Inc. has been hired by Noisemaker Films to clear and license music for the documentary "Flood Street" directed by award winning graphic designer Greg Samata. Set in the poverty-stricken Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, one man makes a difference by starting a homespun neighborhood boxing ring and teaching at-risk youth sportsmanship, respect and brotherhood. Saxophonist Ernie Watts reunites with old friend Billy Cobham for a recording session this August with concert dates to follow in Australia set for March 2008. Watts is also scheduled to join Charlie Haden's Quartet West this fall for a European swing that will include dates in Switzerland, France, Spain, Austria and England. After finishing up Haden's concerts in London, he will be staying in the U.K. to conduct several workshops for Keilwerth saxophones. Lurrie Bell will be touring Europe this November and December with the Chicago Blues Festival 2007 package featuring Lurrie, guitarist Eddie Taylor Jr. and Southside blues shouter Taildragger. The 6 week tour will play dates in France, Belgium, Spain and Switzerland, culminating with a 2-week residency at the famed Meridien Hotel in Paris just before Christmas. The Shifty Henry song "Hyping Women Blues" sampled by London DJ Mr. Scruff in "Get A Move On" continues to get lots of action in various TV and film projects in England including; "Bed and the Bardsleys," "Children's Ward," "ITV Football," "Accidents Can Happen," "One and Only," "Love Bus," "Really Wild Show," "Masterchef Goes Large" and the "Paul O'Grady Show." July 12, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------- Three Memphis Slim titles from the Smithsonian Folkways collection are now available via Amazon's new pilot on-demand program. The reissues include; "At The Village Gate with Pete Seeger and Willie Dixon," "The Real Boogie Woogie" and "The Honky Tonk Sound" - street date for all three was June 19, 2007. Also look for "Memphis Slim Live at Ronnie Scott's" on DVD from Image Entertainment. The Ted Hawkins composition "Happy Days" (aka "How Much I Love You") has been licensed for two episodes of the Canadian documentary "Le Choeur De Gregory." The series follows Gregory Charles, the charismatic musical director of the Vocal College of Laval and the tight-knit bonds of the choral society singers. Comcast customers can learn to play the guitar lines of T-Bone Walker via the new cable channel RehearsalsTV, produced by CenterStaging Music Productions, (parent of Rehearsals.com). Walker's "They Call It Stormy Monday," has been licensed for Video On Demand viewing via the Comcast channel and for QUICKLICKS Instructional DVD distribution. Lurrie Bell will headline Buddy Guy's Legends on Saturday July 28. This looks to be a very special evening at the club with Eric Clapton's Crossroads Benefit concert taking place earlier in the day. Guitar heroes such as Carlos Santana, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck, BB King and many more will be in town and it is anticipated that Buddy's club will be the destination for Clapton and entourage, searching for some authentic Chicago blues. In a nod that catalog still retains value for the majors, Atlantic Records has just released the compilation "Atlantic Blues" on the Rhino Handmade label. Under the direction of Billy Vera, the package showcases some of the music that served as early cornerstones for the label which went on to become a powerhouse of American music. Tracks include Jimmy Witherspoon's "Ain't Nobody's Business" and "How Long Blues" plus T-Bone Walker's "Call It Stormy Monday" and "T-Bone's Blues." May 30, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------- The famed Monterey Jazz Festival is releasing a series of live concerts on the newly formed Monterey Jazz Festival Record label (via Concord Records) and will include a 1972 set from Jimmy Witherspoon featuring Robben Ford. A Witherspoon track will be on the inaugural sampler compilation due out later this year. In July Range Records will be releasing a Lonnie Johnson tribute "Re-Discovering Lonnie Johnson." The 12-song tribute spearheaded by Grammy Award winning producer Aaron Levenson (Spanish Harlem Orchestra, The Philadelphia Experiment) features performances by a variety of Philadelphia based musicians including Geoff Muldaur and Jef Lee Johnson. Ernie Watts is planning a live recording of his quartet this coming August, capturing 4 nights of music at the Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles August 22-25. Ernie's quartet will also headline the first annual Smitty's Quarry Jazz Festival on August 3, taking place in the natural surroundings of Opus 40 in Saugerties, New York Lurrie Bell will be