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VIDEOS COURTESY OF TOMMY MCINTOSH
HERE IS THE PROMOTIONAL VIDEO FROM MY FIRST CD-"A CAB DRIVER'S BLUES". This is from 1996.
*!*!*!*!*!*!*Mem Shannon Releases his first ever *single*---------"Good-bye Mr. President (Time For You To Go)". ---------------A funny funky little tune wishing "you-know-who" a final farewell.........*!*!*!*!*!*!*! only $1.50 for an mp3 download
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Amalgamation, noun- To combine or unite into one form.
The above definition properly describes one of New Orleans’ most talented sons in Mem Shannon. Since his 1996, Mem has owned the New Orleans blues, jazz, and funk scene. Heading into the BMA’s, Mem’s chalked up two more nominations to his already numerous accolades and two prior BMA nominations. With catchy lyrics and his blend of blues, jazz, and seminal fusion funk…this release was one of the best live recordings to come out in recent years.
The set features a lot of work from his I’m From Phunkville release on Northern Blues from a few years ago. The set gets kicked off with the funk-blues of “Payin’ My Dues,” which Mem roars through with some fleet-fingered fretwork spinning a yarn about the hard realities of a musician on the road who’s down on his luck. Mem goes into straight funk with “Smell Something” on the next track, sounding like a latter day Sly & the Family Stone/Tower of Power B-side. The horn punctuations and the tight rhythm section work are complete and concise throughout. The blues motifs of “No Religion” don’t sound tired or over-stated as it sounds like a man scorned by God and everyone, with Mem’s tasteful and funky guitar work following in toe throughout.
Mem shows that he’s not afraid to dip into pop/rock culture to mine some lyrics from Tom Petty on “I Won’t Back Down.” However, it sounds nothing like the original, as it’s laced with New Orleans R&B and funk that gets the young crowd going. Mem’s depth of passion for storytelling continues with the touching lyrics of the ballad “Forget About Me.” Listen to the keys of Rhock Dabon on the next track, the Neville Brothers’ song “Voodoo” along with the horn punctuations and solo. Throughout the disc, you can tell that Mem is laid back and relaxed, letting go vocally and unhinging his guitar on some attacks that would make the guitar-heads out there lean in and steal a lick or two.
I can’t say enough about this disc. You can feel the energy teeming from it from out and around the edges as you crank it at work and at home. The set is never unbalanced and there isn’t a song here that isn’t a keeper. The last two tracks stretch on over ten minutes allowing for Mem Shannon and his Membership band to unloose and display that they are all well-seasoned veterans and a tight working unit, where none of the parts are bigger than the sum. If you’ve never caught the former cab driver from the wards of New Orleans live, this disc will surely convince you to check out Mem Shannon next time he’s in town. ---'Juke Joint Soul' June 2008------
ON FEBRUARY 03 2008-BLUES CRITIC.COM'S ANNUAL READER'S POLL FOR 2007awarded Mem Shannon "Live: A Night At Tipitina's" (Northern Blues) "Best Live Or Compilation Album" quote:"Four live albums and two compilations to choose from and Mem Shannon bested the popular Johnny Winter Muddy Waters James Cotton release by 18 votes". MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO VOTED
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ON JANUARY 12, 2008- MEM SHANNON AND THE MEMBERSHIP RECIEVED OFFBEAT MAGAZINE'S -"BEST BLUES BAND AWARD of 2007"-AS A RESULT OF VOTING BY THE BAND'S FAN'S AND READER'S OF OFFBEAT MAGAZINE -MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO VOTED
Mem was nominated for (2) two 2006 Blues Music Awards (formerly known as the W.C. Handy Awards):
for
"I'm From Phunkville"
- Soul Blues Album of the Year
- Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year
and once again in 2008 for
"Live at A Night atTipitina's"
in the same categories.
This is a huge honor. Mem was previously nominated in 1996 for Best New Artist and in 2002 for Song Of The Year (SUV).
