Skyla Burrell Band at Crawford Brew Works -- April 29.
Friday, April 29, 8 p.m.
Crawford Brew Works, 3659 Devils Glen Road, Bettendorf IA
Lauded by the Nashville Blues Society as an artist who "has one of those perfect, whisky-soaked-with-honey voices that is full of the passion and conviction that it takes to be a great blueswoman," Skyla Burrell and her band play Bettendorf's Crawford Brew Works as part of the Bettendorf venue's and the Mississippi Valley Blues Society's fundraising Brews 'n' Blues Concert Series, the ensemble praised by Digital Cafe Tour as "one of the most smokin' blues bands in the United States."
Born in Los Angeles and raised in Orange County, California, Burrell formed her first band at the age of 13 and has been a working musician ever since. She played with several groups as a teenager and young adult, working her way up and down Southern California, and after relocating to the East Coast in her early 20s, Burrell continued learning and growing from her musical experiences, eventually co-forming the Skyla Burrell Band. Following their album debut with 2004's Working Girl Blues, the ensemble began amassing critical acclaim with 2006's Livin' Day to Day and 2008's Tough Luck, further cementing their reputations as esteemed blues artists with 2011's Real Love and 2014's Blues Scars. And with singer/songwriter Burrell equally adept on guitar and piano, the raves for the Skyla Burrell Band have continued to amass ever since.
Reviewing the outfit's most recent album, Blues Biscuits stated, “The Skyla Burrell Band is tight. They don’t just lay it down; they knock it down and kick it. It’s blues, it’s rock, it’s swinging good time Saturday-night fist fight low down hoe down get down and boogie music. They fill the songs with hot licks, sweet tones, impassioned vocals, and undeniable spirit. Between Skyla’s tremendous voice, twin blazing guitars, and deeply grooving rhythm section you have a recipe for all night boogie marathons that are guaranteed to leave a few Blues Scars behind.” Downbeat magazine, meanwhile, raved, "Burrell and her three cohorts find virtue in professionalism. They deliver unpretentious, self described 'hard drivin' blues" in which strength and understatement unite in an easy, fluid balance without sucking up to rock."
The Skyla Burrell Band's Bettendorf appearance is sponsored through Crawford Brew Works' and the Mississippi Valley Blues Society's Brews ’n’ Blues Concert Series, a new part of the MVBS's fundraising efforts for its education-outreach program Blues in the Schools. During the Friday-night event, the Blues Society will have representatives on site to answer questions and take direct donations, while the venue will donate a portion of its sales during the series' performances.
The Skyla Burrell Band plays their Brews 'n' Blues Concert Series event at 8 p.m. on April 29, and more information on the night's events is available by visiting CrawfordBrewWorks.com and MVBS.org.
