Cincy Groove Magazine

Photos - AM Taxi, 7.28.10, Warped Tour, Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, OH

2010-08-02T19:27:00.000-07:00

Source - http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/2277

More Photos - AM Taxi, 7.28.10, Warped Tour, Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati, OH

http://www.amtaximusic.com/

Photos by Scott Preston

2010 Cincy Blues Fest Highlights More Than 40 Musical Acts and Special Tribute To New Orleans

2010-08-02T19:23:00.000-07:00

Source - http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/2276

CINCINNATI, OH, July 9, 2010: One of Cincinnati’s hottest summer festivals — the 18th Annual Cincy Blues Fest — is once again bringing a unique blend of music to the city, with more than 40 acts on four stages:

• Main Stage: Featuring headliners and living legends of the blues world.
• Arches Stage (Friday): This year’s theme is Pardi Gras! A Tribute to New Orleans.
• Boogie-Woogie Piano Hall of Fame Stage (Saturday): A gathering of blues and boogie
piano greats from around the world.
• St. Vincent DePaul Local Stage: Showcasing the best of Cincinnati’s award-wining blues scene.

On August 6 and 7, Cincinnati’s Sawyer Point Park will be rocking with local and national blues performers. This year, the Main Stage features Joe Louis Walker, Alexis P. Suter Band, Rick Estrin and the Nightcats, David Maxwell Maximum Blues Band, The Insomniacs, Candye Kane, and Shane Dwight, as well as Cincy Blues Challenge winners The Bluebirds Big Band and Bad Men on a Mission.

On Saturday the Main Stage will also host a performance by Cincy Blues Society’s Blues in the Schools (BITS) Band. “Because proceeds from this festival directly support BITS, we’re thrilled to showcase the talent and hard work of the students in the program,” says festival Director Joy Dziech. “By keeping the blues alive though these young musicians, we’re helping to inspire future blues performers and fans.”

On Friday, don’t miss Pardi Gras! A Tribute to New Orleans on the Arches Stage. Kick up your heels to the sounds of the bayou with local favorites Robin Lacy and DeZydeco, and direct from Louisiana, Little Freddie King and Dwayne Dopsie. Festival admission is $10 per person Friday and $15 per person Saturday, children 13-18 are only $5 each day, and children 12 and under are FREE (with adult).

Closing in on two decades of success, Cincy Blues Fest continues to draw fans and families to Cincinnati’s riverfront for music, food, fun, and the best names in the blues. A full list of performers and scheduled times is available on Cincy Blues Fest’s website:
http://cincyblues.org

Interview with The Master of Funk, Bootsy Collins

2009-04-24T18:36:00.001-07:00

I had the pleasure to sit down with Cincinnati's own Bootsy Collins and talk with him about his numerous musical projects and his restaurant/music museum that he has started with Jeff Ruby. Some of his notable projects he is involved in include a Fallen Soldiers memorial cd that includes Charlie Daniels and George Duke that will help raise funds for a Fallen Soldiers memorial to built here in Cincinnati. Bootsy is also heavily involved in bringing national attention to the history and influence that King Records has had on music.

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/1188

Video - Rumpke Mountain Boys, 4.18.09, Everybody's Records, Cincinnati, OH (Record Store Day)

2009-04-21T07:17:00.000-07:00

Video - Rumpke Mountain Boys, 4.18.09, Everybody's Records, Cincinnati, OH (Record Store Day)

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/1177

Photos - Guster, 4.19.09, University of Dayton

2009-04-20T09:32:00.001-07:00

Photos of Guster, 4.19.09, University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, OH:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/1171

Video - Rumpke Mountain Boys, 4.18.09, Earth Day at Sawyer Point, Cincinnati, OH

2009-04-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

Video of The Rumpke Mountain Boys, 4.18.09, Earth Day at Sawyer Point, Cincinnati, OH:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/1172

Forecastle Festival 2009 Poster

2009-04-13T08:05:00.001-07:00

Here is your first look at the 2009 Forecastle Festival Poster:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/1150

Lineup as of today (4/13/09) - 2 nights Widespread Panic, Avett Bros, Black Crowes, Black Keys, Umphreys McGee, Yonder Mountain String Band, Kathleen Edwards, Zappa Plays Zappa, Pretty Lights, The New Mastersounds, Outformation, The Whigs, with over 50 more acts to be announced.

Video Premiere - ISWHAT?! - "Fanta" (original version)

2009-04-04T07:44:00.000-07:00

"FANTA" (original version) - the first mix, first video, first single from the new ISWHAT?! CD "BIG APPETITE" available everywhere FALL 2009

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/1127

Interview with David Berkeley

2009-03-31T19:55:00.001-07:00

Singer-songwriter David Berkeley will be teaming up with a talented group of musical scribes for an in-the-round tour appropriately dubbed "All The Lads And A Lady." As the name suggests, Micah Dalton, Ryan Horne, Jon Black & Kim Taylor will join Berkeley for a two-week jaunt through mid-America this spring.

The tour makes a stop tomorrow Wed April 1st, 2009 at Northside Tavern in Cincinnati, OH

I also interviewed David Berkeley:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/1118

Video - Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue, 3.24.09, Southgate House, Newport, KY

2009-03-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

Video of the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue, 3.24.09, Southgate House, Newport, KY:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/1111

Featuring Tommy Castro, Magic Dick, Deanna Bogart, Ronnie Baker Brooks and local Cincinnati artist Jon Justice

Photos - Peter Frampton, Gary Burbank - Play It Forward Concert For a Cause, 3.12.09, Madison Theater, Covington, KY

2009-03-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

Gary Burbank
------------------------
Photos of the Play It Forward Concert For A Cause, 3.12.09, Madison Theater, Covington, KY. Featuring bands: Gary Burbank & Blue Run, The Blue Birds, Tracy Walker, Scotty Anderson, Ricky Nye, Sonny Moorman, Noah Hunt & The 420 Allstars, Keith Little, Rootbound, Roger Yeardley, Peter Frampton, Drew Lanius

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/1080

Photos - Freekbass, 2.21.09, The Mousetrap, Indianapolis, IN

2009-02-22T18:52:00.000-08:00

Photos of Freekbass, 2.21.09, The Mousetrap, Indianapolis, IN:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/1046

Spring Hookahville 2009

2009-02-13T12:40:00.000-08:00

Here it is folks, the first lineup announcement for Spring Hookahville 2009!! As always 2 nights of ekoostik hookah, Les Claypool, The Wailers Exodus Tour, The Ark Band, Oakhurst, Freekbass, Mifune, Sweet Water Meltdown, Erin Higgins, plus more TBA

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/1023

Interview with Lori Lieberman

2009-02-13T12:38:00.001-08:00

Music's best kept secret, Lori Lieberman has remained in the shadows of the spotlight since the early seventies, quietly gleaning the respect of an industry and a devoted base of fans. As the one responsible for such hits as "Killing Me Softly With His Song" she consistently recorded album after album for Capitol Records, RCA, EMI, Pope Music, and currently, Drive On Records.

Lori Lieberman's latest release, "Gun Metal Sky", is the definitive Lori Lieberman recording. Four years in the making, this CD reflects Lieberman's growth as a vocalist, writer, producer and arranger. With eight songs penned by Lieberman, it also includes four songs by some of our most beloved songwriters and interpreted by her unique sensitivity and style.

My Interview with Lori Lieberman:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/1027

Interview with Erika Wennerstrom from The Heartless Bastards

2009-02-05T11:57:00.001-08:00

Even though the Heartless Bastards are now based in Austin, they will always be a Cincinnati band. They have come a long way from playing that first gig at The Comet here in Cincinnati to touring with The Black Keys, getting a very positive review in SPIN Magazine, and playing on David Letterman on Feb 10. Erika Wennerstrom was kind enough to speak with me about the band and about their new album "The Mountain" which was just released on Feb 3rd. They will also be having a cd release show on 3/25/09 at The Madison Theater in Covington, KY.

My Interview with Erika from The Heartless Bastards:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/1017

Cincy Groove House Concert - 2/26/09 - Victoria Vox

2009-01-29T11:45:00.001-08:00

Cincy Groove Magazine is proud to announce our very first house concert. It will feature 2 very talented ukulele singer/songwriters, Amber Nash from Shiny & The Spoon and Victoria Vox. It will be taking place on Thursday Feb 26, 2009 in Cincinnati, OH. Opening the evening will be Shiny & The Spoon (Amber Nash & Jordan Neff), from 8 - 8:45pm. Followed by Victoria Vox from 9 - 10:15pm.

18+, $10 ticket presale, space is limited, buy your tickets now!

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/995

Cincy Groove Podcast #1 - Freekbass

2009-01-20T07:19:00.001-08:00

Cincy Groove has posted its very first podcast! Podcast #1 features 3 songs from Cincinnati, OH funk artist Freekbass off of his most recent studio release "Junkyard Waltz"

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/973

photos - Tupelo Honey, 1.14.09, Cincy Groove TV #11

2009-01-15T06:13:00.001-08:00

Photos of Tupelo Honey, 1.14.2009, Cincy Groove TV episode #11, Cincinnati, OH:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/953

Interview with Aron Magner from the Disco Biscuits

2009-01-12T15:13:00.000-08:00

January 12, 2009

Interview by Scott Preston

Thirteen years after playing their first note together in Philadelphia, PA, The Disco Biscuits continue to make mind bending, genre defying music. With their fifth studio album on the way, the band's first since 2002, the Biscuits once again look to redefine what it means to be a live band living in a studio setting. The product of three years in the hole with Philadelphia hip-hop duo Don Cheegro and Dirty Harry, along with some close guidance from the UK electronic duo of Simon Posford and Benji Vaughn (Twisted Records UK), will once again satisfy fans of the band in a way they have never heard before – a quality many have come to find synonymous with the band's releases and performances through the years.

The hosts of Camp Bisco, one of the country's largest and longest running electronic music festivals, the Biscuits have continued to bring a myriad of talent to the scene in recent years, including: Snoop Dogg, Thievery Corporation, DJ Shadow, MSTRKRFT, The Roots, Infected Mushroom, STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector Nine), Shpongle, Younger Brother, Alex Paterson (The Orb), and many, many more. Camp Bisco, which has found a home at upstate New York's Indian Lookout Country Club, attracted nearly 8000 concert-goers a night for three nights in July 2008. With the eighth installment of the festival set to blast off in July 2009, Camp Bisco veterans and first-timers can count on a fresh, one-of-a-kind, party that's not to be missed.

Cincy Groove: So I understand you have a studio album coming out pretty soon?

Aron Magner: Yeah pretty soon, there's no street date for the release yet, but we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. That light, mind you, has been visible for the last year. We keep inching closer and closer and we are almost there.

Cincy Groove: Is there a title for the new album?

Aron Magner: We have a bunch of titles that we are throwing around, we haven't decided on anything definite yet.

Cincy Groove: Were there any special guests on this album?

Aron Magner: Yes, but not in the traditional sense. For instance when we were in California recording Senor Boombox, we were in this great studio called Fantasy Studios in Oakland. Carlos Santana was recording in the studio right next to us. We aren't buddy buddy with Carlos so we felt it wasn't appropriate to ask Carlos to be on the record. But we did put his percussion player on Jigsaw Earth and that was great.

There are a lot of other musicians on this album, but they got on the album very organically. Tom Hamilton played some guitar on the cd. It wasn't like we approached him ahead of time and asked him to play this particular solo. He just walked into the studio one day and we kind of said "Hey do you want to strap a guitar on?". We have our own studio here in Philly, so there are people walking in and out all the time. A lot of people lended their talents because that's what we do, play music.