performing a selection of shows during this year's Chicago Blues Festival in tribute to his late father Carey Bell with guests including Billy Boy Arnold, Eddy Clearwater, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Billy Branch, Little Arthur Duncan and Matthew Skoller. Kenny Wayne makes his second headline appearance at the North Atlantic Blues Festival on July 14th with a boogie-woogie piano summit featuring Henry Butler and Barrelhouse Chuck. April 23, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------- Bates Meyer, Inc. has been hired to clear music for the documentary "Strange Land," a film about a WWII war bride who leaves behind a family and culture in the Philippines in 1946 to start a new life with an American GI she barely knows. T-Bone Walker's song "Hard Way" was licensed for use by the house band on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien." Otis Rush will have a marker erected in his honor in his hometown of Philadelphia, Mississippi as part of the historic Mississippi Blues Trail. Lurrie Bell is now an official endorser for Gibson Guitars. His new axe is a Cherry Red Gibson E-335 built to his specifications by the Gibson custom shop. Lew Soloff will be a featured soloist on July 17 with the Fribourg Jazz Orchestra at the Festival De Jazz International in Fribourg, Switzerland The Kauai Concert Association will include both Lew Soloff (September 29) and Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne (November 17) in their music series at the KCC Performing Arts Center in Lihue. Bates Meyer, Inc. is assisting The Highway 61 Blues Museum in Leland, Mississippi in creating an exhibit which pays tribute to Matt "Guitar" Murphy March 19, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------- Lurrie Bell has been set as one of the headliners for the Japan Blues & Soul Carnival in July with performances in Osaka, Tokyo and Nagoya. Bell will also be performing at The Portland Waterfront Blues Festival on July 4th and The Chicago Blues Festival on June 8. More festival dates to be announced. Mighty Mo Rodgers' first studio CD in eight years, "Redneck Blues" is due out in France on April 26th on the respected roots label DixieFrog Records. On the recording Rodgers continues his provocative observations about contemporary American society. A concert film clip of Lonnie Johnson performing "Too Late To Cry" from 1963 appears on the next installment (Vol 4) of The American Folk Blues Festival DVD series from Universal, due out this spring. Ernie Watts will be a featured performer at the Matosinhos Jazz Festival in Porto, Portugal on April 20th and will be touring Europe in June and July with Charlie Haden's Quartet West Thomas Conrad of Jazz Times Magazine reviewed the Umbria Jazz Winter Festival this past December. "... there was one American band that was fascinating to follow during the festival, as four exceptional players worked through their concepts of brand new material; The Lew Soloff Quartet, with Joe Locke on vibes, Francois Moutin on bass and Billy Hart on drums ... Most jazz fans know Soloff as a featured soloist in large ensembles, from Blood Sweat & Tears in the late '60s, through Gil Evans and Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, to presently, Carla Bley. Orvieto provided a rare chance to hear the Soloff trumpet in unrationed quantities. His flair for the dramatic created one adrenalin rush after another as his signature high notes shattered the air. February 1, 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------- Bates Meyer, Inc. has been engaged by the famous Sun Studios in Memphis, TN to clear name and image rights for a new line of merchandise. The first product to be manufactured is a T-shirt incorporating the well-known Sun logo with a vintage photo of Howlin' Wolf who recorded his first sides at the studio. Lew Soloff makes a return to Ronnie Scott's in London, February 19-21 with his quartet which features Joe Locke on vibes, Francois Moutin on bass and Louis Moutin on drums. He headlines the Child Of The Sun Jazz Festival in Lakeland Florida on March 23. The program is a reprise of the Gil Evans Porgy And Bess arrangements and will include the great Jimmy Cobb on drums. Soloff also will appear as guest soloist with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and old friend Chuck Mangione May 25 & 26. T-Bone Walker's perennial standard "They Call It Stormy Monday" was licensed for the new season of American Idol. Ernie Watts is putting the final touches on his latest studio recording ANALOG MAN. Two catalog pieces "The Long Road Home" and "Spirit Song" are set for release through Burnside Distribution Corporation on March 14. Ernie Watts Quartet is