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WEEK AT A GLANCE:  MAR. 24- 31

TUES. 26- RIcky with Chris Douglas @ CAFFE VIVACE

annual RICKY NYE vs. ROB LUMBARD dates:

THURS. 28- BREW RIVER CREOLE KITCHEN
FRI. 29- SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (lounge) with NICK LLOYD
SAT. 30- REDWINE & CO.
SUN. 31- RABBIT HASH GENERAL STORE with NICK LLOYD

for more details click HERE...
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hey all ! I was nominated in Cincinnati CityBeat's "Best Of Cincinnati 2019"
in the Music & Nightlife category under Best Local Musician - voting has ended but THANKS thanks to all who did so !



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Recently returned from a month overseas (Sept. 11-Oct. 11, 2018)- hitting the Netherlands, Belgium, France (Toulouse & Paris) and Germany (Dusseldorf, Essen, Uetersen, Postfeld, Dormagen, Nuremburg and Berlin), then traveling back to the Netherlands to fly home...bit off a little more than I could chew ...horrifically sick with the intestinal flu while in Germany...a few days of hell before I could get some medical attention...this sickness made me look at things a little differently, experiencing an enlightenment once I recovered (funny how life works)...thanking my friends Martijn Schok & Greta Holtrop (Netherlands); Patrick Smet & Goedele Wijmeersch (Belgium); Philippe Lejeune & Jose Fillatreau (Toulouse); The Paris Blues Band (Simon Boyer, Anthony Stelmaszack & Thibaut Chopin) & Caveau de la Huchette (Paris); in Germany, fellow pianists Christian Christl, Balazs Daniel, Alexander Meisen, Georg Schroeter, Frank Muschalle & Jan Luley; and harmonica player/vocalist Kat Baloun in Berlin (who helped greatly in nursing me back to health)...plus my old mate from Cardiff Wales, Andrew Elias who documented the German piano tour and traveled and assisted me to Berlin...thanks to all for the gigs, R.N.
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a TERRIFIC week in ST. LOUIS (April 12-16, 2018) thanks to venues
BLUES CITY DELI, BB'S JAZZ BLUES & SOUPS, YAQUIS ON CHEROKEE,
HANDLEBAR and TICK TOCK TAVERN- very grateful for the support and hospitality of my friends Ethan Leinwand, Valerie Jo Kirchhoff, Dan Conner, Chase Garrett, Emilie Richard and Christopher & Kristen Parrish...happy to be on the bandstand with Vince Corkery, John Marshall & David Gomez at Blues City Deli...good times! I'll be back to STL for the THIRD ANNUAL ST. LOUIS PIANO FESTIVAL, to be held MONDAY JUNE 4th @ BB'S JAZZ BLUES & SOUPS
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MANY THANKS to Howard Stone, founder of VAIL JAZZ
and his conscientious staff, the outstanding rhythm section of
Mark Diamond (upright bass) & Jay Forrest (drums),
attentive guests and gracious hosts for including me in the society's
"Soiree Series" house concert held Saturday March 24th, 2018-
truly a night to remember!



"Known for its rollicking, foot-stomping jubilance, the boogie-woogie sound erupted from the American South during the late 1920s. This piano-centric subgenre of the jazz tradition drew its structural elements from the blues and spirituals, but introduced an intoxicating rhythmic complexity that inspired generations of young dancers. Ricky Nye is one of the nation’s leading players and preservationists of boogie-woogie, stunning audiences with unmatched authenticity, virtuosic speed and playful arrangements"- Vail Jazz
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Back from spending an intensive and rewarding time working with over
forty eight graders @ LIBERTY ARTS MAGNET SCHOOL in Lima, OH for their 25th annual BLUES IN THE SCHOOLS WEEK (February 26- March 2, 2018)- funded by the man they call "PICKLE" (organizer of PICKLE'S BLUES EXTRAVAGANZA, an annual non-profit event), the students were arranged into three bands of aprrox. fifteen members, and each class tackled a tune: "Good Rockin' Tonight" by Roy Brown, "Reconsider Baby" by Lowell Fulson and "The Blues Is Alright" by Little Milton- the end goal was a concert held Friday morning for the school.

