Fre. 8. nov. 23 – 24

www.cashboxkings.com

Official Promo Video!

Oscar Wilson	Vokal
Joe Nosek	Harp
Billy Flynn	Guitar
Queen Lee Kanehira	Keyboards
Lars Näsman	Bass
Derek Hendrickson	Trommer

Gruppen, der ledes af Chicago blues vokalist og sangskriver Oscar “Mr. 43rd Street” Wilson og sanger, blues harpespiller Joe Nosek, de spiller mesterligt rå, usminket, old-school blues.

Historien om The Cash Box Kings begynder i Madison, Wisconsin, hvor Nosek grundlagde bandet i 2001. Siden 2007 har hans kompanion været den karismatiske, larger-than-life Chicago blues vokalist Oscar Wilson. Selvom der er over 20 år aldersforskel og de kommer fra vidt forskellige baggrunde, danner de to et usandsynligt par, der kombinerer Wilsons indiskutabelt autentiske South Side Chicago blues vokal og grovkornede, street-smart med Nosek’s historiefortællende vokal, dynamisk blues harpespil og vittige melodier.

I deres første seks år fik The Cash Box Kings et stort og loyalt publikum over hele Midtvesten. Wilson sluttede sig til bandet i 2007 og med sin scenetilstedeværelse og en autoritativ vokalstil, gav han en kraft til musikken. En fængslende sanger, født i Chicago med blues i blodet og med en encyklopædisk viden om næsten enhver bluessang der findes.

Wilson er en naturlig født entertainer og en perfekt folie for Nosek og bandet. Wilson blev født i 1953 på Chicagos 43rd Street (alias “Muddy Waters Drive”) og voksede op i selskab med mange berømte blueskunstnere. Junior Wells, Elmore James, Big Smokey Smothers og den nære ven af familien David “Honeyboy” Edwards.

Wilson vokale inspirationer spænder fra Muddy Waters, B.B. King og Albert King til Jimmy Reed, Jimmy Rogers og Little Walter, men han synger mest som Oscar Wilson.

Joe Nosek, født i Wisconsin i 1974 og opvokset i Chicago-forstæderne, tilbragte sin ungdom med at opsuge så meget bluesmusik, som han kunne høre, både live og på plade. I sine teenageår begyndte han at snige sig ind i bluesklubber for at se Junior Wells, James Cotton, Otis Rush, Jimmy Rogers, Sunnyland Slim og andre. Nosek husker: “At se disse fyre gjorde et stort indtryk på mig og drev mig til at ville lære at spille blues.” Han begyndte at spille blues harp og dyrkede hurtigt sin egen aggressive, flydende stil.

Efter at være flyttet til Madison i begyndelsen af 1990’erne begyndte han at hænge ud med ligesindede musikere, der var fast besluttet på at spille rå, kantet blues, og dannede The Cash Box Kings.

Det er blevet til ni Blues Music Award-nomineringer til bandet, inklusive dette års indstilling i Traditionel Blues Album-kategorien (vinderne kåres den 9. maj).

Et andet es i gruppen er guitaristen Billy Flynn der tidligere har spillet med bl.a. Kim Wilson, Mark Hummel, John Primer. Gruppen tæller også pianisten ”Queen”Lee Kanehira, der har spillet med Johnny Burgin m.fl. og trommeslageren Derek Hendrickson.

De udgav deres første album, »Live! På The King Club« i 2003 fik han stor ros fra kritikere og fans og fik et ry som et af de hotteste livebands “On the block”.

Med ti tidligere udgivelser i bagagen og hundredvis af liveoptrædener har The Cash Box Kings vundet udbredt anerkendelse i hele bluesverdenen. Deres Alligator Records-debut, »Royal Mint« fra 2017, blev udnævnt blandt årets ti bedste bluesalbum af MOJO-magasinet. 2019’s »Hail To The Kings!« fortsatte tendensen, hvor bandet modtog tre Blues Music Award-nomineringer, ros fra medier Bl.a. The Chicago Tribune, AllMusic.com, Storbritanniens MOJO og Blues & Rhythm og radio airplay rundt om i verden.

