Blues Society Teams With Producer
Harrell To Release Best Of Las Vegas Blues

BLUE LAS VEGAS
Volume One

  We are excited to announce the upcoming release of
Blue Las Vegas, Volume One, a collection of the very best Blues music made in Sin City. 

The album is available on from CD Baby and Amazon:
Various Artists – Blue Las Vegas – Amazon.com Music

The Las Vegas Blues Society partnered
with Dan Harrell, a lifelong Blues supporter and LVBS award recipient, to make this recording that features the stars of the Las Vegas Blues scene.

Harrell had this to say about the project: “The priority motive for making this album is not to make a profit, although we believe we’ve created an outstanding recording that any Blues fan will be proud to own. This album’s primary purpose is to highlight local Las Vegas Blues heroes and to put a spotlight on the Las Vegas Blues scene for those around the country and the world to know and hear. In addition, it will document a moment in time for Las Vegas Blues and permanently honor and memorialize beloved performers of the genre who are based here. During the horrible pandemic, we sadly lost a few of our biggest Las Vegas Blues icons, including the Blues Sensation Lamont “Lipz” Wilson, revered soul crooner Bobby Jonz, and some brilliant sidemen. And I got to thinking that we needed to get some of these cats’ great music on record, so their enormous talents can be celebrated by fans now, and especially years from now. And I am telling you the truth, on this album, everyone is at the top of their game.”

The jam-packed album has 10 acts, 20 songs, and nearly 80 minutes of music, featuring well-known performers like Leon Blue, Billy Ray Charles, Junior Brantley, Al Ek, and Jimmy Carpenter, as well as less nationally known but extremely gifted players and singers. They have been entertaining discerning Blues audiences for dozens of years, even decades. 

The Las Vegas Blues Society offered their prestigious name, their expertise, and their inspiration to the project. They also will help promote and sell the album via their social media, on their web site, and at their events. Harrell in turn donated the costs to pay performers, and to record and manufacture the album, and served as executive producer and project manager. LVBS president Jimmy Carpenter, a multiple award-winning singer, composer, and sax player, offered his extensive recording knowledge as creative consultant. LVBS board member Stella Ponce, the assistant producer, served as liaison to the LVBS and provided help and guidance in a variety of important ways.

The album was recorded in Las Vegas at Nonebody Studio A, with sound engineer (and always in-demand drummer) Cameron Tyler recording, mixing, and offering
additional creative consulting.
Local sound guru Mark Owen did the final mastering.

Uniquely, the album features an original painting on the cover by marvelous professional artist Cathy Hubbard. “Cathy is an amazing painter,” Harrell says. “I’m thrilled and honored that she made time for this project, then produced this exceptional work of art. I’ve wanted to own one of her paintings for years, and now I have the best of my imagination – a fantastic Hubbard painting depicting the music scene I love!” The entire package of art, graphics, type, photography, and copy was put together by multitalented graphic artist and writer
Colin Campbell, who also provided much-needed editing and creative input. Pro photographers Marilyn J. Stringer and
Paul Citone contributed some splendid artist photos.
Harrell, who has written about Blues professionally for many years, authored the liner and insert notes. Among his other pursuits, he is currently a contributing writer for
Blues Music Magazine and treasurer of the
Las Vegas Blues Society.

But of course, this album is mainly about the music. It may be some of the best Blues you’ve heard lately – from some of the best players and singers in the world, not just Las Vegas.
We hope you will check it out!

Professional media – print, broadcast, and digital – and Blues music broadcasters are encouraged to request courtesy copies of the CD by contacting Harrell at dan@writeanswer.biz
or Stella Ponce at chicablue01@gmail.com.