I was so impressed by these young folks- they worked hard and accepted direction in order to achieve the goal of being part of a band that grooved together and made one unified sound. There was also fearlessness involved: some of the students, notably two of the three bassists, never played the instrument before but were wiling to apply themselves, and in the end they nailed it!

The concert on Friday was a great success, and on top of it all it was FUN!

This was my no means a solitary endeavor: it was a concerted effort along with Liberty Arts Magnet School's music instructors Kara Place and Paul Eckert- it would have been virtually impossible to achieve the end result alone.

SIncere thanks to these remarkable students for enriching my life-
I greatly appreciate it!

R.N.

________________________________________________________

THANKS to those who attended the

EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL BLUES & BOOGIE PIANO SUMMIT

which featured:

MARTIJN SCHOK & GRETA HOLTROP (Netherlands)
WENDY DEWITT & KIRK HARWOOD (San Francisco, CA)
LIZ PENNOCK & DR. BLUES (St. Petersburg, FL)
RICKY NYE & BEKAH WILLIAMS (Cincinnati, OH)

plus:

CHRIS DOUGLAS (upright bass)
PAUL ELLIS (drums)
BRIAN "BOSS" HOGG (tenor sax)

 on FRIDAY & SATURDAY NOVEMBER 3rd & 4th, 2017
@ THE SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL 

MANY THANKS to the SPONSORS that made it all happen:

PIANO PROS
MS. KAREN TYLER
DEWEY'S PIZZA
POMPILIO'S
YORK / BRANDT / SHOLITON / WALKER FOUNDATION
EAT WELL CELEBRATIONS AND FEASTS
BANG BANG SALON
ESQUIRE / MARIEMONT / KENWOOD / EASTGATE THEATERS
WVXU 91.7
CITYBEAT MAGAZINE

MARTIJN SCHOK & GRETA HOLTROP

The name Martijn Schok is synonymous with boogie woogie and piano blues in the Netherlands. Martijn performs solo, with vocalist Greta Holtrop, as well as with his swinging band, and has released sixteen successful boogie woogie CDs.
Martijn's piano style is characterized by a large dose of swing, a steady groove, a high degree of virtuosity, and a great deal of admiration for the music of the early American boogie woogie originators.

Recipient of the German Pinetop Boogie Woogie Award "Pianist Of The Year 2013/2014”, Martijn has appeared at prestigious festivals such as Motor City Boogie (Detroit, Michigan), Blues & Boogie Piano Summit (Newport, KY), Blues Passions (Cognac, France), plus festivals in France, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark and England. Martijn is also Artistic Director and founder of the Heineken International Boogie & Blues Festival Holland.

With her versatile vocal talent and charismatic stage presence, singer
Greta Holtrop forms the perfect partner for Martijn’s swinging piano style. Her expressive voice seduces the ear with sultry interpretations of sensitive blues songs, turning just as easily to lively, swinging boogies. The late great pianist
Big Joe Duskin described her vocal tone as somewhere between Billie Holiday and Dinah Washington.

Greta has performed at Boogie Woogie & Blues Festivals in the USA, Switzerland, France, Belgium and England, and sang with world renowned boogie specialists such as Bob Seeley, Charlie Booty, Jean-Paul Amouroux,
Axel Zwingenberger, Ricky Nye, Little Willie Littlefield, Stefano Franco and
Mark Braun.

Visit their website @ www.martijnschok.com


WENDY DEWITT & KIRK HARWOOD

When Wendy DeWitt, former pianist with Hank Ballard & The Midnighters and long time international boogie woogie favorite joined forces with Kirk Harwood, veteran drummer for artists such as Norton Buffalo (Steve Miller), Huey Lewis and Roy Rogers, the two shared a vision of creating a duo capable of holding its own on any stage with power, pizzaz and presence.

Aside from four years working with Hank Ballard & The Midnighters, Wendy has also shared the stage with artists such as Charlie Musselwhite, Otis Rush, and Jimmy Thackery. She’s appeared at the Arches Boogie Piano Stage (part of Cincinnati’s Cincy Blues Fest), Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts and the San Diego Museum of Art with Hadda Brooks in one of Hadda’s last performances. Wendy has also performed at the San Francisco Blues Festival,
St. Croix Blues & Heritage Fest, Les Nuits de Boogie Woogie in Paris, and festivals throughout Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary and Belgium.

