preorder at tommycastro.com >>

Tommy Castro and The Painkillers will release their new CD, The Devil You Know, on January 21, 2014 via Alligator Records. This release follows the newly formed band's debut on Alligator, Greedy / That's All I Got EP, which will be included on the new CD as bonus tracks. Co-produced by Tommy and Bonnie Hayes (newly appointed chair of Berklee College of Music's Songwriting Department whose credits include songs covered by Cher, Bette Midler, Natalie Cole, David Crosby, Booker T and the MGs and Bonnie Raitt on her triple Grammy-winning album, Nick of Time), the album is a high-energy set of thirteen songs including nine written or co-written by Tommy. Special guests on the album include Rosebud artist Marcia Ball, The Holmes Brothers, Joe Bonamassa, Mark Karan, Tab Benoit, Samantha Fish, Tasha Taylor and harmonica player Magic Dick. Tommy tried to distinguish and create a new feel on his new band's first full-length release stating, "I'm always moving forward, going outside of my wheelhouse, listening to new music and incorporating new ideas... The contemporary blues scene is full of fresh, new sounds... For the new album I challenged myself to add different sounds and new rhythms to my style while remaining true to my roots. I wrote using ideas for songs and ideas for sounds together in a way I'd never done before." The Devil You Know is now available for pre-order at trommycastro.com.

Tommy and his band will be embarking on a rigorous tour in support of their new album with dates across the U.S. And Canada, in addition to two dates in Japan and a week on the sold out Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise which features some of today's best blues musicians like Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Otis Clay, Curtis Salgado, Tab Benoit, Eric Bibb, Joe Bonamassa and Rosebud artist John Hammond. In a recent review of the band's live show, JamBands.com described Tommy saying he's "a top notch musician, but what sets him apart from the pack is the ability to lift any number of styles from his kit bag and let fly," and went on to call The Painkillers "a crackling, stripped-down band that added plenty of grit..."

Catch Tommy Castro and The Painkillers Live, See Tour Dates >>

Rosebud Artists Place High In DownBeat Readers Poll, Trombone Shorty Wins Best Trombonist, Bill Frisell #2 Best Guitarist

Ten Rosebud artists were ranked among the best musicians in the 78th Annual DownBeat Readers Poll (December 2013 Issue). Trombone Shorty won the Trombone category outright for the second year in a row, and he and his band, Orleans Avenue, placed in the top artists ranked for the Jazz Group category. Bill Frisell came in second in the Guitarist category (he won the category overall in the recent Downbeat critics poll for the fifth consecutive year and twelfth time in the past sixteen years!) and placed high in three additional categories: Jazz Artist, Composer, and Jazz Album of the Year (for Big Sur). Also scoring high in a variety of categories this year were some of Bill's recent collaborators including John Zorn, Gary Peacock, Kenny Wollesen, Brian Blade, Joey Baron, Eyvind Kang, Jenny Scheinman, Jason Moran, Charles Lloyd and Lee Konitz.

Multiple Rosebud artists took prominent spots in the Blues Artist or Group category, with Charlie Musselwhite, Marcia Ball and Duke Robillard as top contenders this year. Charlie also ranked in the top ten in the Blues Album category for Get Up!, his recent collaboration with Ben Harper. Also scoring in the Blues Album category was Jon Cleary for his album, Occapella, a collection of songs written by Rosebud artist Allen Toussaint. Toussaint himself was named in the Best Arranger category for the fourth consecutive year.

Meshell Ndegeocello was ranked in the Beyond Artist or Group category for the second year in a row as well as in the Electric Bass category, along with Robert Glasper Experiment bassist, Derrick Hodge, who Meshell appeared with on Glasper's album, Black Radio (2012).

Muddy Waters, a Rosebud artist until his passing, was ranked twice among the readers' top choices in the Historical Album of the Year category for his own album, You Shook Me: The Chess Masters, Vol. 3, 1958 To 1963, and for his collaboration with The Rolling Stones, Live At The Checkerboard Lounge Chicago 1981, which also features Stones drummer Charlie Watts, who Rosebud represents for his rare jazz performances.

Congratulations to all the artists. To Catch Them Perform Live On Stage, See Tour Dates >>

Jim Lauderdale Releases Two New Albums, Black Roses & Blue Moon Junction, On 11/19/13

Jim Lauderdale is set to release two new albums, Black Roses, and Blue Moon Junction, on the same day - November 19, 2013. Both albums represent collections of songs that Jim wrote with longtime collaborator and Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. Black Roses features special guests including Luther and Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars, Alabama Music Hall of Famer David Hood, as well as Amy Lavere and Shannon McNally. Also featured on the album is Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Spooner Oldham, whose credits include songs written for and/or collaborations with the likes of Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Wilson Pickett, Gram Parsons, Hank Williams Jr., Janis Joplin and Neil Young (Spooner was part of Young's touring band for 27 years). Spooner and Hood are also known for their session work at FAME Studios as featured in the new documentary, Muscle Shoals.

