BLUES BEST FOR THE FESTIVAL

The ‘2006 Leeds Blues Festival’ is quickly taking shape with four of the counties best ‘blues’ bands already booked, each band will guarantee ‘Blues’ fans young or old, new or dedicated a festival set to remember. Tickets will be advertised via this site in the near future.

Welsh T Band…..After taking the audiences at the 2005 Colne Blues Festival by storm the band with Terry blasting out the vocals, and Kev giving it some rock on guitar are back in Leeds for what promises to be another memorable high powered gig.

Crosscut Saw…..Pure raw 24-7 blues at its best, with Alex Eden giving it the full treatment with guitar, harmonica and vocals. Listening to the bands excellent “In debt ? you bet” CD, just leaves you drooling in anticipation for the bands next stunning blues gig.

Speakeasy Blues Band…..Whether a four piece or an eight piece band including a brass section, this is a very special band. With the irresistible Jon White on vocals the band are creating a loyal following in West Yorkshire and beyond. Their classic CD “Like I Love The Blues” is a must for any “Blues” fan.

Lowdown Blues Band….. With the fabulous bluesy voice of lead singer Mick Agnew and a band full of quality musicians, its easy to see why the band are mentioned in the same breath as the legendary Dr Browns Blues Band.

CORB - RADIO 2 THE ROSCOE

After appearing on the Bob Harris Country show on Radio 2, the Corb Lund band returned to the New Roscoe in Leeds for the next leg of their successful UK Tour. Despite it being a miserable Monday night outside, inside the audience was transported to the Rockies and Grizzly Bears of Canada in the distinctive style which Corb Lund and his band are now famed for. The quality of the musicians, and Corb’s distinctive voice enable the audience to foot-tap their way through the song “Always Keep an Edge on your Knife”, smell the burning embers in “The Truth Comes Out” or play air guitar to the brilliant “Bluesy” track “Counterfeiter’s Blues” such is the versatility of this band. One could imagine the champion of the downtrodden cowboys and the like, Johnny Cash listening to the lyrics of the songs and nodding in acknowledgement. Their excellent new album, titled “Hair in my Eyes Like a Highland Steer” is sure to propel the bands popularity even further. The “live music” lovers of Leeds owe John Keenan a huge debt of gratitude for enabling them to see top-line bands like these on a regular basis, without JFK the live music scene in Leeds could have become a musical wasteland, instead of the vibrancy the city now enjoys musically.

GINA SAILS THROUGH OCEAN 11

Gina Dootson has received plaudits from fans and critics alike as both a solo performer and as part of a duo, her performance at Ocean 11 in Leeds gave a new audience the chance to see Gina with her full band. Playing a new venue can be daunting but Gina thrilled the crowd with a stunning and confident performance with a mixture of mainly her own songs, from her acclaimed CD “3AM Generation” to some covers such as a memorable version of Dolly Parton’s "Jolene". The incredible voice coming from such a petite frame takes the audience by surprise, as each song is sung with power and vigour, yet without any trace of a strained or tortured note. Following appearances at The New Roscoe and now Ocean 11 it is hoped that the music lovers of Leeds will be fortunate to see more of Gina, as she is a talent that has to be seen at every available opportunity.

CLASSIC ACOUSTIC FROM FRAN RODGERS

Some singers simply sing lyrics, some live the lyrics, the rare talented ones take the audience within the songs and on to a higher musical experience, Fran Rodgers is such that rare talent. Her thirty minute performance at the “Acoustic all-dayer” at Wakefield’s Escobar was a musical joy to behold. Every word was sung with a delicate, yet powerful pureness rarely heard. It would be easy to describe Fran as Yorkshire’s answer to the multi-award winning Karine Polwart, however this would detract from the uniqueness of Fran’s song-writing and singing abilities. Her set included songs from her new and acclaimed four-track CD ‘Let the Rain Fall’, each song being individual and poignant. The perfect antidote for a day of stress would be to dim the lights, have a glass of wine and play a Fran Rodgers CD over and over and over…

BLUES BAR WELCOMES HOME JF

The term “Genius” is an often used word in today’s society, however, Jason Feddy’s performance at the Blues Bar in Harrogate can only be described as a performance of a song writing genius. Now based in Southern California, his visits back to the UK are a rare occurrence, its a measure of the man that his popularity ensures a sell out crowd with waiting lists for spare tickets! Because of the intimacy and friendliness of the Blues Bar, a first-time visitor may well have felt they were intruding on a family gathering, such was the atmosphere created. Jason gave the fans anecdotes of Blues Bar gigs of the past, the move to the U.S.A and the various relationships along the way. An uninterrupted two and a half hour session included all the old favourites such as, “She loves everyone”, “The road” and “There’s only one way this could end” along with the many requests shouted from the buoyant crowd, who sang at every opportunity. With former Supertramp Saxophonist John Helliwell also joining Jason on the stage, this was a day the Blues Bar will remember for a very long time.

THE HOARSE EP LAUNCH

Following the continued success of their CD “The Way We Bring It Down”, the boys have been back in the recording studio and will launch their new EP titled “100,000 Miles” at The Mixing Tin in Leeds on Friday 17th March. In what promises to be a memorable St Patrick’s night launch, the band will once again show the originality that has continued to delight their ever increasing fan-base. The doors open at 8-00pm and the music will start at 9-00pm.