Wendy produces the annual Queens Of Boogie Woogie and San Francisco International Boogie Woogie Festival. In 2012 and 2014 Wendy and Kirk Harwood represented The Golden Gate Blues Society in the International Blues Challenge (IBC) held in Memphis, Tennessee, and were finalists in 2014.

More information can be found @ www.wendydewitt.com


LIZ PENNOCK & DR. BLUES

Piano & guitar duo Liz Pennock & Dr. Blues have performed together since 1983.  Based in St. Petersburg, Florida, they’ve taken their own brand on blues, boogie woogie and originals around the U.S. as well as Europe. Liz, who was born with only six fingers, also plays rack harmonica and trombone. Both singers & songwriters, Liz & Doc have released seven albums on Upright Records since 1986, including their latest CD Quirky Boogie released in 2016.

Liz Pennock & Dr. Blues were inducted into the Boogie Woogie Piano Hall Of Fame in 2008. Frequent guests at the Arches Boogie Piano Stage (part of the Cincinnati, OH’s Cincy Blues Fest), the duo has also performed at the prestigious Chicago Blues Festival (1996); the Brussels Boogie Woogie Piano Summit in Belgium (2004) and The International Boogie et Blues Festival in Paris (2013). Since 2009, Liz & Doc have organized the Annual Boogie Woogie & Blues Piano Stomp at the Palladium Theatre in St. Petersburg, FL. Over the years, they have appeared with artists such as Pinetop Perkins, Marcia Ball, and Leon Russell.

Visit their website @ www.lizpennock.com


RICKY NYE & BEKAH WILLIAMS

Traditional blues, boogie woogie, and classic New Orleans jazz and R&B all come flying from the fingers of Cincinnati, OH pianist and vocalist Ricky Nye.
The driving force behind the annual BLUES & BOOGIE PIANO SUMMIT held in Greater Cincinnati since 1999, Ricky has been inducted into the International Boogie Woogie Hall Of Fame, voted “Blues Artist Of The Year 2013 & 2014” in Cincinnati’s CEA Awards, and "Best Local Musician" by CityBeat Magazine's "Best Of Cincinnati 2013 & 2014” reader's poll.

Ricky began his performing career at age twelve with his family’s band, and in his twenties and thirties established working relationships and friendships with Cincinnati blues icons such as Big Ed Thompson, H-Bomb Ferguson and fellow pianists Big Joe Duskin and Pigmeat Jarrett.

For over fifteen years Ricky has maintained notoriety on an international level, performing his infectious blend of American roots music in solo, duo and combo settings in locales such as France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Vienna, England, and Switzerland. Ricky also celebrates a long-time performing and recording collaboration with "The Paris Blues Band", the very finest purveyors of swingin' blues and boogie in Paris, France.

Bekah Williams has been singing in front of large audiences since early childhood. The daughter of a Pentecostal minister, Williams learned early on that singing was to her family as common as household chores for other children.
At age sixteen she was already singing in the recording studio for commercial jingles.

Her live performance schedule over the years has consisted of several different groups. She fronted the Cincinnati based bands "Rough & Ready" and "The Snakehandlers", the name being a tongue-in-cheek poke at her Pentecostal background. Shortly after, she joined forces with pianist and vocalist Ricky Nye, and Bekah released her self-titled full-length recording in 2005. Specializing in classic blues and jazz, Bekah and Ricky have been performing together for over seventeen years.

More information can be found @ www.rickynye.com

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NEW RELEASE: "GETTIN' LOOSE!"

featuring:
Anthony Stelmaszack (electric & acoustic guitars)
Simon "Shuffle" Boyer (drums)
Chris Douglas (upright bass)
Ricky Nye (upright piano, Hammond organ and voice)

thanks to Manley Fairchild @ Ultrasuede Studio and to Maurice Mattei for design

a tribute to such varied folk as Bob Wills, Nat King Cole, Jimmy Yancey,
Furry Lewis, Little Willie Littlefield, Big Joe Duskin & Lonnie Mack, plus a few original numbers

check out this interview with Ron Esposito courtesy of WVXU 91.7 FM and Lee Hay:

http://wvxu.org/post/new-cd-boogie-woogie-piano-player-ricky-nye#stream/0

it's a rockin' li'l record! available NOW on CD Baby, Shake It Records and Everybody's Records and at any of my shows

