Georgia blues musicians

Atlanta just overflows with blues talent! I write about the blues at Atlanta Blues Examiner and I love many local groups. This time, I want to share with you about my three favorite Atlanta blues groups:

The Cazanovas

The Breeze Kings

Little G Weevil Band

The photo here is of me (about 30 pounds heavier than I am now) and Little G Weevil in 2012.

My pick for best band

The Cazanovas consist of Maurice Nazarro on vocals and hot, hot, hot harmonica, Danny V. Vinson on Incredible lead guitar, Fernando Baretto on kickin' bass, and Pete Meier on pounding drums. They have been together for a long time and any time you see that they are playing anywhere, you know you are in for a great time. We are lucky to have them hosting a Thursday night jam at Darwin's Blues Club in my home town of Marietta every week and they never fail to be amazing!

Here is an excerpt from my review, which The Cazanovas included on their page:

"The Cazanovas are a very popular group in the burgeoning Atlanta blues scene. With their new CD,Just Gettin’ By, blues fans outside of Georgia and the surrounding states have the opportunity to discover just how excellent this group really is. Local fans have a quality recording to enjoy as well...

Pick up this CD and discover new original blues that’s likely to find a frequent place on your personal playlist. This is a worthy offering from a band which deserves wider recognition outside the South."

I know I said The Cazanovas are my pick for best Atlanta blues group, but sometimes The Breeze Kings are. Usually it depends on which one I've heard most recently.

The Breeze Kings consist of Carlos Capote on vocals and incredible harmonica, Jim Ransone on awesome lead guitar, Greg Shapiro on bass, and Trevor Roberts on drums.

an

I wrote an article about them for Yahoo! Here is an excerpt from it and a link to read the rest:

"For the past 15 years, The Breeze Kings have been wowing blues fans in Atlanta, all around the southeastern United States, and as far away as France. Singer Carlos Capote, guitarist Jim Ransone, bassist Aaron Trubic, and drummer Trevor Roberts deliver dynamic entertainment every time they hit the stage.

Since 1997, The Breeze Kings have played about 150 shows a year..."

Every time I see The Breeze Kings, they thrill me and entertain me. You will never be disappointed by The Breeze Kings.

An excerpt from my review at Atlanta Blues Examiner

"Atlanta's own Breeze Kings have a new CD out, "Can't Stay Home," on which they certainly live up to their names light and breezy is exactly how this CD feels, and that is a good thing.

Eight of the 10 numbers on the CD are written by members of the band, and they show themselves to be skilled songwriters as well as excellent musicians. Every number features imipeccable musicianship as well..."

This is sort of cheating because Little G Weevil performs with his band and solo and I love him either way. Alone, he has won the International Blues Challenge in Memphis as Best Solo and Best Guitarist and has been nominated for a Blues Music Award as Best Traditional Artist. But with a group behind hi Hungary, and played in Europe for years before moving to Memphis and working as a dishwasher while perfecting his craft. Now he lives in the Atlanta area and adds even more brilliance to our local scene,

Little G Weevil's "Moving" is an amazing traditional blues CD. Here is an excerpt from my review:

"Little G Weevil is probably unique among modern blues musicians. There is unlikely to be another one who was born and raised in Hungary and came to America because of his love for the blues. When he first got here he washed dishes on Beale Street for a year and he explains in the liner notes to Moving that this is where he bought his first acoustic guitar, in a Memphis pawn shop for $75. He’s come a long way from home to establish a thriving career and win Best Solo Vocalist and Best Guitarist at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis earlier this year.

Weevil has a real love for the old blues masters and those old records that were recorded under primitive conditions with no fancy equipment or overdubs. He wanted to capture that sound for Moving. So the CD was recorded in a 20Ã15 room at Bakos Amp Works Studio in midtown Atlanta with one microphone in the middle of the floor and other microphones placed around the room for the band."