THE BLUES PACK

3 legendary vocalists:  Blues/Soul singing sensation Paul Cox (described by Paul Jones (Radio 2) as "As a remarkable Voice ", Earl Green (winner of the British Blues Connection's Male Vocalist Award in 1996 and 1997 and Blues in Britain Vocalist Award 2000 and 2002) and John Smyth (critically acclaimed by US Blues Review).  They will be backed by Paul’s Band with Mike Summerland on guitar, Roger Cotton on keyboards, Ed Spevock on drums .

 This will be an extra special night with not one but three superb blues singers and a great band!

EARL GREEN
Winner of the British Blues Connection's Male Vocalist Award in 1996 and 1997, Blues in Britain Vocalist Award 2000 and 2002, Earl green is a rarity, a black British Blues singer. Born in Jamaica, he came to Britain on his thirteenth birthday, already into R&B music, and soon started a career as a vocalist which has spanned over thiry-five years.

He was a founder member of Otis Grand and the Dance Kings, in 1986, and until December 1994 had been the lead vocalist in many line-ups with Otis, including the award winning Otis Grand Big Band. He sings on Otis's album Always Hot and He Knows The Blues.

Earl founded The Earl Green Band in 1995 touring Britain and Ireland, playing at the Dublin Blues Festival, Farnham Maltings Blues Festival, Dartmounth Festival and appearing regularly at London's 100 Club.
JOHN "SMIGGY" SMYTH

John 'Smiggy"Smyth has been singing in bands for what seems (to Him) an alarming 46 years. Sometimes going his errant way but always returning to the Blues. After 13 years with southern blues styled Easy Money Band, John is know with acoustic blues duo, Canary Wolf, and good ol' boys Crusin' for a Bluesin'(ex of Easy Money and Cadillac Kings.)

PAUL COX

Paul is considered as one of the U.K.s best blues and soul singers. He was the voice of the John Slaughter blues band, and played at the Montreux festival along with Ray Charles. He has recorded with The Barcodes, with Jim Mullen, Alan Barnes, Zoot Money, Gypie Mayo, Papa George and Val Cowell. He was in Heart & Soul with Tim Hincley and Barry Martin of the Hamsters. Also worked with Paul Rodgers, Snowy White Martin Barre and bonnie Tyler and Gary Brooker..

Live Review

The Blues Pack - New Crawdaddy Club - 6th March 2008

You know I felt that last Thursday at the Club was going to be a bit special and boy was I right! Although, unfortunately, Bill Hurley was not able to appear, we were treated to an absolutely stonking evening with the Blues Pack featuring the great, although very different, voices of Paul Cox, Earl Green and John ‘Smiggy’ Smyth.

Paul opened proceedings with a couple of stormers which suited his powerful soul blues style and quickly whipped up the temperature in the Club and then introduced the completely contrasting Earl Green, a man blessed with a voice which flows over the audience like the finest silken cloth and has a richness that is a joy to hear. After a few numbers he was joined by Paul and then it was John’s turn, his wonderful bass/baritone plumbing depths reminiscent of a certain Paul Robeson as well as flying up with the gods. The contrasting vocal styles and material worked superbly particularly so in the duet with Earl & Paul on the classic ‘6345789’ and Paul and Smiggy on ‘I’m in a Dangerous Mood’.

Soul classics like Paul’s wonderful take on ‘Papa Was A Rolling Stone’ alongside his own composition ‘ Weekend Bluesman’ offering a wonderful variety of material. Paul Milligan of the Heaters suggested that the Blues Pack were akin to the 3 Tenors and he was not far wrong for the stage was abuzz with the charisma and power radiated by these three great performers.

Special mention must be made of the superb musicians forming the backing band with Ed Spevok on drums, Rob Millis on keyboards, (shame we did not hear a little bit more of his gorgeous Hammond) Al MacLean on bass and backing vocals and Mike Summerland, superb on guitar.  This really was a very special evening and I for one, did not want it to end. If you get a chance to catch these guys, grab it and I am sure you will not be disappointed. Three highly talented artists in their own rights, put them together on one stage and you have a 3 for 1 offer that is impossible to refuse!

 Ashwyn Smyth – Digital Blues

THe Blues Pack

Limelight Theatre, Aylesbury - 19/9/08

The break gave us a chance to refresh our glasses before the Blues Pack started up with their version of "Hideaway". The reason the evening turned out to be more than just two bands was that the Blues Pack had three contrasting yet complementary styles of vocalist with them that night. The band is: Mike Summerland on guitar, Rob Mills on keyboards, Ed Spevock on drums and AI MacLean on bass. The vocalists were: Paul Cox, Earl Green and John Smythe. Paul Cox launched in with "That's The Way I Feel" and 'Ain't Nothin' Doin"' before handing over to Earl Green for a couple of numbers, the second one being the perennial favourite "Homework" in which we enjoyed a great solo from Mike Summerland on his Fender Stratocaster. Rob Mills got to entertain us with a solo during the Chris Kenner song "Somethin' You Got", while Mike switched to a Telecaster for some slide work on Elmore James's "Red Hot Mama"

John Smythe came out to do vocals on "Dangerous Mood into which Rob incorporated a frantic Hammond organ solo John then did "Leroy Carr's "How Long" with just an accompaniment from Mike on guitar The band rejoined for Down In A Hole", Sugar coated Love" and Bo Diddley's "Pretty Thing" putting in a harmonica solo which veered into and back out of "Stone Fox Chase" (Old Grey Whistle Test).

 Paul Cox and Earl Green came back for the vocals on Wilson  Pickett's soulful "634-5789, they slowed it down for Feddy King's "Have You Ever Loved A Woman' and then rocked it up for "Weekend Blues Man", which is to be found on Paul's latest CD They tried to close the show with all three vocalists singing "Some Kinda Wonderful / Can I Get A Witness", (made popular by Grand Funk Railroad), but we got them back for an encore and were rewarded with a riotous version of "Let The Good Times Roll" with plenty of audience participation

More great blues in the months ahead at the Limelight Theatre, so check the gig guide, get along and I'll see you there

Paul Stiles 

BLUES in BRITAIN