SICK? LAURIE MORVAN GOT THE CURE FOR WHAT AILS YA!

LAURIE MORVAN CURES WHAT AILS YA ON NEW CD COMING JUNE 12 FROM SCREAMING LIZARD RECORDS, DISTRIBUTED BY BURNSIDE

LONG BEACH, CA – "Smokin', sexy, screamin' rock & roll blues like you've never heard a woman - or a man - play." "Few blues guitarists pour as much energy into their performance... she brought the house down with one fiery burst of rock-solid blues fireworks after another."

These are some of the quotes about Southern California-based guitarist/singer Laurie Morvan, whose new CD, Cures What Ails Ya, will be released June 12 on Screaming Lizard Records, distributed nationally by Burnside Distribution.

The Illinois-born and raised Morvan discovered modern blues through artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, .38 Special and The Marshall Tucker Band. In her early 20s, she was already playing lead guitar and singing in a power trio, and by going back to the sources of her guitar heroes, she discovered the roots of the blues from artists such as Robert Johnson, Luther Allison, Etta James and Big Mama Thornton.

To support her music "habit," Laurie graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign, received a Master's Degree in Applied Mathematics from California State University in Long Beach and taught math classes to raise funds to record her first album, Out Of the Woods, released in 1997 under the band name Backroad Shack. In 2004, she released Find My Way Home, and by then the group had changed its name to the Laurie Morvan Band.

Cures What Ails Ya was produced by Laurie Morvan and Lisa Grubbs, who also sings background vocals on the new CD. It features 12 original Laurie Morvan songs, all powered by her incendiary guitar work and soulful vocals, which recall Heart's Ann Wilson.

In addition to Laurie's regular touring band, the new CD features special guest performances from drummer Tony Braunagel (B.B. King, Taj Mahal), long-time Bonnie Raitt bassist James "Hutch" Hutchinson, Grammy-winning keyboard master George Duke, B3 organist Sammy Avila (Walter Trout) and keyboardist Doña Oxford (Shemekia Copeland). With its blend of energized blues/ rock, Cures What Ails Ya captures the raw power, dynamics, versatility and passion of a Laurie Morvan Band live performance.

The Laurie Morvan Band will celebrate the release of Cures What Ails Ya with a number of shows in Southern California before heading out to the rest of the country in support of the new CD. For more information, video clips, or to hear sample tracks from the new CD, visit these two sites: http://www.lauriemorvan.com/ or www.MySpace.com/lauriemorvanband.

Maria Muldaur is Naughty, Bawdy and Blue!

MARIA MULDAUR IS NAUGHTY, BAWDY & BLUE ON NEW CD OUT MAY 15
COMPLETES CLASSIC BLUES WOMEN TRILOGY ON STONY PLAIN
INCLUDES SPECIAL DUET WITH MARIA AND BONNIE RAITT

EDMONTON, AB – Stony Plain Records has announced a May 15 release date for Maria Muldaur’s new CD, Naughty, Bawdy & Blue, which completes the trilogy of albums the acclaimed singer has released as a tribute to classic women blues singers from the 1920s through the 1940s. Both of Maria’s previous albums in this series for Canadian label Stony Plain, which is distributed in the U.S. by Navarre Corporation, were nominated for Grammy Awards: Richland Woman Blues (2001) and Sweet Lovin’ Ol’ Soul (2005).


Bonnie Raitt makes a special guest appearance on Naughty, Bawdy & Blue singing a duet with Maria on “Separation Blues,” a song written by Sippie Wallace, with whom Bonnie toured in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Both Maria and Bonnie sang the song with Sippie prior to her death in 1986.

“How great to hear these classic blues again, done up right by one of my favorite singers and the incredible James Dapogny’s Chicago Jazz Band,” says Bonnie Raitt about the new album. “I loved joining in on Sippie Wallace’s ‘Separation Blues’!”

Backing Maria Muldaur on most of the album is James Dapogny’s Chicago Jazz Band (who often performed with Sippie Wallace), which provides the perfect accompaniment of instruments (clarinet, sax, trumpet, trombone, tuba, banjo, guitar, piano, bass and drums) to these songs, a sassy mix of blues and jazz. Other guests on the CD include Dave Mathews on piano and Kevin Porter on trombone. Naughty, Bawdy & Blue was produced by Maria Muldaur and Ron Harwood and recorded at Solid Sound in Ann Arbor, Michigan.


In addition to Sippie Wallace, the other blues queens saluted on the album include Bessie Smith (“Empty Bed Blues,” “A Good Man Is Hard To Find”), Victoria Spivey (“TB Blues,” “One Hour Mama”), Alberta Hunter (“Early Every Morn”), Ma Rainey (“Yonder Come The Blues”) and Mamie Smith (“Down Home Blues”), as well as songs made famous by Ethel Waters and Sara Martin, plus another Sippie Wallace classic, “Up the Country Blues.”

As a young girl growing up in New York City’s Greenwich Village, these are the songs – and the women – who helped inspire Maria to sing and perform, eventually joining the burgeoning folk scene as a member of the Even Dozen Jug Band and later the Jim Kweskin Jug Band. It was also around that time that Maria met Victoria Spivey, who took her under her wing and taught her the finer points of blues singing and performing.

