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Little
Joe at
Mississippi
Valley
Blues Festival
LeClaire Park
Davenport, Iowa
July 3rd |
Wall
Street Journal
America's Musical Ambassadors
The Little Joe McLerran Quartet
plays before students at a school in Muscat, Oman as
part of their 2010 Rhythm Road Tour. (Wall
Street Journal - article 06/17/2010)
TULSA WORLD:
Travelin'
Man Blues
Little Joe McLerran is bound for Persian Gulf
Published: March
28, 2010
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Little Joe McLerran quartet performs at
Ciao in Tulsa. Next for the group: Bahrain,
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman. Photo:
MICHAEL WYKE/Tulsa World
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______________
 Jan.
29, 2010 - Roots Music Report is the number one independent
music chart in the world. RMR compiles radio airplay data
from radio stations around the globe that play all forms
of roots music, so that each week you can see which independent
artists are being played the most by what stations...
Little Joe has reached
the #1 spot on the Roots
Music Report for the week of January 29th. !!!!
______________________________
Little
Joe McLerran Quartet is selected among 10 ensembles to
travel overseas...(more)
Photo by Frank
Stewart for Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Design: R J Whetstone |
...a
collective of seasoned musicians drawn from the ranks
of Tulsa’s finest, who came together specifically
for The Rhythm Road: American
Music Abroad... have been selected to represent
American Music overseas by Jazz at Lincoln in New York
and the US Department's of States Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Effairs.
In its unique approach, this ensemble presents blues and
American roots as a “Soup Recipe,” which has
been stirred, mixed, handed down, and revised by generations
of people who brought their music from all over the world
to America. Little
Joe McLerran Quartet members describe their style
as simple, supportive, inspired, and above all else, inventive.
>>>more
New
York, New York -
October
25, 2009 - Little Joe flew back
to Tulsa on Saturday, Oct. 24th from San Diego after appearing
on the week-long Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise.
With no time to rest, he was flown to New York on the
following day to perform at Jazz at Lincoln Center (2
blks off Central Park) on Sunday the 25th. This appearance
has already triggered a request to perform on the Africa
continent sometime after the first of the year. Robbie
Mack reported that four cheeseburgers, a drink, and fries
in New York can set you back $100....wow, what a busy
weekend ! [blog]; NY-American
Music Abroad
Little
Joe & Band will return to New York on Dec. 2nd
for another Big Apple appearance at Jazz at Lincoln Center's
Dizzy's Club...Unlike most historical and modern-day
jazz venues, Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola (named after
Dizzy Gillespie) soars several stories above the expansive
vista of Central Park. Tony Bennett calls Dizzy's Club
Coca-Cola "the best jazz room in the city."
[blog]
TulsaPeople.com
 Musician
Little Joe McLerran
sings the blues
Tulsa,
OK - The 25-year-old blues musician has a penchant for
the classics, but he has created a sound that is current
— and all his own.
. . >>
more
______________________________
LITTLE JOE
McLERRAN
“Believe I’ll
Make A Change”
(Root
Blues Reborn: RBR06006)
March
7, 2010 - From
Tulsa, Oklahoma, comes singer and guitarist Little Joe
McLerran – this, his fourth cd, is a very enjoyable
collection of traditional and old-time blues, some
in the Piedmont style – with him accompanied by a
fine band throughout the 13 tracks on offer.
It’s all beautifully played and will appeal to all
true blues lovers, with his pleasant, warm voice and nice
guitar work the main appeal – the rest of the players
being Dexter Payne (reeds and harmonica), Robbie Mack
(bass and vocals), Ron McRorey (drums), Jack Wolfe (keyboards),
and harmonica contributions from David Bernston and Jimmy
Junior Markham.
Standouts are his own “Cocktails For Two”, with
nice acoustic harmonica from Dexter Payne; a nice rolling
“Blues Before Sunrise” from pre-war blues legend
Leroy Carr, and nice slide work on the traditional “Jesus
Make Up My Dyin’ Bed – with the featured harmonica
this time from David Bernston.
Elsewhere Blind Willie McTell’s “B&O Blues”
is really nice, with a rollicking slide workout on Elmore
James classic, “Baby Please Set A Date”, and
his own “Sargent Sunday” is a jazzy tune with
a nice lazy feel. Highly recommended
for those who like their blues pure and from way back!
