Back from southern Nevada where it was great to see the desert for a little pre-summer heat! Our new album is mastered and ready to shop. If you are a record company and not on our radar – drop a line if you are interested. Go ahead, convince us it’s better to release it with you than it is on our own! With a couple of stellar guest stars – Johnny Long, one of the most authentic and entertaining bluesmen alive today, as well as Chet Catallo, original guitarist for Spyro Gyra. But mostly, it’s just us. With 7 of our original tunes and a few classics, we think you will like it!

For those who are here for the first time, we are always asked to describe our music. It is tough to do, but good for us to think about!

When you see the Lionel young band, t’s a real “living history of blues/jazz” set. Not retro – completely modern and simulteneously with full respect for what came before. From hill country to hard bop, boogie woogie to Ornette… but it’s all blues.

Stay tuned here for news and … a new look for this site!

Lionel Young Band in lights!

Spring again! Finishing touches on our new recording are sounding pretty cool. A good time to review where we have been these last two years. We made friends all over the place – You can meet some of them on our  comments page on this site, and on our facebook page. Go over there and listen to the tunes up on Reverb Nation. Available for booking, yessir! And with a new CD in the shute. Just sayin..

FESTIVALS

King Biscuit                                Helena AR
Miss Valley Blues Fest             Davenport IA
Blues Sur Seine                          Paris FR
Edmonton Blues Fest               Edmonton AB CA
Beaches Jazz Fest                      Toronto ON CAN
Waterfront Blues Fest              Toronto ON CAN
Mt Tremblant Blues Fest         Tremblant QB CAN
Quebec Blues Fest                     Quebec City CAN
W C Handy Blues Fest              Henderson KY
Bessie Smith Strut                    Chattanooga TN
Winthrop Blues Fest                 Winthrop WA
Safeway Waterfront Blues        Portland OR
Bluestock                                     Hunter Mtn NY
Blues & Brews Fest                    Telluride CO
D.C. Blues Fest                           Washington D.C.
Riverbend Fest                           Chatanooga TN
Pittsburgh Bls Fest                    Pittsburgh PA
Prairie Dog Fest                         Prairie du Chien WI
Great Woods Fest                      Manitob CAN
June Jam                                      Houston DE
Chautauqua Hills Blues Fest    Sedan KS
Nothin’ But the Blues                Bloomington IL
Old So Pearl Blz&Brews           Denver CO
Hot Sprgs Fest                           Hot Sprgs, AR
Bluewater Blues Fest                Lewellen NE
Snowy Range Fest                     Laramie WY
Royal Gorge Blues Fest           Cañon City CO
Holy Cow Blues Fest                Pueblo CO
MO Blues & BarBQ                   Sedalia MO
Columbus Blues Alliance         Gahana OH
Bear Cr Blues Fest                    Slater MO
Hot Springs Blues Fest            Hot Springs AR
River City Blues Fest               Marietta OH
Bohemian Nights                     Ft Collins CO
Untapped Blues Fest               Kennewick WA
Sasquatch Brewfest                 Eugene OR
Sunbanks R&B Fest                 Grand Coulee WA
Jimmy Thackery Party           Steamboat Spgs CO
Baltimore Blues Society         Baltimore MD
Carbon Valley Festival           Dacono CO
Sweetwater Blues Fest           Rock Spgs WY
Animas R Blues Fest              Aztec NM
Charlie West Blues Fest        Charleston WV
Creek Fest                                Boulder CO
Eureka Springs Blues Fest    Eureka Springs AR
Gadstone Blues Fest              Gladstone MO
2012 West Coast Rhythm & Blues Cruise

LOCAL CONCERTS

Blues at the Bow                                 Bow Island AB CAN
SB Blues Society                                 Santa Barbara CA
Orange City Arts Council                  Orange City IA
Pearson Lake Arts Ctr                       Okoboji IA
Somers Pt Beach Concert Series      Somers Pt NJ
Lizard Cr Blues Soc                            Ft Dodge IA
City Park Jazz                                      Denver CO
Vail Jazz Series                                   Vail CO
Daly Jazz House Concert                   Missoula MT
Sherbino Theater                                Ridgeway CO
Black Hills Blues Soc                          Rapid City SD
Missoula Winery                                 Missoula MT
Wellsville Arts Ctr                              Wellsville NY
Rhythm on the Rails                           Niwot CO
WY Blues Soc                                       Casper WY
Rocky Mtn Center for Musical Arts Lafayette CO
MarketFest                                          Redding CA
Contemp Art Center                           Peoria IL
River City Blues Soc                           Pekin IL
Blues in the Park                                Decatur IL
Springfield Blues Soc                         Springfield IL
Reno Blues Soc                                   Reno NV
Oakwood Homes Concert Series    Denver CO
Omaha Blues Soc                               Omaha NE