________________________________________________________________ Mem is a former 15-year Bourbon Street cab driver who's since released 6 albums worldwide (2 on Rykodisc, 2 on Shanachie,2 on Northern Blues). Mem Shannon & The Membership are from New Orleans and while their music is rooted in the blues, it's soaked through with that Big Easy syncopated sound, oozing with funk. They've played the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 15 years. Mem has won or been nominated for a ton of "Best Of" awards for Louisiana music and national blues - including several Blues Music Association(formerly W.C. Handy Award) nominations. Mem emerged onto the scene in 1996 with his first release, "A Cab Driver's Blues" on Hannibal/Rykodisc. The breakthrough buzz album led to national media coverage from folks like ABC World News, CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, E! Entertainment Television, The New York Times, NPR and a much anticipated/celebrated performance at SXSW. Mem's 2001 release "Memphis In Morning included the song "S.U.V." The catchy rant against SUV's and their drivers became a mini-hit at blues radio, syndicated and specialty shows, and even a few Triple-A formats. It was named Song of the Year by Living Blues Magazine in 2002 and received a Handy(Blues Music Award) nomination for the same. Not to mention being added to NPR's great show "Car Talk" and one of their yearly compilations.
Mem has shared bills with:
Buddy Guy
John Scofield
Toots & The Maytals,
Gov't Mule,
Josh Kelley,
Junior Brown,
James Ingram,
Mavis Staples,
Blues Traveler,
Kim Richey,
Branford Marsalis,
Paul Cebar & The Milwaukeeans,
Buckwheat Zydeco,
Walter Trout,
Karl Denson,
Taj Mahal,
Galactic,
Robert Cray and many more.
He has toured consistantly and has played most of the premier blues and roots festivals (King Biscuit, Montreal Jazz Fest, Kansas City Jazz & Blues Fest, Monterey Bay Blues Fest, Kerrville Folk Festival...), while headlining clubs night after night across the US and into Canada, Europe and Australia. Mem and the band were also presented in Hong Kong by the House of Blues and in Venezuela by the U.S. Embassy, and was part of an all-star tribute to Muddy Waters at The Kennedy Center for a televised special for PBS and NHK/Japan. He has played the huge Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle featuring diverse bands like Nickleback, Nas, The Pixies and Koko Taylor. He also played the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, an event that includes B.B. King, Gov't Mule and Greg Allman.
Mem Shannon's name and persona appear coincidentally in (2)two horror novels:"Fat White Vampire Blues"by Andrew Fox and "Bad Moon Rising" by Jonathan Mayberry
Not bad for a former cab driver.
CONTACT: Last Load Music: 504-616-3570 email: memchandise@yahoo.com
FOR U.S. AND NORTH AMERICAN BOOKINGS
Contact Marie Walker email: bookMEMwest@gmail.com, ph.248.275.3959.
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Mem Shannon & The Membership's Friend Space (Top 23)
RICHIE RICH AND THE CHI-TOWN BLUES BAND APRIL 16TH SHOW AT THE ELBO ROOM IN CHICAGO WILL FEATURE RICHIE RICH, BARRELHOUSE CHUCK ON PIANO, EDDIE TAYLOR, JR. ON GUITAR, OSEE ANDERSON ON GUITAR, MARK DEVOS ON BASS AND MERLE PERKINS ON DRUMS...SHOWTIME IS AT 9:00 AND THE COST IS $8.00....SEATING IS LIMITED SO CALL THE ELBO ROOM AT (773) 549-5549 TO GET YOUR TICKETS.
Thanks for your friendship Mem, check out our latest Blog about 2009 Teacher Appreciation Day...hope you will participate in our celebration of learning and leave a comment about a teacher who made a difference in your life.
are you playing the pittsburgh area again this summer? just checking and...
Hello....If you have a second, could you please help us name our band. We are asking all of our myspace friends to vote on which name they like best. The name with the most votes will win and that will be our name as we play shows. Thanks a lot...the final list is:
Online Now!