scheduled to appear at the Jazz Center in Istanbul, March 21-24. The venue was recently voted the best jazz club in Turkey. Watts made a recent appearance at the January IAJE convention, performing for the event's opening gala. November 1, 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------- The first ever Lonnie Johnson biography is being written by University of Minnesota media professor and published author Dr. Dean Alger. Dr. Alger has been working on the book for several years and has travelled extensively in his research. Lawrence Cohn who produced the hugely popular Robert Johnson boxset calls it the greatest biography that has never been written. "The Real Folk Blues Sessions" featuring Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne, Paul Oscher and Lurrie Bell will appear at the Blues at the Bow concert series in Bow Island, Alberta - March 2-3, 2007. Plans are being made to record the weekend performances for a future release. The Lew Soloff Quartet will be celebrating the New Year at the Umbria Jazz Winter Festival in Orvieto, Italy. His quartet features Joe Locke on vibes, Francois Mouton on upright bass and Billy Hart on drums. The group plays December 29 - January 1. Ernie Watts has been invited to perform at the newly reformed JakJazz Festival in Jakarta with performances November 24-26, 2006. Lurrie Bell's "Blues in The Blood" group will be the featured act at the Lucerne Blues Festival in Switzerland this November 2006 and will perform several shows thoughout the weeklong event including acoustic and electric performances with dad Carey Bell. Guitarist Bell recorded a concert with his father, harmonica legend Carey Bell at Buddy Guy's Legends (on October 21, 2006) that will be released on DVD and CD in early 2007 by Delmark Records. Ernie Watts' personal label imprint Flying Dolphin Records has entered a distribution deal with Burnside Distribution Corp. and the first titles are available October 10, 2006. The initial releases in the pipeline are his rare XRCD audiophile recordings originally recorded for JVC Music in the 1990s. "Classic Moods" features Mulgrew Miller, George Mraz and Jimmy Cobb and "Unity" features Jack DeJohnette, Geri Allen, Eddie Gomez and Steve Swallow. These high-fidelity compact discs were recorded, mastered and manufactured using proprietary technology, guaranteeing outstanding accuracy in both sound quality and imaging. The original deluxe packaging is also included. SEPTEMBER 1, 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------- Ernie Watts' recording "Look In Your Heart" was sampled by singer/songwriter (and funk master) Amp Fiddler for his new release AFRO STRUT, (Wall Of Sound – August 28, 2006). Fiddler's set to tour this fall with India Arie. P-Vine Records in Japan has just released "Otis Rush: The Cobra Singles" a limited edition box set of all of his legendary 1950's Cobra Recordings in 7" vinyl format with original label art. Otis Rush's CD "All Your Love I Miss Loving" recorded live at The Wise Fools Pub in Chicago 1976 was voted the Best Blues Reissue of the Year by Living Blues magazine. The recording came out November 22, 2005 on the venerable Chicago blues label Delmark. Memphis Slim has two new reissues out on Sunnyside Records both released on July 18, 2006, "The Blue Memphis Suite" and "Memphis Heat" (his collaboration with the blues-rock group Canned Heat). These are a follow-up to "Paris Mississippi Blues" a 2-CD retrospective of his French recordings for Barclay in the 1970s released in 2005. All were part of the "Blues In Paris" series compiled by Universal France. JULY 1, 2006 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Jimmy Thackery has a new label and a new release with "In The Natural State" out on Rykodisc Records (June 27, 2006). "Natural State" was recorded in his home state of Arkansas with fellow statesmen The Cate Brothers and features liner notes by Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. On June 17, 2006, T-Bone Walker's hometown of Linden, Texas presented the first annual T-Bone Walker Festival this year in his honor with a sold-out event featuring performances by Keb' Mo' and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne's CD "Let It Loose" won a Juno Award, presented by Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences on April 1, 2006 (in an award ceremony in Halifax) for Best Canadian Blues Album of 2005. Kenny is currently in the studio working on his follow-up record due in 2007. The DVD and CD "Otis Rush and Friends: Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 1986" with Eric Clapton and Luther Allison was released March 21, 2006 by Eagle Rock Entertainment (Eagle Records/Experience Hendrix).