Read the full Interview here

Phish Reveals Reunion Tour Details

2009-01-08T07:09:00.001-08:00

Phish has revealed 2009 tour date information:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/934

Show Review 1.3.2009 and Interview with Amanda Overmyer

2009-01-05T20:17:00.000-08:00

Interview with American Idol finalist Amanda Overmyer and show review from 1.3.09 Madison Theater:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/922

Photos - Amanda Overmyer, 1.3.09, Madison Theater, Covington, KY

2009-01-04T12:43:00.001-08:00

Photos of 2008 American Idol finalist Amanda Overmyer, 1.3.2009 at The Madison Theater, Covington, KY:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/919

Concert Posters for Sale on Cincygroove.com

2009-01-02T05:28:00.000-08:00

Concert posters are now being sold on Cincygroove.com. Each poster is 12" x 18" and is being sold for $15 plus $2 shipping. Posters will be glossy and shipped in a cardboard mailing tube. You can expect to see at least one new poster added to the Cincygroove.com store each week. Posters available now are Freekbass NYE 2008 poster and Jon Justice Band 1.17.2009

Cincy Groove store - http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/13

Scott

Cincy Groove TV Holiday Special Dec 24, 2008

2008-12-17T07:16:00.001-08:00

Tracy Walker & Eliah Gregg, "Santa Baby", Cincy Groove TV Holiday Show

This is a video from Tracy Walker & Eliah Gregg performing "Santa Baby" from the upcoming Cincy Groove TV Holiday Show that will be airing on Dec 24, 2008 here on Cincygroove.com

Photos - Lauren Houston, 12.6.08, Southgate House, Newport, KY

2008-12-07T18:48:00.000-08:00

photos of singer/songwriter Lauren Houston, 12.6.08, Southgate House, Newport, KY:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/854

Scott

2008-12-07T18:47:00.001-08:00

photos of Cincinnati bluegrass band, The Rubber Knife Gang, 12.6.08, Southgate House, Newport, KY:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/853

Scott

Video - Amber Nash, 11.26.08, Everybody's Records, Cincinnati, OH

2008-12-02T12:39:00.000-08:00

video of Cincinnati, OH ukulele player Amber Nash, 11.26.08, Everybodys Records, Cincinnati, OH:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/842

Scott

Video - Katie Reider Tribute Show, 11.29.08, Southgate House, Newport, KY

2008-12-02T12:36:00.000-08:00

Video from the Katie Reider Tribute Show, 11.29.08, Southgate House, Newport, KY:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/841

Katie's songs performed by Whitney Barricklow, Emily Strand, Screaming Mimes, Kelly Thomas & The Fabulous Pickups

Screaming Mimes, Show Your Love

Scott

Les Paul is a 2008 American Music Master

2008-11-16T14:42:00.001-08:00

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honored Les Paul as the 2008 American Music Master this past Saturday (11/15) at the Playhouse Square State Theater in Cleveland, OH. This was just an incredible night of music and to be in the same room as Les Paul was amazing. There were performances from Hall of Fame members and some of best guitar players today including: James Burton, Duane Eddy, Billy Gibbons and the Ventures along with Jennifer Batten, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, Eric Carmen, Dennis Coffey, Lenny Kaye, Steve Lukather, Barbara Lynn, Lonnie Mack, Katy Moffatt, Alannah Myles, Richie Sambora and Slash.

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/815

Scott

Video - Katie Reider Tribute/Benefit Show, 11.8.08, Dirty Jacks, Cincinnati, OH

2008-11-14T12:07:00.001-08:00

Video from The Katie Reider Tribute/Benefit Show that took place on 11.8.08 at Dirty Jacks, Cincinnati, OH:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/812

Bands include - Whitney Barricklow, Holly Spears, Jayne Sachs, The Blue Umbrellas, Chakras, Frozen Feet, Jen Foster. Debra Randall did a great job putting this show together. I heard that they actually had Dirty Jacks at capacity at one point.
-----
There is another Katie Reider Tribute Show happening on 11/29/2008 at The Southgate House in Newport, KY. 13 bands, Doors are at 8pm, shows starts at 8:30 pm (seriously its really going to start at 8:30), $7 for ages 21+ and $10 for ages 18-20. All proceeds from the show will goto Karen Reider and their 2 sons.

Scott

Bootsy Collins & Ralph Stanley to perform at 2008 CEA's

2008-11-06T17:08:00.000-08:00

Performers for this years Cincinnati Entertainment Awards have been announced. Opening the show will be none other than Bootsy Collins who will be performing a 20 minute tribute to the Godfather of Soul James Brown. After Bootsy, we have 2007 CEA winners The Seedy Seeds (New Artist of the Year, Electronic/Experimental) and The Sundresses (Alternative/Indie). Next up is first time 2008 CEA nominee Eclipse (hip hop category). Closing the show will be legendary bluegrass/country artist Ralph Stanley and The Clinch Mountain Boys. Ralph's connection to Cincinnati comes from his time recording at King Records.

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/791

Watch Barack Obama's Acceptance Speech

2008-11-05T05:59:00.000-08:00

Watch Barack Obama's historic acceptance speech again - http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/788

Scott

Barack Obama Elected the 44th President of The United States

2008-11-05T05:58:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON – Barack Obama was elected the nation's first black president Tuesday night in a historic triumph that overcame racial barriers as old as America itself.

The son of a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas, the Democratic senator from Illinois sealed his victory by defeating Republican Sen. John McCain in a string of wins in hard-fought battleground states — Ohio, Florida, Virginia and Iowa.

A huge crowd in Grant Park in Chicago erupted in jubilation at the news of Obama's victory. Some wept.

McCain called his former rival to concede defeat — and the end of his own 10-year quest for the White House. "The American people have spoken, and spoken clearly," McCain told disappointed supporters in Arizona.

Obama and his running mate, Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, will take their oaths of office as president and vice president on Jan. 20, 2009.

As the 44th president, Obama will move into the Oval Office as leader of a country that is almost certainly in recession, and fighting two long wars, one in Iraq, the other in Afghanistan.

The popular vote was close, but not the count in the Electoral College, where it mattered most.

There, Obama's audacious decision to contest McCain in states that hadn't gone Democratic in years paid rich dividends.

Obama has said his first order of presidential business will be to tackle the economy. He has also pledged to withdraw most U.S. combat troops from Iraq within 16 months.

Fellow Democrats rode his coattails to larger majorities in both houses of Congress. They defeated incumbent Republicans and won open seats by turn.

The 47-year-old Illinois senator was little known just four years ago. A widely praised speech at the Democratic National Convention, delivered when he was merely a candidate for the Senate, changed that.

Overnight he became a sought-after surrogate campaigner, and he had scarcely settled into his Senate seat when he began preparing for his run for the White House.

A survey of voters leaving polling places on Tuesday showed the economy was by far the top Election Day issue. Six in 10 voters said so, and none of the other top issues — energy, Iraq, terrorism and health care — was picked by more than one in 10.

"May God bless whoever wins tonight," President Bush told dinner guests at the White House, where his tenure runs out on Jan. 20.

The Democratic leaders of Congress celebrated in Washington.

"It is not a mandate for a party or ideology but a mandate for change," said Senate Majority leader Harry reid of Nevada.

Said Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, "Tonight the American people have called for a new direction. They have called for change in America."

source - Yahoo

Video - Hotel Cafe Tour 08, 11.3.08, Bogarts, Cincinnati, OH

2008-11-04T06:55:00.000-08:00

Photos and Video from the Hotel Cafe Tour 08, 11.3.08, Bogarts, Cincinnati, OH:

Photos - http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/783
Video - http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/784

This show featured Meiko, Thao Nguyen, Alice Russell, Jaymay, Rachael Yamagata

Scott

Get Cincygroove.com Updates Straight to your Mobile Phone

2008-11-03T06:15:00.000-08:00

Photos - Jon Justice Band, 10.11.08, Madison Theater, Covington, KY

2008-10-12T10:08:00.001-07:00

Photos of Cincinnati blues artist Jon Justice Band, 10.11.08, Madison Theater, Covington, KY:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/639

Scott

Midpoint Music Festival 2008, Cincinnati, OH

2008-09-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

What a great 3 days of music in my hometown of Cincinnati, OH. The Midpoint Music Festival has become one of the best music festivals around. It takes a tremendous amount of effort to have over 150 bands playing over 3 days in 15 different venues. City Beat Magazine put together a great festival this year. A nice touch was the 20 Scion street cars that were running a loop during the festival to shuttle around patrons, it saved me a lot of walking.

Here are photos I took of the following bands:
Seabird, Daughters and Sons, Addie Loy, Megan King, Ill Poetic, Sonny Moorman, The Newbees, Jon Justice Band, IsWhat, Jayne Sachs, Seedy Seeds, Taini Asili, Tracy Walker, Troubadour Dali, Wussy, Yoshi, The Koala Fires, Bill Kurzenerger

There is also video from most of the bands that were photographed, bands from 9.25 have been added with the rest being added soon!

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/588

Scott

Fall Hookahville 2008 Photos

2008-09-06T22:13:00.000-07:00

What a great weekend of music at fall hookahville 30! I would have to say the highlight of the weekend for me had to be Arrested Development's set on Sunday 8/31. They have been together for 17 years and have not missed step. Here are my photos from the weekend:

Hookahville 30
Legend Valley, Thornville, OH
Bands photographed: ekoostik hookah, Freekbass, Arrested Development, GreenLeif, Rumpke Mountain Boys, Abigail Washburn & Sparrow Quartet, Perpetual Groove, Super Massive

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/518

Scott

Photos - Jon Justice Band, 9.6.08, Blue Ash, OH

2008-09-06T22:10:00.001-07:00

Photos of the Jon Justice Band, 9.6.08, Blue Ash, OH:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/535

Scott

Photos - Fall Hookahville 2008, Legend Valley, Thornville, OH

2008-09-02T07:56:00.000-07:00

Photos - Freekbass, 8.19.2008, In The Studio, Cincinnati, OH

2008-08-25T06:29:00.000-07:00

Photos of Freekbass in the studio finishing work on his new cd "Junkyard Waltz" to be
released on October 28, 2008:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/492

Scott

Interview with Laura Reed

2008-08-14T05:37:00.000-07:00

August 13, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

Laura Reed & Deep Pocket fill the stage with captivating, soul shaking, conscious music. The crowd is emerged with lyrics of truth and a voice of intensity backed by bass, organ, and drums, horns, and harmonies reminiscent of the past days of motown and funk.

The roots of their sound and message stem from Laura’s diverse experience of growing up in South Africa and the American South. Formed in the summer of 2006, the band switches up the music between funk, progressive R&B, and pure SOUL behind Laura Reed’s captivating stage presence.

Throughout their career Laura Reed & Deep Pocket have shared the stage with/recorded with: The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, George Clinton, Peter Rowan, Belita Woods (PFUNK), Gary "Star Child" Shider (PFUNK), Rob Mercurio (Galactic), Larry Jackson (Earth Wind and Fire), Ike Stubblefield (The Funk Bros), Kendra Foster (PFUNK), Sam Bush, The Blue Rags, The Overtakers, Natti Love Joys, The Lee Boys, Dan Adams (Chaka Khan), Blueground Undergrass, DC (Dr. Dre/Erykah Badu), and Pato Banton.

This music is visionary in it's strive to spread a message of empathy and love for humanity in the unconditional form of music and the raw reflection of the human condition. Laura states music as the most honest and pure expression in her life, a language that allows her to release "what I could never even admit to myself or say out lout, but can sing.” When she sings you can feel her soul coming through the speakers, whether it’s smooth R&B, funky reggae, or just down right SOUL MUSIC.

Cincy Groove: Did your gig go well at Floydfest?

Laura Reed: In fact I think it might be in my personal top 5 favorite show we have ever done. There was a really good energy from the crowd. They came with a really nice vibe and we responded to that. It was really awesome.

Cincy Groove: Is there any live recordings of your shows?

Laura Reed: Yeah, there is a lot on archive.org and on our website. We are also releasing a live album in October. There's quite a bit of live material out there. I'm not even sure how much, because there are always tapers at our shows.

Cincy Groove: Is the live recording your releasing in October one whole show or a combination of shows?

Laura Reed: It's actually part of 2 shows. One was on New Years Eve at Tree Sound Studios in Atlanta, which is the studio we work from. The other show was a Pandora private party we did. Pandora footed the bill for hiring a professional film crew to come in and video record the show. The live album will come with a disc of live music from those 2 shows and a live dvd that is in high def.

Read the full interview here

Interview with Theresa Andersson

2008-08-12T06:04:00.000-07:00

August 11, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

Melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre; these are the traditional building blocks of pop music. Yet although you will find them in abundance on Hummingbird, Go!, the new album by Theresa Andersson hardly sounds like conventional pop. That's because the New Orleans singer-songwriter chose to approach her craft from different perspectives before she even began composing. "I stopped thinking in terms of traditional songwriting," Andersson explains. "I worked on shapes, forms, and textures, scents and colors. Elements which are more earthy and organic inspired me." She would walk along the Mississippi River, or relax in her garden. As ideas emerged, she caught them in her butterfly net – or rather, on her laptop – and let them converge, then blossom.

Produced by Swedish songwriter and recording artist Tobias Fröberg (who also helmed The Last Tycoon for Peter Morén, of Peter Bjorn and John fame), and featuring lyrical contributions from poet Jessica Faust, Hummingbird, Go! evokes a distinctly unique universe via its inventive songs. From the funky backbeat, pizzicato plucking, and vocal leaps of "Birds Fly Away," to the smoldering "Locusts Are Gossiping," with its interwoven vocals – as haunting as any Bulgarian choir – and percussive clicking reminiscent of chattering insects, each cut vibrates with polychromatic detail.

Cincy Groove: Tell me about your new album "Hummingbird Go". Any collaborations? who produced it? How much of it was recorded in your kitchen?

Theresa Andersson: The making of "Hummingbird, Go!" was special. The process was different for me this time as I wrote the music more as one would make a collage piece of art. Finding inspiration in colors, forms and textures in my garden and along the Mississippi river. I handed finished songs to Jessica Faust who magically found just the right words. The entire record was then recorded in my kitchen with Tobias Froberg producing. Tobias and I both grew up on the Swedish island of Gotland. I never knew him then. We met the first time when he played a show in a small New Orleans club 1 1/2 years ago. Working with Tobias really tied my New Orleans influences together with my Swedish background. Tobias introduced me to the fantastic Norwegian artist Ane Brun who contributed her beautiful vocals on the only Swedish track on the album. Also my hero Allen Toussaint joined me on one song.

Cincy Groove: Who do you consider some of your influences?

Theresa Andersson: A lot of New Orleans retro R&B; Allen Toussaint, Betty Harris, Smokey Johnson. I love Leonard Cohen, Bobbie Gentry and Nina Simone. The Swedish singer/songwriter Cornelis Wreeswijk is awesome.

