"King King set the night on fire, they blazed into the finale with a superb set of one great song after another. A brilliant performance by the whole band" - Blues in Britain
"Electrifying...world-class blues!!" - American Guitar
“Quietly, here at Radio 2 we think Alan Nimmo and King King are going to go all the way" - Paul Jones BBC Radio 2
"Impassioned vocals...stunning chops and killer tones!" - Bluesvox
Currently going down a storm at concerts and at blues festivals up and down the country, Alan Nimmo's band King King are delivering some stunningly soulful blues to the masses, indicating that Stevie Nimmo's kid brother is no one trick pony. Cutting his musical teeth as one half of the Nimmo Brothers, the Glaswegian guitarist/singer has teamed up with fellow Nimmo Brothers stalwart Lindsay Coulson on bass to form a powerhouse team, featuring for the most part Bennett Holland on keyboards and Craig Blundell on drums, with further help from Dale Storr, Wayne Proctor and Ewan Davies. TAKE MY HAND has been some time in the making. Recorded at Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire under the engineering supervision of Ewan Davies, the songs feature some remarkable Nimmo/Coulson originals from Broken Heal and Heart Without a Soul, both previously released on the BROKEN HEAL EP, to the driving opener Lose Control and title cut Take My Hand, featuring the full brass ensemble of Rick Woolgar on sax and Steve Walker on trumpet, together with 'Wonder Brass' and Jacquie Williams' soulful backing vocal. It's not all driving blues and stomping twelve bar by any means, despite the one Howlin' Wolf cover, the enduring Mr Highway Man, featuring the harmonica playing of the appropriately named Giles King. There are also one or two moments of pure soulful beauty, particularly on two outstanding covers, the John Hiatt song Feels Like Rain and the utterly gorgeous Eric Clapton/Robert Cray collaboration Old Love, with a superb guitar solo courtesy of Alan Nimmo. Just like Clapton before him, it would be easy to find oneself caught up in all the guitar wizardry to miss the fact that Nimmo has an extraordinarily great singing voice as well. Closing with Toussaint McCall's Nothing Takes the Place of You, featuring Dale Storr's blissful Hammond, King King demonstrate that they are equally at home with soulful ballads as they are with some of the sweatiest, blistering blues on the current UK blues scene. © Allan Wilkinson Northern Sky © http://www.allanwilkinson.co.uk/node/1377
This is a Grade A blues/rock album with great feeling, musicianship and terrific vocals and searing guitar work from Alan Nimmo. The band have a unique sound and cover a multitude of blues and rock influences "swaggering from Stones-tinged blues rock through throbbing funk to reflective ballad and back". Alan Nimmo has been called "the best Blues talent since Paul Rodgers". One step at a time, Alan, but you're definitely on the right track! The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Check out the Nimmo Brothers' "New Moon Over Memphis" and "Moving On" albums on this blog [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 126 Mb]
TRACKS / COMPOSERS
1 Lose Control - Alan Nimmo, Lindsay Coulson 4:15
2 Take My Hand - Alan Nimmo, Lindsay Coulson 3:49
3 Don't You Get the Feeling (You've Been Had) - B.Tonner 3:08
4 Feels Like Rain - J. Hiatt 6:27
5 Heart Without a Soul - Alan Nimmo, Lindsay Coulson 5:15
6 All Your Life - Alan Nimmo, Lindsay Coulson 4:45
7 I'll Fight My Way - Alan Nimmo, Lindsay Coulson 4:47
8 Old Love - Eric Clapton, Robert Cray 9:51
9 Broken Heal - Alan Nimmo, Lindsay Coulson 3:48
10 Mr. Highway Man - Howlin' Wolf (Chester Burnett) 4:35
11 Nothing Takes the Place of You - T. McTell, A. Robinson 4:51
MUSICIANS
Alan Nimmo - Guitar, Vocals
Lindsay Coulson - Bass
Bennett Holland - Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Dale Storr - Hammond B3 Organ
Craig Blundell, Wayne Proctor - Drums
Ewan Davies - Percussion
Wonder Brass - Brass
Rick Woolgar - Saxophone
Steve Walker - Trumpet
Giles King - Harmonica
Jacquie Williams - Backing Vocals
BIO