AND here's an excellent review by Mark Thompson @
BLUES BLAST MAGAZINE:

If you aren't familiar with the name Ricky Nye, it certainly isn't due to a lack of effort on his part. His smooth vocals and splendid keyboard efforts have been featured on fourteen previous recordings under his name in addition to cuts on several piano compilations. His latest has him backed by his Paris Blues band for the fourth time. Based in the Cincinnati, OH area, Nye has received numerous local blues awards, including CEA award, Blues Artist Of The Year, for two consecutive years. The band is comprised of Anthony Stelmaszack on guitar, Simon “Shuffle” Boyer on drums, and Chris Douglas, Nye's regular upright bass player.

The disc opens with a Furry Lewis tune, “I Will Turn Your Money Green”. The band cruises along at a sprightly pace with Nye laying down a litany of woes until Stelmaszack tries to reverse his fortunes with some striking guitar picking. Nye's fingers give his piano a workout on Memphis Slim's “Miss Ida Bea,” then he turns “San Antonio Rose” into a magnificent boogie-woogie romp. Dipping into the Nat King Cole songbook, the band sets a swinging pace on “For You My Love,” with Stelmaszack once again creating a strong impression. He follows that up with a blazing solo on an instrumental take of the Chuck Berry classic, 'Memphis”.

Highlights from the second half of the disc include the good-time instrumental, “Shaggy Rag,” an original performed acoustically, and a showcase for Nye on the instrumental, “Shave 'Em Dry,” composed by the legendary piano man, Jimmy Yancey. Nye's fingers roll across the keyboard, spinning out three minutes of piano magic. On another original, “I Miss Your Love,” he switches over to the Hammond organ, giving the contemporary blues track a full, rich sound. Little Willie Littlefield's classic, “K.C. Lovin',” gets a rollicking treatment with plenty of piano and a fat guitar tone. “How Long Blues” from Leroy Carr is a standard that every blues pianist has to know how to play. Nye's version focuses on his vocals with Stelmaszack on acoustic guitar. The title, “Radiate Them 88's,” tells you all need to know about rousing finale.

This is one of those discs that sneaks up on you, impressing track after track with lively performances and solid musical interplay that makes every song a delight. The players are quite comfortable working together, and with Ricky Nye setting the pace, the disc never wavers from generating an enthusiastic affirmation of the blues that will have you pushing the repeat button on your CD player. Well worth a listen!

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my first holiday release, "RICKY NYE PLAYS HOLIDAY FAVORITES"
is available NOW ! @ Cincinnati, OH record shops
Everybody's Records & Shake It Records, at all shows, and
available WORLDWIDE @ CD Baby

a very cool variety of secular and spiritual holiday classics- solo piano,
duets with vocalist Bekah Williams and upright bassist Chris Douglas,
trio format with drummer Paul Ellis and quartet action with the addition
of tenor saxophonist Ray Heckman - HO HO HO !
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click HERE to read a great article written by Chris Varias for Cincinnati.com regarding this past February 5th & 6th's
WINTER BLUES FEST

presented by the CINCY BLUES SOCIETY
and more specifically, my young piano playin' friend BEN LEVIN !


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a recording I made with old friends
Rob Lumbard & Nick Lloyd, entitled "BLUES IN A BOTTLE"
won BEST SELF-PRODUCED CD @ the
International Blues Challenge (IBC) 2016 in Memphis, TN


__________________________________________

______________________________________________________

Sunday thru Saturday July 12-18, 2015 @ Blues & Swing Week at Augusta (Davis & Elkins College in breathtaking Elkins, West Virginia) was truly one of the most moving experiences of my life on many levels- interaction with students and faculty, the new friendships made- many thanks to organizers Daryl Davis, Wendi Bourne and to all the warm-hearted people I had the honor to meet- you really touched my soul! hope it's not the last time we see each other- bless you all!
_______________________________________________________

MERCI ! to the good people @ COGNAC BLUES PASSIONS FESTIVAL & MARTELL who chose me to play the 1715 AVENUE DU BLUES STAGE Thursday July 3rd, 2015- quite an honor!
________________________________________________________

BRAND NEW 2 CD SET available now- debut release from vocalist DOTTIE WARNER- "A SERENADE IN BLUE/ THURSDAYS AT ARNOLD'S"- '20's, '30's & '40's jazz and blues- available @ CDBABY.COM- also available @ Arnold's Bar & Grill during business hours- Dottie appears there every Thursday from 7:30-9:30 PM
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CD available NOW!

