Featuring:
Chris Bergson/Guitar/Vocals, Ellis Hooks/Vocals/Acoustic Guitar, Matt Clohesy/Bass
and Tony Mason/Drums
“The Only One” a new release of originals, co-written by Bergson & Hooks, features Ellis swapping Sam & Dave-like vocals with Chris—so well-paired that it’s hard to discern where one ends and the other begins. Even better is the short but tasty Steve Cropper-styled solo by Bergson.” Living Blues
“Until the arrival of Ellis Hooks on the 21st century blues and soul scenes with his now-signature meld of R&B, blues and Southern gospel, it seemed that the great stories …had already been told …Not so…Hooks is the true continuum… reminiscent of some of the greats….” – All Music Guide
“Upon first hearing guitar man Chris Bergson and his gravely southern drawl, which is a combination of Levon Helm and Gregg Allman, you can hardly believe this guy is from New York City…an artist dedicated to bringing blues and classic R&B into the future while honoring the past.” – No Depression
Chris Bergson
http://www.chrisbergson.com
Chris Bergson was inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame in February 2015. With MOJO Magazine’s #1 Blues Album of 2008, Fall Changes,#2 Blues Album of 2011, Imitate the Sun, and #3 Blues Album of 2014, Live at Jazz Standard, Chris Bergson has established himself as “one of the most inventive songwriters in modern blues music” (All Music Guide), creating his own blend of blues, roots and soul. Bergson has performed and/or shared the stage with Hubert Sumlin, Levon Helm, B.B. King, Norah Jones, John Hammond,Etta James, and Bettye LaVette, to name just a few.
Ellis Hooks
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/hooks-mn0000795951
Hooks began his singing career in the church choir, but fell under the sway of the soul, blues, and country music. At fifteen, he hitchhiked to NYC, playing the occasional club gig on Bleeker Street, and singing in Central Park. He earned enough for a one-way trip to Europe and spent time in Paris, Amsterdam, and in Milan, where he played tube stops and street corners.
“European audiences receive you; they’re open and they treat you like family. In the United States you have to fight for every audience member”.
Returning to NYC in 1995, lightning struck when meeting producer Jon Tiven, and a partnership was born – yielding no less than three fine recordings.
Hooks is the true continuum in the Southern traditions of soul, blues, and gospel; his voice is his own, and his phrasing is a trademark. Given the powerful nature of his recordings and his now-storied intensity in concert, Hooks may indeed be the artist who brings these historic traditions back into the musical dialogue and onto the charts in the 21st century.
“The Only One”: http://youtu.be/vba-76b6JRg
EPK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsiKKXrHAaE
