Ruf's Blues Caravan
Blues Caravan 2018
Muziekcentrum De Bosuil
Vrakkerveld 2c
Sep 22, 2018
8:00 PM UTC
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About this concert
This is no ordinary club tour. This is the Blues Caravan 2018. If you’ve followed Ruf’s rolling revue since it started life in 2005, you’ll already know that these shows are must-see events, throwing together three stellar artists on one bill – then letting the chemistry do the rest. Traditionally, the Blues Caravan lineup has showcased the label’s breaking talent – from Aynsley Lister to Samantha Fish – and given fans a chance to catch the blues titans of tomorrow before they go ‘boom’. But in 2018, it’s time to mix things up. On this year’s Blues Caravan, you’ll not only find one young gun with a dazzling career ahead of her, but also two heavyweights with a sky-high reputation. Let’s welcome them to the stage… Ruf’s tireless dedication to the blues means it hunts far beyond the US and UK for its new signings – and the label has struck gold with Croatian gunslinger Vanja Sky. Channelling the fire and flair of Rory Gallagher, Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan, this 23-year-old hot-tip has already broken out in her home country and bordering Balkan States. Now, with her highly anticipated debut studio album due for release in January 2018, Vanja is planting her flag in Europe and North America as the junior partner on the Blues Caravan. “I’m very excited to play on the Blues Caravan 2018,” she says, “and looking forward to meeting a lot of new people and sharing my music with them. My shows are filled with great energy and I always give everything when I’m on stage. I’m gonna play songs from my debut album, and also some cover songs – so people can definitely expect some great music and fun.”Some surnames command instant respect on the blues scene. As the son of the mighty Luther Allison – the late Chicago blues titan who was Ruf’s first signing back in 1994 – Bernard Allison has added to the family legend and carved out his own mythology as a world-class songwriter and performer. For this year’s Blues Caravan, he’ll be drawing on an acclaimed back catalogue that includes 1997’s US debut Keepin’ The Blues Alive and 2000’s classic Born With The Blues, and slipping between genres as only a master can. “I’m looking forward to being a part of the Caravan,” says Bernard. “My show is all about sharing my musical talent and presenting different styles like blues, rock and funk. There’ll be lots of energy, because I feed off of my fans and love interacting with them on and off stage. You can expect a fun time – the Allison way!”If you’re remotely serious about modern blues, you’ll have followed the twists and turns of Mike Zito’s fascinating career. The Missouri-born bandleader overcame his crippling early addictions to become one of modern America’s sharpest songwriters, and few artists have written with such stark eloquence as he did on 2011’s Greyhound album. In 2012, Mike threw us a curveball, lining up alongside Devon Allman and Cyril Neville as a key member of Royal Southern Brotherhood – and went on to stay with the supergroup for two critically feted albums. But the call of his own muse was too strong, and in 2014, Mike burst straight back into his solo career with Keep Coming Back and Make Blues Not War. “I have long wanted to join the Blues Caravan and run away, so I’m excited,” he says. “My shows are energetic and passionate: I try hard to give everything I’ve got and make every note count. You can expect rocking blues guitar, with a dose of soul vocals, and a mix of my best songs.”
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Ruf's Blues Caravan Biography
Ruf Records’ Blues Caravan is unstoppable. Fifteen years after Europe’s most respected label put on its first showcase tour, the founding concept is instantly familiar to blues fans: every night, on club stages across the US and Europe, three rising talents will burn down the house and kick the blues into the modern age. But there’s a twist. With the lineup chosen each year from the cream of the Ruf roster, every Caravan has a fresh vibe, a fizzing chemistry and plenty of flying sparks. And with three wildly different artists running the gamut of styles in 2020, all bets are off.
Jeremiah Johnson is the St. Louis bluesman from the school of hard knocks. After early days as the Southern circuit’s best-kept secret, 2018’s acclaimed Straitjacket album put the bandleader in the spotlight with its searing performances, smart hooks and blue-collar lyrics. “I am Southern blues-rock,” states Jeremiah. “It’s in my blood, my heart and my soul. I always sing my songs from my heart, with the same passion that I had when I wrote them. They come from the blood, sweat and tears of a blue-collar worker in the Midwestern United States. I couldn't be more excited about the Blues Caravan lineup – it’ll be hotter than a two-dollar pistol!”
We first met Ryan Perry as a teenage phenomenon, when he hijacked 2007’s International Blues Challenge in Memphis with his Homemade Jamz Blues Band, and announced his talent for sharp storytelling, stinging guitar and soulful vocals. This charismatic bandleader’s talents have only grown over the last decade, and following 2019’s solo debut on Ruf Records, Ryan is the finished article, armed with a setlist to raise the roof. “Fans can expect high action and low ego on the Blues Caravan,” he says. “My live shows are packed with passion and soul, always fun and full of energy – as only a Mississippi bluesman can deliver.”
There’s no mistaking Whitney Shay. When this San Diego fireball hits the stage, the first thing you’ll notice is the flammable hair and sparkling dresses. But on this year’s Blues Caravan, the singer’s show will match her style, as Whitney shakes out the R&B floor-shakers from her acclaimed A Woman Rules The World album – and gives you a sneak preview of the studio material to come. “When I perform,” she says, “I want people to dance and be engaged. To me, blues has always been about catharsis, the purging of sad experiences. If I can make the audience leave smiling and feeling like they’ve forgotten about the troubles of their day, I’ve done my job.”
Read MoreJeremiah Johnson is the St. Louis bluesman from the school of hard knocks. After early days as the Southern circuit’s best-kept secret, 2018’s acclaimed Straitjacket album put the bandleader in the spotlight with its searing performances, smart hooks and blue-collar lyrics. “I am Southern blues-rock,” states Jeremiah. “It’s in my blood, my heart and my soul. I always sing my songs from my heart, with the same passion that I had when I wrote them. They come from the blood, sweat and tears of a blue-collar worker in the Midwestern United States. I couldn't be more excited about the Blues Caravan lineup – it’ll be hotter than a two-dollar pistol!”
We first met Ryan Perry as a teenage phenomenon, when he hijacked 2007’s International Blues Challenge in Memphis with his Homemade Jamz Blues Band, and announced his talent for sharp storytelling, stinging guitar and soulful vocals. This charismatic bandleader’s talents have only grown over the last decade, and following 2019’s solo debut on Ruf Records, Ryan is the finished article, armed with a setlist to raise the roof. “Fans can expect high action and low ego on the Blues Caravan,” he says. “My live shows are packed with passion and soul, always fun and full of energy – as only a Mississippi bluesman can deliver.”
There’s no mistaking Whitney Shay. When this San Diego fireball hits the stage, the first thing you’ll notice is the flammable hair and sparkling dresses. But on this year’s Blues Caravan, the singer’s show will match her style, as Whitney shakes out the R&B floor-shakers from her acclaimed A Woman Rules The World album – and gives you a sneak preview of the studio material to come. “When I perform,” she says, “I want people to dance and be engaged. To me, blues has always been about catharsis, the purging of sad experiences. If I can make the audience leave smiling and feeling like they’ve forgotten about the troubles of their day, I’ve done my job.”
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