“These singers presented a more sophisticated, polished and urban blues style compared to the more primitive sound of the Delta blues artists,” says Muldaur in the album’s liner notes. “Appearing in large theaters, decked out in lavish finery and accompanied by the most accomplished jazz musicians of the day, their music resonated at the crossroads where jazz and blues meet. These women were ‘liberated’ way before the term was coined; liberated socially, financially and - most of all – sexually from the prevailing confines and mores of the time.”

Naughty, Bawdy & Blue includes extensive recollections from Maria Muldaur on these women singers and their impact on music, as well as individual bios of the women saluted and beautiful watercolor paintings by Rowland Salley of Chris Isaak’s band, who also contributed his work to both previous Muldaur albums on Stony Plain.

Maria Muldaur will tour extensively in support of Naughty, Bawdy & Blue, and is booked by Charlie Ellicott of Ellicott Talent Group (http://www.ellicotttalentgroup.com/)

For more information, visit http://www.mariamuldaur.com/ or http://www.stonyplainrecords.com/

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It's a TRAIN WRECK-Record label that is...

CHIP TAYLOR LAUNCHES TRAIN WRECK RECORDS IN THE U.S. ON APRIL 3RD WITH NATIONAL DISTRIBUTION BY RED

LABEL TO KICK OFF WITH NEW CDS BY GUITARIST JOHN PLATANIA AND SINGER/FIDDLER KENDEL CARSON

NEW YORK – Legendary singer/songwriter Chip Taylor has announced the launch of his indie label, Train Wreck Records, with national distribution by RED Distribution. On April 3rd, the imprint will release its first CDs by guitarist John Platania, Blues, Waltzes and Badland Borders, and Canadian singer/fiddler Kendel Carson’s debut, Rearview Mirror Tears. Train Wreck is already distributing the past Chip Taylor/Carrie Rodriguez catalogue, with additional plans including a possible new live Taylor/Rodriguez duet CD.

“I am extremely enthusiastic about having Train Wreck Records – which has been active in Europe for several years – distributed by RED in the U.S.,” said Chip Taylor in making the announcement. “In the last few years, hands-on support from indie labels has helped break the Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez albums, as well as our solo projects. Guided by Heinz Geissler, Chuck and David Knoblock, the plan for Train Wreck is to continue that hands-on approach with new releases of the first instrumental/concept album by my favorite guitarist in the universe, John Platania, as well as great new artist, Kendel Carson, a young fiddling singer/songwriter,” he added.

John Platania is a well-known guitarist who has played on a number of Van Morrison albums, including the classic hits “Moondance” and “Domino,” and is currently a member of Morrison’s touring band. He’s also recorded and performed with Bonnie Raitt, Randy Newman and Judy Collins, and has been a regular member of Chip Taylor’s band for many years, both on record and on the road.

“It amazes me that John Platania has never recorded his own instrumental album,” Taylor remarked. “Of course, his unique sound is heard throughout some of the all-time great recordings, including many by Van Morrison; and I’ve been fortunate to have him weave his magic on my albums all the way back to Last Chance in 1973. But this album features John in the spotlight and it’s about time.”

Blues, Waltzes and Badland Borders showcases John Platania’s amazing skills on both electric and acoustic guitars and features special guest vocal appearances by Lucinda Williams and Alejandro Escovedo, plus narrative contributions from Academy Award-winning actor Jon Voigt and Ruben Ramos (Los Super Seven), among others. The main studio band for the sessions includes Tony Mercadante on bass, Anton Fig (David Letterman Band) on drums and Chip Taylor on acoustic guitar, with a special guest appearance on fiddle by Carrie Rodriguez. As the CD’s title implies, the new album touches on several sounds associated with Tex-Mex music, as well as blues, rockabilly and some beautiful John Platania guitar instrumental portraits colored with emotion and tenderness. All 11 songs on the CD were written individually or co-written by Platania and Taylor.

22-year-old Kendel Carson has been a professional musician for over a decade, beginning as a trained classical violinist at the age of three in her hometown of Victoria, BC. She has been a featured guest soloist with the Victoria Symphony and a member of the acclaimed National Youth Orchestra of Canada. Kendel has already toured all over the world as a member of several bands, most-recently The Paperboys, with whom she currently tours and is prominently featured on their latest CD, The Road to Ellenside.

“Carrie Rodriguez and I met Kendel Carson a few years ago at a festival in Canmore, Canada,” said Taylor. “Later, at some extremely inspiring sessions in New York, we recorded her first solo album, Rear View Mirror Tears. Kendel is a one of a kind, in talent and personality. She’s an amazing fiddle player, has her own sweet/edgy vocal sound and has a down-home honesty about her on stage that will certainly win folks over.”

