With nearly three decades of touring and recording under his belt, Boston blues guitarist "Monster" Mike Welch is a seasoned veteran of the international blues scene. Nicknamed "Monster Mike" by actor/Ghostbuster Dan Aykroyd when he was 13 years old, Welch has since established himself as a highly accomplished and in-demand guitarist.
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To date, Welch has released several albums under his own name and in 2001 he joined one of New England's most beloved blues institutions, Sugar Ray and the Bluetones, where he remained until 2017, recording five albums and several Blues Music Award nominations for the band. Welch has also recorded with Shemekia Copeland, Ronnie Earl, Danielle Nicole, Duke Robillard, Johnny Winter, Victor Wainwright, Nick Moss, the Mannish Boys and Sugaray Rayford, among others. Welch left the Bluetones in 2017 to focus on his collaboration with Mike Ledbetter, which led to seven Blues Music Award nominations and the formation of the Welch Ledbetter Connection within the first year.
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Welch received three consecutive Blues Music Award nominations from the Blues Foundation for Instrumentalist-Guitar beginning in 2016, a Boston Music Award for Best Blues Act, and is an inductee of the Rhode Island Music Hall Of Fame. In 2023, Monster Mike Welch began the next phase of his career when he signed with Gulf Coast Records to create new music.
This is the end of this club season. What great evenings we have had together, and this one promises to be a memorable one again.
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Our southern neighbor, excellent singer and harmonica player Big Dave Reniers, has already achieved great things with the widely praised Electric Kings. In the late 90s and 00s he played down many Western European clubs and festival stages. With infectious, traditional yet original blues and boogie that he is so influenced by, he flawlessly knows how to put the soul into his performance. With his beautiful, versatile voice he can go in many directions.
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The men he gathers around him are the who's who in Dutch blues. Only guitarist/singer Mischa den Haring has never climbed our stage before, although he has visited the club before. We will also enjoy pianist and organ player Roel Spanjers on keyboards and vocals, Darryl Ciggaar on drums, Dusty Ciggaar on bass.
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We will make this season finale a wonderful evening.
Nick Moss gathers only excellent musicians around him. In recent years he has been touring an old school blues ensemble, with bassist Rodrigo Mantovani, drummer Pierce Downer and harmonica virtuoso Dennis Gruenling. Together they released their album 'Get Your Back Into It!' on the famous Alligator Records label. with Taylor Streiff also on the record, who is unfortunately not present on this tour. This album features 14 original songs that have a rock-solid groove with unparalleled guitar work and a solid rhythm tandem.
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At Moulin Blues 2023, I saw this artist for the first time, after having heard his name many times. His show captivated me, but the festival setting was a little less appropriate because the volume of loud festival visitors exceeded the act. I knew a place where I could see the man at work again....
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The American Guy Davis is currently the international ambassador of acoustic blues music. For years he has been spreading his love for the blues across four continents.
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Davis is the son of famous actors Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis. He grew up in New York City, but developed his passion for the blues through the stories of his grandparents in the rural South of the US. Davis released more than ten critically acclaimed albums in the US and collaborated with blues legends such as Dr. John, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal and Pete Seeger.
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Together with the Italian harmonica virtuoso Fabrizio Poggi, he released the album Juba Dance in 2013 (including a guest contribution from The Blind Boys of Alabama). It earned Guy Davis a nomination for 'Best Acoustic Artist' and 'Best Acoustic Record' at the 35th Blues Music Awards in the US. This was followed by Kokomo Kidd, an album that was again excellently received in Europe and on which Guy Davis proves to be much more than just a bluesman. He effortlessly blends influences from country, Americana and European singer-songwriters in his music.
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He was already nominated for a Grammy for his 2018 album Sonny and Brownies Last Train (MC Records). Guy also recently released a special EP with a side project Gumbo, Grits & Gravy, but now he has received another big Grammy nomination with his new album Be Ready When I Call You. This album is a very nice mix of blues, folk, gospel and soul and sounds cheerful and moving at the same time. He can't wait to bring the songs back to international stages soon.