Brad Vickers & His Vestapolitans Great American Roots 'n' Roll

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CD Release Concert NYC, Presented by the Blues Disciples, May 2013 Margey Peters on bass and Brad Vickers on guitar at the NYC Great Day In The Morning CD release concert. Not shown: Bill Rankin, drums, Jim Davis clarinet/tenor sax, and Matt Cowan, baritone sax. Photo by Nelson Onofre. Brad Vickers on acoustic guitar at the NYC Great Day In The Morning CD release concert. Photo by Nelson Onofre. Jim Davis on clarinet and Margey Peters on fiddle at the NYC Great Day In The Morning CD release concert. Photo by Nelson Onofre.


Here we are recording "Great Day In The Morning" at Fat Rabbit Studios with producer Dave Gross. We'll be traveling to the MidWest in April with copies in hand. We look forward to seeing you! Click HERE to see our schedule!
We're thrilled to have won a "Jimi" award in the Traditional Blues category for "Dallas Blues"! (Scroll down for details on this "first published blues") Congratulations to all the nominees and winners—what great company we're in! Thanks to Blues411.com for this honor and for the great work they do promoting blues music!
BRAD VICKERS & His VESTAPOLITANS are ready to bring their music to your venue, festival, or event. Just click the "contact" tab, and let's get started! The Vestapolitans at The Blues City Deli in St. Louis. Thanks, everyone, for making our MidWest tour such a success! You need Flash player 8+ and JavaScript enabled to view this video.	BRAD VICKERS learned on the job by playing, touring, and recording with America's blues and roots masters: Pinetop Perkins, Jimmy Rogers, Hubert Sumlin, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Odetta, Sleepy LaBeef, and Roscoe Gordon—to name only a few. Now His own group, THE VESTAPOLITANS, offer a good-time mix of originals and covers spanning blues, ragtime, skiffle, and more great American roots 'n' roll music. Their four terrific CDs, "Great Day In The Morning" (2013) "Traveling Fool" (2011), "Stuck With The Blues" (2010), and "Le Blues Hot" (2008) have met with great reviews, radio play on 250+ stations, and are a hit with audiences everywhere! You need Flash player 8+ and JavaScript enabled to view this video.

Download "DALLAS BLUES" and Make a Difference! Hear our version of the first published blues — ALL Download Proceeds go to The Blues Foundation's H.A.R.T. Fund! Click HERE to Download on iTunes Click HERE to Download on CDbaby ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO, the first blues was published—though, of course, blues was born long before that! In celebration of the centennial of the first published blues, Brad Vickers & His Vestapolitans are pleased to release a digital single of Hart Wand's “Dallas Blues” to benefit The Blues Foundation’s H.A.R.T. Fund. The H.A.R.T. Fund (Handy Artists Relief Trust) provides for blues musicians and their families who are in financial need due to a broad range of health concerns including acute, chronic, and preventive medical and dental care, as well as funeral and burial expenses. ALL proceeds from downloads of this single will go to the fund. As we discovered via Samuel Charters’ book, “The Country Blues”, the first published blues was Hart Wands “Dallas Blues, published (as sheet music) in March, 1912. Lyrics were added in 1918 by Lloyd Garrett. This was not only the first published blues, with “Blues” in its title, but it was actually written in the blues form. It was a big hit (and we think it’s a great song, too!) Later that year two other “Blues”were published. The second was Arthur Seals’ “Baby Seals’ Blues” in August, and finally, W.C. Handy’s “Memphis Blues” in September. Neither of these others were written in the blues form. They followed the popular cake-walk form of the era. You can learn more about Hart Wand and Dallas Blues” in Charters’ book, and in Hart Wand's entry on Wikipedia. We love the “Hart” “H.A.R.T.” coincidence! The Vestapolitans are thrilled to have special guest, Charles Burnham on violin. (Hart Wand was a violinist!) Also playing are Brad Vickers - guitar, vocals; Margey Peters - vocals, 2nd fiddle; Jim Davis - clarinet; Matt Cowan - baritone sax; Michael Bram - mandolin; Dave Gross - upright bass; and Bill Rankin - drums. SPECIAL THANKS to Frank Roszak Promotions for their generous donation of time and services on this project.
We are pleased to play in support of The Red Cross to help those impacted by the recent storm. Please come out to hear a great line-up of NYC musicians and lend your help.
WE WON A "LUNIE"! We just got word that "Traveling Fool" was among the winners for "Best Traditional-style CD of 2011"! Thank you Clair DeLune and WUSCfm! NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION: We want to reach as many people as possible with our music this year! So regardless of whether you book us for your festival or club, come to a show, play our songs on your radio program, share a bill with us, buy a CD or a download, or just preview our music on iTunes or CDbaby, we want to reach YOU. So please leave us a message and let us know you hear us! Don't forget to sign up for our Mailing List so we can stay in touch. YEAR END ACCOLADES: Our latest release, "Traveling Fool" was included in Soundguardian.com's list of this years "Best Blues CDs of 2011". In addition we made the favorite lists over at http://blues.radio666.com (you should vote for us here! and PT's Roadhouse, which you can find at their fine blog and radio show www.ptsroadhouse.com. We're also in the mix of 2011 favorites at WNIJ Northern Public Radio www.wnij.org, and at http://www.kdvs.org. If that were not enough, are delighted to have been nominated for a Blues.411 "Jimi" award in the "Best Traditional Release category. Congratulations to the winner, Ben Prestage! Congratulations to all the nominees and winners! Congrats also to all the nominees and winners for this year's Blues Music Awards awarded by The Blues Foundation. So much great blues music was made this year! ...And, reviews keep coming in. The latest is from "Concerto" magazine in Austria. They give it 4 1/2 stars! COMING UP: Brad, along with Bobby Radcliff, will be playing with the great bluesman, Byther Smith on January 11th and 12th at Terra Blues, 149 Bleecker St. NYC. This promises to be a terrific show, and a rare opportunity to see a great blus legend. LIVE FROM CALIFORNIA: Thanks to Byrd for a great time on the air! On Saturday Nov.12th Brad was Byrd Hale's guest on the "Blues With A Feeling" show 11-12 Noon PST, on KZSU 90.1 FM, Stanford University Radio. Brad will be playing cuts from some of his all-time favorite blues and roots artists...and of course some of The VESTAPOLITANS' music. FRIDAY BLUES FIX: Brad was featured on the excellent blues blog "Friday Blues Fix" in the lead story, "Ten Questions with Brad Vickers." Don't miss the priceless anecdote about Brad's first time playing with Chuck Berry! http://fridaybluesfix.blogspot.com/2011/11/ten-questions-with-brad-vickers.html
	Brad will be reuniting with The Floyd Lee Band to play at this year's Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival August 17, 18, and 19th. What a great time to visit British Columbia!

Thanks for making our Florida tour such a blast! Be sure to catch a show near you! Click HERE for full schedule

CD Release Concert NYC, Presented by the Blues Disciples, May 2013