As part of Copenhagen Blues Festival, Rbabarrab Beerbar on Vesterbro, are staging a 3 day
'Blues & Beer' festival. A couple of weeks before the festival, they held the ‘Chicago Beer Fest’
with 7 of Chicagos best and highest rated micro breweries.
Rbabarrab continues the success during the Copenhagen Blues Festival. Thursday, Friday
and Saturday, from 16.00 to 18.00, you can enjoy the Chicago brews to the tones of great
Chicago Blues. Start the festival days with a short solo concert at cosy, friendly Rbabarrab Ølbar.

This afternoon's performer is Nisse Thorbjorn, A.K.A. Copenhagen Slim, vocalist, guitarist and
harp player, who has toured with several US blues artists, like John Primer, Lurrie Bell and more.
He’s one of the winners of the “Danish Blues Artist of the Year” awards, and has released the
solo album "CPH Slim”, which was given 4 hearts by the Danish national newspaper Politiken.
Nisse Thorbjørn is perhaps best known with his band ‘Copenhagen Slim Band’, but is also touring
solo and as part of the ‘Robert Johnson Tribute” project.
They released the CD " Robert Johnson Was Here!" last year.

www.deltabluesband.com   www.mandipira.dk  

Nick Moss Band has just released their Alligator Records debut with "The High Cost Of Low Living".
It’s sparkling new music in the classic Chicago blues tradition, led by Moss’ brawny guitar riffs and Gruenling’s monster harp chops.
According to Alligator president Bruce Iglauer, Nick and Dennis are a natural fit for the label.
"It’s very exciting to bring artists to Alligator who are so deeply rooted in the Chicago blues tradition, but creating fresh new songs to carry that tradition forward. Nick’s a thrilling guitar player, a gritty, honest singer, and his band is tough as nails. Dennis is a blues harmonica master and a terrific showman. This is a partnership of two world-class talents in one band. These are artists that any fan of the blues has got to love."

Nick Moss is a 30-year veteran of the Chicago blues scene. He paid his dues gigging in Chicago's rough and tumble West and South side blues clubs under the tutelage of some of the city's greatest blues luminaries as Jimmy "Fast Fingers" Dawkins, Bluesman Jimmy Rogers (famous for his pioneering guitar work with Muddy Waters and for his solo hit "Walking By Myself") hired Moss to join his touring band and became his mentor. Moss’ other influences include B.B. King, Freddie King, Earl Hooker, Magic Slim and many more.

Nick Moss formed his own band in 1997 and released the first of his 12 solo albums a year later on his own independent Blue Bella label. He's received 21 Blues Music Award nominations and has earned legions of fans around the world, playing over 100 shows a year. Moss has shared stages with Buddy Guy, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Gary Clark, Jr., David Hidalgo and many others, and is an in-demand guest, always welcome to sit in with his musician friends around the world. Elmore calls him “one of the best guitarists on the scene today.”

New Jersey's Dennis Gruenling is considered among today’s best blues harmonica players. His high-energy, full-throttle playing has earned him comparisons to the late James Cotton.
As a teen, Gruenling heard the Alligator recording Harp Attack! (a summit meeting of Cotton, Junior Wells, Carey Bell and Billy Branch) and decided that blues harmonica was his life’s calling. In addition to Cotton, Gruenling was inspired by blues harp masters Little Walter and George “Harmonica” Smith as well as by saxophonists, including Lester Young and Red Prysock. A self-taught player and a natural entertainer with seven solo albums to his credit, Gruenling’s giant, fat-toned harp work, raw-boned singing and untamed energy are a perfect foil for Moss' hair-raising guitar playing and straight-from-the-shoulder blues vocals.

Over the years Nick Moss has explored different music styles, a.o. rock and roots on his double CD
"From The Root To The Fruit", but with the new CD he has returned to classic blues tradition and
the most authentic Chicago Blues imaginable.

We are proud to present one of Chicago's top guitarists, vocalists and songwriters, Nick Moss and his band at this year's Copenhagen Blues Festival.

Robert Johnson, 1911-1938, managed from 1936-37 to record 29 songs that had a major impact
on western music. Especially in blues and 1960s rock, the strong influence can be seen in the
re-interpretations of Robert Johnson's repertoire.

With Nisse Thorbjorn as a prime motivator, a group of the country's best blues musicians have
toured with Robert Johnson’s songs. They are all award winning blues musicians, a.o. "Danish
Music Award - Blues", and the Copenhagen blues Festivals award, "Danish Blues Festival of the Year".

Last year the team released a tribute album, "Robert Johnson was here!".
It is an evocative tribute to a songwriter giant and documents the spirit of the traveling tribute show.
The musicians are successful in conveying the joy of Johnson's music and how he stands as the
common denominator for all of them.

The band Many More for years was backing for legendary singer Frank
Lauridsen, who sadly died in 2016. Common to the members of the band
is the love for many kinds of music that they all master with great excess.
Especially the groove based soul/rock that grew through the 60s and 70s
(Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Steve Winwood, Earth Wind and Fire, Doobie
Brothers to name a few)

Many More’s new singer Jan Nielsen participated in DRs ‘Star for an Evening’
and sent the singing electrician from Kastrup, a walk around the stars and back.
With the unforgettable interpretation of the Percy Sledge classic ‘When a Man
Loves a Woman’ sang Jan Nielsen himself with his powerful and well-oiled voice
well into the danish TV lounges and achieved a nice 2. place in the final in 2004.
The new collaboration with the excellent singer, led to a trip to
the summer studio, where 5 newly written songs came into the world and
with them (and many others), the small orchestra has to put a number of
concerts on stage, so that many more can enjoy the fruitful collaboration
between Jan Nielsen and Many More under the slogan: "More for Many".

