Fre. 8. nov. 20 – 21

www.nickmossband.com

"Lycky Guy"

Nick Moss	Vokal, guitar
Dennis Gruenling	Harp
Rodrigo Mantovani	Keyboards
Taylor Streiff	Bas
Pierce Downer	Trommer

The Nick Moss Band feat. mundharmonikaspiller Dennis Gruenling vender tilbage til Blues Heaven Festival

Nick Moss Band er uden tvivl en af de aller “hotteste” inden for amerikansk blues. Det er nomineringerne til årets Blues Music Awards et bevis på. hvor NMB med Dennis Gruenling er nomineret i syv kategorier!!!

Det danske publikum lærte bandet at kende for tre år siden på Blues Heaven. Bandet fik mange følgere efter den koncert, så gensynet på Arena Nord bliver sandsynligvis et af højdepunktet på årets festival.

Nick Moss Band er fra Chicago og det kan der ikke såes tvivl om, men bandet bærer samtidigt den musikalske arv fra Los Angeles’ navne som Rod Piazza og William Clarke videre og er nutidens fremmeste ambassadører for denne swingende, harp/guitar-dominerede bluesstil.

Nick Moss Band startede allerede i 1998, men fik stor international gennembrud, da sangeren Michael Ledbetter blev medlem i 2011. Moss og Ledbetter blev omtalt som “Blues’ nye superpar” og blev bluesmiljøets store favoritter. Ledbetter var hos NMB nogle år før han forlod bandet, han døde desværre uventet i 2019

Dennis Gruenling har siden starten i 2016 været medlem af Nick Moss Band. Mesterblusguitaristen Nick Moss og mundharmonikavirtuosen Dennis Gruenling er blevet fakkelbærere for traditionel elektrisk blues. Men i stedet for at gentage det, der er kommet før, er bandets højenergiske bud på old school Chicago og West Coast lyd helt deres egen. Dette er deres nye Alligator Records-album (deres tredje for pladeselskabet), Get Your Back Into It! et klart bevis på.

Albummet blev produceret af Moss og bassisten Mantovani og indeholder fjorten originale sange: tolv af Moss og to af Gruenling og er inspireret af de elektrificerende blueslyde fra 1940’erne til 1960’erne, og fremføres med tilbageholdenhed, lumsk humor og ren glæde. “Vi kan godt lide at presse os selv ud af vores komfortzone,” siger Moss om sangene på det nye album, “og jeg føler, at vi har opnået det.”

Hans mor var en stor blues fan og tog en dag den unge Nick med for at se Muddy Waters live til koncert i Chicago, hvor han voksede op. Siden drømte teenageren Moss om at spille både musik og dyrke sport på professionelt plan, men da han som 18-årig måtte have akut nyreoperation slukkes hans atletiske håb. For at løfte han humør sneg Nicks bror ham ud af hospitalet for at opleve Little Charlie & The Nightcats optræde. Nick blev blæst bagover af showet og besluttede sig for en karriere som bluesmand.

Han spillede snart bas for bluesmanden Jimmy “Fast Fingers” Dawkins. Derefter blev Moss udvalgt af Willie “Big Eyes” Smith til at slutte sig til hans Legendary Blues Band, men Smith insisterede på, at Moss skiftede bassen ud med en guitar. Blues-ikonet Jimmy Rogers (hvis bedst kendte sange inkluderede Walking By Myself og Ludella ) hyrede så Moss som sin turnerende guitarist og vejledte ham om blues-livsstilen undervejs.

Efter nogle år med at arbejde med og lære af ægte blues royalty, dannede Nick sit første band i 1997 og udgav sit debutalbum et år senere på sin egen uafhængige Blue Bella label.

Siden da har han spillet over 100 shows om året. Moss har delt scener med Buddy Guy, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Gary Clark, Jr. og mange andre, og er en efterspurgt gæst, altid velkommen til at “Sit Inn”” sammen med sine musikervenner rundt om i verden. Han og bandet har krydset USA og Canada flere gange og har optrådt i de fleste stører europæiske lande.

Dennis Gruenling, har gennem mere end 20 år, været regnet blandt nutidens mest innovative og kreative bluesmundharmonikaspillere. Hans højenergiske arbejde med fuld gas har givet ham sammenligninger med mange af de største. Som teenager besluttede han at bluesmundharmonika var hans livs kald. Gruenling var inspireret af bluesharpemestrene Little Walter og George “Harmonica” Smith samt deres elever Rod Piazza & William Clarke. Dennis er en naturlig entertainer der har udgivet syv soloalbums og adskillige gæsteoptrædener på hans CV Med hans utæmmede energi er det et perfekt match til Moss’ inspirerede guitarspil og blues-vokal. “Gruenling’s harpe, sammen med Moss’ bluesguitar, er ren ekstase.”

Med udgivelsen af deres Alligator Records-debut, The High Cost Of Low Living , i 2018 gjorde The Nick Moss Band med Dennis Gruenling deres succes.

I 2019 udkom Lucky Guy! som førte dem endnu højere, da albummet ramte radiostationerne med storm og sluttede i top 10 på Living Blues Radio Charts top 50 albums i 2019.

Internationalt var albummet på blueshitlisterne som #1 i Australien, #3 i Frankrig og #7 i Storbritannien. Sange fra Lucky Guy! blev også spillet på BBC2 i Storbritannien. Titelnummeret blev en af de mest spillede sange på SiriusXM’s Bluesville.

Nu vil The Nick Moss Band med Dennis Gruenling bringe deres bramfri og spændende blues til gamle og nye fans.

TIL ÅRETS BLUES MUSIC AWARDS ER BANDET NOMINERET I SYV KATEGORIER:

• Årets band
• Årets album (Get Your Back Into It!)
• Traditional Blues Album Of The Year (Get Your Back Into It!)
• Årets sang (The Bait In The Snare)
• Traditional Blues Male Artist Of The Year (Nick Moss)
• Bedste instrumentalist: Harmonica (Dennis Gruenling)
• Bedste instrumentalist: Bas (Rodrigo Mantovani).

2019 ÅRETS BLUES MUSIC AWARDS VINDERE
• Traditionel Blues Mand
• Dennis Gruenling modtog prisen for “Instrumentalist: Bluesharpe.”

2020 ÅRETS BLUES MUSIC AWARDS VINDERE
• “Årets band”
• “Årets sang “(Lucky Guy)
• Traditional Blues Album Of The Year” (Lucky Guy!).

🇬🇧 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.