Softly softly” is not a maxim that King King are familiar with. Since surging into life last year they have barely stopped for breath, and their electrifying sound and scorching live shows have generated more of a thunderous roar than a buzz. This is a band which knows how to make an entrance. Fronted by charismatic bluesman Alan Nimmo, their exhilarating debut at last year’s Monaghan Blues Festival created such a stir that it prompted organizer Somhairle MacCognil to remark: “King King aren’t just playing the festival. Word is that King King ARE the festival”. With a reception like this there’s no surprise that the phone has been ringing off the hook since, and the last year has seen a frenetic schedule of gigs and festival appearances which have received outstanding praise and added plenty of new blood to their burgeoning army of followers. With an almost instant reputation which spread like wildfire through the blues scene and a diary fit to burst, you’d be forgiven for thinking that King King might have wanted a bit of a rest. You’d be wrong. Apparently imbued with sufficient energy to power a small town, the band also found time to get into the studio, the result being their debut EP ‘Broken Heal’. Produced alongside the team behind the Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs and the Editors, the EP instantly received a gleaming review from Blues Matters Magazine, including remarks on it’s “emotive lyrics” and “stirring guitar work”. The band had barely left the studio when they began to receive airplay on radio stations across the UK, Europe and the US. Listeners to Radio 2’s Paul Jones were treated to a taste when the DJ got his hands on the band’s stunning ‘Heart Without A Soul’ and introduced it to the masses. Little wonder then that organizers of the celebrated Blues On The Farm festival had a listen and were so impressed that they made room for King King - despite having already filled the bill for the event. Thundering on, the summer saw King King descending on the celebrated Maryport Blues Festival, where they played the main stage to rapturous effect. One press review effused: “How do you top an evening of music dominated by the wonderful Jethro Tull? With King King, that’s how.” Yeah, they’ll get you like that. Pretty impressive stuff for a band less than a year old. So what’s at the root of all this commotion? Well, aside from seemingly boundless impetus, the band is certainly not lacking in pedigree. Leading the charge is the aforementioned Alan, a frontman famed almost as much for his contagious energy as his dazzling guitar work. Widely known across the UK and Europe for his pivotal role with the award-winning Nimmo Brothers, Alan’s full-blooded style, technical brilliance and impassioned vocals combine to hit all the right buttons and reach spots that many others can only aspire to. Bringing up the rear we have Lindsay Coulson. Don’t be fooled by the wry smile – beneath his unruffled exterior lurks a powerhouse of punchy, fat bass who’s musical career has seen him take to the stage with such well regarded blues acts as Aynsley Lister and Philip Walker. He has also been a regular in the Nimmo Brother’s lineup, and this history with Alan has resulted in a dynamic musical chemistry which is evident in both songwriting and performance. New to the King King fold is Bennett Holland on keyboard. An excitable advocate of funky low-down blues, Bennett has worked with a plethora of names including Groove Armada and the critically adored Richard Hawley. A compelling and highly skilled player, rumour has it that there are no arms beneath Bennett’s sleeves – only more fingers. Running with the King King ethos that more is always more when it comes to talent, this year’s audiences will also be treated to a special guest in the form of Craig Blundell, recently described by Drummer magazine as “one of the UK's most versatile and staggeringly talented players”. A hugely gifted and resourceful musician, Craig is also clearly a dynamo at juggling – aside from live performances, the last year has seen him in constant demand for worldwide drumming clinics, recording sessions, instructional books and even a documentary. With this lineup of top-shelf musicians, King King could only draw their inspiration from the best in the business, ranging from legendary greats such as BB King and Albert Collins to the shining lights of contemporary blues like Joe Bonamassa and John Mayer. Drawing on their combined talent whilst cherry-picking the hottest influences, the band has pushed boundaries to craft a fresh, powerful new angle on blues rock which is as infectious as it is accomplished © Grahame Rhodes © 1996 - 2012 Movinmusic http://www.movinmusic.co.uk/king_king.htm
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