Source: BluesInTheNorthwest.com______________________________
Jazz &
Blues Review - Little
Joe McLerran understands that the mere possession of formidable
musical technique does not translate into strong blues
performances and he understands the value of restraint,
both vocally and instrumentally, in putting together strong
musical performances. He is also
familiar and respectful of the blues tradition, yet places
his own stamp on that tradition resulting in this gem
of a recording. Recommended. >more
- complete review
Source: Ron Weinstock
Jazz & Blues
Review
Jan. 2010
Issue 323
______________________________
Jim
White
Pittsburgh-PostGazette
Jan 14, 2010
"...when you find a new, young
bluesman whose music easily carries
the spirit of the blues,
it's a very pleasant and rewarding experience. Little
Joe McLerran, at 25, is one of those young bluesmen. And
his blues of choice is not one of the easiest to
master -- the Piedmont fingerpicking
style is one of the most complex and elegant.
But it's not just that McLerran
shows his mastery of that on his
new CD, "Believe I'll Make a Change" (Root
Blues Reborn). The Tulsa, Okla.-based musician captures
the essence of fine old-timey music, whether in a duo
or with the funky little band that accompanies him here
on some of the cuts. He's also manages to write
quirky songs in harmony with the classic music he favors...">>more
- review,
sample track & video
______________________________
CD
Review just in from Belgium!
Little Joe McLerran's Believe
I'll Make A Change
"The
true lovers of Piedmont Blues
should blindly buy this gem..." >>more
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Joe's
Blues News
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Top of Page
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Little
Joe's New CD
"Believe
I'll Make a Change"
-
thirteen root blues studio tracks
recorded in Tulsa
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From
Tulsa to Italy
Wednesday,
June 17, 2007 - Little Joe flies to Italy today
for his four concert appearances in and around Parma.
With a seven hour stop-over in Atlanta followed by a nine
and a half  hour
trans-Atlantic flight, he will arrive (5440 miles later)
in Milan, IT. A real Roots'n'Blues Festival in the deep
country along the PO River in Parma Province, the land
of the parmesan cheese and ham.
>>more photos from
Italy>>
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Little Joe
and Robbie Mack
in the Italian Province of Parma
-photos by Giovanni
Grilli
>>more
photos from Italy>>
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Top
of Page
Simply
the Blues Fest
Fort Madison , Iowa
May 8 & 9, 2009
BLUES
BLAST REVIEW - ..."Kicking off the main stage on
Saturday was the 2009
International Blues Challenge solo/duet winner, Little
Joe Mclerran. Joe and his bass player was so tight they
were squeaking. He gave the crowd a clear picture of why
he won!"
"Little Joe plays Piedmont
Blues, and since the death of John
Cephas [3/4/09], may be the heir to the crown of "the
best" around. For a guy that is only 24 years
old, this guy oozes with talent. Surely another artist
you want to make a point to see."
"Following Little Joe was
the 2009 International Blues Challenge Band winner, JP
Soars and the Red Hots...."
- - Review
and Photo by Blues Blast editor Bob Kieser
McLerran's Blues takes 1st
By Judy Lambert
Herald Assistant Editor
Sapulpa
Herald Online
Tues., April 21, 2009
SAPULPA
HERALD ONLINE - Bringing
life back to an "old style" of Piedmont Blues
music is one 25-year-old Sapulpan [OK] who picked up his
first guitar at the age
of 5 or 6.
To
look at Joey McLerran on the street you might think he
was your average "boy next door," and it's doubtful
you would match the music on his CD to the guy looking
you in the face.
Like
one gifted Blues guitarist, Johnny Long, did when Joey,
at the age of 10, picked up Johnny's guitar and began
to play... you would most likely have to do a double take...(complete
article)
International
Blues Challenge winner
coming to Des Moines
DES MOINES, IOWA -
After four consecutive attempts at the International Blues
Challenge, the first two times as a duo act with his dad,
bassist Robbie Mack, the third with his whole band, Little
Joe McLerran finally took home the crown, all by himself.
Little Joe's three stunning performances in Memphis against
a field of 64 solo/duo performers from all over the United
States and as far away as France, Italy and Croatia lead
to Little Joe's triumph. Following his set in the finals,
held at the Orpheum Theater on Beale Street, Joe could
only wait for the decision of the judges. It was unanimous,
Little Joe was Champ. (...the
whole story)
Top
of Page
 MAY
1, 2009 - The 7th Annual Blues Festival Guide for 2009
is being distributed around the country, additionally
a digital version is now available
online. Featured on the cover this year is the
amazing Bonnie Raitt.
