Announcing the NYC Rockin' the River Cruises (Formerly the Nyc Blues Cruise)

Marcia Ball & Terrance Simien
Thursday June 21 @ 7pm & 9:30pm: tickets $40 in advance/$45 day of
With a piano style known for its elements of zydeco, swamp-blues, and boogie-woogie, Marcia Ball effectively uses her flexible, upper-register voice rather than trying to adapt her instrument to the gruffer low-end more prevalent in the genre. She has recently been nominated for the 2007 Blues Music Awards for 'Best Female Artist of the Year.'

Terrance Simien “probably has the best voice in his genre" and a live performance that was voted by Billboard magazine as one of the Top Ten Live Performance Acts of the Year. This eclectic artist headlines festivals of all types worldwide, and recently came off of a tour with the Dave Mathews Band. His latest release, entitled The Tribute Sessions has been called “the most significant zydeco release of the year." (PopMatters)

New Riders of the Purple Sage w/ special guest Donna Jean of the Grateful Dead
Wednesday June 27 @ 7pm & 9:30pm: tickets $40 in advance/$45 day of
Formed in 1969, the New Riders of the Purple Sage was initially envisaged by singer John Dawson as a spin-off from the Grateful Dead, with Jerry Garcia on pedal steel guitar. After many years and many replacements, 2006 found the New Riders of the Purple Sage back on the road with a revived and inspired lineup, bringing the songs of Dawson back to the ears of adoring crowds. Led by David Nelson and Buddy Cage, the current lineup includes Michael Falzarano (Hot Tuna) on guitar and vocals, Ronnie Penque (Stir Fried) on bass and vocals and Johnny Markowski (Stir Fried) on drums.

Donna Jean is best known for her vocals in the Grateful Dead until her departure from the band in 1979. She then sang backup for several other groups, but took a break from music in the 80s. She has now returned to the scene after many years and often makes appearances with Ratdog and Dark Star Orchestra.

Buckwheat Zydeco
Thursday June 28 @ 7pm & 9:30pm: tickets $40 in advance/$45 day of
Contemporary zydeco's most popular performer, accordionist Stanley “Buckwheat" Dural was the natural successor to the throne vacated by the death of his mentor Clifton Chenier. Buckwheat's urbanized sound, complete with touches of synthesizer and trumpet, married traditional and contemporary zydeco with uncommon flair, in the process reaching a wider mainstream audience than any artist before him. “Buckwheat leads one of the best party bands in America; he can pump out zydeco two-beats or shift into rolling 12-bar blues, steaming all the way." (The New York Times)

The Radiators
Thursday July 12 @ 7pm & 9:30pm: tickets $40 in advance/$45 day of
The Radiators, formed in 1978, had become one of New Orleans' most popular rock & roll bands by the late '80s, serving up a smorgasbord of musical styles that included blues, R&B, funk, and rootsy rock & roll. The Radiators developed a reputation for intense, marathon-like shows that would last three hours or more, relying solely on the spirit of the music and lyrics (coupled with the band members' natural rapport) to create “the show". It is this musical marriage that has created the Radiators legend and secured the fantastic loyalty of fans known as “fish-heads."

MWB & SOBs present: South African Jazz Legend Hugh Masekela CD RELEASE PARTY
Friday July 13 @ 8pm & 10:30pm: tickets $45 in advance/$50 day of
South African jazz legend Hugh Masekela has circled the globe and played with everyone from Harry Belafonte, Dizzy Gillepsie, and Louis Armstrong to Paul Simon. He released his first breakthrough record The Americanization of Ooga-Booga directly after the Sharpville Massacre of 1960, when he fled to the US. He went on to record many records including his 1987 hit “Bring Him Back Home", which became the anthem for Nelson Mandela's world tour following his release from prison in 1992. Masekela then took part in the acclaimed Heads Up Africa series, and he is now ready to release his new album, scheduled to hit stores on July 17th.

David Grisman Quintet
Thursday July 19 @ 7pm & 9:30pm: tickets $50 in advance/$55 day of
For more than 40 years, ace mandolinist/composer David Grisman has been creating his engaging “dawg" music, a matchless blend of swing, bluegrass, latin, jazz and gypsy music. Grisman has inspired a whole new genre of acoustic string instrumental music with style and virtuosity while creating a unique niche in the world of contemporary music. He has collaborated with greats such as Jerry Garcia, Stephane Grappelli, and Emmylou Harris. “If you're looking for something elegant, warm and delightful, go to the Dawg." (Wall Street Journal)

Blues Legends:James Cotton Band w/ special guest Hubert Sumlin
Tuesday July 24 @ 7pm only: tickets $40 in advance/$45 day of
James Cotton began to work with the Muddy Waters Band in 1955, and then toured with Janis Joplin while pursuing a solo career. He formed the James Cotton Blues Band in 1967, and he was on his way to becoming a legend. By 1987, he was up for his second Grammy Nomination. Cotton's latest release Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes was released in 2004. This year is his 63rd in the entertainment industry. “We're talking about the blues, loud and fast and getting down dirty, we're talking about James Cotton...harp player extraordinare." (New York Daily News)

More than 50 years after his musical career began with Howlin' Wolf, Hubert Sumlin enjoys being one of today's Blues stars. As a boy, Sumlin met Howlin' Wolf by sneaking into a performance, and was then invited to play guitar in the Chicago-based band. His latest effort is About Them Shoes, released in 2005.