Cincy Groove: How do you feel the internet has affected the music industry?

Theresa Andersson: My personal experience is that it has opened up a lot of doors. There are a lot more avenues to reach potential listeners/fans.

Read the full Interview here

Photos - ekoostik hookah, 8.9.08, Annie's, Cincinnati, OH

2008-08-11T10:50:00.000-07:00

Photos of ekoostik hookah, 8.9.08, Annie's, Cincinnati, OH:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/450

Video - Freekbass, 8.9.2008, Annie's, Cincinnati, OH

2008-08-11T10:42:00.000-07:00

Video of Freekbass, 8.9.2008, Annie's, Cincinnati, OH:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/455

Video - Freekbass, 8.1.08, House of Crave, Columbus, OH

2008-08-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

Just posted video of Cincinnati funk band, Freekbass from 8.1.2008 at The House of Crave in Columbus, OH:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/435

Scott

Interview with Tori Sparks

2008-08-05T11:52:00.000-07:00

August 5, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

Tori Sparks calls Nashville home, but spends most of her time on the road in the U.S. and Europe. Called “a knockout” by the Village Voice, her dynamic live show is equal parts soulful singing and zany stand-up-style humor. Tori’s latest album Under This Yellow Sun was co-produced with indie rock veteran David Henry (R.E.M., Ben Folds, Josh Rouse, Widespread Panic, Cowboy Junkies) , and features players such as Steve Bowman of Counting Crows, Aaron Sands of Jars of Clay, John Deaderick (Patty Griffin, Lucinda Williams), and Pat Buchanan (Mary Chapin Carpenter, Dixie Chicks).

Under This Yellow Sun is the first release under the auspices of Tori’s own record label (Glass Mountain Records) and publishing company (Hand Over Foot Publishing). It has been praised by Relix, Harp, Maverick, Skope, The Nashville Music Guide, XM Radio, and others. After breaking the Top 100 on the RIYL Weighted College Charts, the album was immediately licensed by MTV, Lifetime, and the Oxygen Network for use in their 2008 television seasons. A subsequent feature by XM Radio Unsigned prompted Universal Music France to contact Sparks, has toured in France and other parts of Europe. Universal included Sparks’ single “Cold War” on their double-disc compilation, released internationally in March 2008, which has sold 25,000+ copies to date."Cold War" is also featured on the Paste Magazine New Music Sampler released in June 2008. (from myspace.com/torisparks)

Cincy Groove: How did you recent show at Sitwell's here in Cincinnati go?

Tori Sparks: I really enjoyed playing there because its kind of an informal setting. The people there are really sweet and its a nice change from all those smokey clubs that I play at sometimes.

Cincy Groove: Do you handle all of the day to day operations of your career yourself?

Tori Sparks: Yes I do, I was with a label, but it didn't really work out because they said they were an all country label and wanted to expand into areas that wasn't country. I think it was some kind of story they told people so they would sign with them. They just weren't very honest people, so ultimately it worked out quite well to go out on my own. It took a while to get out of that situation but now I have complete control over what I am doing. Although its a lot of work and can be difficult, driving to gigs, checking emails, and doing interviews. But at least you know that things are being done the way you want them to get done.

Cincy Groove: Do you mostly do solo gigs?

Tori Sparks: Yes most of the time. I have this really great band that plays with me in Nashville when I have shows there. I would love to take them on the road, its just very difficult to be able to afford to pay a full band on the road. Basically I have to convince these rock and roll clubs that I'm not going to put on a sleepy show because I'm just one girl.

Cincy Groove: Who are some of your influences?

Tori Sparks: There are so many! I think whatever I'm listening to at the time influences what I'm writing. Here are some longtime favorites, though... Tom Waits, U2, Martin Sexton, Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin, Billy Bragg, Amos Lee, Bill Withers, Damien Rice, Patty Griffin, Radiohead, Regina Spektor, The Beatles, The Boss (mainly just Nebraska), Ben Folds, Chris Isaak, Feist, David Bowie, Cecilia the Band, David Gray, Jeff Buckley, Leonard Cohen, Ray Charles, Ryan Adams, Nirvana, the White Stripes, Iron and Wine, Wilco, any and all blues, local bands, people who like local bands. And Mitch Hedberg.

Read the full interview here

Photos - Freekbass, 8.1.08, House of Crave, Columbus, OH

2008-08-03T10:59:00.001-07:00

Photos just posted of Cincinnati funk band Freekbass, 8.1.08, House of Crave, Columbus, OH:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/431

Scott

Photos - Flogging Molly, 8.1.08, Lifestyles Community Pavilion, Columbus, OH

2008-08-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

Photos just posted of Flogging Molly, 8.1.08, Lifestyles Community Pavilion, Columbus, OH:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/432

Scott

Interview with G Love

2008-07-31T05:56:00.000-07:00

July 30, 2008

Interview and Photos by Scott Preston

G. Love and Special Sauce’s Superhero Brother is their third album for Jack Johnson’s Brushfire label, and 10th overall (counting their 2002 best-of and last year’s live CD/DVD) in a career that now spans 15 years.

It’s been a long, successful run for the Philadelphia native and self-described “hip-hop blues artist,” whose self-titled 1994 Okeh/Epic Records debut was certified Gold on the strength of the MTV hit, “Cold Beverage,” and a non-stop performing ethic that still has them playing more than 150 shows a year. In fact, the group just recently returned from a headline tour in Australia and Europe that was highlighted by some shows with Jack Johnson. Upon their return to the U.S., the band will be headlining their own outdoor amphitheatre tour with John Butler Trio later this summer.

Superhero Brother, recorded in Philadelphia at The Studio and the band’s own Philadelphonic Studios, as well as Longview Farms Barn in Sturbridge, MA, combines both political and party songs. The album is a reflection of the band’s eclectic recipe for its Special Sauce, from tasty, post-hip-hop Beatles-influenced blues-rock (“Communication”), spicy tropical island rhythms over an Archie Bell and the Drells “Tighten Up” groove (“City Livin’”) and well-seasoned Chambers Brothers-style funk-rock crossed with Cream’s “I Feel Free” (“What We Need”) to sweet, blue-eyed Philly soul (“Crumble”), a red-hot Stones-y “Sympathy for the Devil” vibe (“Peace Love and Happiness”) and homemade, rappin’ blues layered on top of a John Lee Hooker Delta stomp (“Superhero Brother”). (source - brushfirerecords.com)

Cincy Groove: How did you recent European tour go?

G Love: It was a lot of fun, I went over there with Jack (Johnson) and we had great crowds every night and good jams on stage. We really got into playing a lot of the new record live, its hitting pretty hard right now which is great.

Cincy Groove: What were you inspired by to write about on the new record "Superhero Brother"?

G Love: I just wanted to make a well rounded record and definitely how I feel about whats going on in the world today, like the war in Iraq and the general state of the union. Thats why you have songs like Superhero Brother and Peace, Love and Happiness.

Cincy Groove: Do you still have a sense of anonymity? Are you able to go out and do things without getting mobbed by fans?

G Love: I'm pretty much in the perfect place right now. I get recognized just enough so my girlfriend thinks I'm cool (laughing), but not enough that it interferes with my family moments with my kid.

Read the full interview here

Video - One Under, 7.19.2008, Tabfest, Mendon, OH

2008-07-30T07:57:00.000-07:00

Video - Straw Boss, 6.27.08, Fountain Square, Cincinnati, OH

2008-07-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

Interview with Travis Book from The Infamous Stringdusters

2008-07-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

July 29, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

The Infamous Stringdusters are the new vanguard of acoustic music. Well crafted songs, vivid arrangements, instrumental virtuosity, stunning improvisation, unique individuality and complete harmony… Bluegrass, Rock, Country, Blues, Folk, and Jazz, the “IS” is American Acoustic Music.

When The Infamous Stringdusters comes out June 10 on Sugar Hill Records, some may assume from the title that it’s a debut recording. Those already aware of the Stringdusters phenomenon will know differently: that 2007’s Fork in the Road was the album that boldly introduced this daring, disciplined band to the world of bluegrass and a wider world of music enthusiasts who heard it and decided: ‘if that’s bluegrass, then I love bluegrass.’ Fork in the Road was named Album of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association. Its title track was named Song of the Year, and the band itself earned the honor of best emerging artist in a competitive field. It was a stunning cap to an amazing 2007.

In their breakout year of 2007, the Infamous Stringdusters played over 150 dates, including the biggest festivals in acoustic music, jammed on major stages with heroes like David Grisman and Sam Bush, and landed a development deal for motion picture music with Lions Gate Entertainment. With the release of The Infamous Stringdusters, 2008 promises more roads and more new fans in bluegrass and beyond. (source - thestringdusters.com)

Cincy Groove: So how did the six of you in The Infamous Stringdusters end up getting together?

Travis Book: Our original guitar player, Chris Eldridge, our banjo player Chris Pandolfi, and our Dobo player Andy Hall all met through mutual friends in Boston. Andy Hall was on his way out of the Berklee School of Music, Pandolfi was on his way in. Chris Eldridge was going to school at Oberlin College in Ohio. Andy Hall then moved to Nashville and was playing in a bunch of different bands. One of them was the Ronnie Bowman Committee with future Infamous Stringduster members Jeremy Garrett (fiddle) and Jesse Cobb (mandolin). So when Pandolfi and Eldridge moved to Nashville the 5 of them put the band together. Then they needed a bass player and they called me, I was out in Durango, CO at the time, to come out and audition. They asked me to join and move to Nashville in Fall of 2005. Then Andy Falco (guitar) replaced Chris Eldridge in Sept of 2007.

Read the full interview here

Photos - Jon Justice Band, 7.26.08, Molly Malones, Covington, KY

2008-07-28T07:33:00.000-07:00

More Photos - Jon Justice Band, 7.26.08, Molly Malones, Covington, KY

http://www.jonjustice.com

Video - Family Groove Company, 7.19.2008, Tabfest, Mendon, OH

2008-07-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

Here is some video that I shot this past weekend of Chicago band Family Groove Company:

Video - Family Groove Company, 7.19.2008, Tabfest, Mendon, OH
http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/405

Scott

Interview with Sheri Miller

2008-07-22T07:03:00.000-07:00

July 21, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

Born in a musical household in Long Island, New York, Sheri Miller grew up listening to her mother, an opera singer belt out beautiful arias in the night, while playing classical Debussy piano. Sheri’s uncle, an accomplished recording engineer in Los Angeles, educated Sheri with his hand-made mix tapes of Pink Floyd, Hungarian Gypsy Music, Diamanda Galas and Etta James.

Sheri began playing the piano at an early age, but rebelled by composing her own wild and fantastical original songs. "I remember playing this one song I had made up on the piano, 'The Lost Tribe,' about buffalo, sunsets and gypsy wandering, so many times my mother almost killed me."

While at the University of Pennsylvania studying literature and poetry (in the same class as r&b singer John Legend) Sheri began to sing with a local Philly blues band, while secretly sculpting her own songs, tucked away in her tiny bedroom. But one Sunday afternoon, something magical happened to Sheri, completely changing her life.

"I had been writing songs in my room for months, which was a 20-minute walk from the Penn jazz music room, which had all the practice pianos. And I knew I was definitely not writing enough each day because it was such a big hassle to walk those long blocks downtown. Over the next couple of months, I started dreaming steadily at night about keyboards, about buying a used keyboard. I clearly remember one Saturday night in particular, I had an extremely vivid dream about this small black, white and gray Casio keyboard. The next morning I woke up with the image of the keyboard still clear in my mind, and took a different, more scenic route that day, through an underpass of green trees. So I’m walking, and there’s this one-day church sale, where they had the exact Casio keyboard I had dreamed of the night before. I quickly ran to the ATM, bought the keyboard for $20 and started seriously writing my songs on that sweet, broken-keyed Casio from that day on.”

“Since then, I believe coincidences are just visible lines in our destiny."

After college, Sheri moved back to New York to Park Slope, Brooklyn, and made steady rounds at local open mics like The Raven, while practicing her acoustic guitar and keyboard for hours in her basement apartment. She immersed herself in the poetry of Charles Bukowski, O. Henri, Marcel Proust, Margaret Atwood and Maya Angelou. She melted into Ella Fitzgerald, The Beatles, classical music, Etta James, Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Otis Redding and Billie Holiday.

Brimming with inspiration, Sheri developed her own sensual soundscape of hypnotic bluesy American soul meets classic British melodic-pop, bringing it to the stages of The Bowery Ballroom, Joe's Pub, World Cafe Live, The Bluebird Cafe, The Canal Room and The Living Room. She has had a song featured on the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame Compilation, Volume 4.

“I feel extremely lucky to be able to create music. I only hope to keep becoming a more honest, genuine, deep, and authentic artist and songwriter, so that people can glimpse a spark of truth in my songs.” (from sherimiller.com)

Cincy Groove: What are some of your earliest musical memories?

Sheri Miller: Well listening to my mom sing various arias (she is an opera singer), I could always hear her down the stairs, she also played classical piano. When I would be put to bed, I remember hearing the sound just walk up the stairs. A lot of the classical music became embedded into my earliest memories.