Cash Box Kings hylder ikke blot fortiden, de bringer traditionen ind i nutiden og leverer en fantastisk optræden hver gang.

Bandet får stadig mere og mere positiv kritik og fik fornemme anmeldelser for deres seneste album, »Oscar’s Motel«, der udkom i 2023.

På deres nye Alligator Records-album, »Oscar’s Motel« (deres tredje på Alligator og 11. samlet), bringer The Cash Box Kings nutidig autoritet og old-school autenticitet til hvert af albummets 11 numre.

I forbindelse med indspilningen af »Oscar’s Motel«, der er indspillet i Chicago og produceret af Nosek, tog The Cash Box Kings nogle vigtige beslutninger om at lægge hverdagens problemer til side og have det lidt sjovere. “Selvom vi aldrig er bange for at tackle noget emne.

Vores mål var, at »Oscar’s Motel« skulle være en fest, en åben invitation til at lægge dine problemer bag dig og have godt.” Bare lyt, og det er tydeligt, at det er lykkedes. Sangene er fyldt med karakterer revet direkte fra Wilsons farverige fortid. Wilson siger: Det var sådan en herlig tid, “Da jeg voksede op, var der en kro på hvert hjørne med et band, der spillede musik, og musikken flød fra verandaerne på hver blok.”

Ifølge Wilson, “The Cash Box Kings er en tilbagevenden til blues guldalderen med noget kickin ‘frisk ungt blod. Joe er min bedste ven i musikverdenen – bandet er et ægteskab lavet i himlen for os begge.” Nosek siger: “Vi passer på hinanden, vi er familie.”

Living Blues sagde: “The Cash Box Kings vil lyse enhver fest op og holde dansegulvet overfyldt.”

The Cash Box Kings fortsætter med at spille på store festivaler i USA og Europa. De har blæst publikum omkuld på Chicago Blues Festival, Tampa Bay Blues Festival, Doheny Blues Festival, Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Cincinnati Blues Festival, Cambridge Folk Festival (Storbritannien), Moulin Blues Festival (Holland), Lucerne Blues Festival (Schweiz) og Edmonton Blues Festival (Canada). De har bl.a. optrådt i Belgien, Frankrig, Spanien og Uruguay og hvert sted efterladt publikum med kæbefald af beundring over deres fantastiske show.

Glæd jer, i år kommer de til Blues Heaven hvor The Cash Box Kings inviterer alle til at glemme deres bekymringer og tjekke ind på Oscar’s Motel, hvor musikken altid kun lige er begyndt.

“Frygtløs Chicago blues … glødende vokal og superb blues harp.” – Chicago Tribune

“Sanger Oscar Wilson og sanger og blues harpespiller Joe Nosek er eksperter i klassiske Chicago-grooves – men de fortryller også med originale sange, som både sjove og spidse.” – MOJO

“Oscar Wilsons kraftfulde og dybe stemme leder tankerne tilbage til Chicago-bluesens guldalder. Nosek blæser en livlig, muskuløs blues harp. The Cash Box Kings er stadig er et af de bedste bluesbands i denne æra.” – Blues Music Magazine

Living Blues magazine: “The Cash Box Kings, er et af de bedste blues bands i landet.”

🇬🇧 ENGLISH 🇬🇧

With Get Your Back Into It!, Chicago native, guitarist, and vocalist Nick Moss and New Jersey native, harmonica player, and vocalist Dennis Gruenling – together with Rodrigo Mantovani on bass, Taylor Streiff on keyboards, and Pierce Downer on drums – deliver a deeply rooted, timeless blue-collar blues album. According to Moss, “We are a rare breed as far as how authentic we like to keep the music.” That’s not a surprise to longtime fans, as Moss proudly represents the city of Chicago as one of the few bluesmen working today to have learned his craft firsthand directly from many of the genre’s original creators.

