The Mississippi Valley Blues Society presents the Golden State – Lone Star Revue featuring an all-star, cross-country melding of musicians. These five masters of blues will be playing at RIBCO, 1815 2nd Avenue, Rock Island, IL on Monday, April 10 starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets will only be sold at the door for $20/Mississippi Valley Blues Society members or $25 non-members. Membership applications will be available at the door.
Golden Star – Lone State Revue consists of five remarkable musicians from the Golden State of California and the Lone Star state of Texas who all love the blues, know the blues, and rock the blues like a barefoot lady dancing her heart out under the moon. From California - Mark Hummel (harp-blower, vocalist, bandleader and Grammy nominee) and RW Grigsby (bassist). And Texans - Anson Funderburgh (guitarist and Rockets bandleader), Austin guitarist and former Fabulous T-Bird Mike Keller (guitar), and Wes Starr (famed Austin drummer who has played with a who's who of Texas music royalty).
Mark Hummel has been steadily on the road since 1984 and released 17 albums and CDs since starting out. His latest is a Little Walter Tribute called “Remembering Little Walter” on Blind Pig Records with Charlie Musselwhite, Billy Boy Arnold, Sugar Ray and James Harman. Mark been nominated for three years in a row for “Best Harmonica” by the BMA Awards. He has been performing and producing the Blues Harmonica Blowouts in California since 1991 and has performed with these multi artists events with the top players in the genre all across the planet.
Anson Funderburgh is a native of Texas, and has spent the majority of his adult life playing the blues. Anson has earned the respect of artists like Delbert McClinton, Boz Scaggs, Jimmie & Stevie Ray Vaughan and Ronnie Earl. Over the years, these musicians have called on Anson to lend his tremendous guitar talents to their projects. Funderburgh recorded with the Fabulous Thunderbirds on their “Butt Rockin'” album, and went solo in 1981, when the New Orleans-based BlackTop label released “Talk to You by Hand”, the label's first release. After releasing nine albums on Black Top, in 1999 Funderburgh changed record labels with the release of “Change in my Pocket” for Bullseye Blues, a CD which won several W.C. Handy Awards. “Funderburgh remains a musician's musician. He'll explode into a fiery and melodic solo, and then seamlessly recede into a song at just the right moment to propel the rhythm...he makes sure the songs both breathe and burn...a band that truly understands the essence of the genre." - Blues Revue.
Rounding out the Golden State – Lone Star Revue are Mike Keller on guitar, RW Grigsby on bass, and famed Texas drummer Wes Starr. Between these three old Rome, GA cronies, they've played with a who's who of famed musicians – Fabulous Thunderbirds, Omar & the Howlers, Jr. Brown, Jimmy Vaughn, Asleep At The Wheel, Gary Primich, Kim Wilson, Mike Morgan, Carlene Carter, Hal Ketchum, Earl King, James Cotton and many more.
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