Jim's Blue Moon Junction is also set for simultaneous release on 11/19/13 marking his solo acoustic album debut.

Jim will be performing an exclusive online concert via Stageit.com on November 19 in conjunction with both albums' releases. Stageit is an online platform that allows viewers to experience a live show right in their own homes and chat with their favorite artists in real time. Ticket holders can tip Jim before and during the show via Stageit's artist-tipping system, and top supporters will receive a copy of both new albums autographed by Jim. For more info, please visit Stageit.com: Jim Lauderdale, Online Release party >>

To Catch Jim Lauderdale Live, See Tour Dates >>

The Blind Boys Of Alabama Featured On The Colbert Report On 11/13/13, Raves On New CD From Rolling Stone And People Magazines

The Blind Boys of Alabama will be featured on The Colbert Report on Comedy Central on November 13, 2013 at 11:30pm EST. The show will include both an interview and performance by The Blind Boys and will be rebroadcast three times throughout the following day (see comedycentral.com/tv-schedule for rebroadcast times). For more info and videos of the Blind Boys' appearance on the Colbert Report to be posted after the show, see colbertnation.com.

The Blind Boys' new CD, I'll Find A Way, produced by Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), has garnered acclaim from the likes of People Magazine and Rolling Stone who stated, "The Blind Boys of Alabama haven't lost their spark over their seven-plus decade, and on their new track 'Jubilee,' the veteran gospel group finds bliss with Patty Griffin."

The Blind Boys "I'll Find A Way" tour will bring them across North America and Europe with a stop in Brazil slated for 11/16. A recent review of their live performance at Austin City Limits Festival by the Austin Chronicle proclaimed, "The Blind Boys of Alabama, on the other hand, could've raised the dead with their heavenly harmonies and four piece backing band."

Catch The Blind Boys Of Alabama Live On Stage, See Tour Dates >>

JJ Cale Induction Into Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame

JJ Cale, a Rosebud artist until his passing on July 26, 2013, will be inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame on November 16, 2013. A native Oklahoman and pioneer of "The Tulsa Sound", JJ Cale was a major influence on some of the greatest guitarists, singers and songwriters of a generation. He has garnered high praise from music legends such as Neil Young who said, "Of all the players I ever heard, it's gotta be Hendrix and JJ Cale who are the best electric guitar players", and Eric Clapton (a musical ally and friend who popularized Cale's "Cocaine" and "After Midnight") who, in an interview with Vanity Fair Magazine, named Cale the living person he most admires. In addition to Clapton, his songs have been covered by artists as diverse as Johnny Cash and Captain Beefheart to Santana, Lynyrd Skynyrd ("Call Me The Breeze"), The Allman Brothers, Jerry Garcia, The Band, Chet Atkins, Freddie King, Maria Muldaur, John Mayer (who covered "Call Me The Breeze" on his latest album, Paradise Valley) and many more. Cale also found inroads to a younger generation of rock fans with Widespread Panic, Phish, Band of Horses and among many others who paid tribute to him in song. The induction ceremony and gala will be held at the Performance Hall of Downtown Tulsa's historic Jazz Depot. For tickets and more information see here.

Voting is open to public until 12/7/2013. Cast your vote online at mapleblues.ca/vote.aspx

James Cotton And Mavis Staples Nominated For Canada's Maple Blues Awards

James Cotton and Mavis Staples are both nominated for the 17th Annual Maple Blues Awards. The Maple Blues Awards is Canada's national blues awards event whose goal is to promote blues music across Canada, and to recognize outstanding achievement in the field. James and Mavis are both nominated in the B.B. King International Artist of the Year category. This is Mavis' fourth nomination for a Maple Blues Award, having been nominated most recently in 2010. Voting for the Maple Blues Awards is now open to the public until midnight Pacific Standard Time on December 7, 2013. The 17th Annual Maple Blues Awards ceremony will be held at Koerner Hall at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Ontario on Monday, January 20th, 2014.

To Catch James Cotton And Mavis Staples Live, See Tour Dates >>

James Cotton Honored With Mississippi Governor's 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award

James Cotton has been honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Mississippi Arts Commission. The blues icon, who was born in Tunica, Mississippi, will be one of five individuals who'll be presented with the Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts at a ceremony at Belhaven University Center for the Arts in Clarion, Mississippi on February 20, 2014. The Governor's Arts Awards "are presented annually to outstanding writers, artists, performers, craftsmen and educators who have made significant and lasting contributions through their work, as well as to corporations or organizations on the basis of their dedication to arts advancement." Award recipients "do not have to reside in Mississippi, but they must have significant ties to the state through some years of residency." Recipients are chosen by a group of industry peers who select candidates from a pool of nominees put forward by the general public. Cotton now joins an elite list of Mississippi musicians who have also been recipients of the arts award in the past including B.B. King, Little Milton Campbell, and Bo Diddley. For more information about the recipients of the 2014 Governor's Awards, see here.