Cincy Groove: What kind of music did you listen to when you were growing up?

Sheri Miller: It really varied, my uncle would send me mixed tapes in the mail that would have just about everything on them. A lot of Pink Floyd, Muddy Waters, Etta James. Then he would also send tapes with this gothic classical music, Hungarian gypsy music, really all kinds. He really exposed me to a world of different types of music. He sculpted my tastes early on.

Cincy Groove: I was reading about that Casio keyboard that you used early on in your music career, do you still have it?

Sheri Miller: Yes I still have it, although its not sounding as good as it to. When you turn it on, the buzz that comes from it is almost as loud as the music that is being played. Its missing half the keys, because I'm sure its been around a while even before I got a hold of it. I'm not materialistic, I mean I don't usually attribute too much significance to things. It was just one of the more simple things that changed my life. I look at it as the physical manifestation of where my life was going to go.

Cincy Groove: So I understand you released your very first cd earlier this year.

Sheri Miller: Yes it is my first EP "Mantra", it came out in February of this year. I feel really lucky to have it out there and people are really responding to it. I hope to put out many more albums, knock on wood (laughing).

Read the full Interview here

Interview with Caroline Herring

2008-07-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

July 17, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

Caroline Herring digs deep—deep into the rich soil of American roots music for her sound, and deep into the recesses of her own consciousness for her themes. The musically understated, psychologically intense songs of this Atlanta-based Mississippi native ponder the eternal verities while probing the complex nature of contemporary existence; she delivers them in a fine-grained alto replete with the residue of hard-earned insight.

On Lantana, her beautiful and eloquent third album (Signature Sounds), Herring fills the listener’s heart with hope one moment and sends a chill down the spine the next. This pivotal album, which documents a personal and artistic crossroads for its author, cements her status as a truth teller, and no matter how bitter or disturbing the story leading to the truth may be, she approaches it clear-eyed and straight-on, getting down to the nub of it with quiet tenacity. No wonder fellow artist Dar Williams, who co-headlined a European tour with Herring in 2006, described her as “the elusive ‘real thing.’” (from carolineherring.com)

Cincy Groove: What was it like when you first moved to Austin? I know you came from a pretty small town.

Caroline Herring: It was intimidating, but it was good, its always nice to have connections to plug into when you move to a new place. I was going for my PhD in American Studies which I never finished, but I was able to meet people that way. As for the music scene, I didn't even think I would be playing out for a while so I just went at my own pace. There was a cafe I worked at just so I could see the music for free.

Cincy Groove: How did you recent trip to Europe go? Where did you play?

Caroline Herring: I just got back 2 weeks ago, I played in The Netherlands and Belgium for about 10 days. I absolutely loved it, it was my 5th trip over to Europe. In past trips, I have played at the Celtic Connections in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, Paris, and last year a festival in Denmark.

Cincy Groove: What music was playing in your house when you were growing up?

Caroline Herring: A lot of The Kingston Trio, my dad was really into that 50's folk music. I also listened to a lot of gospel, classical, and R&B music. I really didn't listen to any country at all at the time. As I got older I discovered bands like REM, U2, Joni Mitchell. Then in college I started listening to more contemporary folk music and classic country music, like the Carter Family.

Read the full Interview here

Interview with Speech from Arrested Development

2008-07-18T07:17:00.000-07:00

July 17, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT Speaks thru music to the world. Speech one of the vocalist for this collective says, Our people have been through so much turmoil and strife for hundreds of years now. We get on stage every night with the mission to broaden the perspectives and give inspiration to rise above the stereotypes and materialism." Unsurprisingly, then, the Grammy award winning group Arrested Development has been devoted to nudging folks in the direction of freedom and spiritual evolution for over 15 years.

The group describes their sound as "Life Music." A.D. respects women, and promotes family, spirituality and "male responsibility." They are about consciousness, the earth, African self determination and love. They define themselves as hip-hop artists but also just artists." They are dancers, vocalists, turntablist, drummers, and everything in between. Arrested Development is and has always been a communal music community with any number of talented members on board, picture your family reunion but more musical. Speech may be the most known member of the group, being the front man, but Dionne Farris, Eshe (Black Life), Rasa Don (Raz), Baba Oje (the elder), Nicha and many others have contributed much to this Kalidescope of image and sound. (from arresteddevelopmentmusic.com)

Cincy Groove: How did Arrested Development first get together?

Speech: Back in 1987 I went to a school called The Art Institute of Atlanta. One of the first members I put in the group was a brother named Headliner. He and I started talking and doing these 2 man shows together. We would bring people on stage to do African dance, graffiti, some rhyming. It really started to grow from there because some of the people that came on stage we would invite to come to the next show. Thats basically how the group grew into what it is today.

Cincy Groove: Did the group have a different approach to this last record "Since the Last Time" compared to your earlier ones?

Speech: Yes, we all did. We worked with a producer, Sam Hollander, out of New York. He is really an old school hip hop professional. We really have been going at this record with a feel good, party attitude. We want you to be able to put on the record with a gathering of friends and have some music with a good vibe to it, but at the same time have some messages in the songs also. We didn't go as heavy on the messages this time around with this record, because we weren't feeling so heavy. We were feeling pretty good about where we were in our personal lives.

Cincy Groove: How did you feel about all the attention the group started to get with that first record you put out "3 years, 5 months and 2 days in the life of..."

Speech: It was encouraging but also scary because it was our first album and it was a lot to live up to. I was being compared to Bob Marley at the time which was very scary for me. But of course it felt good to get those awards and recognition from your peers.

Read the full Interview here

Interview with Emily Elbert

2008-07-11T06:57:00.000-07:00

July 11, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

19 year old Emily Elbert is a singer/songwriter with deep musical roots and a love for creative expression. Her music has delighted audiences and music critics alike with her jazz-infused sound, which she describes as “acoustic soul-folk.” Fresh off a northeast run with G Love and Special Sauce and a showcase spot at the Folk Alliance Festival in Memphis, Elbert is already making a name for herself. Her love of music from around the world, and distinctive combination of jazz, folk, soul, blues, and pop creates a sound that engages the hearts, minds, and ears of listeners around the globe. Emily blends a hip musical perspective with an in-depth knowledge of classic favorites to create unique vocal and guitar arrangements.

Cincy Groove: What kind of music was playing in your house when you were growing up?

Emily Elbert: My dad is a killer pianist, and he introduced me to a lot of different styles - one of the ones that comes to mind first is Brazilian jazz, especially Antonio Carlos Jobim. I love that guy. I cover one of his tunes at shows sometimes, Triste. My mom was real involved in helping introduce my ears to some nice things - James Taylor is a big one, and I was real real into oldies radio. Like 50s & 60s pop. My parents got sick of it I listened to it so much. Ha.

Cincy Groove: When did you first pick up the guitar? the first song you learned to play?

Emily Elbert: I grew up playing piano pretty competitively. But, being a middle schooler, I needed to rebel, and the practice schedule didn't appeal to me too much. So dropped it for guitar when I was about 14 or so. I became totally infatuated with it. I think the day I got it I didn't come out of my room for like 10 hours. I don't really remember my first song, I just wanted to try everything. My first performance was at this retirement party for my school librarian. I played a Ben Kweller song. That was also the first time I sang in front of anyone.

Cincy Groove: Are you working on any new projects?

Emily Elbert: Absolutely. This summer is actually real weird - I tried to (almost) completely clear my schedule so that I could clear my head and write. Got a lot of new tunes goin right now, and will hopefully have a new album out by the end of the year.

Cincy Groove: Who are some of your influences?

Emily Elbert: I love Stevie Wonder, and Joni Mitchell, and Paul Simon, and the Beatles. Also Bob Marley, Incubus, John Mayer, Hendrix, Aretha, and Jobim of course. I love 60s folk rock like CSNY. And funk and blues. And Bobby McFerrin. And there's a new woman out right now named Esperanza Spalding, and she's got the freaking Midas touch. Beautiful. I also flip for a good pop song. I'm a huge Michael Jackson fan, and I love Justin Timberlake. The guy puts on a stellar show.

Read the full Interview here

Video - Lovely Crash, 6.20.08, Fountain Square, Cincinnati, OH

2008-07-10T10:05:00.001-07:00

Lovely Crash, 6.20.2008, Fountain Square, Cincinnati, OH

To see more video from their set on 6.20.08 go here

Interview with Noah Sugarman

2008-07-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

July 9, 2008

Interview and Photos by Scott Preston

Noah Sugarman hails from the great state of Kentucky where he studied jazz and classical guitar, as well as bluegrass, which is instilled in musicians from that region at a very young age. After 13 years of writing and performing 25 year old Noah Sugarman has created a genre transcending style all to it's own. With melody heavy lyrics from a big rhythm and blues voice touching on deep subject matter, rhythmic finger picking and beats that keep you guessing. Noah Sugarman's recordings and live shows are truly a sight to hear and see. (from noahsugarman.com)

Cincy Groove: I see you are playing the Madison Theater in Covington, KY this Friday.

Noah Sugarman: Yeah we are excited about it. Its the last show of the tour. We have been out on the road for 2 months now, but its been great. But its nice to play the last show of the tour to a home crowd.

Cincy Groove: Who is in your touring band?

Noah Sugarman: All guys from Cincinnati, pretty much my old group The Rudies. Pete plays keyboard, Zach Russell my drummer (who is actually from Indiana), Ian Herzog was the bass player, but now has a 2 year old son and decided to focus on his family. So we got another guy we went to high school with David Lloyd to play bass. I have known all these guys for years, so it makes it easier to go out and travel. They are like my brothers.

Cincy Groove: I know about your studio cd you released last year "Art of Starting a Fire", I also see you released a 2nd cd "Web b-sides", whats on that one?

Noah Sugarman: Its just basically some demos we recorded. We also did a Thin Lizzy song on there.

Cincy Groove: Are you going to record another studio cd in the future?

Noah Sugarman: Yes, but not quite yet, we are still going to tour this one for a while. I'm writing new songs, but honestly I don't see it coming out in the next year and a half. If we had a bigger fan base I would push to get it out sooner. But we are still going to places we haven't been before. Its more important to me to tour and get my name out, than to rush right back into the studio.

Read the full interview here

Interview with Johnny James Qualley from Oakhurst

2008-07-08T03:27:00.000-07:00

July 7, 2008

Interview and photos by Scott Preston

Oakhurst has had a reputation for torching bar and theater stages throughout the US with its unique sound and unbridled stage energy for years. But lately, the band has also created a stir on major festival stages, cruise ships and European tours. The band’s adept picking, sweet harmonies, and citybilly swagger have cleary come from playing 200+ shows a year in such varied environments. Oakhurst’s unpretentious, go-for-it interpretation of a genre that’s often handled too reverently, sparks interest in bluegrass by folks who don’t know Doc Watson from Doc Holliday.

Along the way Oakhurst has shared stages with very diverse national talent such as John Hiatt, Nickel Creek, The Flaming Lips, Emmylou Harris, Barenaked Ladies, Yard Dogs Roadshow, Bela Fleck, The Ditty Bops, The Radiators, Junior Brown, Lyle Lovett, Lynyrd Skynard, Johnny Lang & Guster.

Oakhurst has also shared the stage with future and current Colorado legends as well. The list includes Yonder Mountain String Band, Devotchka, Rose Hill Drive, the Motet, Pete Wernick, Drew Emmit, Billy Nershi and Vince Herman. (from porchmusic.com)

Cincy Groove: So do you handle the bands publicity?

Johnny James Qualley: Yes, I handle the bands publicity. Being a founding member its one of those things I have been doing since back in the beginning. We have everything else in place except a publicist, but since we have all the other stuff taken care of it gives me more time to do the publicity. We have a great booking agent here in Boulder, Co. Its great not to have to worry about booking our shows anymore.

Cincy Groove: How many shows does Oakhurst play in a year?

Johnny James Qualley: Anywhere from 200 - 250 shows a year. So far this year we have been to 9 countries and 25 different states, and the year is only half over. We are getting ready for our first run of the year through the east coast which is always a lot of fun.

Cincy Groove: I have seen Oakhurst perform at 4 hookahville's, how did you end up hooking up with Trickle from Legend Valley?

Johnny James Qualley: Our manager Erin, is married to Hunter Shoemaker who is from Newark, OH. He and his older brother J.R. ended up growing up with Trickle. So 2 1/2 years ago when Hunter came into the picture, Erin was really trying to book tours for us. We went out there to Legend Valley and played our first hookahville. Trickle loved our music and the guys from ekoostik hookah are were good to us. We ended up doing four hookahville's in a row. We missed this past spring's hookahville because we were in Europe.

Cincy Groove: So how did the idea come about to ride around on the golf carts playing music at hookahville?

Johnny James Qualley: I think thats really how we got noticed out there. The first time we ever rode around on the golf cart playing was at that hookahville. Trickle came by with his crew and 5 or 6 golf carts. He loaded us up and we went around playing at people's campsites until the sun came up.

Cincy Groove: Whats one of the more interesting places Oakhurst has played?

