MUSIC IN THE COURTYARD AT HEADFEATHERS

 “Potent, undiluted 100-proof Texas blues honed to a razor’s edge” -GuitarOne

“Powerful, hard-nosed, authentic roadhouse blues...Punchy Texas shuffles, fierce boogies, tough slow blues and mighty fine roots rock” -Living Blues

“Kubek is one of the fiercest electric guitarists currently plugged-in.  Hard-hitting original Texas blues-rock” -Billboard

For almost 20 years, the red-hot Texas rockin’ blues of Smokin’ Joe Kubek and Bnois King has been thrilling music fans all around the world. Kubek’s raucous roadhouse fretwork is expertly complimented by the equally fiery guitar and soulful vocals of Bnois King. With literally thousands of live performances under their collective belt, the two create a one-two punch of raw, tough, blues-rock filled with intensity and purpose. Gigging with legendary musicians like Stevie Ray Vaughan,  Albert King, Freddie King and B.B. King (among so many others), Kubek learned first-hand how to live and play the blues and how to lead a band. Harp declared, “Kubek and King pump out rocking, kicking blues for those times when the feet just want to start stomping.”

The band’s Alligator Records debut, Blood Brothers, produced by Kubek and Alligator president Bruce Iglauer, is a blues lover’s delight. The CD features 14 rocking blues songs (13 originals) filled with Kubek’s larger-than-life fretwork and King’s smoky vocals and economical, tasty guitar playing.

According to Iglauer, “Joe and Bnois are a real powerhouse blues combination. Joe is an amazing guitarist who can play anything in blues, from the most traditional Texas style to totally blowout blues-rock. Bnois is a gorgeous singer with deep Texas soul, and his guitar playing is subtle and melodic. Together they make an unbeatable two-man front line backed by a solid, versatile rhythm section.”

And Kubek is simply thrilled to be with Alligator. “Alligator is the Rolls Royce of blues labels.  After all my life of being a musician, this is the greatest achievement and brightest spot of my career. I’m looking forward to making the best recordings I’ve ever made, and I’m looking forward to seeing all of our fans on tour.”

Many things come to mind upon hearing Alabama Mike sing for the first time, but mostly it's where has this guy been? With a soulful voice that brings such greats as Elmore James, Buddy Guy, Little Johnny Taylor and yes, even B.B. King to mind, you will be asking yourself why haven't I seen or heard of him before? Alabama Mike is a very unique talent, not only a gifted singer but also a very talented song writer, having penned over half of the tunes on his impressive debut CD. Born in Talladega, Alabama, in 1964, "Alabama" was influenced by the Gospel singing of his father at a early age, as well as his love for Chicago Blues. Alabama Mike is a artist that anybody that has any interest in the Blues will soon be aware of.

Alabama Mike Benjamin is definitely the real deal, he's a hell of a singer, writes top notch songs, all performed old school style with no hint of trendy rock trappings. I thought this kind of music had all but had it's day, it sounds like it should have been recorded fifty years ago! If you dig Elmore, early B.B., classic Chicago era, then this is definitely for you.

"BEST NEW BLUES ARTIST"...Bay Area Blues Society

Superhero is the name of Candye's original song and the title of her latest CD for Los Angeles based label, Delta Groove records. It is also an apt description of the jump blues singer and songwriter from East Los Angeles who has earned this moniker the hard way. Nominated for three 2010 National Blues Foundation Awards http://www.blues.org for BB King Entertainer of the Year, Best Blues Contemporary CD and Best Contemporary Blues Female (the highest honor for blues artists) and beating down pancreatic cancer in the last two years, Kane is one tough cookie. She has performed worldwide for presidents and movie stars but her path to success was not always glamorous or easy.

A colorful mixture of the traditional and the eclectic, Kane cut her musical teeth in the early 80’s onstage with Hollywood musicians and friends, Social Distortion, Dwight Yoakum, Dave Alvin, The Blasters, X, Fear and Los Lobos, to name just a few.

Kane's live shows are the stuff of legend. She honors the bold blues women of the past with both feet firmly planted in the present. She belts - growls - shouts - croons and moans from a lifetime of suffering and overcoming obstacles. She uses music as therapy and often writes and chooses material with positive affirmations that leave the audience feeling healed and exhilarated. A show that is part humor, revival meeting and sexuality celebration, she'll deliver a barrelhouse-tongue-in-cheek blues tune or a gospel ballad like Jesus and Mohammed, encouraging audiences to leave behind religious intolerance. She’ll slay the crowd with her balls out rendition of Whole Lotta Love or glorify the virtues of zaftig women with 200 pounds of fun. She often says she is a "fat black drag queen trapped in a white woman's body" and she dresses the part. Bedecked in bright colored feathers, sequins and rhinestones, Kane's performance is Mississippi by way of Las Vegas with a quick stopover in San Francisco.