Cotton's latest milestone furthers what has already been an outstanding year for the legendary harpist since the release of his newest CD, Cotton Mouth Man. The CD featured special guests Gregg Allman, Rosebud artist and 2013 GRAMMY-nominee Ruthie Foster, Warren Haynes, Joe Bonamassa, Delbert McClinton, and Keb' Mo'. The record drew raves from all corners including the Chicago Tribune who declared "Listen to Cotton's harmonica playing on the album - gritty, gutsy, ferociously uninhibited - and you're hearing what great blues harp work is all about. No wonder they call him 'Superharp.'" The CD entered Billboard's Blues chart in the top five, hit Billboard's Heatseekers Album chart's top ten and spent seven consecutive weeks topping the Roots Music Report's Blues Radio Chart, among other chart successes.

Congratulations to James Cotton for the recognition with the 2014 Governor's Arts Award. To catch Cotton performing live, see Tour Dates >>

Jim Lauderdale / Music City Roots on American Public Television, NASHVILLE 2.0 and ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival, Plus Old Time Angels Now On CD

Music City Roots, Live from the Loveless Cafe - a weekly, two-hour, Nashville-based radio show which regularly features Jim Lauderdale as a musical host - will begin broadcasting on American Public Television this Fall. For local listings and scheduling information see Music City Roots' official website at musiccityroots.com/apt. Music City Roots currently broadcasts on local radio as well as via a live video stream on the program's official website. Each week the program presents live performances and interviews with a select number of revered American roots artists. Jim joins the legendary Nashville disc jockey Keith Bilbrey and interviewer Craig Havighurst in hosting the series which, per the show's producers, "showcases Nashville's astonishing music scene, from country and Americana ... [to the broader] sub-genres: bluegrass, folk, alternative, western, rockabilly and crossovers into rock, jazz and world music." Past episodes of Music City Roots have featured such renowned artists as Leon Russell, Chip Taylor, Langhorne Slim, Alejandro Escovedo, Pieta Brown, The Wood Brothers and more.

	more info at PBS NASHVILLE 2.0 >>

Jim will feature in two upcoming PBS specials for the network's Americana Music Weekend. Premiering on Friday, November 22, NASHVILLE 2.0: the Rise of Americana will spotlight prominent figures in the genre's movement by combining interviews and exclusive artist performances that explore "the Americana musical melting pot ... embracing the breadth and genius of roots music artists, as well as Nashville's role as the genre's homebase".

On Saturday, November 23, PBS will then premier Austin City Limits' ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival. The program will showcase highlights and performances from this year's Americana Music Association Honors & Awards ceremony which was hosted by Jim. Other artists set to appear include Jim's long-time collaborator and friend Buddy Miller, Rodney Crowell, Dr. John with Dan Auerbach, Stephen Stills with Richie Furay, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, The Milk Carton Kids and many more. Full ACL episodes are available online following their initial broadcast. For local broadcast times and archives, please visit acltv.com.

In related news, Jim's latest release, Old Time Angels, is now available on CD at amazon.com. To catch Jim Lauderdale perform live, see Tour Dates >>

Allen Toussaint Enshrined In New Orleans Musical Legends Park. Featured On Will Lee's (David Letterman's Late Show Band) New Album With ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons

Allen Toussaint was inducted into New Orleans Musical Legends Park on Bourbon Street and enshrined with a life-size bronze statue. Allen joins other New Orleans legends such as Al Hirt, Pete Fountain, Fats Domino, Louis Prima and Irma Thomas. Allen's induction into New Orleans Musical Legends Park adds to his already impressive list of honors and awards including induction into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, the Blues Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, a National Medal of Arts (awarded by President Obama), an honorary doctorate from Tulane University, multiple Grammy nominations and a Grammy Trustees Award among others. Please see NOLA.com's coverage of the statue's unveiling ceremony which took place on October 17. 2013.

Allen is also featured on Will Lee's (longtime bassist of the Late Show with David Letterman) new album, Love, Gratitude and Other Distractions, released August 20, 2013. On the album, Lee covers Allen's hit song, "Get Out of My Life, Woman", which was previously made famous by Lee Dorsey. The track features Allen on piano along with ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons on guitar and vocals. Love, Gratitude and Other Distractions also features world class musicians such as Paul Shaffer, Pat Metheny and Bob James in addition to Allen.

Allen's recently released album and accompanying DVD, Songbook, has received notable reviews from key outlets including Downbeat Magazine who proclaimed, "a genius armed with a piano, sweet vocals and a lifetime of emotional anecdotes… he brings his own sophistication and polish to everything he plays…", and American Songwriter who stated, "All of these words don't even begin to describe the mastery of piano… that he displays throughout the concerts collated here for a single release… There is fire and finesse in his playing, not an easy task to present both combined… It's a tribute to the boiling pot of musical heritage that envelops New Orleans, but also to America at large… ".

To Catch Allen Toussaint Live, See Tour Dates >>