Brad Vickers & His Vestapolitans

Brad Vickers & His Vestapolitans

Biography
FLASH: Our New CD is coming in June! Produced by Dave Gross. Special Guest Bobby Racliff! It's a good'n!

EARNING HIS REPUTATION by having the good fortune to tour and record with some of America’s greatest vernacular artists as a blues bassist, Brad here plays guitar andsings. A good half of the songs are his own compositions. Most of the rest are interpretations of his favorite roots classics. Both the writing and treatment are inspired by the work of artists he loves, especially the great bluesmen Tampa Red and Jimmy Reed.

BRAD'S LONG LIST OF CREDITS includes playing and recording with rock ’n’ roll founding fathers Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley, Chicago blues legends Hubert Sumlin, Jimmy Rogers, Pinetop Perkins, Louis Meyers, Magic Slim, Luther Johnson, Lefty Diz, and James Cotton; country bluesmen Sam Carr, Frank Frost, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Lightin’ Slim, Snooky Pryor; folk blues matriarch Odetta; Texas bluesmen Johnny Copeland and Frankie Lee; rockabilly great Sleepy La Beef; R ’n’ B legend Roscoe Gordon; master drummers Charles Otis, Bernard Purdie, and Willie Smith, great modern blues artists Slam Allen, Wild Child Butler, Paul Butterfield, Robert Cray, Saron Crenshaw, Christopher Dean, Ronnie Earl, The Frost Kings, Big Daddy Kinsey, Bob Gaddy, Steve Guyger, Michael Hill, Big Jack Johnson, Floyd Lee, Junior Mack, Little Mike and the Tornadoes Band, Paul Oscher, Jerry Portnoy, Bobby Radcliff, Danny Russo, The Dean Shot Revue, Bill Sims, Jr., Somethin’ Blue, Andy Storey, Taj Mahal, Tony O. Band, Kim Wilson…and many more.

BRAD IS JOINED ON "LE BLUES HOT" BY A GREAT GROUP OF MUSICIANS. The extraordinary Jim Davis, whose saxophone credits include Paul Oscher and Hubert Sumlin, also takes the clarinet through some dazzling turns. His horns dance among genres with eloquence and aplomb. The estimable Barry Harrison, alumnus of both Johnny and Shemekia Copeland’s bands, holds the house drum chair at NYC’s famous Terra Blues club. Here he plays drums and percussion with great variety—and humor. Take note of his fills on “ ‘A’ Rag!” Rising star Dave Gross shows off his Gypsy-jazz-tinged guitar talent on “Sunny Side of the Street,” and “‘A’ Rag”—and he contributes some very solid upright bass parts! The versatile Margey Peters, long-time bassist with Big Frank & The Healers, plays electric bass, fiddle, and sings. Margey also co-wrote several of the tunes, as well one she wrote with collaborator Steve Tarshis. Brad Vickers & His Vestapolitans have some great music in store. So grab a seat, sit back, and enjoy!

Instrumentation
BRAD VICKERS - Guitar & Vocals
BRAD's distinctive delivery is culled from his extensive experience playing with American blues and roots masters.

JIM DAVIS - Clarinet & Sax.
Horn wiz JIM was conservatory trained, but learned his trade in Boston's combat zone "burlesque" houses!

MARGEY PETERS - Bass, Fiddle, & Vocals
MARGEY is the long-time bass player for Big Frank & The Healers, S. I.'s premier blues band.

ARNE ENGLUND - Piano, Guitar.
Known as a great guitarist with such acclaimed acts as Debbie Davies, ARNE is a great barrelhouse piano man!

Bill Rankin - Drums
BILL has played with many roots acts, including Big Jim Wheeler, and the great Zydeco band, Lucky 7!


Discography
"Le Blues Hot" (ManHatTone, 2008, 20 Tracks, 69:43)
is being played on over 250 radio stations!
It "charted" on Living Blues and Roots Music Report's radio play charts, and made soundguardian.com's "Best Blues CDs of 2008" list!

Brad Vickers has previously recorded with many great artists, including 2 Grammy-nominated recordings with legendary pianist Pinetop Perkins. Among those with whom he has recorded are: Roscoe Gordon, Hubert Sumlin, James Cotton, Paul Butterfield, Big Daddy Kinsey, Little Mike & The Tornadoes, Odetta, The Uptown Horns, and Floyd Lee.