[Harp-L] News from NorthernBlues Music

["Fred Litwin" <fred@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The last several months have been incredibly busy with lots of new CDs, and
lots of new signings to the label. Here is our latest news:

1.  Latest NorthernBlues CDs Garnering Incredible Reviews
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Our two latest NorthernBlues CDs, "Villanelle" by Paul Reddick, and "African
Wind" by Dan Treanor & Frankie Lee, have been incredibly well-received.
Villanelle is an homage to pre-war blues, but with a very modern sound.
African Wind combines homemade African instruments with the soul voice of
Frankie Lee.  Both of these CDs are currently up on Listening Posts at
Borders across the United States.

Quotes on "Villanelle":

"With Villanelle Reddick and Linden join the list of Canadians (The Band,
Fred Eaglesmith, Ray Bonneville, Daniel Lanois, Amos Garrett, etc.) who have
revitalized American roots music and fed it back to the land of its
origins."
    Michael Ross, PureMusic.Com January 2005

"Fans of the hill country blues sound of RL Burnside will find much to like
here."
    Mark Smith, Capital Area Blues Society, Dec. 2004

"This is not an album that jumps out at the lisener; it's charms seep in
gradually through repeated spins.  Like the Sirens of The Odyssey, it
entrances, hypnotizes, and beckons you back for more."
    Hal Horowitz, Blues Revue, Feb-March, 2005

On "African Wind":

"Treanor and Lee have created a unique, refreshing disc that could mark a
cornerstone in the genre's evolving sound.  African Wind is a stone cold
winner."
    Lou Friedman, Blues Revue, Feb-March, 2005

"African Wind is one of the most innovative blues releases in along time."
    Tim Holek, Living Blues, Issue #176

2.  New CDs by Eddie Turner and Carlos del Junco Hit the Stores on Feb. 8th
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NorthernBlues is proud of our upcoming CDs - "Blues Mongrel" by Harmonica
master Carlos del Junco, and "Rise" by Psychedelic guitarist Eddie Turner.
Both should be in stores on February 8th.

Here are some early comments on both CDs:

on Eddie Turner
"This guy's fascinating in that he's stepped straight into 2005 from 1967.
This is psychedelia a la Jimi Hendrix. Not that it sounds like Hendrix; it
just shares the same ideas of musical expression. The title track is an acid
blues, heavy on droning electric guitar, laid over a New Orleans parade
second line percussion beat. That's novel and cool. The fact that Turner
covers the Hendrix classic, ?The Wind Cries Mary,? and sounds completely
like Eddie Turner and nothing at all like Jimi Hendrix is a nice, subtle
touch.

"Acid blues at its best. Thank Eddie Turner and Northern Blues for reminding
us how good that can be."
    Arthur Shuey, New York Jazz and Blues Society

on Carlos del Junco
"Thunderin' and lumberin' like a stampeding herd of wild animals, this is
your old man's blues if your old man grew up listening to Led Zeppelin and
John Mayall at maximum volume. Toss in some choogling boogie beats and
you've got a sizzling platter that'll show you why Carlos won two gold
medals for world's best in blues and jazz at the Hohner World Harmonica
Championship. And that's not hyperbole, that's a fact."
    Jeffrey Morgan, CREEM Magazine

3.  NorthernBlues Music signs up Chris Beard and Mem Shannon
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In April and May, we will release CDs by two guitar giants - Chris Beard and
Mem Shannon. Chris is from Rochester and has been 'wowing' live fans since
his first CD in 1998. That CD, "Barwalkin", earned him a 1998 nomination for
the W.C. Handy Award "Best New Blues Artist", the Oscar of the blues world.

Chris Beard's new CD, "Live Wire", is a compilation of two "live"
performances in Grand Rapids, MI and Chicago, IL which contains new songs
and bonus studio tracks. This disc exhibits, without doubt, Chris'
extraordinary talent as a musician and his fantastic stage presence.

And one of our biggest signings to date is Mem Shannon - one of the young
lions of blues who believes in expanding the parameters of the music. His
first CD in 1995 ("A Cab Driver's Blues") was a tour-de-force - Mem mixed
snippets from his taxi passengers and the CD won huge critical acclaim. As
the All Music Guide says, "Shannon brilliantly combines elements of funk,
jazz and rock & roll into his guitar playing, and his soulful vocals are not
your run-of-the-mill stylings. In fact, most things about Shannon are
exceptional: the way he write songs, the way he sings them, and the way he
presents them."

Mem's new release "I'm From Phunkville" is yet another showcase for his
incredible talents. With all original songs (and one cover of Eleanor
Rigby), Mem is once again ready to show why he is one of the most original
bluesmen around.

4.  New NorthernBlues Sampler in Borders in mid-February.
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Our new sampler,"The Future of the Blues, Volume 2", will be available from
Borders in mid-February.  Tons of great music - 15 tracks, 70 minutes of
music -- and at a great price under $10.  Also, we've included one bonus
track from John and the Sisters!

5.  How to Contact NorthernBlues Music
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You can always e-mail us at info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, or you can e-mail me
personally at fred@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  We also have a toll-free number
1-866-540-0003.


Fred Litwin
NorthernBlues Music, Inc.
225 Sterling Road, Unit 19
Toronto, Ontario M6R 2B2
www.northernblues.com