FEATURING:
Chris Douglas- upright bass
Paul Ellis- drums
Brian "Boss" Hogg- tenor sax
Sylvain Acher- guitar
Tom Moore- harmonica
Dan Dorff- percussion

recorded @ Ultrasuede Studio- Cincinnati, OH
engineered by Brian Niesz
mastered by Dave Davis
artwork by Maurice Mattei

currently available at all live shows, at Cincinnati, OH record shops Everybody's Records, Shake It Records and @ www.cdbaby.com

wonderful review by Rhys Williams @ Blues Blast Magazine-
read it HERE  (February 26th, 2015 issue)
_________________________________________________

so proud to have been inducted into the
INTERNATIONAL BOOGIE WOOGIE HALL OF FAME-
big thanks to Dr. Philip Leming & Dr. Robert Cody
for making the ARCHES BOOGIE PIANO STAGE
@ THE CINCY BLUES FEST possible!
________________________________________________

THANK YOU READERS of CityBeat Magazine for voting me
"Best Local Musician" in their "Best Of Cincinnati" 2013 Awards-
in a town full of outstanding musicians, I take this as quite an honor!

THANK YOU READERS for voting me "BEST BLUES ARTIST"
in 2013 CEA AWARDS presented by CityBeat Magazine-
the awards show took place Sunday January 27th
@ The Madison Theater in Covington, KY- happy to play a short set
with CHRIS DOUGLAS (upright bass), to be joined by 46 LONG,
and to take part in the tribute to HERZOG STUDIOS-
CONGRATULATIONS to all nominees and winners-
proud to make music here in Greater Cincinnati!

SOLO RELEASE:

"THE THREE B'S: BLUES, BALLADS & BOOGIE WOOGIE"

LISTEN to a wonderful review by music historian
David Lewis, aired on NPR station WVXU 91.7 FM

exclusively available Cincinnati, OH record shops
Everybody's Records, Shake It Records, and all shows

"JUMP STEADY"- RICKY NYE & THE PARIS BLUES BAND

"HIGHLIGHTS from the 13th ANNUAL BLUES & BOOGIE
PIANO SUMMIT"

"TWISTIN' AT RAY'S" - FABRICE EULRY
(I co-produced this release, recorded in Cincinnati, OH)

these CDs are AVAILABLE NOW! @ CD Baby,
@ Cincinnati, OH record shops Everybody's Records
& Shake It Records, and all shows   

THANK YOU! readers, voters and listeners for voting me
"Best Local Musician" in CityBeat Magazine's
"Best Of Cincinnati 2012" issue- I feel loved! :o)

happy to be voted in the "Best Local Musician" category of
CityBeat Magazine's "Best Of Cincinnati 2011" Readers Picks-
THANK YOU READERS!

I was honored to be voted "Blues Artist of the Year 2010" 
by CityBeat Magazine at their CEA AWARDS held at  the 
Madison Theater in Covington, KY on Sunday, November 21st-
thank you for your support and to all that voted- you make a difference!  

