SAT. 9/169:00 PM
MARK HUMMEL & THE BLUES SURVIVORS
also
THE BOBBY KYLE BLUES BAND

Mark Hummel is one of the top blues harmonica players alive today, and leader of the Blues Survivors, one of the West coast bands that draw from the Chicago blues style but add dollops of jump blues and rock'n'roll into the mix, yielding the distinct West Coast blues sound. Mark was born in New Haven, CT and raised in Los Angeles, and soaked up the music of harp men like Little Walter, James Cotton, and Sonny Boy Williamson. After settling in Berkeley, California in 1972, he worked with local blues artists like Cool Papa, Boogie Jake, Mississippi Johnny Waters and Sonny Lane. In 1980, he took the helm of the popular Blues Survivors Band, which toured relentlessly in the 80s and 90s. During that time he released several albums with the Survivors and with guitarist Sue Foley, and served as a judge at the Hohner Harmonica World Championship in Germany. His latest release is Low Down to Uptown, on Tone Cool Records. What makes the album such an achievement and marks him as a courageous stylist is the great diversity of styles he has pulled together on a single disc. His broad palette of tone colors ranges from dark to ethereal, his ornamentation is expressive and perfectly nuanced, and the plaintive vibrato throughout gives his sound a pathos found only in the best players. He also has- in common with the best blues artists- the gift of remaining true to a style while keeping his interpretation fresh and original. Blues publications and the press in general praise him without reservation. We're glad to present him for the first time at the Towne Crier.

Blues artist Bobby Kyle is one of hundreds of highly gifted guitarists out there, but there are very few with his heart and soul. Direct and to the point, his stylings resonate with maturity and inspiration. He took up piano at age seven, but after his father took him to see Lonnie Mack, Bobby abandoned the piano and bought his first guitar. He worked closely with Bill Dicey in the late 70s, and later joined the house band at the Stuffed Pepper, a Tampa Bay blues mecca. In 1984, Eddie Kirkland invited Bobby to join his band, and after six years with Kirkland, Bobby signed on with the late Grammy winner Johnny "Clyde" Copeland, with whom he worked steadily until Copeland passed away in 1997. In between touring dates with Kirkland and Copeland, Bobby took his solo act on the road, performing his own material throughout North America and Europe. Now working with his own band, Bobby's soulful voice rings true with a raw, distinctive quality all his own. Some of his many recommendations are ". . . one of the best white blues singers in the business" (Blues Review Magazine) and "tasty yet restrained guitar soloing to match his confident vocals." (Philadelphia Blues Magazine). Johnny "Clyde" Copeland sums it up best: "The whole package is great. He sings good, his song writing is good, and his guitar playing is outstanding." We're proud to present him at the Towne Crier.
$20/members $17.50