Victor Wainwright and the WildRoots Victor 'Piana' Wainwright: Lead vocals, piano, organ, harmonica Stephen 'Cat Daddy' Dees: Bass, guitar, vocals, percussion Greg 'Six String' Gumpel: Guitar, mandolin, banjo, vocals Brian 'Machine Gunn' Kelly: Drums, percussion
The WildRoots perform as a 4 piece, a 6 six with added horn section or up to an 8 piece with percussionist and additional backing vocals 'Extended Roots' members: Patricia Ann Dees: Vocals, saxophone, keys, harmonica, bass Ray Guiser: Saxophone, keys Alberto Cruz: Congas, Percussion
Sounds Like
12.04.2009 CD hits 31 ON THE ROOTS MUSIC REVIEW "TOP 50 BLUES" CHARTS!!!!
CRB - 5 Charting on Collectif des Radios Blues Charts - October 2009
The CRB charts are compiled from the playlists of numerous French, Belgian, & Canadian blues radio shows.
Here's a sampling of the 114+ RADIO STATIONS NOW PLAYING "BEALE ST TO THE BAYOU" since the release on 10.01.2009. More stations being added daily... see www.WildRootsRecords.com for complete listing
Help support the band by contacting these stations and requesting our songs. For your convenience you'll find the station name, location, contact [if any] and the name of the "song" they're playing now. THANK YOU
XM 74 Sirius "BB King's Bluesville" http://www.xmradio.com/bbkingsbluesville
"Sweet Louise", "Long Way to Go"
WRFG 89.3 FM Atlanta - "Good Morning Blues II" mailto:AJsAtlantaBlues@aol.com mailto:Blackjackblues@aol.com GA
"Long Way to Go", "WildRoot Jam"
WXLV - Jim's Juke Joint and Soul Kitchen - Schnecksville, PA www.wxlv.org
Jim Hynes [Blues Director and Host of "Jim's Juke Joint & Soul Kitchen"
“Beale Street to the Bayou”, “Long Way to Go”
Serge WARIN, Radio Canal Bleu OBJAT, France
The album of Victor WAINWRIGHT and the WildRoots "Beale Street to the Bayou" has reached us Ok, thanks...I'm listening it (second time). I love the various styles (Rock, old blues, Deep Blues), the liveliness ambiance, the homogeneity of the groupe. Excellent!
WSLR 96.5 LPFM Community Radio Our Kind of Folk is broadcast Friday mornings Sarasota, FL
"Square”
Blues Cafe', 101 CAC WWSP Reserve Street UWSP, Stevens Point WI 54481
“Long Way to Go”
LE BLUES VOUS VA SI BIEN FRANCE
World album of the week: VICTOR WAINWRIGHT "Beale Street to the Bayou"
“Beale Street to the Bayou”, “School of Hard Knocks”, “What'd I Say”
WRKF - Hootenanny Power Baton Rouge
“Blues Grass”
‘Voice of the Blues’ on Radio Sfera, Poland DJ- Przemek Draheim www.blues.pl/draheim
The WildRoots are amazing! I am just listening to the new Victor Wainwright & The WildRoots CD and I love it. Those guys are as tight as a good band can bet and the way they mix different shades of blues is so tasty. Plus, Victor has strong pipes! His voice is bluesy as hell and memorable, very suitable for this kind of music. This album will find plenty of fans, I bet.
KMFB 92.7 96.7 FM Mendocino, CA http://www.kmfb-fm.com
EIGHT TO THE BAR WITH TARR - 'Radioactive Blues Programming for the Tragically Hip & Twisted'
Victor Wainwright & The WildRoots/Beale Street To The Bayou/WildRoots Records
KRZA Colorado - 719.589.8844 or 800.290.0887
Victor Wainwright CD arrived safe and sound, Lots of good stuff.
“Beale St to the Bayou”, “What I'd Say", "Long Way to Go", "Sweet Louise"
KTEP 88.5 FM El Paso,TX www.ktep.org - 915.880.KTEP
Norma Martinez, Traffic Director, host "Friday Night Blues”
“Mighty Man”
Jazz and Blues Tour Radio Show - Joost van Steen Netherlands
…sounds great what I hear
Beardo at Bandana Blues – Internet Blues Radio
Wow! That's a winner Betts. Bought his "Piana From Savannah" at CDBaby just now.
TOPBLUES - Blues Internet Radio Live365.com
Thanks for the Victor Wainwright. I like it!
WWOZ New Orleans, LA - 504.568.1234
Wonderful. looking forward to sharing some Victor with my listeners....
Michel FATON - CROSS'BLUES GAP France
Thank you so much for the new CD of Victor WAINWRIGHT... is a very good album...
