Alligator
Showing 1–24 of 52 results
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Bishop Elvin & Charlie Musselwhite - 100 Years Of Blues (LP)
€27,50Quick ViewVIHDOINKIN MYÖS VINYYLINÄ!
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bishop and Grammy-winning harmonica great Musselwhite join forces for a fun and historic collaboration of front porch blues. Among the most famous bluesmen in the world, with over five decades each of recording and performing, Elvin and Charlie have scanned over 600,000 units combined, despite over two dozen of their releases coming before the advent of Soundscan.
Aggressive press, radio and social media outreach around the great story of these two legends recording their first album together. Radio promotion for regular airplay on Triple A and Americana stations, as well as play on blues specialty shows that are guaranteed to give it bountiful spins.
Tour dates at theatres and performing arts centers as they become feasible.
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Various - A Blues Christmas (LP)
€27,00Quick ViewVinyl compilation featuring the best of Alligator’s previous CD-only holiday releases, the Alligator Records Christmas Collection and Genuine Houserockin? Christmas. Features genre legends Koko Taylor, Carey Bell and Katie Webster, plus current blues headliners Shemekia Copeland, Marcia Ball, Roomful of Blues and Lil? Ed & the Blues Imperials. Here’s to a not-so-silent night!
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Bishop Elvin & Charlie Musselwhite - 100 Years Of Blues (CD)
€20,00Quick ViewRock and Roll Hall of Famer Bishop and Grammy-winning harmonica great Musselwhite join forces for a fun and historic collaboration of front porch blues. Among the most famous bluesmen in the world, with over five decades each of recording and performing, Elvin and Charlie have scanned over 600,000 units combined, despite over two dozen of their releases coming before the advent of Soundscan.
Aggressive press, radio and social media outreach around the great story of these two legends recording their first album together. Radio promotion for regular airplay on Triple A and Americana stations, as well as play on blues specialty shows that are guaranteed to give it bountiful spins.
Tour dates at theatres and performing arts centers as they become feasible.
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Christone "Kingfish" Ingram - Kingfish (LP)
€27,00Quick View20 year-old blues firebrand comes bursting out of Clarksdale, Mississippi, with a sensational debut packed with piercing guitar, husky, impassioned singing and potent songwriting. Kingfish reinvigorates the blues with Ingram’s infectious, youthful fire. Ingram’s mentor, Buddy Guy, makes a cameo on ”Fresh Out,” four-time Grammy winner Keb Mo is featured on a track and plays on five more, and Chicago blues harp master Billy Branch appears on one.
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Estrin Rick And The Nightcats - Contemporary (CD)
€20,00Quick ViewRick Estrin & the Nightcats are back with their most expansive collection yet of brilliant blues and roots music filled with cunning songs and extraordinary musicianship. Contemporary celebrates the band’s ability to use tough blues and raucous roadhouse rock as jumping off points for exhilarating new roots music. It’s chock-full of originals that combine savvy songwriting, instrumental prowess and perpetual grooves into a distinctively modern blues sound, highlighted by the epic title track, a dizzying, Zappa-esque mash of Chicago blues, uptown funk, balls-out rocking and muscular rapping.
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Nick Moss Band - Lucky Guy! (CD)
€20,00Quick ViewPeerless Chicago blues band, led by razor-sharp singer/guitarist Nick Moss and harmonica virtuoso Dennis Gruenling, return with another sterling collection of combustible, cocksure blues and rootsy rock ’n’ roll, genuine, deep and potent. Thirteen original songs featuring searing, tough vocals, blazing guitar and powerhouse harmonica. Up-to-the-minute lyrics melded with classic blues sounds.
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Christone "Kingfish" Ingram - Kingfish (CD)
€20,00Quick View20 year-old blues firebrand comes bursting out of Clarksdale, Mississippi, with a sensational debut packed with piercing guitar, husky, impassioned singing and potent songwriting. Kingfish reinvigorates the blues with Ingram’s infectious, youthful fire. Ingram’s mentor, Buddy Guy, makes a cameo on ”Fresh Out,” four-time Grammy winner Keb Mo is featured on a track and plays on five more, and Chicago blues harp master Billy Branch appears on one.
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Walker Joe Louis, Bruce Katz & Giles Robson - Journeys To The Heart Of The Blues (CD)
€20,00Quick ViewGrammy-winnng singer/guitarist Joe Louis Walker, keyboard wizard Bruce Katz and UK harp ace Giles Robson join forces for a spellbinding journey through a treasure trove of rare and classic blues brought to vibrant new life.
