Artist Roster::      Sean Carney

Sites:   Sean Carney's MySpace   Sean Carney's Official Website   Sean Carney's EPK on SonicBids

“The next big thing has already been around the block,” a Canadian newspaper reporter wrote of The Sean Carney Band’s impressive showing and subsequent victory at The 2007 International Blues Challenge, held in February in Memphis, Tennessee, explaining that Carney and his crew are no newcomers to Blues. The IBC is presented by The Blues Foundation, who also awarded 34 year-old Carney the Albert King Best Guitarist Award and “Best Dressed” in their 23rd annual competition, before an audience of 1,700 blues lovers.

Columbus, Ohio natives and veterans of the scene, like Carney, drummer Eric Blume and bassist Steve Perakis have been performing with Carney in Columbus venues for a decade, backing pioneering blues and R&B artists like Christine Kittrell, Jimmy “T-99” Nelson, Big Joe Duskin, Joe Weaver and Johnnie Bassett. In his early twenties, Carney’s passion for the Blues extended beyond the stage as he bolstered the scene in his hometown, organizing concerts featuring the likes of Jimmy Witherspoon, Hank Marr, Earl Gaines, Luther Allison and Charles Brown, writing blues-related articles, co-hosting a radio program, organizing fundraisers for ailing artists and serving three terms as President of The Columbus Blues Alliance. Carney released his first CD, “Provisions,” in 1998 and celebrated another milestone in a 2001 with a performance at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival backing Cincinnati Blues piano master Big Joe Duskin.

It was through Christine Kittrell that Carney met Teeny Tucker and eventually became her musical director and songwriting partner in what led to the recording of “First Class Woman” with producer “Kaz” Kazanoff. Carney performed at The Ratskeller Jazz Festival in Berlin, Germany with Tucker and Blume soon joined her band, backing the two-time IBC finalist at venues such at The Monterey Bay Blues Festival, The Fleet Blues Festival and Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago.

Blume attended The Fort Hayes High School for the Performing Arts, along with Carney, and gigged with singer Willie Pooch as well as recording and performing frequently with Central Ohio legend Ray Fuller. Perakis, an OSU Music Department graduate performs often in Columbus as a sideman, arranger and composer, as well as leading and recording with his own band, Honk, Wail & Moan.

Carney and Blume formed Nite Owlz Records in 2006, for the release of their self-produced CD, “Life of Ease,” and embarked on a summer tour of Western Canada organized by guitarist/producer Steve Gerard. Gerard, who joined the touring band on guitar, paired the visiting players with top-notch Canadian musicians, Graham Guest on piano/organ and Chris Brzezicki on upright bass, for an itinerary that included The Yale in Vancouver, The Red Onion in Calgary and Blues on Whyte in Edmonton. Following Canada, The Sean Carney Band toured the Midwest with Phil Berkowitz, West Coast harp boss and Louis Jordan specialist, performing at Chicago’s House of Blues and The Slippery Noodle Inn in Indianapolis, among other venues.

Touring behind the band's new release, "Life of Ease," Carney and his group recently completed a very successful, thirteen date tour Europe, including The Eslov Bues Festival in Sweden and Ls Scala Blues Festival in Wetizikon, Switzerland, following a US tour that included The Portland Waterfront Blues Festival, The Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, The Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival, Morgan Freeman's Ground Zero in the heart of The Mississippi Delta and Blind Willie's in Atlanta.  In the winter, the band will appear live on XM Radio's Bluesville with Bill Wax and set sail with Taj Mahal on The Ultimate Rhythm & Blues Cruise in January.

"Life of Ease," has been critically acclaimed by the likes of Blues Revue, DownBeat, Soul Bag and Blues Wax.  Sean Carney has arrived as one of the most talented and serious young blues artists you will find touring the US, Canada and Europe.  Advance festival bookings in all three countries are a testament to The Sean Carney Band's ability to entertain and enthrall.

Carney has performed at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Buddy Guy's Legends and The House of Blues in Chicago, The Monterey Bay Blues Festival and Biscuits & Blues in California, The Ratskeller Jazz Festival in Berlin, Germany and The Paris Jazz Festival in France and in Canada at The Red Onion in Calgary, Blues on Whyte in Edmonton and The Yale Hotel in Vancouver.

Late 2007 saw the reissue of Carney's debut CD, "Provisions: A Second Helping," and a live recording from Blues on Whyte in Edmonton is set for release in early 2008.  Carney and his band look forward to exclusive summer 2008 bookings at The Eutin Blues Festival in Germany and Edmonton's LaBatt Blues Festival in Alberta.

DISCOGRAPHY:
"Provisions" Sean Carney & The Nite Owlz
"First Class Woman" Teeny Tucker, with Kaz Kazanoff & Nick Curran
"Tommy's Girl" Teeny Tucker
"A Fifth of Good Whiskey Blues" V/A Christine Kittrell w/Sean Carney
"King Saxe Plays The Blues" Gene Walker
"Twist of Fate" Ray Fuller
"Don't Borax The Borax Man" Dick Deluxe
"The Best of Columbus Blues Vol. 1" V/A
"The Best of Columbus Blues Vol. 2" V/A
"Blue Bop" LDB-3
"Life of Ease" The Sean Carney Band
 

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