Kane’s tenth CD release, Superhero debuted at number nine on the Billboard Blues Charts. The cd continues to receive amazing reviews worldwide. It was produced by Kane and 27 year old guitar virtuoso, Laura Chavez who also plays in Candye's live band.

Candye has been included in countless Blues and Jazz Anthologies including the Rolling Stone and Musichounds Guide to Jazz and Blues and Dan Akroyds’ 30 Essential Women of the Blues.

It's a common mistake to think of Rod Piazza as one of the young turks or new generation of the blues. But at this point in his career, Rod Piazza has been making records longer than his mentor George "Harmonica" Smith did, or Sonny Boy Williamson (either of them!) or Howlin' Wolf, or Muddy Waters. He's been a recording artist for more years than Little Walter was alive. Rod Piazza is a tried-an-true, dyed-in-the-wool blues veteran with credentials that are second to none.
 
From his first recordings as a leader in 1967 fronting The Dirty Blues Band, through his multiple W.C. Handy award winning releases with his current band, The Mighty Flyers, to his countless appearances both live and on record with the most revered names in the blues, Rod Piazza has established himself as one of the most influential living blues harp players. He's consistently surrounded himself with players who bring out the best he has to offer, and epitomize the very best in blues: fresh, swinging, tasteful, exciting and creative. The core of The Mighty Flyers has been together for over three decades, and developed the kind of musical telepathy that simply cannot exist without years of experience on the bandstand and in the studio. The Mighty Flyers are a well-oiled machine, with Piazza in the drivers seat.

Born in 1947, Piazza's infatuation with blues began at a time when many of the masters were still in their prime years, and in the mid 1960s when the first blues revival was picking up steam, he was in the thick of it. A decade later he had already released five albums, and was one of the leading lights of the West Coast Blues scene. In the early '70s he joined forces with Otis Spann disciple Honey Alexander (now his wife) on piano, and when they formed the Mighty Flyers in the early 1980s, his career really hit its stride.

Since then Piazza and the Mighty Flyers have played literally thousands of gigs in every corner of the globe, recorded over a dozen highly acclaimed releases, won or been nominated for almost every major award and honor that can be bestowed upon a blues band, and along the way virtually created a new style of blues. It was a combination of low-down Chicago grit, suave West Coast swing and jazz, and the rhythmic drive of the best early R&B and rock & roll. Quite simply, Rod Piazza and The Mighty Flyers are one of the best, most experienced, and most distinctive bands in blues today, and hard as it may be to believe, they're still getting better. Piazza has come into his own as a clever and imaginative songwriter, and his vocals have taken on a warmth and personality that can only be won with maturity and decades of experience.

2008 Inductee Bay Area Blues Society Hall of Fame

2006 BABMA Awards - Best Blues Performer
 
2001 Rooster Records - Grammy Nomination - "Rollin"

From 1981 to 1985 Bianca routinely toured with Van Morrison throughout the States as well as Europe and recorded backing vocals for several of his releases including "Beautiful Vision", "Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart ","A Sense Of Wonder" , “Live At The Grand Opera, Belfast” and “No Guru, No Method, No Teacher”.

Throughout the 90's Bianca continued to do backing vocals for many well known artists including Frankie Lee, Muria Muldaur, John Lee Hooker and many others.

In 2000 they met Jim O'Neal and he brought them to Rooster Blues Records. Where Lady Bianca cut her second CD in 2002 entitled "Rollin" once again they wrote, arranged and produced the entire album and this received a nomination for a Grammy in both the Blues and R&B Fields - "Daddy Blues Was a Witness" in the Blues category and "Little Drop of Water" in the R&B category.

In all Lady Bianca has recorded and performed with many of the who's who of Hall of fame legends such as: Bobby Bland, Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker, Etta James, Curtis Mayfield, Van Morrison, Sly and the Family Stone, Irma Thomas, Koko Taylor, Joe Louis Walker and dozens more.

In 2004 Lady Bianca released 'All By Myself' on their own label Magic-O Records, followed by “Let Love Have Its Way" and March 2007 the new release "Through A Woman's Eyes".
 
"Lady Bianca is a great talent whose hearty refreshing approach tugs at the heart while moving the feet. She stakes out a soul/ blues/ gospel territory uniquely her own" David Freeland, Blues Review Magazine.
 
 
"The Lady's searing vocals and burning piano is outstanding. Her command of the lyrics is exquisite. She can bring an audience to laughter, or tears and put them in a frantic dancing mood" Stanley Lippitt Magic-O Records