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Kentucky Headhunters - Live At The Ramblin’ Man Fair (CD)
€20,00Quick ViewThe new album from Grammy-winning Southern blues-rock band The Kentucky Headhunters. The band — guitarist/vocalist Richard Young, his brother drummer Fred Young, guitarist Greg Martin and bassist/vocalist Doug Phelps — had never before been to Europe in their 30-plus year career. This set, recorded at The Ramblin’ Man Fair in Maidstone, UK, captures them at the height of their raucous, rocking powers.
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Beaver Lindsay - Tough As Love (CD)
€18,00Quick ViewAlligator Records is proud and excited to introduce Lindsay Beaver, a blues-rocking, soul-singing drummer, songwriter and bandleader, originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia and now residing in Austin, Texas. A uniquely talented musical spitfire, Lindsay is a jazz-trained drummer and a classically trained vocalist, writing and performing raw R&B, blues and old-school rock ’n’ roll songs with punk rock fervor. Tough As Love is a refreshing slap across the face of roots music.
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Castro Tommy And The Painkillers - Stompin` Ground (CD)
€18,00Quick ViewOn STOMPIN’ GROUND, Tommy Castro & The Painkillers’ high energy performances open windows into both Tommy’s past and his always-evolving musical future. Castro’s musical roots run deep. As he unleashes this dynamic new album, he is inspired by the sounds he absorbed while coming of age on the rough and tumble side of San Jose, California.
Produced by Castro and guitar wunderkind Kid Andersen and recorded at Andersen’s soon-to-be legendary Greaseland Studio in San Jose, STOMPIN’ GROUND finds Castro letting loose on a set of 12 tracks featuring seven originals and potent new versions of songs he learned and played as a young up-and-comer.In addition to The Painkillers, Tommy’s friends Charlie Musselwhite (harp and vocals), Mike Zito (guitar and vocals), Danielle Nicole (vocals) and Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo (guitar and vocals) add their talents to STOMPIN’ GROUND.
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Estrin Rick And The Nightcats - Groovin’ In Greaseland (CD)
€20,00Quick ViewGroovin’ In Greaseland is packed with contemporary blues and roots music. The songs are delightfully wily and warped lyrically, effortlessly tight and playful musically. Thirteen fresh originals ride Estrin’s powerhouse harmonica and ”hard-luck sandwich on wry” lyrics and The Nightcats’ wild guitar, soul-deep organ and greasy grooves.
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Cash Box Kings - Royal Mint (CD)
€20,00Quick View“One of the best blues bands in the land.” – Living Blues
“Virtuoso musicianship…rocking and irresistible.” –No Depression
“Gloriously retro with an inspiring eloquence and grace.” –Vintage Guitar
With deep feeling and top-shelf talent, house party masters The Cash Box Kings play tough, real deal classic Chicago blues with boundless energy. They also deliver raw, passionate Delta blues, jumping proto-rock ‘n’ roll, and steamrolling “bluesabilly,” an original mix of Chicago blues and Memphis rockabilly. As anyone who has ever been to one of the band’s raucous performances will testify, The Cash Box Kings are old school blues masters. They’re fueled by the powerhouse harmonica work of Madison, Wisconsin-based songwriter Joe Nosek and the huge, gritty vocals of Chicago bluesman Oscar Wilson. Their original songs range from humorous stories of Internet love to harrowing tales of Chicago’s violent gun epidemic. Every song they perform – be it a striking original or a scorching Chess, Sun or Vee-Jay cover – explodes with contemporary authority and radiates old-school authenticity.
According to Grammy Award-winning blues legend Charlie Musselwhite, “The Cash Box Kings play with real taste and feel. Not only is it good blues but it’s a jumping good time, too! I ain’t lyin’!” Joe Nosek founded The Cash Box Kings in Madison, Wisconsin in 2001 and, since 2007, has co-led the band with the charismatic, larger-than-life vocalist Oscar Wilson. Over 20 years apart in age and coming from vastly different backgrounds, the two form an unlikely pair, combining Wilson’s indisputably authentic inner city Chicago blues vocals with Nosek’s songwriting, singing and harmonica talents.
