Saturday 5th October 2013

RAG MAMA RAG (UK TOUR)

RAG MAMA RAG (back by popular request), have slowly and consistently built up their reputation as one of Europe’s finest Country Blues acts. With an interesting and wide range of instruments, (ASHLEY DOW, Henderson acoustic guitar, National & Dobro Resonator bottleneck guitars, Weissenborn acoustic  lap steel, ukulele and vocals), plus DEBORAH DOW, (harmonica, washboard, percussion and backing vocals), RAG MAMA RAG create an exceptionally full and hard driving rhythmic sound.
Their repertoire is 20s and 30s blues based, but extremely varied, encompassing Mississippi blues, East Coast ragtime sounds, early white country tunes, original compositions, and many other regional styles of the 20s and 30s period. Touring non-stop in Europe, (they now live in France),  during the last twelve years RAG MAMA RAG have clocked up around 4,000 concerts and have played at all the major festivals in France, Belgium and Germany.

Admission £8

www.ragmamarag.co.uk

Saturday 2nd November 2013

THE DALE STORR BAND

Brooks Blues Bar are pleased to present the wonderful ‘Dale Storr Band’ following their huge success as one of the headline acts on the main stage at the Ealing Blues Festival last month. The line-up of the band is piano, bass, drums, saxophone & trumpet. 2nd November will be their exclusive debut club gig in London as well as Dale’s new solo CD launch.

 'Dale Storr's musical journey has taken him from his rural Lincolnshire upbringing to his own musical mecca, New Orleans. Inspired by the Big Easy's legendary pianists, Dr.John, James Booker, Professor Longhair and Allen Toussaint, Dale Storr is now recognised as the UK's leading exponent of New Orleans piano. Before going solo Dale played for the likes of Eugene 'Hideaway' Bridges, King King feat Alan Nimmo, Frank White, Rocky Athas etc and has also been nominated 4 times for best Piano Player in the British Blues Awards. Joining Dale in the 'Big Band' are Blues Award Nominee Dave Raeburn on Drums ( Hoax, Nimmo Brothers, Bob Hall ), Paul Mallatratt on Bass ( Kevin Thorpe ) and an exceptional brass section consisting of Kim Storr on Saxophone and James Atashroo on Trumpet. In short, The Dale Storr 'Big Band' deliver the infectious sounds of New Orleans to the highest standard.'

Advanced booking is recommended

Admission £10

www.dalestorr.com

Saturday 30th November 2013

FRAN McGILLIVRAY & MIKE BURKE Plus Special Guest JOHN B HARRIS

“Fran McGillivray sings with a controlled passion highlighted by Mike Burke's instinctive blues guitar heart to create a highly distinctive character. The material is beautifully, grippingly balanced - heartbreakingly poignant one minute, rousingly upbeat the next… " Colin Irwin "Folk Roots" magazine

Fran and Mike are founder members of electric band So Long Angel.  Since appearing at the Colne Blues Festival as a duo in 2004 they have concentrated much of their energy into developing a unique acoustic brand of blues and hauntingly original self-penned songs featuring Fran on vocals and bass guitar and Mike on guitars.

Special guest John B. Harris also makes a rare solo appearance on the house grand piano  - he plays in the style of the legendary Otis Spann and Professor Longhair and never fails to rev up the audience who unfailing give him a standing ovation as at the gig here in January with Steve Morrison and Alan Glen. A unique performance which can only be heard at Brooks Blues Bar.

Admission £8

www.solongangel.com

Thursday 7th November  2013

JAZZ SPECIAL – PHIL DeGREG (USA) ALL STAR QUARTET.

Brooks Blues Bar is honoured to present renowned US jazz pianist, Phil DeGreg with Adam King on bass, Steve Brown on drums and Alan Barnes on saxes for this one-off gig during a brief visit to London. Phil has played with jazz greats including Woody Herman, Chuck Berry, Joe Lovano, Rufus Reid, Zoot Sims, Stanley Turrentine, Junior Cook, Dizzy Gillespie, JJ Johnson and Slide Hampton – to name a few. He also finds time to be Professor of Jazz at the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.