OTHER CD RELEASES:

RICKY NYE & THE PARIS BLUES BAND- follow-up to 2008's 
"Ville du Bois" disc, recorded with the most outa-sight blues players 
in Paris: Anthony Stelmaszack (guitar); Thibaut Chopin (upright bass/harmonica); Simon "Shuffle" Boyer (drums) and special guest Nico Duportal (guitar)- available NOW @ www.cdbaby.com

TWELFTH ANNUAL BLUES & BOOGIE PIANO SUMMIT 
featuring BOB SEELEY (Detroit, MI), JULIAN PHILLIPS (U.K.), PATRICK SMET (Belgium) & RICKY NYE plus exciting rhythm section (Brian Aylor- drums; Buck Stevens- upright bass; and George Bedard- guitar)- available NOW @ www.cdbaby.com

ELEVENTH ANNUAL BLUES & BOOGIE PIANO SUMMIT 
featuring LLUIS COLOMA (Barcelona, Spain), BARRELHOUSE CHUCK (Chicago, IL), LISA OTEY (Tucson, AZ) & RICKY NYE plus outstanding rhythm section (Brian Aylor- drums; Steve Perakis- upright bass; and George Bedard- guitar)- available NOW @ www.cdbaby.com

all the above titles are NOW also available as DIGITAL DOWNLOADS!


PIANO KILLERS
All instrumental recording of Ricky Nye with Fabrice Eulry (Paris) & Renaud Patigny (Brussels)- solos, duet and trio compositions all performed on one piano- recorded in Paris- available NOW @ www.cdbaby.com

VILLE DU BOIS  
A disc recorded with the most outa-sight blues players in Paris is available NOW @ CD BABY 

***PRICES SLASHED on ALL BOOGIE SUMMIT CDs-
#3 through #13- NOW only $9.97 @ CD BABY!!!***

CDs also available at all live shows and in Cincinnati @ Everybody's Records & Shake It Records


 

:
A TRIBUTE to BIG JOE DUSKIN (1921-2007) by Ricky Nye


I first met Big Joe Duskin in ’82, before I ever started to mess around with boogie woogie- that didn’t matter to Joe, he just knew I played piano, and that made us friends. Through the time I’ve known him he has always been very supportive of me, and of so many musicians. His playing and singing was loved by blues enthusiasts and fellow piano players all over the world- I can’t tell you how many times, upon encountering the European leaders in blues & boogie in my travels, their first words to me were “how’s Big Joe?”

I treasure the times we played together, the many phone calls, running errands and especially meaningful were the times visiting Joe during his last year, when he was bedridden- I’d come in, turn on his keyboard and go at it, and Joe would lay in bed and sing his head off, improvising blues I’d never heard from him before.

Because I loved Joe, it was inevitable that aspects of his style made their way into my playing- his album “Cincinnati Stomp” was a template for me to study boogie woogie, and I learned the title track to perform as homage to him. When he played a blues, he was on “Joe time”- the lazy tremolos, the space in his playing all added up to me. The message in his style also came as words of advice he gave one day- he said “Rick, take it from an old pro: don’t work so hard! Take your time, talk to the people- they like that.” I knew exactly what he was talking about, but I said “Joe, you have a commanding presence, a big booming voice, you’re a great storyteller...I’m just a little white guy- what am I supposed to do? If I start talking away, they’d just tell me to shut up & play!” And he laughed, which is something I really miss- his chuckling, and the sound of his laughter will always resound in my mind.

Big Joe’s love of food is legendary- it mattered as much to him how you were fed at a gig as any other aspect of the show. If I called to relate tales of my travels, he’d always ask “how’d they feed you?” After Joe played a prestigious concert at Music Hall in Cincinnati, I called to see how things went- he said “Rick, it was so nice- they had fried chicken, mashed potatoes, peas...”-nothing was said of the performance! Once when visiting Joe in the hospital, he asked if I would go downstairs to the Burger King and get him a cheeseburger & french fries. When I asked if didn’t they have him on a particular diet, he said “hell with them- I’m going home tomorrow”. So I indulged him, and you would have thought he was eating the finest meal of his life...food was a big pleasure for Big Joe.

His compromised health in the last years of his life did nothing to dampen his hope and spirit. Joe’s performance at his 84th birthday party was a perfect example of the transference of love from his fans right back at them- it was the last time he was truly on fire, playing and singing until he had nothing left to give. To see him hold court at the Arches Stage at the annual Cincy Blues Fest was always beautiful- his appreciation for the other pianists and their appreciation for him always resulted in a truly inspired and joyous set.

I feel truly blessed to have had Joe as a friend and inspiration to me. Years ago, after he was in the hospital on a regular basis, I wondered when the day would come that Joe would leave this earth, and that day arrived- May 6th, 2007. Yet his spirit is alive and strong, in myself and every other musician he’s played with and encouraged. Whenever I play, especially now, I offer it up for him...