The music they create is brilliantly displayed on The Cash Box Kings’ Alligator Records debut, ROYAL MINT. According to Wilson, “The Cash Box Kings is a throwback to the golden age of blues with some kickin’ fresh young blood. Joe is my best friend in the music world – the band is a marriage made in heaven for both of us.” “Oscar is godfather to my oldest son,” says Nosek. “We have each other’s backs. We’re family.” ROYAL MINT features 13 hard-hitting songs, including six impressive originals. From the wry, politically-charged Build That Wall to the chilling Blues For Chi-Raq to the funny and too true If You Got A Jealous Woman Facebook Ain’t Your Friend to the timeless covers of songs by Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Clifton Chenier, Amos Milburn and Jimmy Reed, ROYAL MINT shuffles, jumps and gets down and dirty, fueled by the band’s unmatched musicianship. According Nosek, “ROYAL MINT is our strongest album. The band is at its absolute best.” Nosek refers to the group of top-notch traditional players who comprise The Cash Box Kings as “a blues collective.” Live and on record, members of the “collective” appear in different combinations for different performances, creating an anything-can-happen experience. In addition to co-leaders Nosek and Wilson, the full ensemble includes first rate guitarists Joel Paterson and Billy Flynn, drummers Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith and Mark Haines, bassist Brad Ber and newest member Lee Kanehira (replacing longtime pianist, the late Barrelhouse Chuck) rounding out the band. In their first six years, The Cash Box Kings won a large and loyal audience across the Midwest. Wilson joined the band in 2007 bringing with him an instantly commanding stage presence and an authoritative vocal style that gives fire-breathing power to the music. A self-taught musician and singer with an encyclopedic knowledge of almost every blues song known to man, Wilson – standing 6’1” and weighing over 300 pounds – is a natural-born entertainer and a perfect foil for Nosek and the band
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Birchwood Selwyn - Pick Your Poison (CD)
€20,00Quick ViewSelwyn Birchwood is among the most extraordinary young stars in the blues. His deep familiarity with blues tradition allows him to bust the genre wide open, adding new sounds, colors and textures all delivered with a revival tent preacher’s fervor and a natural storyteller’s charisma. Since the 2014 release of his Alligator Records debut, Don’t Call No Ambulance, Birchwood’s meteoric rise from playing small Florida clubs to headlining international festival stages is nothing short of phenomenal, as he continues to set the contemporary blues world on fire. The album received the Blues Music Award and Living Blues Critics’ Award for Best Debut Album Of 2014, and he won the 2015 Blues Blast Rising Star Award. Selwyn and his band have crisscrossed the U.S. and Europe repeatedly, delivering unforgettable live performances. With his new album, Pick Your Poison, Birchwoodtakes a major step forward, crafting visionary blues for a new generation of forward-looking fans. Birchwoodwrote and produced all 13 songs on Pick Your Poison. The cutting-edge songs are made all the more impactful by Birchwood’s gruff vocals, his untamed musicianship and his band’s seemingly telepathic accompaniment. “I write and sing what I know,” says Birchwood, whose innovations are as expansive as his influences. “This album has a broad reach. It’s for young, old and everyone in between.” Birchwood, his father from Tobago, his mother from the UK, was born in 1985 in Orlando, Florida. He first grabbed a guitar at age 13 and soon became proficient at mimicking what he heard on the radio. But the popular grunge rock, hip-hop and metal of the 1990s didn’t move him, and he quickly grew bored. And then he heard Jimi Hendrix. “He was larger than life. What he did was mind-blowing. When I realized Hendrix was influenced by the blues, I found my path,” he says. By 17, he was deep into the blues, listening to Albert King, Freddie King, Albert Collins, Muddy Waters, Lightnin’ Hopkins and especially Buddy Guy. As luck would have it, just as Birchwood was discovering Guy, the blues master had a concert scheduled in Orlando. Birchwood was there, front and center. “I was floored,” he recalls. “I completely connected with the blues. I knew I had to make this music.” As Selwyn’s guitar proficiency grew, a friend told him that his neighbor was a blues guitarist and had a band. The 19-year-old Selwyn went over to check it out and jam. The guitar-playing neighbor turned out to be the Texas-born blues legend Sonny Rhodes, who was instantly impressed with the enthusiastic young guitar slinger. Within one month’s time, Rhodes asked Birchwood to pack his bags and join him on the road. It was an incredible experience for Birchwood, as Rhodes took the young man under his wing, teaching him not only guitar and lap steel, but also how to conduct business, how to run a band, and how to reach an audience. “Sonny always said, ‘Play what’s in your heart.’ I’ve never lost sight of that,” says Birchwood. Rhodes insisted Birchwood go to college and always held the guitar spot in his band open for Selwyn whenever he was available. It was a win-win situation, as Birchwood—through hard work and scholarships—received his MBA from The University of Tampa. “I challenged myself to get that degree,” Birchwood says. “These days, it’s not good enough to just be a good player.” Combining the musical lessons learned from Rhodes and his business acumen, Birchwood created The Selwyn Birchwood Band in 2010, featuring veteran musicians older than Selwyn, testifying to Selwyn’s musical chops and his leadership skills. On stage, they play off each other with ease, feeding off each other’s energy, sharing the fun with the audience.
