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  • Buddy Guy, Dr. John and James Cotton Bring the Blues to the Hollywood Bowl for the 2009 Jazz Series
  • Aug. 12, 2009
  • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2009, AT 8 PM

    Media Sponsor: KJAZZ 88.1

    The 2009 Jazz series at the Hollywood Bowl continues on Wednesday, August 12, at 8 p.m., with legendary blues guitarist Buddy Guy, famed Creole roots musician Dr. John, with his band The Lower 911, and Delta blues harmonica extraordinaire, James Cotton.

    Legendary blues artist Buddy Guy, the purveyor of a stinging, attacking electric guitar style and wild, impassioned vocals, has been enthralling audiences for over 50 years. A true icon, Guy is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and a chief guitar influence on such rock titans as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and the late Stevie Ray Vaughan. "He was for me what Elvis was probably like for other people," Clapton remembered at Guy's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2005. "My course was set, and he was my pilot." Guy has received 23 W.C. Handy Blues Awards (the most any artist has received), the Billboard Magazine Century Award for distinguished artistic achievement, the Presidential National Medal of Arts and five Grammy Awards. His music remains as vital today as ever. Just last year, he appeared on the big screen worldwide with a show-stopping performance in Martin Scorsese's Rolling Stones concert film, Shine A Light. At the age of 72, he appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone for the first time, as part of the magazine's "100 Greatest Guitar Songs" cover feature (his 1961 recording of "Stone Crazy" made the list). With his 2008 release of Skin Deep, an album of all original material featuring guest appearances from fellow guitar wizards Eric Clapton, Robert Randolph, Susan Tedeschi, and Derek Trucks, Guy added yet another dimension to his already iconic career.

    Dr. John, aka Mac Rebennack, is universally celebrated for his unsurpassed contributions to the rich musical heritage of New Orleans. His very colorful career began in the 1950s when he wrote and played guitar on some of the greatest records to come out of the Crescent City, including recordings by Professor Longhair, Art Neville, Joe Tex and Frankie Ford. Moving west in the 1960s, he continued to be in demand as a session musician, playing on records by superstar artists such as Sonny and Cher, Van Morrison and Aretha Franklin. He also launched a successful solo career, developing the charismatic persona of Dr. John, The Night Tripper. Dr. John is a four-time Grammy-winner and a ten-time nominee. In 2007, he was nominated for Sippiana Hericane, his Hurricane Katrina benefit disc. One of the Crescent City's most favored sons, Dr. John does considerable work to keep the world’s focus on rebuilding New Orleans. In 2008, Dr. John released his Grammy-nominated album, City That Care Forgot, which deals with various issues in post-Katrina New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. It is widely considered to be his finest recording in twenty years.

    The musical pedigree of Grammy-winner James “Superharp” Cotton consists of a veritable who’s who in the blues world. Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2006, the Smithsonian Institute in 1991, and winner of countless W.C. Handy Blues Awards, he has shared the stage with B.B. King, The Rolling Stones, Johnny Winter, the Allman Brothers, Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead and many others. An orphan at the age of nine, he was raised in Mississippi by his mentor, Sonny Boy Williamson, who remains famous for his many unique songs and innovative Delta Blues harmonica style. In 1954 when Muddy Waters needed a harmonica player, he found Cotton playing a club in Arkansas and took him to Chicago. Cotton remained with Waters for 12 years not only playing shows but also recording with him. In 1966 Cotton formed his James Cotton Blues Band, which showcases his immense talent and keeps him one of the most sought-after, hard-driving, seminal blues musicians touring the world today.

    One of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000, the HOLLYWOOD BOWL has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its official opening in 1922, and is home to the best and brightest in all genres of music. The 2004 season introduced audiences to a revitalized Hollywood Bowl, featuring a newly-constructed shell and stage and the addition of four stadium screens enhancing stage views in the venue. To this day, $1 buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's concerts. While the Bowl is best known for its sizzling summer nights, during the day California's youngest patrons enjoy "SummerSounds: Music for Kids at the Hollywood Bowl," the Southland's most popular summer arts festival for children, now in its 42nd season. In January 2009, the Hollywood Bowl was named Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue for the fifth year in a row at the 20th Annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards; the Bowl's summer music festival has become as much a part of a Southern California summer as beaches and barbecues, the Dodgers, and Disneyland.

    EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

    WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2009, at 8 PM


    HOLLYWOOD BOWL, 2301 N. Highland Ave. in Hollywood



    Jazz Series



    BUDDY GUY

    DR. JOHN & THE LOWER 911

    THE JAMES COTTON BLUES BAND



    Media Sponsor: KJAZZ 88.1

    Tickets ($1 - $96) are on sale now at HollywoodBowl.com, at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office (Tuesday–Saturday, 12 p.m.–6 p.m.), or by calling Ticketmaster at 800.745.3000, and at all Ticketmaster outlets. Groups of 10 or more may be eligible for a 20% discount, subject to availability; call 323.850.2050 for further details or group sales. For general information or to request a brochure, call 323.850.2000.

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  • Contact:

    Sophie Jefferies, sjefferies@laphil.org, 213.972.3422; Lisa Bellamore, lbellamore@laphil.org, 213.972.3689; For photos: 213.972.3034