Featured Artists:Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy Branch, Lurrie Bell. Special guests: Carlos Johnson, Mike Avery. The Living History Band is: Billy Flynn, guitar, Johnny Iguana, keyboards, Felton Crews, bass, Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith, drums and Matthew Skoller, harmonica
Chicago Blues: A LIVING HISTORY is being hailed by musicians, music historians and music critics worldwide as the most important tribute of our time to the Chicago Blues.
CBLH brings together two generations of Chicago's greatest living traditionalists. In an unprecedented Chicago Blues collaboration, the legendary Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy Branch and Lurrie Bell--inheritors of the Chicago Blues tradition--have come together to celebrate and pay tribute to the evolution of the genre from its earliest days through the present.
In April of 2009, these seminal artists released their landmark 2-disc CD. The 21 track, double-CD pays tribute to the genre's creators, its rich history, its current practitioners, and its singular place in the (r)evolution of 20th century American music.
The group has united to give witness to the history of the genre in its most quintessential form as these extraordinary artists are the bridge between the originators of the genre and the Chicago Blues of today--through them the Chicago Blues remains a living tradition.
Most recent awards and nominations:
Grammy nomination:
Best Traditional Blues Album 2009
Blues Music Award nomination:
Best Album 2009
Best Traditional Album 2009
Blues Blast Award:
Winner, Best Traditional Album 2009
L'Académie du Jazz de France:
Winner, Best Blues Album 2009
The stunning 8-panel, 2-disc digipack designed by Larry Kazal comes with a 36-page booklet filled with extensive biographical information and photos from Chicago photographer Mark PoKempner.
What the press is saying about the group:
4**** "The first two generations of electric Chicago blues are either dead or on the endangered list, but this double-disc set proves the style still has teeth and claws. Especially when John Primer revs his guitar like a turbine to pay tribute to Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters, and fellow six-stringer Lurrie Bell howls out Otis Rush's "My Love Will Never Die" as if he were fighting for the genre's life....These performances aren't just retro; they're real." -- Boston Phoenix
"This excellent double-CD finds a collection of first-rate contemporary Chicago players, some with roots going back to artists active in the peak years of the ’50s and ’60s, laying down a veritable history of Windy City blues and covering everyone from Sonny Boy Williamson to Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, Junior Wells, Otis Rush, Magic Sam, Jimmy Reed, Buddy Guy…it’s a helluva list. Why not just put out an anthology of the original artists playing these tunes? Because this approach shows the vitality of the music today, and how new interpretations by different players steeped in the styles of their forerunners can bring out previously unheard dimensions of the Chicago blues sound..everything here is cool, at the same time it’s undeniably hot."
-- Mix Magazine
“…The opposite of a compilation, this living history of the Chicago blues from 1940 is an ambitious undertaking that could prove to be an important reference for the genre… An astonishing success that bets on the future of this music…A meeting of the masters.” Jazz Magazine
"What makes this collection special is the fact that not only is this an amazing collection of music performed by an incredible group of musicians, it also brings the music alive in a way that listening to old recordings of these performers doing their songs doesn't...Anybody who thinks that the blues are a music of the past needs to think again and give this collection a listen. It doesn't matter when any of the material on Chicago Blues A Living History was written, because the music is certainly alive and kicking. If more collections were made along the lines of this one, I don't think you'd ever hear anyone ever wondering about the health of the blues again. Chicago has always been home to some of the most exciting blues music around, and this disc only confirms how exciting and important that music is. Even better is the fact that it reaffirms the blues don't belong in a museum, and are every bit as vital as they ever were." Blogcritics.com
"...an impeccable selection of Chicago-centric blues tunes. If the front men and the outstanding support personnel team up on a live version, it'll be wise to get those tickets early". Chicago Sun-Times
"This is a must-own 2-disc set for any fan of Chicago blues."
Maine Blues Society
To read more worldwide press, please visit the group's website: www.chicagobluesalivinghistory.com
To purchase the CD please visit the group's website: www.chicagobluesalivinghistory.com .
Thanks a million Chicago Blues for joining our ministry of Blues. It's all about peace, love, understanding, and GROOVE. Hope to perform for you sometime. Wishing you the very best in Blues and life! -Big Daddy
Thank you for welcoming me among your friends I just listen to the CD produced by Larry and it is with great pleasure that I listen to France in July and retrouverai I know some of you
Chicago Blues: A LIVING HISTORY is being hailed by musicians, music historians and music critics worldwide as the most important tribute of our time to the Chicago Blues.