Blues fans and Festival lovers
are receiving a magazine through their local blues societies,
blues festivals, blues clubs, record stores, music stores,
etc. Several mentions of Little Joe are noted in this
issue.
A limited production of only 100,000
magazines will be made available to the public, however
the "Guide" will also be available online, in
a special digital format. Given the nature of all print
media, you may see more publications utilizing digital
distribution. [2009-Online
Digital Magazine]
Tulsa
World - Jennifer Chancellor,
World Scene Writer
01/01/09
- "There ain't nothin' little about his sound -
- Little Joe McLerran is all of 25 years old and playing
Piedmont blues, music generally mastered by people 40 years
his senior. But don't let that fool you. His live show wins
over audiences all over the place, and merges ragtime, swing
and jazz into melodies that sound almost like piano rolls..."
Brookside
Blogger Speaks Up...
Litttle
Joe McLerran - Blues God
- By Lamont Cranston
 Nov.
17, 2008 - "Lest
I give Tulsa totally short shrift on the artistic achievement
scale, I really should take a moment out
to praise Little Joe. Joe is
by far the best living acoustic blues musician that I
have ever heard. He is like a collection of
78 rpm records come to life, but he is much, much more
than a nostalgia act. He plays Tulsa quite a bit, of course,
but he gets around a bit too. You can catch him in Memphis
at the International Blues Challenge Feb.5th -7th, 2009."
(link
to Brookside)
Keeping
quiet pays off for guitar picker
 TULSA
WORLD -2/18/09 - Little Joe McLerran knows what it feels
like to wake up in Memphis after not making it to the
finals of the International Blues Challenge. He's done
it three times...but
this year was different...>> more
Little
Joe's Live At Last CD is now available
at Amazon.com
Damprock
Blogger - A
recently published Blog article observation of the 2009
International Blues Challenge in Memphis, a spectacular
event made even better by witnessing Little Joe McLerran
win 1st Place in the solo/duo category that took place
at the historic Orpheum Theatre on Main St. and Beale
on Feb. 7th, 2009 .....(article
/ blog)
Blues
Festival Guide for 2009
Be
sure to obtain a copy of the upcoming publication,
Blues Festival Guide available Spring 2009.
This represents Little Joe's first shot with small advertisement
(a
gift from the Blues Foundation) in
a publication that distributes over 100,000 copies...Check
it out, it's
free! (Visit
Blues Festival Guide for details)
SPECIAL
EDITION: IBC RoundUP!
March/April
2009 BLUES NEWS
- The Blues Society of Tulsa has released a Special
Edition: IBC Roundup! - Twelve pages of news,
insight, terrific articles, interviews, book and CD reviews,
plenty of photos, and a lot more...
Contact
the Blues
Society of Tulsa to obtain your copy & membership
details
 Mar/Apr
2008
- - "...he
sounded just like an old Blues 78' record! I could notbelieve
just how chronologically perfect this guy and his resonator
sounded! This
guy is 25 years old! It was like watching Robert Johnson
or Son House in the flesh! I mean, the blues this guy
plays is too old for even the old timers! English blues
researchers will love this man, mark my words. Unbelievable!"
>>more
______________________________
The
Blues Foundation Presents the
25th Annual
International Blues
Challenge
Memphis,
Tennessee
Feb.
2009
|
Memphis
From
San Diego, CA to Cabo San Lucas, La Paz and Loreto on
Holland America's intimate ms Veendam. Currently SOLD
OUT - call 888-BLUESIN to be placed on the wait list
Elvin Bishop • Buckwheat Zydeco • Phantom
Blues Band w/ Special Guest Dave Mason • The Brooks
Family Band (Lonnie, Ronnie Baker & Wayne Baker)
• Mel Waiters • Rod Piazza & The Mighty
Flyers • Tommy Castro • Coco Montoya •
Roy Gaines • Michael Burks • Cafe R&B
• Shane Dwight • Fiona Boyes • Lionel
Young Band • Little Joe
McLerran • Piano Bar Hosts: Kenny "Blues
Boss" Wayne • Taryn Donath • Leon Blue
• Special Guests: Debbie Davies • Preston
Shannon • Jam Host Randy Oxford • Plus Surprise
Guests 