J. Tex is one of the best representatives in the Roots/Americana/country/folk genre
in Denmark for his guitar, banjo, violin and vocals.
J. Tex has 6 albums and many singles behind him, and there has been work both
ambitiously and purposefully in relation to continuous musical development.
J. Tex has been nominated for DMA in 2007/2015/2016. In addition to playing
approx. 70 live concerts in 2017, J. Tex has also found room for making movie
music for example. The feature film "The Errant" and an American documentary
"Food City: Feast of the Five Boroughs", premiered at Sedona Film Festival 2017.
The latest album "Ship Coming In" received great reviews in both Danish and
international media at bloggers and on music sites. J. Tex digs deep in the great
American music tradition and delivers its music with output, equilibrium and drive.

Award-winning Blues with international class - this is known as the Danish success of the Blues Overdrive.
The Band's latest move ' Overdrive Live! ' was recently voted ' Album of the Year ' at the European
Blues Awards, when prize laureates were announced under the Manchester Blues Festisval.

This is not the first time the Danish band wins this Award. Their previous gambit ' Clinch! '
From 2015 received the same glory as ' Album of the Year 2015 ' at the European Blues Awards.
with the victories, the band's latest two albums write milestones in Danish blues history.

With a Danish Music Award nomination and a nice position as Nr. 3 on Norway's largest rock magazine's Top 50 of the best albums in 2015 (in front of among others; Keith Richards, Mark Knopfler and Coldplay), the band has received airplay all over the world, been the ' album of the Week ' on several blues radios and was played extensively by Alex Nyborg Madsen on Dr's P4.

As if that wasn't enough, they also received a sea of great reviews. Among other things, Europe's leading Blues magazine Bluesnews responded with 5 stars and the words ' there is undisputed an originality and a melodic drive in this band that is easy to be consumed by. ' The American blues-heavyweight Duke Robillard (who has played with Bob Dylan and Tom Waits, among others), has also discovered the abilities of the Danish bands, and thus is also involved in Clinch! ' album.

On stage they exhibit a very high level of technicality with the two guitarists Andreas Andersen and Martin Olsen in the foreground. Their interaction is almost telepathic and is well aided by the solid backing from Texas bassist Brother Devon and the Swedish drummer Louisian Boltner. A knife edge is constantly being balanced – where both musicians and audiences have to be on their toes and where the next moment becomes unpredictable and exciting! They make the past sound like the future and show how blues music can be played in an exciting modern form with style-assured elements from Chicago Blues to Trance and mesmerizing Delta Grooves.

La Fontaine brings a special jazz blues program every year with some exciting constellations for the Blues Festival.
This year it is Kjeld Lauridsen, who stands for the Friday and Saturday concerts in the City's friendliest jazz hall.

In front is the singer Miriam Mandipira. With roots in Zimbabwe, she has in recent years been a welcome feature on the Danish jazz and blues scene. Inspired by, among others, Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin, she has sung into the ‘danish hearts’. She also gives samples of music from her beloved Africa. With Miriam Mandipira, There is a high-altitude experience with the best international stars!

Kjeld Lauritsen plays on the large Hammond organ with a rotating Leslie speaker and bas-pedals. He is known for taking advantage of the instrument for playful improvisations. Kjeld Lauritsen, for many years, had the band "The Organizers" along with American saxophonist Bob Rockwell. Since then, he has released 6 CDs in his own name in addition to a couple of Big Band albums.

Bo Møller on guitar masters the entire spectrum from raw blues over swinging jazz to rock ballads. His blues guitarist sounds like he grew up on the South Side of Chicago, but at the same time he is a complete jazz musician to master even the most complex challenges. Playing pleasure, great musicality and an ability to lift every band up are his hallmarks, and despite his young age he has already established his name as a musician of top class!

On drums, Rasmus Lund is the perfect choice for the band with his eminent and multifaceted playing. He has a long CV with experience from both, Rock Jazz and Blues, and with Rasmus on the drums, every band will get into port safely. When he's not playing with the big names on the rock scene, he's a diligent guest in the country's jazz clubs.

“Kai Strauss is simply a great guitarist whose solos are up there with the likes of
American contemporaries like Rusty Zinn, Jimmie Vaughan and Sean Costello.”
- Scott Duncan -'Blues In Britain':

Kai Strauss is best known for his 15 years as a guitarist with Memo Gonzalez & The Bluescasters,
but went a few years ago solo and formed The Kai Strauss Band. Surely one can take Kai Strauss
out of a blues band, but you can never take the Blues out of Kai Strauss, so every time he sees his
chance, he grabs the Blues guitar – just as we know him! And thanks for that.

Kai's tone, phrasing and intensity have given him a position as one of the most respected blues
guitarists in Europe, and in Kai Strauss & the Electric Allstars he also assumes the role of front man
and singer.

"When I'm both a singer and band leader, I can put together exactly the repertoire of original songs
and interpretations that I want, and I love to play my own favorite tracks of idols like Buddy Guy,
Jimmy Rogers, BB King et al., and then complement with my own numbers.
It makes it all more personal - and a lot more fun! "he says.

Kai Strauss is not raised in Texas but is from Osnabrück in Germany.
Listening to his guitar playing alone, one would be led to believe he was full-blooded Texan.
Kai Strauss is considered among many "blues guitar-afficionados "as one of Europe's most
authentic within the Texan "no bullshit style” preformed by masters like Jimmie Vaughan,
Anson Funderburgh and the early Ronnie Earl.
Freely by text from Ny V58, Aarhus