LOUISIANA BLUES THROWDOWN

Straight from the heart of American music, The Louisiana Blues Throwdown represents the best of the Gulf Coast music scene with veteran masters and rising talent sharing the stage in a steaming gumbo of deep south soul. Spotlighting master Mississippi-born guitarist and vocalist Vasti Jackson, along with long-hidden New Orleans soul gem Mathilda Jones, and featuring an all-star band led by long-time New Orleans-based musician, radio DJ and music journalist Marc Stone, the Throwdown packs a blues punch that has knocked out audiences at all of the major clubs in New Orleans and festivals around the U.S.

Vasti Jackson is a force to be reckoned with in the world of the Blues. As an artist, Vasti is known for sweat-drenched, soul-ripping performances marked by some of the most stunning and innovative guitar playing in Blues today. His music has been featured in numerous award-winning films, including Martin Scorcese’s The Blues series and he is in constant demand for his myriad of talents by all of the top names in the field. By his early twenties, Vasti had earned guitarist, bandleader and producer credits with the many top artists of the southern blues and soul scene, including Johnny Taylor, Z.Z. Hill, Denise LaSalle, Latimore and Bobby Rush. Years as a first call guitarist, producer and songwriter for both the Malaco and Alligator record labels followed, as well as a long stint backing Louisiana-born piano queen Katie Webster. Now a twenty-five year veteran of the top ranks of the Blues world, he has played with an uncountable number of artists, including B.B. King, Little Milton, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Cassandra Wilson, C.J. Chenier, and many others.

Louisiana native Mathilda Jones has a church-bred set of pipes that will melt the speakers every time. Having come up in the heart of the Southern Soul scene of the early 1970s, she worked with King Floyd, Clarence Carter, Tommy Ridgely and even backed Al Green while he was still a rising star with one hit and she was a high school student. Mathilda’s 1971 single for Carter’s Future Stars label is a sought after lost soul classic, featuring the writing talents of Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, as well as a gorgeous ballad penned by New Orleans own Eddie Bo. Her two recent CDs for the Southland label have received great reviews, and her transcendent performances with the Louisiana Blues Throwdown have become the stuff of legend in the clubs in New Orleans.

Guitarist and bandleader Marc Stone has a knack for putting together a good bill. The shows and recordings he has produced in New Orleans over the years have featured a dizzying array of the areas top names in inventive combinations, drawing on Marc’s nearly 15 years of experience on the Louisiana music scene to create unique and exciting projects. The Louisiana Blues Throwdown is his flagship project. Originally built around Mathilda Jones and the late Creole Blues master Harry “Big Daddy” Hypolite, Marc’s Throwdown bills have also boasted performances by Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Eric Lindell, Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone, and Shannon McNally. The Throwdown has appeared at all of the best clubs in New Orleans, including House of Blues, Tipitina’s and the Maple Leaf, and was chosen to close the main stage in front of thousands of ecstatic fans at the prestigious Johnstown Folk Festival. As well as acting as producer and musical director for the Throwdown, Marc acted as producer for the April, 2006 A Change Is Gonna Come Benefit concert in New Orleans that featured New York-based Sacred Steel masters the Campbell Brothers along with a star studded ensemble of Louisiana’s finest, including Terrance Simien, Anders Osborne, Kirk Joseph, Shannon McNally, Arlee Leonard, Tim Green, David Easley, Andy J. Forest and a host of others. The sold out event raised over $6000 for the New Orleans Musician’s Clinic. A touring package based on that magical concert, under the name Sacred Funk and featuring the Campbell Brothers, the Louisiana Blues Throwdown and Kirk Joseph’s horns will be appearing at festivals in Europe in 2007.

Marc’s slide guitar chops and stage delivery have earned his own recordings and performances excellent reviews in the U.S. and Europe. He has released four CDs to date. His current CD Kickin’ at the Old Point was recorded live in New Orleans and features his killer band along with numerous special guests. The CD is heard regularly on roots radio and has received stellar reviews in the local press. In addition to all of his musical duties, Marc hosts the weekly Soul Serenade Blues and R&B show on award-winning Jazz and Heritage radio station WWOZ 90.7 fm, New Orleans and writes the Bluesworthy column for OffBeat, New Orleans premier music magazine.