MONTREAL BLUES SOCIETY CD SPOTLIGHT – Oct 6th
Bluestimen, Radio Ung Kristiansand, Norway FM 106.9 http://www.radioung.no/ Host: Bjorn Wiksaas
“Mighty Man”
WROV 96.3 Roanoke, VA
"Maxwell St" FRANCE http://www.maxwellstreet.fr
Radio 666 Bonnemaison, France
KGLP 91.7FM “Greenchile Revival & Medicine Show" NM greenchile@kglp.org - 505.863.7625
“Blues in the Rain”
KRWP 107.7FM "The Saturday Night Blues Party" Stockton, MO
“Mighty Man” , "Beale Street to the Bayou"
Bluespower - on Radio Weser.TV Bremerhaven/Germany
“Blues in the Rain”
RADIO HOLSTEBRO 97.4 MHZ - CABLE 89.0 MHZ
“Long Way to Go”
BlueMondayMonthly.com Owatonna, MN
Featured Artist Spot – 10.12.09
BAKER STREET - RADO MENERGY Albi,France
“Mighty Man”
Nothing But The Blues on LCR 1350 AM UK
“Long Way to Go”
KSMU Route 66 Blues Express with John Darkhorse Springfield, MO
"Mighty Man"
"Tecka" HOTFM in "OZ"
“Mighty Man”, “Planet Earth”, “Sweet Louise”, “What’d I Say”
Midnight Special Blues Radio [Live 365]
“WildRoot Jam”, “Beale Street to the Bayou”
Kool Breeze kconlineradio.com
“Blues in the Rain”, “Beale Street to the Bayou”, “Sold Down River”, “What’d I Say”, “School of Hard Knocks”, “Sweet Louise”
"Beale Street to the Bayou" Reviews complete unabridged reviews available at www.WildRootsRecords.com
"Victor Wainwright, wields a mighty left hand and a robust vocal delivery that brims with the very spirit of the blues. He and his devastating band, the WildRoots, have just released "Beale Street To The Bayou” …great songwriting, passionate playing, and that certain joie de vivre that lets you know you're in for a great listening experience! This is truly one to----ENJOY!!!" Sheryl & Don Crow - Nashville Blues Society http://www.myspace.com/nashvillebluessociety
"Extremely diverse with great songwriting, exceptional arrangements, flawless playing and vocals soulful enough to make Otis Redding sit up and take notice, Beale Street to the Bayou has something that is sure to get your attention, no matter what your taste. From soul and r&b to hard driving numbers that are sure to get your feet moving and slow-burning soulful ballads. If I had to choose a single work to describe the disc, it would be "timeless".
Bill Wilson - Billtown Blue Notes billtownblues.org/
"Victor Wainwright & The WildRoots blew us away Saturday night! Barrel-house piano that had folks rockin', soulful vocals that filled the room, a rhythm section that matched Victor note for note and infectious stage presence. Our best "new" find for 2009. " Gary Anton, Bradfordville Blues Club, Tallahassee FL
"Every now and then a new artist comes along that just seems to "get it." They understand the music and its traditions and they instinctively know how to interpret and perform the music with a freshness and a flair that breaks through all the clutter on the sonic landscape. Victor Wainwright and the WildRoots are just such artists and their CD, "Beale Street to the Bayou" definitely hit the Bull's Eye."
BarrelHouseBlues.com "Sound Impressions" Bridgewater, MA
“…one of those great rock and roll and voices that sound like its been soaked in whisky since birth and then hung out to dry in a smoke filled room every night. …this CD is a timely reminder of just how much fun there can be had listening to rock and roll."
Richard Marcus - Editor Epic India Magazine http://epicindia.com/magazine
"This album is a wonderful amalgamation of captivating and extremely invigorating Rock& Roll, Soulful Blues, sweetly gelling with Bluegrass and Country.
Brian Harman - Blues in the South http://www.bluesinthesouth.com/
http://www.myspace.com/bluesinthesouth
"The WildRoots are amazing! Those guys are as tight as a good band can get and the way they mix different shades of blues is so tasty. This album will find plenty of fans, I bet."
‘Voice of the Blues’ on Radio Sfera, DJ- Przemek Draheim www.blues.pl/draheim Poland
"Greasy, southern roots music that is sure to put weight on you, the music is original, as is the presentation and this is a mighty representation..."
Chris Spector, Editor and Publisher Midwest Record www.midwestrecord.com IL
“The songs all sound tight, daring, exuberant and sometimes restrained, the instruments and vocals are aligned perfectly. "Beale Street to the Bayou" is a great rocking blues CD that the band makes this difficult to surpass.”
ROOTSTIME c/o Wanted Productions - Freddy Celis - www.rootstime.be Belgium
“Roots music at its finest" Welt Music Review – Germany
LATEST NEWS:
12.04.2009
"Beale Street to the Bayou" CD hits 31 on RMR [Roots Music Report] "Top 50 Blues" charts.
11.28.2009
Sirius XM Radio featuring "Beale Street to the Bayou" on Picks to Click by Bill Wax; a very high endorsement.
11.25.2009
CD being played on 100 stations US & internationally and hits 5 on CRB European radio charts.
10.23.2009
"Beale Street to the Bayou" CD hits 33 on RMR [Roots Music Report] "Top 50 Blues" charts.
10.21.2009
Band on the road for FL tour. CD being played on 70+ stations since promo began on 10.01. Also, check out www.WildRootsRecords.com to read the cool reviews the CD has received so far.