Johnny James Qualley: Back in January and February we were performing on Jam Cruise and one of the places that we repeatedly went to was the Grand Cayman Islands. A couple of our band members just went out to have a couple beers and check out he island. They met the owner of this club and he said the next time we were on the island we should go and play a show at his place. So the next time we went through we showed up at this place, they had fried caunch set out and all of this great food. They had this guy standing out on the curb with a sign. We ended up packing this little tiny bar.

Read the full Interview here

Jon Justice Band - Artist of the Month July 2008 on Cincygroove.com

2008-07-06T08:17:00.000-07:00

Jon Justice was recently sited as Best of Cincinnati 2008 Blues Singer/Slinger, won the Cincinnati Blues Challenge representing the Queen City at the IBC in Memphis. In 2007 Justice was nominated for three C.E.A's for Best Blues Artist, Best Live Act, and Best Up and Coming Artist and appeared in a Bootsy Collins', ( James Brown, Parliament Funk, George Clinton), video "BENGAL ROCK". Jon was also honored with a C.U.LA.N award by the city of Cincinnati for his artistic contributions to the community in 2008.

Jon Justice is also Artist of the Month for July 2008 on Cincygroove.com:

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/370

Interview with Sam Andrew from Big Brother & The Holding Company

2008-06-25T19:06:00.000-07:00

Evolving out of the San Francisco rock scene of the 1960s, Big Brother was in the forefront of the psychedelic music movement.

The band was formed by Peter Albin, Sam Andrew, James Gurley and Chuck Jones in San Francisco, in a Victorian mansion/boarding house owned by Peter's uncle at 1090 Page Street in the Haight-Ashbury. That house became the site of Wednesday night jam sessions which were organized by Chet Helms who was the real "Big Brother," naming the band, bringing James Gurley into the fold and later seeing that his old friend Janis Joplin came to sing with them.The first official Big Brother gig was at the Open Theater in Berkeley, January 1966. Within a short time they became the house band for Chet at the Avalon Ballroom and began to develop a loyal following, largely due to the charismatic, pioneering guitar work of James Gurley. The band had what Sam Andrew called a "progressive-regressive hurricane blues style," playing such tunes as Hall of the Mountain King, Coo Coo, That's How Strong My Love Is, and Down On Me. (from www.bbhc.com)

Big Brother & The Holding Company 2005 w/ Sophia Ramos

Cincy Groove: So how did Big Brother first end up getting together?

Sam Andrew: I was walking down the street one day in San Francisco and heard some guitar playing coming out of a window. It turns out it was Peter Albin, who plays bass in Big Brother. It sounded really good so I told him "Lets start a band". So we started playing together every week, sometimes more frequently than that. Over the course of a year we evolved into a band. We were very well known in the San Francisco music scene before Janis came on board. But after she arrived we really started having fun.

Cincy Groove: During 1972-1987 when Big Brother & The Holding Company wasn't together, what were you doing musically?

Sam Andrew: I went back to New York and studied music at a couple really good schools with some great teachers. Studied things like harmony, counter point, and wrote a lot of classical music. Also in that time frame before Big Brother got back together, I went to Seattle and became a father, got married and settled down for a while.

Cincy Groove: Who brought up the idea of Big Brother & The Holding Company getting back together in 1987?

Sam Andrew: There was this promoter who called us who asked us to play this 20 year anniversary of the Summer of Love gig he was putting together.

Cincy Groove: How many of the original members are currently touring in the band?

Sam Andrew: There are 3 of us from the original band, and we will usually pick up another guitar player and a female vocalist when we go out on tour. I have about 10 different singers that I can call to come out and play with us depending on what part of the country we are performing in. We will be in the Ohio area performing in August and will have a great singer playing with us. She is Mary Bridget Davies and Ben Nieves is a guitar player from Cleveland, OH. Ben is definitely a better guitar player than me, James or anyone else in Kozmic Blues or Full Tilt.

You can't really compare anyone to Janis because she is unique just like Billie Holiday or Tina Turner. Janis is one of those people you can't copy without being ridiculous. What we end up getting are some really strong singers with a great sense of self.

Read the full interview here

Interview with Willy Morren from Daughters and Sons

2008-06-25T05:37:00.000-07:00

Willy Morren from Daughters and Sons sat down with Cincy Groove to let us know about the origins of Daughters and Sons, the bands plan for a full length LP, and what music influenced him early in his musical career. Daughters and Sons next show is June 28 2008 at the Adjust Your Eyes Festival taking place at the Southgate House.

Cincy Groove: How long has Daughters and Sons been together?

Willy Morren: Well with all the players we have right now its been about 5 months. It took us a year before that to get to the point where we are now. We started as a 3 piece and we weren't happy with that at all. We desperately wanted some keyboards and some horns. We also were thinking about the flute, oboe. If you ever hear the theme song from the tv show Beretta, you'll hear how flute and funk are forever linked in my mind.

Cincy Groove: Were you in any bands before Daughters and Sons?

Willy Morren: I was in a band called Nitty Irvings Family. Nitty was my nickname for the longest time and still is, I can't seem to get rid of it. Then I took a random last name and we went out as Nitty Irvings Family. Basically a 3 piece Hendrix type band. It was something I did to keep me busy. My love has always been with funk. I grew up listening to Sly & The Family Stone, The Commodores, Earth Wind and Fire, thats all I listened to as well as everyone on my block.

So with Daughters and Sons I think we are very unique, some of our songs are hard to classify. Someone described our song "Noah's Arcade" as Prince singing for Creedance Clearwater Revival. Find a bin for that in the record store.

Cincy Groove: Does Daughters and Sons have a cd yet?

Willy Morren: We have been handing out a 4 song EP to get people interested. That was just a nightmare to make. That was a sound on sound digital extravaganza (laughing). We had a limited number of tracks with which to work with. But we have had people come up to us and compliment on the recording.

We are actually getting ready to lay down the basic tracks for our first full length cd today. We are hoping to have something ready by Christmas. We still have a lot of writing to do. At least I feel that the set list we have at the moment has a lot of those Noah's Arcade type songs and is kind of light on the get down Saturday night funk type songs. But we do have a song, "Hell Today" thats pretty hardcore groove. As well as a song called "Just Your Song" that definitely is in the style and spirit of Sly Stone. Our set is just a little bit nicer than we want it to be. We want some songs that are a little more gritty. We are focusing on putting together at least an hour of asphalt funk (laughing).

Read the full Interview here

Video - Jon Justice Band, 6.22.08, Fraze Pavilion, Kettering, OH

2008-06-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

Jon Justice Band, 6.22.08, Fraze Pavilion, Kettering, OH

Watch 9 videos of 9 more full length songs here

Interview with Beth Cheek from The Fairmount Girls and Lovely Crash

2008-06-23T08:48:00.002-07:00

June 23, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

Photos by Scott Preston, Matt Witherspoon

A veteran of the Cincinnati music scene, Beth Cheek, is getting ready for The Fairmount Girls cd release this Friday June 27 at Northside Tavern. Beth also let me in on whats going on with Lovely Crash, how she got her start in music and the ever popular Pop Rocks benefit concert which is in the planning stages as we speak.

Cincy Groove: So I understand the Fairmount Girls are having a cd release show this month? is the cd all finished?

Beth: Yes it going to be June 27 at Northside Tavern. The cd is all finished.

Cincy Groove: How long have The Fairmount Girls been together?

Beth: To tell you the truth I'm not really sure. I think I'm like the 16th person to be in the band. There have been some good incarnations and some not so good. This group we have now is really good and we have been getting some positive feedback. The kind of weird thing with this group is that everyone in the Fairmount Girls right now is also in their own bands. When this group first came together we were all very strong players in our own bands, so it took a little while for us to all meld together. I'm really happy with how we all groove together.

The group now is myself (Lovely Crash) Pat Hennessey (Tiger Lillies), Randy Cheek (The Ass Ponys), Melissa Fairmount (The Thirteens, My Wife the Tiger), and Dana Hamblen (Culture Queer). All those bands are very different and very strong. So its something we spent a lot of time on bringing all of those influences together.

Fairmount Girls - photo by Matt Witherspoon

Cincy Groove: Do you remember the name of the first band you were ever in?

Beth: Yes, it was Perfect Jewish Couple. It was actually one of the first bands in Cincinnati to use tape loops and synthesizers. This was back in 1981, I was going to the University of Cincinnati at the time. My roommate Shari Lauter was in Perfect Jewish Couple and they recorded a lot at the house. I started doing some recording with her and background vocals and then she asked me is I wanted to start playing with them. The other person in the group was Kelly Hale and I had grown up with him in West Chester.

Read the full Interview here

Photos - Jon Justice Band, 6.22.08, Fraze Pavilion, Kettering, OH

2008-06-23T08:48:00.001-07:00

Photos - Jon Justice Band, 6.22.08, Fraze Pavilion, Kettering, OH

Jon Justice Band - www.jonjustice.com

Interview with Cathy Guthrie and Amy Nelson from Folk Uke

2008-06-19T05:44:00.000-07:00

June 18, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

Folk Uke is an eclectic acoustic folk duo comprised of Cathy Guthrie and Amy Nelson featuring perfectly melded harmonies and sharp, often biting wit. We were inspired by many of the agreeable greats of the Folk, Country, and Americana genres. Our favorite chords are C, F, and G. So, if you’d like to play along, well, it’s that easy. Of our infamous families, the two of us had been the musical holdouts until we gave into the force and began writing and playing music together. Armed with a ukulele and a guitar, we penned songs such as ‘Shit Makes the Flowers Grow’, ‘Knock Me Up’, and ‘Motherfucker Got Fucked Up’ and we thought, “What a crime it would be to keep these national treasures to ourselves. How can we keep silent when we are the voice of a nation?” You may not hear us on the radio, since our songs have been described as “inappropriate”, “off-color”, “not ready for mainstream” and “NSFW”(Not Safe For Work). Our debut EP, ‘Folk Uke’, is self-titled, as are we. It was produced by Abe Guthrie and ourselves. “Family values” would be the common chord in this unprecedented collection of songs, since we let our Dads take the solos and chime in when they were compelled to do so. It was the least we could do for our executive producers. It made them feel good and that made us feel good; so we took the chance that it would make thousands of people feel good and we printed thousands of copies. - Cathy Guthrie and Amy Nelson

Cincy Groove: So how long have the two of you been together performing?

Amy Nelson: I think about 8 years, we started in 2000.

Cathy Guthrie: It was kind of a joke why we started playing.

Cincy Groove: Who are some of your influences?

Amy Nelson: We are both really big fans of The Jayhawks. We are really big fans of the way they harmonize and their writing.

Cathy Guthrie: We both grew up listening to our dads play. Obviously my dad (Arlo Guthrie) is a big influence. Some others are Pete Seeger, Leadbelly. I grew up listening to all the folkies. Amy was listening to all the country groups.

Amy Nelson: Yeah, I was listening to Roger Miller, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash.

Cincy Groove: Are you two working on a new cd?

Amy Nelson: We aren't actively recording a new cd but we are actively writing for a new record. We both have so many other things going on that when we get a chance we try to get together and work on some new stuff. We have random shows here and there. We aren't the most organized (laughing)

Read the full interview here

Interview with Anna Laube

2008-06-17T05:54:00.000-07:00

June 16, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

Photos by Cooper Carras

Anna Laube’s (pronounced "Lau" like "how" and "be" like "to be or not to be") pan-genre (country/blues/Americana/indie) folk music is, in the words of one her critics, "Acoustic, atmospheric, wide open, and western. Dirt covered highways and the setting sun" (CDReviews.com). It’s simple and relaxed, derived as much from the American folk-troubadour tradition as it is from neo-indie-folkies like Ani Difranco and Cat Power.

Born in Iowa City, IA, a place replete with roots musicians, Anna began taking classical piano lessons at age three, and later studied some boogie woogie tunes with David Zollo (Greg Brown, Bo Ramsey, Todd Snider). She took up saxophone, oboe and violin in secondary school, and after moving to Madison, WI, picked up the guitar at age 14 after hearing a rendition of The Indigo Girls’ song, "Ghost."

Like a rolling stone...Anna continued to develop as a songwriter and headed to sunny California. Her debut album, "Outta My Head," is self-produced, recorded in Bay Area living rooms and in the studio with Birger Olsen of Town Rill, Nick Moran, and Jason Quever of The Papercuts. Engineered, mixed and mastered by Mark Whitcomb and Jason Quever, the album has received both national and international airplay. Currently available directly from her record label, Gingko Records, at Google Checkout, or on iTunes, Cdbaby, or Amazon, "Outta My Head" is a great introduction to Anna Laube's unique voice. Anna is currently working on her sophomore album, entitled “Love Is Your Destiny,” due out in 2009. (from annalaube.com)

Cincy Groove: So are you recording a new cd?

Anna Laube: Kind of, I did some recording back in December and I hope to do some more in July when I go out to the Northwest and then the west coast. There is a player out there I want to do some recording with. Its not going particularly quickly. I'm not really worried about the slow pace at all, I'm just trying to take my time with the next one. Besides I feel my first record is still getting out there.

Cincy Groove: Whats the recording process been like so far with what you have done for your next record?

Anna Laube: There hasn't been much of a process yet. I just took one day with three other people into the studio and laid down a bunch of live tracks. I will probably use some of what we recorded, but I also think I might do what I did the first record. Just being in my living room, really low key, with just a computer, microphone and see what happens.

