Media Contact:
Debbie Costello Smith
President/CEO
info@seancostellofund.org
THE FIRST ANNUAL SEAN COSTELLO MEMORIAL FUND FOR BIPOLAR RESEARCH BENEFIT CONCERT
PERFORMERS:
LURRIE BELL
THE WOOD BROTHERS
KING JOHNSON
FELIX AND THE CATS WITH JON LIEBMAN
SOUL SHAKERS
LURRIE BELL
Bell's recorded output has been prodigious, even despite his lengthy absence from the scene: he has contributed to well over 50 albums, including numerous solo efforts, duets with father Carey, and an extensive list of guest appearances. Since the onset of the new millennium, Bell has been steadily raising his profile; without question, Lurrie Bell is back and better than ever. Bell was voted Most Outstanding Guitar Player in the 2007 Living Blues magazine critics' poll, and was nominated for a 2007 Blues Music Award for Best Guitarist by the Blues Foundation. As producer Skoller's liner notes for Let's Talk About Love observe, "Lurrie is now a blues master at a needed time when there are very few blues masters left."
http://www.lurrie.com
THE WOOD BROTHERS
While the Wood brothers grew up in Boulder, Colorado, Oliver moved to Atlanta and became a southerner, while Chris moved to New York City and became a Yankee. Now, after years of musical and geographical separation they have reunited. Oliver and his band, King Johnson (named after Freddy King and Robert Johnson) toured mostly in the southern states. Meanwhile, Chris was living in Manhattan playing everything from free jazz to rock and roll, there meeting his band mates to form Medeski Martin & Wood. Now The Wood Brothers have begun a collaboration that combines their shared childhood influences with everything they've learned since leaving home. Their music has a rootsy feel that blends blues, folk, and rock music in a guitar/bass duo. The brothers’ new album, "Loaded" produced by John Medeski, was released on Blue Note Records, April 1, 2008.
http://www.thewoodbrothers.com
KING JOHNSON
King Johnson was formed by singer/guitarist Oliver Wood bassist/songwriter Chris Long and drummer Greg Baba; trombonist Adam Mewherter and saxophonist John Longo later added dimension to their album, Cats & Dogs. Marcus James Henderson replaced Longo in their self-titled 1998 release.
With five CDs (Cats & Dogs, the self-titled King Johnson, Luck So Strange, Hot Fish Laundry Mat and the new, completely live effort, Live '05) and with many miles logged in the US and abroad, King Johnson is touring less and focusing on new collaborations. Voted Atlanta's best band in the "blues" category for half of a decade, King Johnson is praised by the Creative Loafing Magazine for "incorporating hook-heavy writing and facile playing with New Orleans brass funk and jazz."
FELIX AND THE CATS
The original Felix and the Cats included Paul Linden on keyboard and harp, and Matt Sickles on bass. Along with original drummer of Sean’s band, Terrence Prather, it is this configuration that is reassembling in Sean’s honor. The list of blues greats that Felix has backed up or shared the stage with include: B.B. King, Archie Bell, Little Joe Blue, Sam Lay, Hubert Sumlin, ZuZu Bollin, Eddie Clearwater, Susan Tedeschi, Sean Costello, Sil Austin, Grady "Fats" Jackson, Eddie Tigner, Bo Diddley, Smokin Joe Kubek & B'nois King, Mike Morgan & the Crawl, Hashbrown and many more! Felix's song "Wait for Me" is the title track of Grammy nominated singer Susan Tedeschi's 2nd CD. It is also featured on the New West DVD "Susan Tedeschi: Live at Austin City Limits." Felix has been cited by Sean as being one of the three most influential people of his career.
JON LIEBMAN
Jon Liebman, born and raised in Atlanta and got his musical start in Washington,D.C. There he studied with players such as Big Joe Maher, Joe Stanley, John Cocuzzi, Doug Jay, Pete Kanaras and Mark Wenner of The Nighthawks, and others. In Atlanta, he toured and performed locally with best friend Sean Costello up until his passing in April, 2008. He has recorded with Bill Sheffield, Larry Griffith , Forrest McDonald, Sean Costello, Nick Longo, Lee Griffin and many others. Jon brings his musical talent and love of Sean to this effort.
SOUL SHAKERS
The Soul Shakers is a band out of Atlanta consisting of Art Holliday (guitar & vocals), Jacob Holliday (bass guitar), Eric Pullen (drums) and Adam Holliday (piano and organ). Art, Jacob and Adam are brothers and life long friends of Eric Pullen. The Soul Shakers play a variety of music from old school blues, soul, swing, rhythm and soul rock n roll to many other obscure styles. The band is influenced by many of the greats like Otis Rush, Earl Hooker, Booker T & The Mg‚s and Bob Dylan. Eric has the distinction of being Sean's best friend since age 9 and his very first drummer.
Media Contact:
Debbie Costello Smith
President/CEO
info@seancostellofund.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2009 9 A.M. EDT
SEAN COSTELLO BENEFIT CONCERT LINEUP CHANGE
March 1, 2009 will mark the first annual Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research benefit concert at the North Atlanta High Center for the Arts. In Sean’s honor, fellow musicians and friends, Lurrie Bell [2008 Living Blues Awards for Blues Artist of the Year and Most Outstanding Guitarist], The Wood Brothers [debut disc named one of National Public Radio’s top ten discoveries of 2006], King Johnson, Felix and the Cats with Jon Liebman and the Soul Shakers will lend their time and talent to this cause. Doors will open at 4p.m. and music begins at 5p.m. Tickets are $30 and will be available online [ http://www.seancostellofund.org ] and at the door. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. Donations are tax deductible.
The original lineup also included Jason Ricci, who will no longer be able to perform due to a conflict in his performance schedule. Although Ricci will not be part of the lineup, he will be donating the proceeds of his alternate performance to The Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research. Ricci hopes to lend his time in the second annual benefit concert.
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Hey Blues Fans,
John Németh - Love Me Tonight
Walter Jr. - The River Club
