$18 in advance / $25 day of concert



John Hammond
A Blues Legend lives among us. John Hammond is a Grammy Award winner (1995) and eight time Grammy nominee (1993, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2010). He is a Blues Music Award Winner for Best Acoustic Blues Artist (2003, 2004) and for Best Acoustic Album for his Tom Waits produced Wicked Grin (2002), as well as a 2011 nominee for Acoustic Blues Artist of the Year.

He has hosted the Bravo TV special and Sony Home Video, The Search for Robert Johnson.

He has performed and recorded with Jimi Hendrix (discovered while playing in John's band), Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Duane Allman, Mike Bloomfield, JJ Cale, Tom Waits, The Band, John Lee Hooker, Dr. John and many more. He remains one of the world's premier acoustic blues artists. A tireless performer who continues to tour world-wide today.

"John's sound is so compelling, complete, symmetrical and soulful with just his voice, guitar and harmonica, it is at first impossible to imagine improving it... He's a great force of nature. John sounds like a big train coming. He chops them all down." - Tom Waits

"John Hammond is a master... He is a virtuoso. A Conjurer... A Modernist... John is in a very small circle of men with a guitar and a harmonica. Jimmy Reed, Howlin' Wolf, Bob Dylan. The guitar is an orchestra. He's sending messages. Storytelling. All mystery. Protection. The language goes out through the night... The Big Boom. Boom the room." - T Bone Burnett

John Hammond is not only "America's modern country blues man," he is 100% the "real deal." - Paul Aaronson, Elmore

Find more info at: www.johnhammond.com

Duke Robillard Band








Duke Robillard's passport has been renewed once again, stamped, and now revalidated, listing his profession as "songwriter" in addition to his previous occupations as guitarist, singer and producer.

His new Stony Plain CD, Passport to the Blues, features a dozen songs, all but one written by Robillard - the single exception, "Make It Rain," was written by Tom Waits and his wife, Kathleen Brennan. It's his first album of original self-penned songs since 2003's Exalted Lover.

Following the success of Grammy-nominated Stomp! The Blues Tonight, Robillard has delivered a tough collection of songs that's a return to Duke's grittiest roots - dirty, house-rockin', shack-shakin', fingerbustin', down-in-the-bottom git-tar blues. This time, the spotlight's shifted a little bit toward the songs themselves and Robillard - while staying within the accepted parameters of the blues idiom - cheerfully offers up songs like "Text Me," "The High Cost of Lovin'" and "Fatal Heart Attack." The opening song, "Workin' Hard for my Uncle," parallels The Beatles' "Taxman" - Duke's uncle, of course, is Sam, and he wants most of the songwriter's income.

Here's Robillard's own take on the material: "I was looking for a way to reflect more mature subject matter and I somehow fell upon some ideas that seem to represent the interests of people of my own age. Some are humorous, some are dark and some are happy but they all truly come from my real life."

Robillard's regular compatriots support both the guitarist and the spirit of the songs: Doug James on tenor and baritone saxes, Bruce Bears on keyboards, Brad Hallen on bass and Mark Teixiera on drums. One of the most versatile and accomplished guitarists playing today, Robillard has always been fascinated by the roots of American popular music - and he's tackled everything from blues to the classic American songbook to jazz guitar duets, rock-influenced trios, small and big band swing recordings. Along the way, he's earned no less than four Guitarist of the Year awards from the Blues Foundation, and was this year chosen Traditional Male Blues Artist.

An album of Duke's own material is long overdue. He's proud of a catalog of more than 120 songs, many of which have been covered by his previous bands, Roomful of Blues and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, as well as Johnny Adams and many other artists. He also wrote with the late Doc Pomus - "we wrote three or four songs together; I wish we had written more," says Duke today. One of those tunes - "The High Cost of Lovin'" - is on the new CD.

"This all-blues album was a chance for me to reach back deep into the soul of what I do and let out a lot of steam and emotion - especially on the guitar tracks. I played a lot of my solos live with the band in the studio, just like we would on the road. The energy was fantastic. Making the album felt magical."

Find more info at: www.dukerobillard.com