Mama k Tean 4

Powerful, heavy & bluesy ! People say its the toughest sounding band around. The band with the original, raw sound hails from New Orleans, Louisiana. Johnny leads the ensemble and has racked up 11 records, countless festival appearances, over 30 european tours, a feature in a 2013 film as well as recording for the BBC in London, German National Radio in Bremen, and Belgian National Radio in Brussels. JMMBs music is a blend of new and old at the same time. Roots run deep as Johnny spent 16 years (and Smoke 6 years) at the blues shrine "Babe's & Ricky's Inn" under tutelage from Laura Mae "Mama" Gross.

Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton helped lay the groundwork for rock & roll in 1953 with her raw electric blues single "Hound Dog" (later covered by Elvis Presley). The Way It Is finds Thornton performing at an L.A. rock club 16 years later, after the rock revolution she and her peers inspired had effectively usurped the blues as the music of the people. Yet at a time when everyone from Muddy Waters to Buddy Guy was making concessions to the rock market in an effort to stay contemporary, Thornton stuck to her guns. For this concert, she relies on the same gritty, old-school blues sound that made her famous…

Powerful, heavy & bluesy ! People say it's the toughest sounding band around. The band with the original, reckless sound hails from New Orleans, LA. Johnny leads the ensemble and has racked up 13 records, countless festival appearances, over 35 European tours in 15 countries, a feature in a 2013 film as well as recording for the BBC in London, German National Radio in Bremen, and Belgian National Radio in Brussels. Elmore James (1918-1963) was an American musician that had popularity, deep soul and an energy that makes his music sound fresh today. JMMB’s 13 song new recording keeps that American spirit alive. Powerful, heavy & bluesy ! JMMBs music is a blend of new and old at the same time.

VIVARTE is the legendary Sony Classical period music label known for producing outstanding recordings on period instruments. The recordings by legendary producer Wolf Erichson are done with the best recording technologies and by one of the best production teams in the world (Tritonus Music Production, Stuttgart). The label started producing when Sony Classical was founded (in 1989). The production came to a standstill recently when Wolf Erichson retired and DHM became the new label of period music within Sony Classical. Among the outstanding artists which recorded for Vivarte are: Anner Bylsma, Gustav Leonhardt, Jos Van Immerseel, Tafelmusik, Huelgas Ensemble and others.

The Eyesores is the best known project of Alec K. Redfearn, a Rhode Island songwriter/composer/musician (who primarily plays accordion). He was made the front man of the band with their third album, Every Man For Himself & God Against All. The band grows and shrinks with the needs of the various projects, but in general also includes Olivia Geiger on violin, Margie Wienk on vocals, cello, and double bass, Ann Schattle on french horn, Erica Schattle on bassoon, Domenick Panzarella on guitar, and Matt Mclaren on drums. Redfearn himself is known for playing his accordion like a guitar (through the use of distortion, drone and noise). The band started as an outlet for Redfearns more singer/songwriter material, but has grown far from these roots, and have since brought their music to film scores, theatrical performances, and dance troupes.

For some reason, Talib Kibwe - the alto saxophonist and flutist well known in the jazz community for his efforts as a sideman with Randy Weston, Abdullah Ibrahim and others - chose the moniker T.K. Blue for this album. Thankfully, it isn't a phony affectation disguising some overbearing smooth jazz or funk project. Kibwe presents a program of modern jazz from different perspectives, all well played and thoughtfully conceived. Help comes from pianists James Weidman, Onaje Allan Gumbs, Michael Cochran and Weston (one cut), bassists Santi Debriano and Calvin Hill, trumpeters Eddie Henderson and Tony Branker, trombonist Bob Ferrel, drummers Cecil Brooks III and Greg Bufford, and percussionist Guilherme Franco, all expert jazz expressionists…