Get Your Back Into It! was produced by Moss and Mantovani and contains fourteen original songs — twelve by Moss and two by Gruenling. Guests include saxophonist “Sax” Gordon Beadle and organist “Brother” John Kattke. The album is inspired by the electrifying blues sounds of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s and is performed with taste, restraint, sly humor, and pure joy. In addition to the expertly crafted lyrics, the album features three wild instrumentals that dare you to stay seated. “We’re not reinventing the wheel,” says Moss of the songs and performances on the new album, “but we like to push ourselves out of our comfort zone, and I feel like we accomplished that.”

Moss first made a name for himself playing bass for bluesman Jimmy “Fast Fingers” Dawkins. Dawkins encouraged Nick to unleash his fire and passion. From there, Moss was chosen by Willie “Big Eyes” Smith to join his Legendary Blues Band, but Smith insisted Moss switch to guitar. Blues icon Jimmy Rogers (whose best-known songs included “Walking By Myself” and “Ludella”) hired Moss as his touring guitarist, mentoring him on the blues lifestyle along the way. Today, Moss’ blistering fretwork, impassioned, soul-charged vocals, and memorable original songs place him in a league of his own.

Dennis Gruenling, Moss’s friend of over 20 years, is among today’s most innovative and creative blues harmonica players. His high-energy, full-throttle reed work has earned him comparisons to many of the greats, including the late James Cotton. A self-taught player and a natural entertainer with seven solo albums and numerous guest appearances to his credit, Gruenling’s giant, fat-toned harp work, raw-boned singing, and untamed energy are a perfect foil for Moss’ inspired guitar playing and straight-from-the-shoulder blues vocals. Vintage Guitar says, “Gruenling’s harp, along with the Midwestern intensity of Moss’ blues guitar, is pure ecstasy.”

The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling’s first two Alligator albums, 2018’s The High Cost Of Low Living and 2019’s Lucky Guy!, hit blues fans, press and radio by storm. Moss, Gruenling, and the band received a total of five Blues Music Awards, with wins in 2020 for Band Of The Year, Song Of The Year (“Lucky ) and Traditional Blues Album Of The Year (Lucky Guy!), and in 2019 for Traditional Blues Male Artist (Moss) and Instrumentalist—Harmonica (Gruenling). Blues Music Magazine says, “Nick Moss is a major force in contemporary blues. Dennis Gruenling plays soaring harp…infectious and finger-snappin’.”

Lucky Guy! finished in the Top 10 on the Living Blues Radio Chart’s Top 50 Albums of 2019. Internationally, the album peaked on the blues charts at #1 in Australia, #3 in France, and #7 in the UK. Songs from Lucky Guy! were also prominently featured on BBC2 in Britain and CBC in Canada. The title track became one of the most played songs on SiriusXM’s Bluesville.

Now, with Get Your Back Into It! and upcoming North American and European tours in the works, The Nick Moss Band, Featuring Dennis Gruenling, will bring their brash, exciting blues to old fans and new. Performing at clubs, concert halls, and on festival stages nationwide, the band ignites an irresistible musical firestorm onstage. “When we get together, the music takes over,” says Moss. “We can’t hold back, and the energy just comes pouring out. We get carried away, and the audience gets carried away with us.”

Nick Moss Vocals / Guitar

Nick Moss has been recognized as one of the great guitarists of his generation, garnering accolades from Buddy Guy and praise from Jambase, Relix, and Gratefulweb.com, among many others. His recording career spans decades, and his albums are staples at blues radio outlets worldwide and are now in rotation at stations with jam and rock formats.

Nick Moss Band has a legion of fans flock to his shows, knowing that each night will be a grand musical experiment. There will be sonic textures to discover and new sounds to stir the soul.

Dennis Gruenling Harmonica / Vocals

After receiving his first harmonica as a gift from a family friend while in his teens, Dennis Gruenling heard his first blues record, and his life was never the same! Working in local blues bands in and around Teaneck, NJ in the early ’90s, he quickly gained a reputation as a young rising star on the local blues scene.