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Coco Montoya - Hard Truth (CD)
€20,00Quick ViewThe old Willie Dixon adage, “blues is truth,” perfectly describes the searing, passionate contemporary blues-rock of world-renowned guitarist and vocalist Coco Montoya. Taught by the “Master of the Telecaster,” Albert Collins, but with a hard-edged sound and style all his own, Montoya mixes his forceful, melodic guitar playing and passionate vocals with memorable songs, delivering the blues’ hardest truths. He earned his status as a master guitarist and soul-powered vocalist through years paying his dues as a sideman with Collins (first as a drummer) and then with John Mayall’s Blues Breakers, before launching his solo career in 1993.
Five years of constant touring with Collins and 10 years with Mayall turned him into a monster player and dynamic performer. Montoya has released eight solo albums – including three for Alligator between 2000 and 2007 – and has played at clubs, concert halls and major festivals all over the world.
Returning to Alligator with his new album, Hard Truth, Montoya delivers 11 career-topping performances, the music immediately ranking among the best he’s ever recorded. Produced by drummer Tony Braunagel (Eric Burdon, Curtis Salgado, Taj Mahal, Bonnie Raitt), the album features 11 songs, each delivering a hard truth of its own. From the radio-friendly, gospel-inspired shout-out to love, I Want To Shout About It, to the haunting Devil Don’t Sleep to the icy-hot cover of Albert Collins’ The Moon Is Full, Hard Truth covers a lot of emotional ground. Montoya’s unpredictable guitar playing and smoking soul vocals blend effortlessly with a backing band featuring renowned musicians including bassist Bob Glaub (Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Jerry Lee Lewis), keyboardist Mike Finnigan (Jimi Hendrix, Etta James, Taj Mahal), guitarists Billy Watts (Eric Burdon) and Johnny Lee Schell (Bonnie Raitt), and Braunagel on drums. Slide guitar master Leroy Parnell guests on Lost In The Bottle. Henry “Coco” Montoya was born in Santa Monica, California on October 2, 1951 and raised in a working class family. Growing up, Coco immersed himself in his parents’ record collection. He listened to big band jazz, salsa, doo-wop and rock ‘n’ roll. His first love was drums; he acquired a kit at age 11 and was playing in a number of area rock bands while still in his teens, eventually becoming an in-demand drummer. Fate led him towards the blues, first as a drummer for Albert Collins, then as the blues legend’s second guitarist. After coming off a number of years on the road with Collins, Coco hooked up with British blues king John Mayall and was a ten-year Blues Breaker. A solo career followed, with three fine releases on Blind Pig Records. In 2000, Coco’s Alligator debut, Suspicion, quickly became the best-selling album of his career. With regular radio airplay on over 120 stations nationwide, Montoya’s fan base exploded. After two more highly successful Alligator releases — 2002’s massively popular Can’t Look Back and 2007’s Dirty Deal – Montoya signed with Ruf records, cutting both a live and studio album. Montoya will hit the highway in support of the new release, playing his heart out night after night for fans hungry for the real thing. Still an indefatigable road warrior, Montoya continues to pack clubs and theaters around the world, and brings festival audiences to their feet from New York to New Orleans to Chicago to San Francisco. Across the globe, he’s performed in countries including Australia, Belgium, Finland, Switzerland, Germany, Norway, England and Canada. Vintage Guitar says, “Coco just keeps getting better and better. Rockin’ blues with guitar that cuts straight to the heart of the matter. His guitar playing is funky and blistering. It’s perfect. Whatever he plays, he does it with fire and passion rarely seen in this day and age.”