It IS a “brave new world out there” as Lionel often sings in a song by Roosevelt Sykes. Short forays to the west coast and the midwest have given us the chance to reach some new audiences, many thanks to Piedmont Talent for the bookings (watch our “Tour” page for more dates as they come in!) We are in the studio mixing a new album, getting excited about new sounds, and bringing them to you. Contact Piedmont to bring the Lionel Young Band to a festival near you soon! (lori@piedmonttalent.com, steve@piedmonttalent.com)

Just completed our second short road trip for Piedmont Talent, this time to Bow Island, Alberta, where we played for a very warm crowd (funny how that happens in cold places!) at the Bow Theater – “Blues at the Bow” was great!  Here’s to many more expeditions for Piedmont!

Once a well-kept secret among select blues fans and Coloradoans in the know, the Lionel Young Band, formed by Lionel Young, Kim Stone, AnDré Mali, Dexter Payne and Jay Forrest, was relatively new on the North American and international blues circuit when they won the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge in 2011. That win afforded a bucketful of blues festival invitations, and their unique sound has enjoyed raves at festivals throughout the continental US and Canada for the last two years, working with Road Dawg Touring of Evergreen, CO. The band also made very successful appearances on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise and in France.

The invitation from Steve Hecht to join the Piedmont Agency is a positive step for the band, harbinger of good things to come. Currently in rehearsal for a new album to follow up their successful On Our Way To Memphis (which has garnered prominent rotation on XM radio) this ground-breaking band will soon have more to talk about than the IBC win (or Lionel’s record as the only two-time IBC champ, ever). With gratitude for everyone who has helped achieve their current success, the Lionel Young Band is looking to a bright road ahead.

Director, agent and founder of Piedmont Talent in Charlotte, North Carolina, Steve Hecht oversees a diverse roster that includes such legendary acts as: Johnny Winter, James Cotton, Guy Davis, Candye Kane, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas, Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater, Magic Slim & the Teardrops, and Sugar Blue.

Founded in 1989 and with a staff of 6, Piedmont Talent also handles: the Heritage Blues Orchestra, Davina & The Vagabonds, the Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Rosie Ledet & the Zydeco Playboys, Mike Zito, Karen Lovely, Shakura S’aida, Smoking Joe Kubek & Bnois King, Debbie Davies Band, Samantha Fish, Homemade Jamz’ Blues Band, Nora Jean, Eden Brent, Phil Wiggins & Corey Harris, Southern Hospitality, James “Super Chikan” Johnson, the Royal Southern Brotherhood, Southern Hospitality, Joe Krown Trio with Walter “Wolfman” Washington & Russell Batiste, JP Soars, Cassie Taylor and the Soul Calvary , Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets, Blues & Burlesque 2012 and others.

A relentless blues and roots advocate, Hecht is on the advisory board of The Blues Foundation, served two terms on the board of directors and has received two Keeping The Blues Alive Awards, given out annually by The Foundation.

After some great times with our friends here in the front range as well as new friends on the western slope, we are back in the van, headed for Jackson Hole, MT and Alberta! From there we go east all the way to D.C. where we have invited President Obama to sit in with us and sing a song at the Washington DC Blues Fest. A quick stop in Baltimore and we will be homeward bound again!

A great night in Ridgway at the 100 yr old Sherbino Theater… made a whole new bunch of friends! Now off to Animas R. Blues Fest in Aztec, NM and then actually home for a minute… Ah!!!

Aside from nearly devastating serial van breakdowns (followed by miraculously well timed repairs) we are having a great tour, meeting great audiences everywhere. Where does it all lead? To the next gig… see TOURS

Get in the car and start driving as far as you can, to follow our summer tour(s). Catch us if you can! See you soon…check tour dates and set your GPS!   Or you can just order the CD, or actually download on iTunes. Please note: calendar is being updated constantly so stay tuned for more dates. But first, “like” us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/lionelyoungband

For our dear friends in Colorado – please look for us:

FRI June29 at Hermans Hideaway for Hazel Miller’s B-day!        
SAT June 30 at Derby in Berthoud                                                  
SUN July 1 at City Park Jazz (Denver)                                                
FRI Aug 3 at Boulder Outlook with Johnny Long!                          
SAT Aug 4 at Carbon Valley Fest                                                      
SUN Aug 12 at Bohemian Nights/New West Fest (Ft Collins)

Go over to Cool TV and buy/download the DVD from Telluride Blues Fest last summer!