Read the full interview here

Photos - Buddy Guy, 6.13.08, Indy Jazz Fest

2008-06-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

Photos - Buddy Guy, 6.13.2008, Military Park (Indy Jazz Fest), Indianapolis, IN

Interview with Jeff Black

2008-06-12T07:01:00.000-07:00

June 12, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

As anyone who's seen his moving, funny, and unpredictable concerts already knows, Jeff Black never plays the same show twice, pulling from his commercial catalog Birmingham Road Arista 1998 Honey And Salt Blue Rose 2003, B-Sides And Confessions Volume One Dualtone 2003," and the new music on Tin Lily, he responds to the moment and to whatever voodoo is floating through the air shared by a unique collection of people on any given night with the stories and songs that transcend the role of a singer/songwriter and his instrument. What makes a Jeff Black record or show exciting is that, as a listener, you know the singer is there not to perform for you, but to take you on a journey with him.

Cincy Groove: So I understand you are in the studio right now?

Jeff Black: Yeah, just doing some pre production work on some stuff, getting it ready for the next record. I don't really have a studio per say, just a room with all the equipment I need. I can make some pretty rough stuff, but its nice to have everything all set up so all I have to do is come in here and record.

Cincy Groove: So I guess you could say your in the early stages of a new record?

Jeff Black: I guess the early stages for me would be right after you release the old one, then you start working on new songs. Most of the songs are written, I'm just playing them out live and finding out which ones want to live together.

Cincy Groove: I see how you used to be a road warrior, touring constantly and then your priorities changed when you got married and had a kid.

Jeff Black: Around the turn of the century I just took on a whole new attachment to everything. I moved to Nashville and spent the 90's with my head down pretty much chasing the dream. Then I started thinking about everything that was affecting me , I lost my dad in 1999, actually a couple people in my family. Then I met my wife and then all of a sudden here comes some new itty bitty people (laughing). I'm really just trying to stay on the course that I'm on, and I'm not really sure what that is most of the time. I never came to Nashville to become a country music songwriter or to become a country artist. It made sense to me to come to Nashville because of the business side, New York and L.A. just seemed out of reach to me at the time.

Read the full Interview here

Artist of the Month - June 2008 - Kelly Thomas & The Fabulous Pickups

2008-06-10T06:31:00.000-07:00

Kelly's a sister-girl. Talk to her for five minutes and she'll have gleaned your deepest secrets, summed up your love life and put you to work at the door for one of her gigs. Her animated, thought-a-second style of interaction is evidence of an overflowing plate.

Working full time as a social worker, it might seem logical to call her music a side gig, but that's hardly an apt description. She organizes the Rivertown Music Club (which she began with her old band, Second Sister), a regular showcase at various local venues featuring a spectrum of artists, including her own act, Kelly Thomas & the Fabulous Pick-ups. (source- City Beat, 5.31.06)

Kelly Thomas & The Fabulous Pickups - Website

Kelly Thomas- Vocals, cute shoes
Sharon Udoh- Keyboards, Vocals
Jerry Hedge- Pedal Steel
Jeff Boling "J-Bling"- Guitar
John "Flathead" Beddinghaus- Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Chris "Hipshot" Perrault- Bass
Paulie Ellis- Drums

Interview with Chris Gangi from Cornmeal

2008-06-10T06:27:00.000-07:00

June 9, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

Cornmeal continues to forge a path all their own, pushing the boundaries of bluegrass, Americana and folk for a whole new generation of music lovers. Steeped in the tradition of musical acts such as Old and in the Way, John Hartford, and New Grass Revival, Cornmeal has proven to be an influential presence in the world of roots music. Cornmeal has consistently evolved its sound and stage performance using bluegrass as a springboard for long improvisational work and songs ranging from country, rock and blues to jazz, funk and disco.

Heavily influenced by American roots and folk music, Cornmeal was started as a side project over seven years ago only to watch it grow into a Chicago institution. Known for their vast musical repertoire, lightning fast tempos, and impeccable harmonies, the five-piece acoustic-electric band prides itself on the energy it puts forth each night creating an unrivalled live performance that continues to shape itself into a truly unique experience. (from cornmealinthekitchen.com)

Cincy Groove: How did it feel to win the Jammy award for New Groove?

Chris Gangi: We were all pretty excited about it. We have been touring for a long time, pretty much keeping it to the midwest. But with something like this happening it really opens things up for us nationally.

Cincy Groove: Did the band get to jam with anyone at The Jammys?

Chris Gangi: Our fiddle player, Allie Kral got to jam with some people. We were on the road at the time, so we flew her out to the Jammys while we were still touring. Allie got to sit in with Tea Leaf Green, Big Head Todd, Warren Haynes.

Cincy Groove: How many shows does Cornmeal play in a year?

Chris Gangi: It ranges anywhere from 130 - 160 shows a year. Like I said earlier we are expanding to more of a national market now so that number is starting to creep up pretty quickly. Its one of those things, when you are a musician, its hard to turn down work because you never know when your next paying gig is going to be. You just can't take anything for granted in this business. We just feel fortunate to be able to play and have a good time doing it.

Cincy Groove: How did Cornmeal first get together?

Chris Gangi: There was three of us in the beginning, we were playing in a more jam rock oriented group and we had started talking about starting an acoustic side project. Basically if your in a band looking to hire other musicians, you can't hire anyone until you have something to offer them. If you don't have any gigs yet, nobody is going to bother with you. So we went out and got a wed night gig at a small pub here in Chicago. So then it was a lot easier to say "Why don't you come down and sit in with us?" The other original two guys aren't in the band anymore, but we have assembled a very solid lineup over the years.

Read the full Interview here

Interview with jazz singer Stephanie Browning

2008-06-09T06:26:00.000-07:00

Stephanie Browning made a name for herself as the Artist-in-residence at the world renowned Gold Star Sardine Bar, a listening room reminiscent of Paris in the '30s. The venue was an international gem and captivated audiences assisted Stephanie in honing her improvisational skills and soulful voice. During her two-year tenure she performed for celebrities and European royalty, as well as many a love struck couple out to make a memorable night.

While The Gold Star is gone, fans and listeners are lucky to have a beautiful snapshot of one night in its romantic and magical life with Stephanie Browning's CD "Live at the Gold Star." Made in single takes, without manipulation, the recording is as bare and revealing as the mirrored stage from which Stephanie and the band transport the listener into the spot-lit club. Many have found themselves so caught up that they applaud right along with the recorded audience for Stephanie and the grooves and tasty solos of pianist Jeremy Kahn, bassist Larry Kohut and drummer Joel Spencer (you can purchase your own copy of the CD at cdbaby.com).

Since that time, Stephanie has been featured at the Chicago area's most notable jazz clubs, including Andy's, The Green Mill, Pete Millers, Pops for Champagne, as well as many others.

Cincy Groove: Are you based out of Chicago?

Stephanie Browning: I am, I have been in Chicago since 1991. I was born and raised in Colorado, its a lovely state but there's not much to do there for a jazz singer. Although, because there is such a great standard of living there, a lot of high level, professional musicians live there. When I first started singing in Colorado, somebody came up to me after one of my gigs and said to me "You got a lot of talent kid, but you will never get any better unless you work with musicians who are better than you." So I thought "Let me see who is around". It turned out Carmen McRae's rhythm section lived in Denver. Right around that time she was having some medical issues and canceled her summer tour. So the next gigs that I booked, I booked Carmen McRae's rhythm section. That was one of the scariest things I have ever done. But that just shows you what kind of talent there is in Denver.

This was 17 years ago, but now I hear that have a lot more of a jazz scene there. But at the time there was no way I could do the number of gigs I needed to do to get better, so I moved to Chicago. Chicago gave me the chance to do a thousand gigs, make a thousand mistakes and learn from every one of them.

Read the full interview here

Interview with Nancy Josephson from The Angel Band

2008-06-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

June 5, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

Angel Band makes big noise. Loud noise. Boisterous, sad, sweet, goofy, glorious and angelic. Any which way you look at it this stuff gets your attention. Whether it’s the crazy tight three part harmony, the killer backup playing, the stories, the passion or the compassion, it gets your attention. The songs on this album are mostly self-penned, weaving vivid images, powerful lyrics, musical integrity and “chops” to write home about. The core of the band is held by the three singers: Nancy Josephson, Jen Schonwald and Kathleen Weber. All are experienced on lead and backup vocals. The love of the sound that three female voices make together is at the center of this group. The chord rules the day. Both mystical and elemental when the three hit “it” the hair on the back of your neck’s gonna stand up. (from angelband.net)

Cincy Groove: How did the three of you end up getting together?

Nancy Josephson: This particular lineup has been together for about a year and a half. Angel Band started about 3 years ago. As things shifted in the lineup, the group got stronger and stronger until finally we have this group. I found Jen through a friend of ours Gene Shay, who is a local folk radio icon who has a show on Folk Alley and has been in Philadelphia for forever. He suggested Jen and she came on board 2 1/2 years ago. Kathleen joined up about 1 1/2 years ago. Kathleen came to our attention when Jen was doing a studio session somewhere and the engineer suggested her. We were auditioning a ton of people and we were feeling really bad. It was almost like Spinal Tap, where the drummer kept exploding, that kind of happened with us trying to find that 3rd singer. Kathleen was the last singer we auditioned.

Cincy Groove: Is the new cd ready?

Nancy Josephson: The new cd has just been released on May 27th. It is really good, it was produced by Lloyd Maines. It was an unbelievable experience working with him. He has produced groups like the Dixie Chicks and is a great musician. He plays pedal steel guitar and mandolin all over our cd. We are all really proud of it.

Cincy Groove: How long did it take to record the new cd?

Nancy Josephson: Well we worked on it in July and August of last year. The actual recording part pf the process took about 10 days. We were really ready to get things going, by the time we got all the tunes picked out we already knew the timing of the tracks. We had everything really, really tight. Of course Lloyd comes in and changes just about everything (laughing). That being said he really tightened up arrangements and made it all sound really good.

Cincy Groove: I know the three ladies in Angel Band do the singing, who else performs with The Angel Band?

Nancy Josephson: We have David (Bromberg) who plays guitar, pedal steel and dobro, Bobby Tangrea plays mandolin, guitar and fiddle, we have a fiddle player named Nate Grower, Bob Taylor plays bass. We also had some extra added attractions, we had this guy Bukka Allen playing accordion , which was the coolest thing ever. We also have this kid Johnny Lippincott sit in from time to time.

Read the full interview here

Interview with David Bromberg

2008-06-04T12:40:00.000-07:00

David Bromberg’s live show remains as unique as ever. Concerts by David and his band are extraordinary events, and performances follow no set pattern of selection. Give and take between performer is complete, spontaneous, and totally sincere. As the NY Times noted “He has such control of his audience that he can, at one moment, hold it in his hand with a tender, touching yet funny anecdotal song, and then set it romping and stomping with a raucous bit of raunch. He is electrifying.”

A singular performer/writer/arranger, Bromberg’s remarkable musical versatility and innovative resourcefulness have earned vast critical and popular acclaim. He is also impossible to classify: As one critic perceptively wrote, “David Bromberg fits no pigeonholes. He is part of everything contemporarily musical. He is a product of blues, country, jazz, folk, and classical music. From his early success as a guitar virtuoso, Mr. Bromberg has developed into a brilliant entertainer.” (from davidbromberg.net)

Cincy Groove: I have noticed you have lived in numerous places over the years, what made you settle in Delaware?

David Bromberg: I had been in Chicago for 22 years, and my wife and I didn't want to see another Chicago winter. Its a wonderful town but the winters are brutal. My wife and I are both east coast people and we wanted to live someplace a little bit warmer but didn't want to live way down south. So Delaware seemed like a good compromise.

David Bromberg and his son at the Northwest String Summit

Cincy Groove: Are you working on any new projects?

David Bromberg: I'm working on a bunch of things all at once. I have a live cd from a concert I did in New York in 1982 that I have been selling on the website and at concerts. Appleseed Records wants to officially release it, so we will put it out with the same cover so people don't buy it twice. Then there are 3 other albums I for the most part are making at the same time. I am making one that is kind of a Chicago styles blues album, one that is a big band album, and I haven't started the third one yet. It will be with my quartet.

Read the full Interview here

Interview with Nicole Atkins

2008-06-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

June 3, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

The shores of New Jersey are littered, quite literally, with small towns whose better days are far in the past. They're towns that have been written about, and sung over; towns that have been mythologized and idealized; and they are the towns that 28-year-old musician Nicole Atkins --a native of Neptune City, located a stones throw from fabled Asbury Park--was born and raised in.

They can be places steeped in their own history, buried under the sense of their own pasts. Places of hey-days and what-once-was. And it's that sense of something lost, and of what perhaps should have been, and what might be, that permeates Atkins's debut, Neptune City.

"Neptune City is just this old place," Nicole says. "There was this glory time, way back when, that I never experienced, but that you cannot escape if you live there. Everyone talks about. They almost yearn for it, but I never experienced it. So maybe this album is my attempt to build something new on top of all that." (from nicoleatkins.com)

Cincy Groove: When did you first pick up the guitar?