Through the years, Gruenling has shared the stage with many top names in the blues & roots world, such as Pinetop Perkins, Snooky Pryor, Homesick James, Nappy Brown, John Mayall, Little Sammy Davis, A.C. Reed, Mick Taylor, and Jimmy Dawkins, as well as contemporary blues masters such as Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers, Rick Estrin/Little Charlie & The Nightcats, Kim Wilson, Rusty Zinn, Steve Guyger, Greg Piccolo, Mark Hummel, and now — Nick Moss!

Dennis has been published in Real Blues Magazine and the American Harmonica Newsletter. He also hosts his own blues and roots radio show on WFDU (Teaneck, NJ/NYC metro) every Thursday afternoon, “Blues & the Beat.”

Rodrigo Mantovani Bass

Rodrigo Mantovani is recognized as one of his field’s top Blues bass players.

Born and raised in Brazil, he has deeply loved American blues and roots music from a very young age. This has made him one of the most recognized and requested bass players worldwide.

Rodrigo has been a member of Brazil’s first groundbreaking Blues bands. Because of his deep knowledge, expertise, and feel for the blues, he has also been a first-call bassist for many of the premier American Blues acts touring in Brazil, the United States, and many major festivals worldwide, gaining much wider recognition. Rodrigo’s work can be heard on many recordings as a member of various bands, and he also plays on and produces his projects worldwide. 

For his work playing and producing a project in Brazil, his band had two albums released in the U.S.A., and one of them was nominated for the 37th Annual Blues Music Awards. This remains a historic event as they were the only non-American artists ever to have been nominated for these awards. 

Rodrigo first met Nick Moss in 2008, and they played at the same festival in Spain. After this, they developed a friendship and worked together on some projects, including playing together with their mutual friend, the late great Lynwood Slim, with whom Rodrigo has played many shows worldwide and done some highly regarded recordings. Now living in the U.S. and playing full-time with Nick, Rodrigo starts a new chapter in his life.

Pierce Downer Drums

Pierce Downer grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago. At a young age, he discovered his love for music, listening to his father’s band, a popular Jump, Rhythm & Blues band in the Chicago music scene. Hearing the music as they practiced in their living room, He felt an instant connection to the “old school” Rhythm & Blues music they played.

Pierce started on saxophone early but was drawn to the drums in middle school. One early highlight was when he met Milt Trenier and played saxophone with 1950s Sax legend Big Jay McNeely while still a young teen! Another seminal moment came at a young age while seeing Muddy Water’s son, Mud Morganﬁeld, at a local venue. Early exposure to these world-class artists (with the encouragement of his father) helped Pierce realize his heartbeat was that of traditional blues!

After graduating high school, Pierce pursued music full-time and started his band. A few short years after his high school graduation, he received the call to join the Nick Moss Band as their new drummer. Since joining forces with Nick, Pierce has played with many seasoned Blues veterans such as Anson Funderburgh, Billy Flynn, Kirk Fletcher, Kid Ramos, Sax Gordon, Piano Willie O’Shawny, and Curtis Salgado. The drumming greats greatly influence Pierce, such as Fred Below, Gene Krupa, Earl Palmer, and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith.

Taylor Streiff Piano / Organ

Taylor Streiff was born and raised in St. Louis, MO. Taylor began studying piano at a young age, but after four years of uninspiring classical lessons, he quit piano in favor of sports. In high school, he rediscovered his love for music and took lessons from STL jazz pianist Michael Silverman, who established a strong foundation in blues, jazz, and other popular music styles. Taylor is heavily influenced by Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Leavell, The Grateful Dead, Steve Winwood, Bruce Hornsby, and Keith Jarrett.

In 2008, Taylor moved to Chicago to study at Columbia College Chicago. Unsure of whether to pursue a degree in sports journalism or music, he decided on music after attending concerts featuring talented student ensembles, some of which included current NMB member Patrick Seals on drums. While at Columbia, Taylor was an in-demand keyboard player for student ensembles. He also met and performed in multiple settings with current NMB bass player Nick Fane, and shared the stage with artists Ivan Neville, Kevin Eubanks, Charlie Sexton, Paula Cole, and Joan Osborne. Taylor graduated from Columbia in 2013 with a Contemporary, Urban, and Popular Music degree.