On Rear View Mirror Tears, Carson is backed by an all-star band that includes Chip Taylor and John Platania, as well as Tony Mercadante on bass, Dan Rieser on drums and Seth Farber on accordion and keyboards, with special guests Carrie Rodriguez and Kendel’s brother Tyler on background vocals. Chip Taylor wrote the majority of the songs on the new CD, with two co-written by Taylor and Kendel Carson. Rear View Mirror Tears was recorded live in the studio and has the spontaneous, energized feel of a live show, with sounds ranging from Texas fiddle tunes, to tender ballads and several country roadhouse rockers that will get audiences singing along with the lyrics.

Chip Taylor, John Platania and Kendel Carson will support the release of the new CDs with an extensive touring schedule, including appearances at the upcoming South By Southwest Music Conference in Austin, as well as the first Train Wreck Records ensemble tour of the country that will see all three artists performing solo and together.

For more information, visit www.trainwreckrecords.com

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AMERICAN CATAPULT AT MOLLY MALONE'S ON 3/2

Don't forget that American Catapult will be at Molly Malone's on 3/2 in LA. I am hoping that you will be interested in going to see them play. They are truly a band with the grassroots roots…they even have stains on their cars to prove it. (If you wanna try on their sound, go to www.myspace.com/americancatapult just make sure you give it back to the dressing room person in charge so they can hang it back up).


Their CD, Trees of Mystery is going to be released May 22 on Cooking Vinyl if you don't get the title, just look at the CD art and then drive down your streets and roads to see if you can find something that would match it...then you will get it.


BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT if you aren't able to get out tomorrow…try Austin:

They will be in Austin for SXSW 3/14 at Sam's Town Point at 8PM (no badge or wristband to get in) and at Cheapo's on 3/15 on S. Lamar at 1PM.

So try it you'll like it!

A NEWS FLASH FOR FOLK ALLIANCE RE: MICK OVERMAN

“I don't know who he is or from where he hails, but when a CD is this good, I don’t much care about the small print. Overman comes with a Springsteen work ethic and a singer-songwriter folk-rock sound not so far off the beaten path as to call it anything but commonplace – but commonplace in the way of those Diane Arbus black and white photos from the '60's that look quite ordinary until you really look at them and see that there’s something else going on beneath the surface. Likewise, there's something worth encountering just under the surface of Overman’s wonderful road-wizened voice.
Rating - 4 ½ stars – NBCSan Diego.com review of Mick Overman’s new CD,
Good Thing Happen

Come hear Mick Overman for yourself at Folk Alliance, the man whose music has been described as “bluesy folk & roll with jazz attitude.” Mick is considered a SF Bay Area legend, having been long regarded as one of the West Coast’s hardest-working and most-prolific artists (He’s played as many as 379 shows in one year.). He’s also a poet and a master musician, with a rootsy/gutsy style of singing and guitar playing that’s been dubbed “Berklee College of Caveman.”

MICK OVERMAN 2007 FOLK ALLIANCE PERFORMANCES

Wednesday February 21st
12:00am Natchez Room
Official Folk Alliance "Performance Alley" Showcase

Thursday February 23rd
4:00pm Room #1710
Houston Jones "Best Of The West" Showcase

4:45pm Room 204
Spoken Word Showcase entitled "Storytelling With Rosalie Sorrells"

12:00am Room #1708
"Aurora Gorilla" Showcase

1:50am Room #1903
Folk Alliance Troubadour Room

Friday February 23rd
5:00pm Room #1809
"Ronda Barton Presents SOS Annex"

12:00am Room #1710
Houston Jones "Best Of The West" Showcase

1:30am Room #1708
"Aurora Gorilla" Showcase

Saturday February 24th
4:30pm Martin Guitar Day Stage Official Folk Alliance "Performance Alley" Showcase
12:30am #1708
"Aurora Gorilla" Showcase

Mick Overman's Valentine's Week Tour 2007

If you see Mick Overman carting his guitar and amp up and down the streets of San Diego, follow him!
He will doing a slew of shows in the next few weeks celebrating the week of love for Valentine's Day.
2/12 at the Calypso Cafe in the Leucadia area at 7PM
2/14 at The Tiki in the SD area by Pacific Beach (he will start when the mood hits him)
2/15 at The Beach House in the Cardiff by the Sea at 6PM
2/16 at the Old Cali Coffee House in San Marcos (No. SD County area) at 7PM
So if you are in these areas, or too cool to go all of them, then pick the one you want and hear some great new tunes off his Good Thing Happen CD.
Oh if he's sweating while pushing his gear, help him out...

Spencer Durham is Going Nationwide!

Congrats to Spencer Durham for going nationwide with Burnside Distribution for his new CD "Much More Than Words" !!! Now everyone can get it! Due out March 13!

Also, if you are an Atlantan and you took your time going into work/school this morning or didn't go in at all....(tsk tsk) you might have seen Spencer's bright face on Good Day Atlanta!

Now if you didn't see it, you may have a second chance tonight on Ch. 11 here in Atlanta at the 6PM hour. During the Wes Side Story profile with anchorman Wes Sarginson.

So, if you EVER get a chance to hear him play make sure you do...his songs are extremely good and his choice of covers are very cool. Dad must have a great LP collection...I mean, Van Morrison, Into the Mystic...?

Hope to see all Atlantans at Club 29 on 2/25 in Decatur GA for a great CD release party...it all starts at 6PM!
Congrats!