Nicole Atkins: Around when I was 13. I found my uncle's guitar in my parents attic. I didn't really think about playing guitar before that. I still have it, its a Yamaha childrens learner guitar. The neck on the guitar was really, really wide, so it was hard to play.

Cincy Groove: What were the first songs you learned to play on the guitar?

Nicole Atkins: There were a couple. Harvest Moon from Neil Young, Uncle Johns Band from The Grateful Dead, and Where Did you Sleep Last Night. They are all about 3 chords.

Cincy Groove: How did you hook up with Columbia Records?

Nicole Atkins: I made a demo called "Parties Over", and put a band together and played out for about a year and started to get pretty popular here in New York. A lot of industry people started coming out and they were one of them.

Cincy Groove: What was it like the first time you talked to Rick Rubin?

Nicole Atkins: Well, I was a little pissed off that my record's release date was getting pushed back. I probably wasn't the nicest the person in the world. It turns out he is a really nice guy and what he did with the record was the right thing to do. He was very comfortable to talk to.

Read the full interview here

Spring Hookahville 2008 photos

2008-05-30T07:12:00.000-07:00

I finally have finished going through my Spring Hookahville 2008 photos. You will find photos from ekoostik hookah, LOTUS, Emmitt Nershi Band, Greensky Bluegrass, Fat City Reprise, Woodbox Gang, 56 Hope Road, Seven, The Ragbirds, Boogie Matrix Mechanism, Railroad Earth, Outformation, Sam Bush, and The Werks.

http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/309

Scott

FREEKBASS LIVE CD : THE grooveyard IS OPEN !

2008-05-30T04:04:00.000-07:00

*THE NEW FREEBASS LIVE CD "grooveyard" IS NOW AVAILABLE. CLICK TO Leeway's HomeGrownMusicNetwork TO ORDER.

Protege to funk-bass pioneer Bootsy Collins, fellow Cincinnati native Chris "Freekbass" Sherman and his band have inherited the Buckeye State's funk flag. Recorded live at the 20th Century Theatre in Cincinnati, Grooveyard is just that - a wide-open space full of dance-inducing, hard-hitting and sweaty electronic funk that listeners can let their ears run wild and get lost in!

Interview with Sitar Player Stephan Mikes

2008-04-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

April 22, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

Although many Westerners have been fascinated by the sitar, Stephan Mikes one of the few who have undergone the years of rigorous one-on-one training in classical Indian music necessary to do justice to this ancient instrument. As a primary student of sitar master Roop Verma, Stephan is part of a teaching lineage that goes back over 600 years and includes Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. He combines his knowledge of Eastern music with the influence of Latin, Middle Eastern, Afro-Cuban, and Carribean rhythms to create compositions which are unique and compelling. In addition to the sitar, Mikes proficient on guitar, zither, mandolin, lap steel guitar and various types of synthesizers.

Since 1986, Stephan has been performing and perfecting his own distinctive technique on the sitar. He has released four highly-acclaimed CDs of his modern original compositions on the independent Akasha label; Before You See, The Good, the Bad and the Karmic, Dakini Beach and Secret Songs of the Sitar Player. He also has five specialty albums; Twilight: Evening Ragas, Sitar Christmas, Jewel of the Lotus: Sitar Meditations, Sounds of the Surbahar and East Meets South. Putumayo Records included Medium Rara from The Good, the Bad and the Karmic on their 1996 international release, Putumayo Presents: A World Instrumental Collection.

One of the few world music artists to transcend traditional boundaries, Stephan Mikes performs for a wide variety of events. He performed at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and in Boston at the Wang Center for the Performing Arts for fundraisers sponsored by Giorgio Armani. In August 1996, Mikes played for former President Clinton's 50th Birthday Celebration, connected via satellite from the Biltmore in Coral Gables. Most recently, Stephan has enjoyed enormous success as a featured musician for many top-rated art festivals throughout Florida and the U.S. (source - stephanmikes.com)

Cincy Groove: How was your experience at Spring Hookahville last year?

Stephan Mikes: I didn't know what to expect going in, but it turned out really nice. People seemed to get off on it, I was wondering how they were going to react (to the sitar). I got to sit in with some great bands which turned out great. This Spring Hookahville will be kind of the same except it will be a little bigger and better. There will be the same setup with the side stage tent. I think I'm going to get together with ekoostik hookah beforehand to work some things out. What we did last year was totally off the cuff. Literally put together about an hour before their set. I'm really looking forward to it, its going to be fun.

Read the full Interview here

Interview with New Grass pioneer Sam Bush

2008-04-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

April 20, 2008

Interview and photos by Scott Preston

Though he admits a certain discomfort with the moniker "King of Newgrass," Sam Bush has more than earned it. As cofounder and leader of the seminal progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival through 18 years during the 1970s and '80s, Bush may not be the only person responsible for newgrass, the wild bluegrass stepchild that features rock 'n' roll grooves and extended virtuosic jams, but since New Grass Revival's dissolution in 1989, Bush has certainly been one of the most brilliant of newgrass's many bright lights.

Besides helming the ever-popular Sam Bush Band, featured on the upcoming release Laps in Seven, the mandolin prodigy from Kentucky has been a prodigious influence on musicians young and old. Bands like Nickel Creek, Yonder Mountain String Band, and String Cheese Incident, to name just a few, are indebted to Bush's example, not only in his wide-ranging choice of material and rock-based acoustic grooves, but by his captivating, high-energy live shows, which have made him an in demand headliner, and fan fave at important festivals like Telluride and MerleFest.

When not heading his own band, Bush has spent the past 15 years as a supersideman with the likes of Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, and the Flecktones; spearheaded boundary-stretching collaborations with Edgar Meyer, Mark O'Connor, and David Grisman, and driven nearly every "bluegrass supergroup" imaginable with his inimitable mandolin playing. (source - sambush.com)

Cincy Groove: So I understand you recently performed on the floor of the Kentucky Senate?

Sam Bush: It was quite an honor. We play music for people from all over the world, large or small audiences. Then there we are standing there on the Senate floor playing a few songs. It was once of those things that you weren't sure if you were going to be nervous or not. It was really exciting to play there being from Kentucky myself. They also gave us a proclamation, it was resolution number 195. It was quite an experience.

Cincy Groove: Are you working on any new projects?

Sam Bush: In a round about way I am, I am in the process of writing with a bunch of people right now. Also trying to get some new songs ready for festival season. I should be ready to start recording in a couple months.

Cincy Groove: Who are you writing/collaborating with?

Sam Bush: Jeff Black and I have been writing together. I think Jeff Black is one of the greatest songwriters I have ever met. I have also been collaborating a little with Alan Roady from Louisville and also Tim Kreckle and Edgar Meyer. We are playing in early May on the west coast, so I am going to collaborate with a few writers out there as well. Just looking for something I haven't done before. In the past year I have been playing with off and on when I'm doing other things with this great saxophone player named Bill Evans. Bill played with Miles Davis when he was in his early twenties, played for years with John McLaughlin. So its one of the heaviest music things that I'm around. Bill Evans has his band Soulgrass, he has this great banjo picker, an outrageous jazz violin player, and then he puts me on mandolin, both acoustic and electric. Its just an amazing fusion that I get to do.

Read the full Interview here

Photos - Buffalo Killers, 4.18.2008, 20th Century Theater, Cincinnati, OH

2008-04-19T16:59:00.001-07:00

Photos from Buffalo Killers at 20th Century Theater last night:

Buffalo Killers, 4.18.2008, 20th Century Theater, Cincinnati, OH
http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/251

Scott

Photos - Freekbass, 4.18.08, 20th Century Theater, Cincinnati, OH

2008-04-19T14:23:00.001-07:00

Photos from Freekbass at 20th Century Theater last night:

Freekbass, 4.18.2008, 20th Century Theater, Cincinnati, OH
http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/249

They were recording a live dvd last night so be on the look out for that. Be sure to also catch Freekbass on the upcoming Tribute to James Brown Tour which begins May 1st. Check out the information for the tour at http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/211

Scott

Video Vault - ekoostik hookah, 4.12.2008, Annie's, Cincinnati, OH

2008-04-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

ekoostik hookah, 4.12.2008, "Sheepdog"

for more video from the show - http://www.cincygroove.com/?q=node/247

Interview with Johnny K from Boogie Matrix Mechanism

2008-04-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

April 16, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

Boogie Matrix Mechanism independently released their first album "Glass Candy" on Halloween 2006 . They are now playing shows around Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Pennsylvania. They are interested in expanding their range and playing in as many different places as possible. In the past two summer they have played festivals such as Columbia Gas Ribs by the River 2006 and 2007 in Promenade Park in downtown Toledo, Indiana Jam Bash 2006, The Chaffee Gathering 2007 and Shamy Bash 2007. They have also played along with such names as Ekoostik Hookah, Vince Herman, Railroad Earth, One Under, Jim Miller Band, Boom Box, Lotus, Family Groove Company, The Macpodz, The Goods, The Werks, Covert Operations, Moser Woods and many more. Boogie Matrix is now recording their second album independently and looking towards touring out of state in pursuit of reaching music fans all over the country. Boogie Matrix combines a diverse mix of genres including jam/ psychedlic rock, hip-hop, reggae, blues, funk, bluegrass n more. What sets them apart, is their positive vibe, distinct style with the music and delivery of lyrics that no one else is doing now.

Cincy Groove: How long has Boogie Matrix been together?

Johnny K: We are going on 3 years now as a full group. The rhythm guitar player Bob and the lead singer started as an acoustic duo. Then added a bass player and drummer and shortly after that they added me on lead guitar and a percussionist.

Cincy Groove: Do you still have a day job?

Johnny K: Yes, I am a granite worker. Most of us still work day jobs and a couple of us are in school. We make enough money touring to keep everything going. This weekend we are finishing up our second cd which was quite costly (laughing) but we are excited about it.

Cincy Groove: I have been seeing the name Boogie Matrix in a lot of different places lately.

Johnny K: Yeah its been really exciting, at first we were just trying to get our feet wet and then things started happening for us. We started opening for some regional and national bands and that has helped us gain some exposure. This year is a big year for us, in addition to Spring Hookahville, we are also at Nelsons Ledges on July 4. We are actually opening up for Mickey Hart on July 4. We are completely freaking out about it, its really exciting. Obviously our drummer really loves his stuff, and I think he is freaking out about it a little more than the rest of us.

Cincy Groove: Who are some of the bands influences?

Johnny K: I think I can say that all of us have an interest in The Grateful Dead, moe, Phish, Umphreys McGee, Widespread Panic. Then we also like more alternative rock like the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Brian also like hip hop. So we have a lot of different influences.

Read the full Interview here

Interview with Billy Alletzhauser from The Hiders

2008-04-15T05:28:00.000-07:00

April 14, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

The Hiders are composed of an all-star indie line up. Singer-songwriter-guitarist Bill Alletzhauser is a former member of Ohio alt-country group The Ass Ponys. Beth Harris once turned down a university scholarship for vocal music. Michael Horrigan has played in groups The Love Cowboys and The Afghan Whigs. Tony Franklin is one of the most talented jazz, rock, and blues drummers in Cincinnati.

The Hiders will be holding a CD release party for the debut of their 2nd studio cd "Penny Harvest Field" on May 9, 2008 at The Southgate House in Newport, KY. Singer/Songwriter Kim Taylor will be opening the show.

Cincy Groove: So is the new cd "Penny Harvest Field" ready for the people?

Billy Alletzhauser: We are taking care of some final tweaks here and there. We recorded 12 songs in Nashville at Alex The Great studios and plan on using 10 of them on the cd. We also recorded 2 songs here in Cincinnati at Ultrasuede studios/the BatCave by John Curley and myself. So the cd will have 12 songs. We are getting it mastered next week and taking care of the artwork.

Cincy Groove: Do you have any people play on the cd outside of The Hiders?

Billy Alletzhauser: We ended up using this guy in Nashville who is kind of a multi instrumentalist. His name is Fats Kaplin. He ended up playing pedal steel guitar, banjo, and fiddle on the record. It worked out well. There were some people from Cincinnati that were supposed to play on the record. But they were going to come down to Nashville in Feb of 2007 when we had that huge snow and ice storm. So that didn't work out. But it was ok because Fats was there and he played 3 different instruments on 5 different songs. He did it all in about 4 hours.

Read the full Interview here

Band Spotlight - April/May 2008 - The Customs

2008-04-15T05:27:00.000-07:00

The Customs, 1978

In 1978, most Rock & Roll fans in Cincinnati were too pre-occupied with the recent national success of local boys-done-good Pure Prairie League to give much thought to the bands that were festering in the city’s basements. Luckily those festering bands were upholding the polyvinyl chloride Rosetta Stone testaments of Rock & Roll handed down by prophets like The Wailers and Orangie Ray Hubbard. Armed with a bottle of Paramount gin, and a fist full of pills, they set out to loosen the stranglehold on American Rock & Roll by Sgt. Pepper. THE CUSTOMS were one of those bands. "The loudest, drunkest, most Obnoxious Rock & Roll band in the city...fronted by a "singer" with the vocal ability of the local Greyhound bus dispatcher." That’s how the esteemed Cincinnati press referred to THE KUSTOMS( with the original capitol K), and I guess it was meant as a dig but that sounds like a mighty high praise...if your heroes were The Sonics, and Little Vic. Led by post-DMZ/pre-LYRES Peter Greenberg, he sought the company of those equally guilty in the pursuit of rare B-sides to round out the initial line-up of Carson/Greenberg/Heil/Rosenthal in late "78.

