Sacred steel gospel
combo teams up with bluegrass legends and you don’t want to miss it.
By Blurt Staff
Hands down, one of the highlights of this year’s Warren
Haynes Christmas Jam was when the Lee Boys got onstage with fellow Haynes
guests the Del McCoury Band – on two separate nights (at the pre-Jam and then
the Jam proper), sacred steel met bluegrass as a stompin’ throwdown of
“Celebrate” unfolded. As a BLURT staffer put it afterwards, “The Lee Boys were absolutely, jaw-droppingly amazing at
the 2008 Warren Haynes Christmas Jam – in
particular, when they jammed with the Del McCoury Band,
it was one of those electric, pinch-me moments music lovers live for. The
looks on both bands’ faces would suggest they were just as amazed as the
audience, too.”
The Lee Boys were also
enthusiastic about an upcoming tour with the McCourys, and now details have
arrived from the Lee camp about a string of dates taking place the last week or
so of January. Read on, and trust us on this one: no matter what your
particular musical predilection, don’t miss the tour if it comes anywhere near
you.
***
THE
LEE BOYS, a “sacred
steel” sextet from Miami, and THE
TRAVELIN’ MCCOURYS, an all star off shoot of the legendary DEL MCCOURY BAND, will join together
for a half dozen tour dates in the Southeast beginning January 21st at the Georgia Theater in Athens, GA. On the tour, each band will
perform a set before joining together for a nightly jam session sure to rally
audiences to their feet! Outstanding local and regional players will also be
invited to sit in, in a tradition that has become a trademark of the McCoury
Family.
THE
LEE BOYS is a band that transcends the
boundaries set by musical genres; their music is an energetic blend of R&B, gospel, hip-hop, rock and country
driven by the pedal steel guitar. 2008 has been a monumental year for the band,
having performed at over 50 of the biggest music
festivals in the U.S., culminating with an appearance on Late Night With Conan
O’Brien on December 8th; a performance on the prestigious West
Virginia Public Radio show, Mountain Stage; and successful tours with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band,
Michelle Shocked, Susan Tedeschi,
Victor Wooten
and more.
THE TRAVELIN’ MCCOURYS consists of the band members of
the most awarded group in the history of bluegrass -The
Del McCoury Band- uniquely paired with elements of other touring bands in
configurations purposely reminiscent of the Traveling Wilburys. The Travelin’ McCourys is
comprised of Ron McCoury on mandolin, Rob
McCoury on banjo, Jason Carter on fiddle, and Alan
Bartram on bass. They will be joined on this tour with three members from Dre’s Rude
Awakening: Dre’
Anders (vocalist), Shane Theriot (guitar), and Johnny Neel (keyboards). This touring unit blends the best
of the Appalachian tradition with the improvisational magic of jazz, folk, and
blues. Unique live collaborations are the hallmark of their performances, and
demonstrate why critics and musicians across the world hail the McCourys as the
best bluegrass band in the world. There may not be a major festival where they
have not performed-from Bonnaroo to the Jazz Series at Carnegie Hall.
Tour Dates:
Wed, Jan
21
Georgia Theatre
Athens , GA
Thurs, Jan
22
Legends at Appalachian
State Boone , NC
Fri, Jan
23
Smith’s Olde
Bar
Atlanta, GA
Sat, Jan
24
Shoreline Ballroom
Hilton
Head Island , SC
Fri, Jan
30
Zydeco
Birmingham
, AL
Sat, Jan
31
Rhythm and
Brews
Chattanooga TN