10.01.2009
International promotional campaign launched with Blind Raccoon and Betsie Brown.
09.15.2009
Debut CD, "Beale Street to the Bayou".
09.01.2009
CD Release performance at News Journal Center sold out, 865 capacity.
BIOGRAPHY: Victor Wainwright, 28 year old singer, pianist, “hepcat” from Memphis by way of the Peach State; creates boogie blues and roots rock by playing his own unique style of piana’.
Stephen Dees played as bassist with Hall and Oates, Todd Rundgren and many others. He also landed on MTV and Billboard's rock charts in the 1980s with his band Novo Combo.
The paths of the two musicians crossed several years ago, the result; a Blues 'n' Funk, Rock 'n' Soul, Jam Band known as Victor Wainwright and the WildRoots.
Though Wainwright left his native Savannah, GA for Daytona Beach, FL to pursue a double major in college (in air traffic management and psychology), he also applied himself to piano and a Hammond B-3. After earning what he calls a "double major in Boogie, a Ph.D. in Swing and a master's in Rhythm," the "Piana’ from Savannah" graduated to a house gig at Wet Willie's on Beale Street in Memphis, where he's entertained thousands of blues fans with his electrifying performances.
"On Beale Street the men are separated very quickly from the boys", Wainwright says; "the crowds are tough and you have to be on your game every night, it's highly competitive. However I really like it, I think it keeps the music to a high quality on the street. We're always trying to outdo each other... in a good way."
Florida-bred musician Stephen Dees grew up hearing tales of his uncle, Grand Ole Opry stalwart; "Fiddlin' " Chubby Wise (co-writer of the immortal "Orange Blossom Special"). Dees picked up his grandfather's guitar at an early age, handed down to him by his father, also a musician. "My family thought I'd be the next Hank Williams," Dees says. Instead, he was seduced by rock 'n' roll. By the 1980s he was touring and-or recording as bassist and vocalist for Hall and Oates, Todd Rundgren, Foghat, and Pat Travers to name a few.
Dees also co-founded Novo Combo with former Santana drummer Michael Shrieve. The band's two Polygram releases in the 1980s, "Novo Combo" and "Animation Generation," included the Dees-penned hits "Up Periscope," which spent 12 weeks on Billboard's top rock tracks, and "City Bound E Train," co-written with hit songwriter Desmond Child. The video for the title track of "Animation Generation" was a hit on MTV. Since the late 1990s, Dees has continued his pursuit of eclectic pop-rock with his band the Bandees, based in Edgewater, FL.
So how did a boogie blues "piana" player hook up with an MTV-savvy pop-rocker?
The two met in Ormond Beach FL. when they were both on the bill of a benefit concert. "I was very impressed with Victor’s performance," Dees says. "After meeting the then 22 year old dynamo, I was pleasantly surprised to find we had a common love for early rhythm and blues and rock 'n' roll music that came out of the '50s and 60's, such as Ray Charles, B.B. King, James Brown, Otis Redding, Al Green, Muddy Waters, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard."
They discussed the possibility of collaborating on an original recording project; paying homage to their rock 'n' rhythm roots. Dees agreed to produce, perform and co-write what would become Wainwright's 2005 release, "Piana from Savannah". “…it’s hard to follow the speed limit while this one’s playing… Pine Top Perkins would be proud.” [Backstage Pass Magazine] For the project, Victor brought in guitarist Greg Gumpel, a friend and band mate since they had met in 2002 at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach. "One of the best young guitar players I've heard in the last 10 years", Dees remarks. Stephen brought in drummer Brian Kelly. The two had met playing in a progressive rock band and from the very first note; knew there was an instant rhythm connection. Victor was likewise impressed with Kelly's versatility.
The band clicked... after the release of the CD and some outstanding live performances they knew they had something special and decided to forge a more enduring working relationship. Victor Wainwright and the WildRoots were born.
Their debut CD, "Beale Street to the Bayou," is now available. The music is a departure from the more traditional blues and boogie of Wainwright's "Piana" CD. "This project lyrically and musically speaks to a broader contemporary audience," Dees says, "while its soul remains anchored in the roots music that continues to inspire us." [Rick deYampert, Entertainment Writer, Daytona News Journal]
Victor Wainwright & the WildRoots's Friend Space (Top 16)
Victor Wainwright & the WildRoots has 557 friends.
Victor, I know its early... but since you have some Winter dates & I don't... you may be able to use this song before Christmas... Just replace a couple of my guitar solos (let Greg keep one) with piano/ organ & rock out! Dusty the RoboDrum - Christmas Southern Style
sending your page some summer love!
thanks for finding us! great to meet you!
follow on twitter: www.twitter.com/justmegan_music
best wishes always, and please stay in touch!
*big hug* luv.jm/megan.xx
Hey! I've had the pleasure of catching a few of your songs at the Blues Jams and let me just say... YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!! Hope we get a chance to jam together one day! Until then...hope to see you on the Memphis music scene soon!
![justmegan [NEW SONG!]](http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/34/s_a2bea745d39a3d4cef09ddd0d32bfb43.jpg)
sending your page some summer love! 
