Sweet Claudette: News

This year's Freedom Creek festival featured an outstanding roster of premier blues artists including headline acts Jerry Portnoy, the legendary Sam Lay, Willie King & The Liberators, Cedric Burnside and Lightenin Malcolm and Mudcat, along with Highlander, Alabama blues women Carroline Shines, Debbie Bond, Shar-Baby and Sweet Claudette, plus so many other Alabama blues talents. The festival promised to be an explosive celebration of the blues, deep in the land from which it is was born!

What a surprise to get an opportunity to perform at Lezley's CHAPS. James Anthony has the best musical talent and warm personality to have developed a vast following in the Burlington, ONT area. A great deal of the audience for this gig was followers from the earlier gig at Carrigan Arms that day. The owner and his staff were GREAT! Sweet Claudette came home with an autographed Lezley's T-Shirt and an offer to join their artist wall. Of course, we hurriedly sent the autographed photo. Nuff said. LOL

An over capacity, seam splitting, wall expanding crowd for all 3 segments at this one at Carrigan Arms, Burlington Ontario Canada. James Anthony's expanded band (James-master guitarist, bassman-Uli, Gordi on drums, master keyboardist, John & the lip man -Pete on sax) showed their natural behinds and took the music to the next level. It was done with such controlled volume and dyanamics that 'you could indeed hear a rat piss on cotton' at times. The audience was 'on their game' and boogied with us. AND of course, I got a chance to do one or 2 of my corny jokes before all was said and done.

While Sweet Claudette & Friends did not walk away as the final winners of the competition, we are extremely proud of our efforts. We gave it our all and had fun doing it. The 9 band competition was fierce and friendly. We appreciate all of the ongoing support we receive from you. You show up and hold our hands while we give you our best .... each and every time. Sweet Claudette & Friends offer our sincere congratulations to the Front Street Blues Band for their win, and a chance to compete in the International Blues Competition.

Drummer, Mickey Coleman of Sweet Claudette & Friends has organized this Tribute to Percussionist, Norman V. Tomlinson. Thanks to all of you this tribute was a huge success. Tina, may your star shine both in the secular and gospel world. God did indeed gift you with the voice to stop folk in their tracks. We're glad to have had a chance to meet you. To all of our regulars and new friends, musicians you were awesome, Sweet Claudette & Friends Band along with the Tomlinson family thank you for the wonderful turn out and warm friendship you showed. Until next time.

Jazz, blues fans enjoy concert
http://www.thetimesherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070716/NEWS01/707160308

Howard Glazer & Sweet Claudette have a fantastic article that's been ran in well over 50 international publications. Click on the link below for some of the best damn reading around.

http://top40-charts.com/news.php?nid=33130

Dates are May 25 & May 26, 2007 ... this festival is finally receiving the attention it deserves .... nationally. Willie King is a widely recognized grassroots blues artist who aint afraid to make a political blues statement. Check out this link for a major discovery.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=183668154

This festival holds my heart ... it's feels like home and the folk embrace you with open arms. Why ya'll still sitting home? Come on down it's May 25 - 26 over Memorial Day Weekend. Willie King & the Liberators, Paul Oscher, T-Model Ford and many more .... including Sweet Claudette on the 26th. See you there!

We're off to Toledo's Music Suites, 2218 Airport Hwy, on May 5, 2007 for our latest release 'LIVE & KICKIN' with 76 minutes of 'let that one play' music. We kid you not ... this is one for your backyard parties and BBQ's. Your neighbor will want to borrow it (watch 'em 'cause they probably won't want to bring it back.) This one will stay on your fav plays. Everything from Jr. Walker to BB King, to Hank Williams, Sr. to Sweet Claudette's original to Herbie Mann. Well, you get the picture. Lots of guitar and saxophone here.

We were so happy to see so many of you at our LIVE & KICKIN' CD Release Party. We had a great lively crowd for both of our shows on 4/17/07. Thanks for helping us have a fabulous party. We'll see you soon. Here are some pictures of the band and our producer taken that night by Thomas B. Richardson.

http://web.mac.com/rthomasbr1

This Press Kit is about Sweet Claudette's Detroit R&B / Blues Band

View Sweet Claudette's EPK

Labor Day weekend proved to Sweet Claudette what a 'hell-la-cious' time the cities of Tuscaloosa at Willie's Lounge for a full 4 sets of show with Ralph Luscian and his band. These guys took Sweet C home & back .... it was a wild blues ride, but worth every minute of it. The band worked to Sweet Claudette's every move. BAM!! Awesome. Then on to Birmingham's Magic City Blues Fest where Sweet C joined her Alabama sisters Ms. Debbie Bond who put this one together along with Ms. Caroline Shines (daughter of the late blues man Johnny Shines). Those folk know how to throw a party. Ms. Bond rules the roost with her foot stomping blues, Bonnie Rait style. They are working it Alabama, true blues style. Sweet Claudette is looking forward to going back there again in 2006.

Photographer David Childs captures the moments as the festival unfolds ......

http://www.ayep.net/freedomcreek05.html

This is one for the journal. Sweet Claudette is estatic about being on the same bill as Willie King & the Liberators, Eddie Kirkland, Hubert Sumlin, Mudcat and of course back with the 2005 Alabama Women of the Blues; Debbie Bond, Caroline Shines, Elnora Spencer. These ladies know how to make singing the blues exciting for the audience.
http://www.ayep.net/sweetc.html

Photographer David Childs captures more moments while the audience digs the blues ......

Sweet Claudette joins the line-up with Hubert Sumlin, Eddie Kirkland, and Willie King and the Liberators, plus local blues talent "Birmingham" George Conner, Clarence Davis, Little Lee, Taylor Moore, Jesse Daniels, Caroline Shines, Elnora Spencer, Debbie Bond and more. There will also be a special performances by the Alabama Blues Project Blues Camp kids at the Willie King's 2005 Freedom Creek Festival.

http://www.alabamablues.org/Willie%20King/FreedomCreek%202005.htm