This is a gig not to be missed.

Admission £10

www.phildegreg.com

SATURDAY 4 JANUARY 2014

OLD TIME STRING BAND featuring SONNY BLACK plus special guest KELLY BOAZMAN

(Interval act - Raphael/Hyde Acoustic Experience)

The Old Time String Band are Sonny Black (gtr/voc), John Hedgecock (fiddle/banjo/mandolin) and Richard Sadler (dble bs). Kelly Boazman (voc) also makes a guest appearance. Sonny Black is an internationally acclaimed acoustic guitarist playing exquisite fingerstyle and flatpicking slide – “An outstanding artist” (Paul Jones, BBC Radio 2) – “Top drawer..” (Time Out). John Hedgecock is a consummate musician and composer in the old time tradition and Richard Sadler is THE bassist in demand having been a regular member of the Neil Cowley Trio and one of The Aviators with Giles Hedley. Kelly Boazman is that rare phenomenon - a talented vocalist who has recently come on the scene to the delight of audiences – a real star in the making.

Admission £8

SATURDAY 1 FEBRUARY 2014

STEVE MORRISON & ALAN GLEN accompanied by TIM PENN & MARK WALKER

Steve Morrison is a remarkable guitarist and melodic songwriter. He is one of the very few guitarists who has mastered the playing of the bass line with his thumb whilst using his other digits for the melody line – and he really swings with vocals reminiscent of JJ Cale. Alan Glen (who also plays guitar) is better known for his superb harmonica playing – one of the early members of The Yardbirds, his musical credits are too numerous to list. The musical empathy between Steve and Alan is astounding and complemented by Tim Penn (on the house Yamaha C7 grand piano) and Mark Walker (dms). (The party spirit will be flowing tonight in celebration of the 70th birthday of one of Brooks Blues Bar’s organisers and the wedding anniversary of both organisers).

www.stevemorrison.eu     www.thebarcodes.co.uk

Admission £8

SATURDAY 1 MARCH 2014

THE SPIKEDRIVERS

(SPECIAL LIVE RECORDING – ADMISSION INCUDES A COPY OF THE LIVE RECORDING ON CD)

Ben Tyzack (gtr/voc/harp), Constance Redgrave (bs gtr/voc/perc.) & Maurice McElroy (dms/perc/voc)

are an original, innovative and exciting band. Their combination of gutsy slide guitar, rock solid bass, infectious grooves and highly distinctive vocals, creates a big sound that is uniquely their own. They have headlined music festivals throughout the UK and on the Continent. “The atmosphere the band is able to create is nothing less than remarkable” (Blues Revue USA) “The Spikedrivers were simply the revelation of the festival” (The More Blues Festival, Belgium) “…three musicians interweaving and complementing each other perfectly” (fRoots UK)

www.spikedrivers.net

Admission £15 (to include a copy of the live recording on CD)

SATURDAY 3 MAY 2014

DANA GILLESPIE with DINO BAPTISTE

A major figure on the international music scene for more than forty years and recording over sixty albums for major labels, Dana Gillespie has performed worldwide and been voted “Top British Female Blues Vocalist” by the British Blues Connection and Blueprint Magazine five times and elevated to their Hall of Fame. “….she literally beats the pants off anything done by a British bluesman the last ten years” (Essential Blues). A true blues diva who never fails to delight audiences. Accompanied by the hot-shot boogie pianist, Dino Baptiste.

www.danagillespie.co.uk    www.dinobaptiste.com

Admission £10

SATURDAY 5 APRIL 2014

ERIN HARPE (USA)

(UK DEBUT TOUR)

Featuring Special Guest

Alan Glen - Harmonica

Another first for the discerning Brooks Blues Bar audience. Boston Music Awards Winner for 2012 of Blues Artist of the Year, Erin Harpe (voc/gtr) unique brand of blues is rooted in vintage 1930’s Mississippi delta blues, featuring originals and classics that range from Memphis Minnie to early Bonnie Raitt. Accompanied by Jim Countryman on bass this promises to be the first of many visits to Europe by these highly acclaimed artists.

www.erinharpe.com

Admission £10

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