Read full article here

Photos - Deepwater Junction, 4.12.08, Annie's, Cincinnati, OH

2008-04-15T05:24:00.000-07:00

Photos - Deepwater Junction, 4.12.08, Annie's, Cincinnati, OH

Photos - Widespread Panic, 4.9.08, US Bank Arena, Cincinnati, OH

2008-04-11T17:23:00.000-07:00

Widespread Panic, 4.9.08, US Bank Arena, Cincinnati, OH

Show Review - Widespread Panic, 4.9.08, US Bank Arena

2008-04-11T17:22:00.000-07:00

Knowing I was going to be fighting rush hour traffic in downtown Cincinnati I arrived down at US Bank Arena at around 6:15pm. It didn't seem too many people wanted to show up early, there were a lot of empty seats when Galactic started. But by the time Widespread came on the arena started to fill up. I was excited as this is the first Widespread Panic show I have seen since Jimmy Herring has joined the lineup. I honestly think by adding Jimmy to the lineup WSP has added an element that will take the band to even higher recognition. WSP has some great studio recordings, but like many touring bands Widespread Panic is meant to be seen in person and not just listened to through your stereo speakers in your home. I wasn't too excited to see a show in US Bank Arena. I think its because I'm just used to seeing shows in a more theater type of venue. I soon forgot all about that as soon as the music started. Galactic played an exciting set before Widespread Panic.

Read the full review here

Interview with Drew Emmitt

2008-04-11T17:20:00.000-07:00

April 10, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston
Photo Credits: Robert Massie, Susan J Weiand, Scott Preston

Drew Emmitt, the dynamic lead singer and mandolin player with the popular jamband Leftover Salmon, is a true renaissance man on musical instruments. Playing mandolin, acoustic and electric guitar, he's a string man to be reckoned with. He excels in unique energy driven mandolin licks and his influences include a pantheon of musical heroes including Lowell George, Steve Morse, Duane Allman, John Cowan, Bill Monroe, Sam Bush, Hot Rize and New Grass Revival.

Emmitt's dedication and love for music have helped him become one of our nation's top mandolin players. Beyond his own success, Emmitt has remained a fan as well. On joining his biggest influences on stage he said, "It's amazing. It's like walking in a dream. For years I had this dream of standing on stage next to them and having a good time. And it's happened. Standing on stage next to Sam Bush is pretty indescribable. And David Grisman as well. When Neil Young walked on stage, that was outrageous. I turned around, and there he was standing 6 inches away from me. I looked right at his eyes. Then having him actually sing on a song that I wrote? Pretty amazing."

The Boulder based quintet of Leftover Salmon has been a force in the Colorado music scene for over a decade. With Freedom Ride, Drew Emmitt is becoming a force to be reckoned with himself.

Cincy Groove: So how did you and Bill Nershi end up playing together?

Drew Emmitt: I have known Billy for 20 years. He had a duo in Telluride, with this woman Eliza Oxnard. Billy used to come see us when we played there with Leftover Salmon. He would sit in with us and this was all before String Cheese Incident existed. Leftover Salmon has toured with String Cheese and we have played festivals together over the years. Billy and I always had more of the bluegrass roots out of both bands. String Cheese had me come on board to do a couple shows with them a few years ago. Billy and I ended up playing together a lot and talking about maybe putting together a bluegrass band, just for fun. At that point String Cheese Incident was still going.

Read the full Interview here

Interview with Melvin Sparks

2008-04-11T17:18:00.000-07:00

April 8, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

Melvin Sparks is the Essential Guitar Player! He’s The Master Of The Groove! The Acid-Jazz Pioneer! The Originator of Soul Jazz, Old School Acid Jazz & BarbecueFunk(FUNKJAZZ)

Over the last thirty years he has played with some of Jazz’s greatest musicians: David "Fathead" Newman, Lou Donaldson, Hank Crawford, Reuben Wilson and John Patton (are amongst the many). During the 1970s, Sparks backed up Lou Donaldson on the Funk-Jazz classics "Everything I Play Is Funky" and "Hot Dog".

Sparks recorded seven albums of his own and played on over 100 other albums. As a session man for Blue Note and Prestige Records, Sparks laid his signature guitar work on many other musician’s albums without ever being in spotlight. It was during this time that Melvin defined the jazz-guitar sound of a generation.

Melvin Sparks is still a much sought-after studio player, both new and old talents seek him out now more than ever. He continues to perform with the greats of this genre such as Leon Spencer Jr., Mike Clark and Idris Mohammed and is now breaking out his legendary guitar wizardry with many younger bands and artists such as Galactic, The Greyboy Allstars, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, Derek Trucks and Robert Walter's 20th Congress.

Cincy Groove: What projects are you working on right now?

Melvin Sparks: Well, there's nothing in the works right now. I'm kind of in transition, regrouping my band. I may have to do some guest spots with some other bands.

Read the full Interview here

Jon Justice to release sophmore album on April 18 at Molly Malone's in Covington, KY

2008-04-07T15:29:00.000-07:00

April 7, 2008 (Cincinnati, OH) -- Jon Justice will be releasing their long awaited sophomore album, "The Rebound", Friday April 18th at Covington's best venue for live music, Molly Malone's. Shyte Mcflyte, a newly formed Jazz/Blues Hip Hop Fusion group will be kicking off the night at 9:30 sharp. Make sure to bring your dancing shoes for these guys! Entry is FREE with the purchase of "The Rebound" and $5 otherwise.

The new release from Jon Justice is more representative of what he brings to the table as an individual as well as a songwriter and performer. Jon's first album, "Forget About Time", although very good, was admittedly slightly over produced. In his latest effort he has used his current touring band in the studio with him along with producer Phillip Wolfe and an array of great backup singers. This is in contrast to using such well known heavy hitters as Wayne Jackson of the Memphis Horns on the previous record. You are sure to get your money's worth with "The Rebound" as the total track count comes in at a very impressive 14 songs. "The Rebound" will be available at many of your favorite local retailers as well as at www.jonjustice.com but don't miss out on the very first opportunity to get your copy, Friday April 18th at Molly Malone's in Covington, KY.

Read the full press release

CD Review - The Newbees - Amsterdam

2008-04-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

The Newbees have brought us their latest cd Amsterdam , containing 18 tracks that show us what happens when you bring together 5 songwriters with talent and the experience to back it up.

Something a band hasn't done very much is to include mini-tracks as segue's between the full tracks on the cd. When I first listened to "Amsterdam" I didn't realize right away thats what The Newbees had done in a few spots. I thought that's a really long track, but I was enjoying this cd so much I didn't mind at all. The Newbees pulled this off beautifully.

Read the full review here

Interview with Kelly Richey

2008-04-07T12:35:00.000-07:00

April 6, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

Guitarist/singer Kelly Richey has been described by one music critic as: “Stevie Ray Vaughan trapped in a woman’s body with Janis Joplin screaming to get out.” That’s an apt appraisal of the Lexington, Kentucky native, who’s now been based in Cincinnati for many years. Over the course of many album releases (and a live DVD), Richey has often been compared to such greats as Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan because of her ability to capture and entertain an audience with ripping guitar leads that both sing and astonish.

In addition to her work as a touring artist, Richey’s involvement with music hardly concludes when the stage lights go down or the studio goes quiet. She has committed her life to music across the board. For 25 years, Richey has taught private guitar instruction. In 2003, Richey began developing a Guitar Workshop and a Blues History program to take into the schools. In 2004, Richey became an “Artist on Tour” with the Cincinnati Arts Association, and in 2005, was added to the Kentucky Center’s artist roster. That same year, Richey began delivering an adult education program that included a six-week Guitar Instruction program. The following year, Richey created Music for Change, a 501(c)(3) non-profit committed to music education in today's public schools, a discipline all too often cut when districts are hit with budgetary constraints. A variety of programs offering live performances, lectures, and interactive participation serve to facilitate learning opportunities for students while keeping the history of American music alive and prospering. Through standards-based instruction and academic enrichment, Music for Change programs support and strengthen existing school curricula. Richey’s entire life is dedicated to enhancing the musical experiences of students and audiences alike. Ms. Richey recognizes that music is a universal language and the gift of music can be used to build learning skills and to strengthen each student's imagination. (source: bio on kellyrichey.com)

Cincy Groove: So I understand you have a cd release show coming up?

Kelly Richey: Yes, the official street release for the distributor is June 3rd. But we will have the cd for our fanbase by the end of next week and our first cd release party is 4/11 at Peachs in Yellow Springs.

Read the full Interview here

A Slice of Heaven in Southern Ohio, The Fur Peace Ranch

2008-04-04T16:42:00.000-07:00

April 4, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

Conceived in 1989 by Jorma & Vanessa Kaukonen, The Fur Peace Ranch is nestled in the rolling foothills of southeast Ohio.

It was not much at the outset. The hills and trees were pretty and serene, but it took a lively imagination to envision what might be created there, what might be taught and learned, and how hearts could open along with guitar cases.

But in 1989, Jorma and Vanessa Kaukonen looked at a piece of land in Meigs and conceived what Jorma calls "a ranch that grows guitar players." Not a fantasy camp, but this would be a place where both budding and seasoned musicians could immerse themselves for several days, and emerge with renewed inspiration and tangible progress in their music.

Fur Peace Ranch did not spring from the ground full-grown. It evolved gradually into an idyllic landscape of neatly arrayed cabins, workshop space, library, store, dining hall, plus a theater that hosts concerts performed by world-class musicians -- many of whom also serve as instructors.

Vanessa Kaukonen was kind enough to chat with me about the Fur Peace Ranch:

Cincy Groove: So how did the whole concept behind the Fur Peace Ranch come about?

Vanessa Kaukonen: Jorma had a vision about southeast Ohio, a vision about the land. In the beginning I did not share this vision with him. I was living and working in upstate New York. I was working in the city, taking the train to work everyday. I was comfortable in that space. Jorma found this land through an old friend of his. He just bought it and I thought he was nuts. Everything great that has happened to me in my life has happened to me here in Ohio. Even though I came kicking and screaming, Jorma had this great vision about the land.

Read the full article here

Interview with Jorma Kaukonen

2008-04-03T12:38:00.000-07:00

April 3, 2008

Interview by Scott Preston

In a career that has already spanned nearly a half century, Jorma Kaukonen has been the leading practitioner and teacher of fingerstyle guitar, one of the most highly respected interpreters of American roots music, blues, and Americana, and at the forefront of popular rock-and-roll.

He was a founding member of two legendary bands, The Jefferson Airplane and the still-touring Hot Tuna, a Grammy nominee for his highly acclaimed “Blue Country Heart,” and the most in-demand instructor in the galaxy of stars who teach at the guitar camp that he and his wife operate in picturesque Southeastern Ohio, The Fur Peace Ranch.

Over a span of three and a half decades Hot Tuna has performed thousands of concerts and released more than two dozen records. The musicians who performed with them were many and widely varied, as were their styles: from acoustic to long and loud electric jams, to acoustic once again, but never straying far from their musical roots. (In recent years, an electric set has been reintroduced to some of their tour dates.) What is remarkable is that they have never coasted: Hot Tuna today sounds very much like Hot Tuna of 1970, except that the guys have continued to develop as musicians, so today they are even better. (from bio on jormakaukonen.com

Jorma also has an incredible website, Break Down Way which is a highly interactive website that provides online lessons from masters such as Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, founding members of the legendary Jefferson Airplane & Hot Tuna, Woody Mann, Oteil Burbridge, David Wolff, and Barry Mitterhoff.

Cincy Groove: Are you working on any new projects?

Jorma Kaukonen: We haven't started working on anything yet. But we are talking about doing another cd for Red House Records. I think its going to be a Rev Gary Davis type of concept. I'm hoping to get Larry Campbell to produce the cd for me. This is going to be a Jorma record. Now Hot Tuna has been talking with Warner Bros about doing a Hot Tuna record early next year. We are all talking about it so its a good place to start.

Read the full interview here

Photos - Steven Gregory, 3.29.08, Peach's Grill, Yellow Springs, OH

2008-03-31T08:32:00.000-07:00

Steven Gregory

Photos by Scott Preston
Steven Gregory and Casey Lamb, 3.29.08, Peach's Grill, Yellow Springs, OH

Show Review - Richie Havens, 3.29.08, Peach's Grill

2008-03-31T08:30:00.000-07:00

Review and Photos by Scott Preston

I always enjoy when Richie Havens makes his annual trip through the state of Ohio. Peachs Grill in Yellow Springs, OH holds less than 200 people. Richie also had 2 very talented musicians playing with him, Walter Parks on guitar and Stephanie Winters on cello. I have rarely ever been to a show where single person in the bar was paying attention to what was happening on the stage. Everyone in the venue was hanging on every word that Richie spoke. It just shows the respect that the man receives. He started off the evening with Dylan's All Along the Watchtower. Followed a few songs later by Maggie's Farm. Richie is truly a master of interpretation of Bob Dylan's music. Shortly thereafter Richie sang his signature song Freedom.

Read the full show review here