God bless Big Joe Duskin.
 

 



R.I.P.  H-BOMB FERGUSON  (1929-2006)


Historical information about H-Bomb Ferguson can be found @ www.cdbaby.com/cd/hbombf

Video footage & photo montage from documentary filmmaker 
John Parker

 

"QUICK 'N' DIRTY"  & "Highlights from the THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH, SIXTH, SEVENTH, EIGHTH, NINTH & TENTH BLUES & BOOGIE PIANO SUMMITS"  ("PIANO IS FUN!" & Highlights from the SECOND SUMMIT are currently out of print, but a few copies remain at some of the shops listed below...) are available worldwide through www.cdbaby.com, and if you're in Cincinnati, they are available NOW @ Shake It Records, Everybody's Records, Mole's and Joseph Beth Booksellers (check out the CD reviews of the Second Summit & Third Summit from the Cincinnati Enquirer)...

***PRICES SLASHED on Boogie Summits #3 through #13 NOW only $9.97 @ CD BABY!!!***

and here's a review of "Quick 'N' Dirty" from CityBeat Magazine (12-24-03): 

The title of Ricky Nye and the Swingin' Mudbugs' sophomore release (the follow-up to 1998's Piano is Fun!) is a play on the recording philosophy behind the album. Nye likes to record in as few takes as possible, and Quick was done with little overdubbing or other fixes (just like Fun!). But if you've seen Nye's trio perform live, you know that the local prince of boogie-woogie-styled piano probably doesn't require many "do-overs." There are certainly no holes in Quick 'N' Dirty. The energy and spontaneity exhibited makes listeners feel like they are dancing the night away in some sweaty bayou speakeasy. That intimacy translates superbly as Nye and Mudbugs Tony Franklin (drums) and Nick Lloyd (upright bass) rip effortlessly through a plethora of blues stylings on songs written by a variety of composers (save "Oh Yes," the sole Nye original). From the down-low blues of Muddy Waters' "What Is That She Got?" and the more up-tempo R&B of "Grits Ain't Groceries" (made famous by Little Milton) to the yearning, soulful balladry of "Please Send Me Someone To Love" and Nye's trademark barrelhouse rolls on "Downtown Boogie" and "Dixie Lullaby," you can take Quick 'N' Dirty as a musical history lesson or, more appropriately, as a joyous escapade through the repertoire of one of Cincinnati's most talented musicians. Nye obviously has the deepest respect for the New Orleans-spawned art form, but he doesn't treat the material too preciously, raucously banging out the tunes with skill and grace, but also with a genuine sense of glee, something that permeates from nearly every note. Between quality releases like Quick 'N' Dirty, Nye's organization of regular blues and boogie piano summits, featuring like-minded artists from around the world, and steady European touring, his place as one of the preeminent masters of the style is secure. -- MIKE BREEN

("QUICK 'N' DIRTY" also made CityBeat's TopTwenty Local Releases of 2003)

 
    
Pick up a copy of BEKAH WILLIAMS excellent debut CD @
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bekahwilliams  Produced by Ricky & Bekah, featuring The Swingin' Mudbugs with special guests (Dave Haley & Sonny Moorman on guitars, and local tenor sax icon Ray Heckman), and recorded by Erwin Musper @ his Bamboo Room Studio- it's a mighty fine songbook...get yours today!

            LOCAL MUSIC ACHIEVEMENTS AWARDS:

CEA AWARDS (sponsored by CityBeat Magazine)-
BLUES ARTIST OF THE YEAR: 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2013 & 2014
NOMINEE in 1999, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017 & 2018

CITYBEAT MAGAZINE "Best Of Cincinnati" Readers Poll Awards-
BEST LOCAL MUSICIAN: 2012, 2013 & 2014

CAMMY AWARDS- formerly sponsored by The Cincinnati Enquirer:

BEST BLUES BAND (Ricky Nye & The Red Hots)- 2001
BEST SOLO ACT- 2001
BEST BLUES/R&B INSTRUMENTALIST- 2002
BEST SOLO ACT- 2002