Raul Malo (of the Mavericks)
Wednesday July 25 & Thursday July 26 @ 7pm: tickets $45 in advance/$50 day of
Raul Malo has always crossed cultures and blurred musical boundaries, breaking new ground with his distinctive balance of vintage sound and contemporary attitude. Best known as the founder and frontman of Grammy-winning, multi-platinum band the Mavericks, his talent has proven over the years to be ever expanding - as a true fan of all kinds of music, he sees only a fine line between rock n roll, country and salsa rhythms. His album You're Only Lonely, released this Spring, was a Critic's Choice in People magazine, and described in their pages as “intensely romantic."

Old 97's
Friday July 27 @ 7pm & 9:30pm: tickets $45 in advance/$50 day of
One of the most popular bands in the country movement's rock & roll wing, Old 97's hail from Dallas and were started in the early 90s by singer/guitarist Rhett Miller. They draw their inspiration from classic country, bar band rock, the raw sound of early punk, and the tight songcraft of power pop. Their sixth album, Drag It Up, was delivered with a “big fat guitar twang..and a chucka-chucka trainbeat." “These Texas alt-country dudes are known for their scorching and sweaty live shows..." (Exclaim)

Roomful of Blues
Wednesday August 1 @ 7pm & 9:30pm: tickets $35 in advance/$40 day of
USA Today says Roomful of Blues plays “marvelous wall-to-wall grooves...between the wicked guitar work and the brassy horn section, things never stop swinging." With their masterful combination of jumping, hard-edged blues and R&B, it's no wonder why the great Count Basie called them “the hottest blues band I've ever heard." About their latest release, Standing Room Only, The Boston Herald stated “There's no way you can stay in your seat with grooves like this."

The John Popper Project featuring DJ Logic
Thursday August 2 @ 7pm & 9:30pm: tickets $35 in advance/$40 day of
If the combination of Blues Traveler frontman Popper's big-lunged vocals and rapid-fire harmonica and Logic's skiddy, beat-and-scratch style seemed an odd fit initially, with Kinchla and Bleeker they've emerged as expert pocket-detectors, able to find and ride a groove with ease. Says a proud Popper, “I'm happy to say, we're really good at it." Landing the band in the studio for the first time, their songs were created as spontaneously as the group itself, with all four band members contributing equally to the songwriting process to create their smooth subterranean grooves.

Anders Osborne Band & The Iguanas
Thursday August 9 @ 7pm & 9:30pm: tickets $35 in advance/$40 day of
Anders Osborne left Sweden for New Orleans in the mid 80s. After a few solo albums, he formed a band which mixes traditional jazz roots and deep grooves with Nordic folk music and slide guitar. He has written songs for Tim McGraw, Johny Lang, Keb' Mo', and Double Trouble, among others. His album Living Room was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1999, and his band is currently getting ready to release a new studio album this summer.

Despite their well-deserved reputation as a party band non pareil, New Orleans' Iguanas have always had a flair for melodies and lyrics as well as grooves. A decade after their debut, The Iguanas have recently released Plastic Silver 9-Volt Heart. The complexity of the arrangements on the album, which sneak in everything from train whistles to mellotron, echo the multiple levels of meaning in the songs. “One of the most complete albums to come out of New Orleans in years. It's really that good." (Offbeat magazine)

Chris Smither & Sonny Landreth
Wednesday August 15 @ 7pm only: tickets $45 in advance/$50 day of
With 12 albums under his belt, Chris Smither qualifies as a veteran of the music industry. His elegant lyrics are arranged simply, with mostly just his own masterful finger-picking and foot-tapping to accompany him. His music qualifies as folk, but the blues influences are undeniable. His latest album, Leave The Light On, was released in September on his own record label.

Sonny Landreth is an American blues musician from southwest Louisiana who is especially known as a slide guitar player. He has developed a technique where he frets notes and plays chords and chord fragments “behind" the slide while he's playing. He has managed to perfect this form of playing like no other, leaving Eric Clapton to say he is “probably the most underestimated musician on the planet and also probably one of the most advanced."

Son Volt
Thursday August 16 @ 7pm & 9:30pm: 7pm Show - ACOUSTIC ~ 9:30pm Show - ELECTRIC: tickets $40 in advance/$45 day of
Jay Farrar has amassed a sizable and distinctive body of work since coming on the radar with Uncle Tupelo in 1989. The Search, the fifth album by the St. Louis-based artist under the Son Volt nameplate, takes Farrar's signature juxtapositions of the arcane and the modern to provocative extremes. After opting to put Son Volt aside for five years in order to undertake a series of solo projects, Farrar is now two albums into the band's second incarnation, describing the decision as a matter of “unfinished business." Son Volt, he explains, represents “a kind of aesthetic that I want to continue doing."

Garage a Trois featuring Marco Benevento
Wednesday August 22 @ 7pm & 9:30pm: tickets $35 in advance/$40 day of
Garage a Trois formed in 1999, right after Mardi Gras, as a trio featuring Charlie Hunter, Stanton Moore and Skerik, and evolved with the addition of Mike Dillon in 2002. This union of musical forces has only increased the creative output of these musicians-and apparently really helped their grundle. Their current evolution finds them again as a core trio now with Moore, Skerik and Dillon aided by a host of revolving guests including John Medeski, Chris Wood and Marco Benevento. GAT, as they are called by their fans are as popular as ever and continues to define the new sounds of progressive music.

Martin Sexton
Thursday August 23 @ 7pm & 9:30pm: tickets $50 in advance/$55 day of
Renowned as a die-hard road warrior, Martin Sexton has traveled the globe with his guitar slung on his back and a heart full of soul. Hailed by Billboard as “the finest new male singer/songwriter of recent memory," Sexton is touring in support of his seventh record, SEEDS, released in April 2007. “He jumps beyond standard fare on the strength of his voice, a blue-eyed soul man's supple instrument. His unpretentious heartiness helps him focus on every soul singer's goal: to amplify the sound of the ordinary heart." (The New York Times).