LZ Love & Lightning Red

Professional recording artists each fronting their own international touring bands who often perform together as an acoustic duo. Their recently recorded, acclaimed live album is entitled - GUT BUCKET BLUES stumpdown acoustic

LZ LOVE: www.lz-love.com
One of the Great Soul Voices of our time...
MESMERIZING
- Southland Blues, Longbeach, CA

…an AMAZING VOICE.
She sings from the bottom of her soul
- Hillary Clinton

Born in Chicago, back to Louisiana at age 3, then raised in Berkeley CA

As so many great American singers have, LZ began singing gospel in a southern church…
at age five. Having sung and toured with a long list of icons including Mary Wells, Joan Armatrading, Billy Preston (the 5th Beatle), Parliament Funkadelic, Luther Vandross and Stephen Marley, her credentials are impressive.

A favorite of Tommy Castro and Michael Fronti, her voice appears on their releases, as does theirs on hers. LZ Love’s s solo career began in 1995 when her song Lift Me Up reached number two on the European dance charts. When residing in London, LZ’s dance-music career was interrupted by the severe illness of her mother. After caring for her dying mother in California, her career took yet another path.

In 2001 she co-wrote ‘ONE’, her first album, and the song Been Lonely became a favorite on the San Francisco scene and was released on ‘San Francisco Bay’s Best Blues’ by Epitaph Records. In addition to singing in the Broadway production of ‘The Lion King’ in San Francisco, 2003 saw the release of the acclaimed CD ‘Standing Wide-legged & Proud’.

Relocating to Austin, Texas with her song-writing partner and their lead guitarist, LZ continues to release dance-singles in Europe, albums in the US, and lend her amazing vocal abilities to other projects. 2006 saw her doing supporting vocals on Lightning Red’s first acoustic release, and their 2006 duo recording has led to label interest and future tours.

Since establishing herself in Texas with considerable press and memorable performances fronting her band in concert, opportunities are developing in Los Angeles and Europe, where she plans to spend much of 2007. LZ Love is poised for great things. Her future is bright.


Discography:
2007 Gut Bucket Blues stumpdown acoustic – LZ Love & Lightning Red (GR-105)
2006 My Higher Ground guest artists: Michael Franti, Tommy Castro
2006 Yell Fire! (new album by Michael Fronti & Spearhead) guest vocalist: LZ Love
2005 Anytime – dance single (Swing City, UK)
2005 Singing Gospel In Austin guest artists: Lightning Red, Charlie Prichard
2003 Standing Wide-Legged And Proud guest artist: Irina Mikhailova
2003 Everyone Deserves Music (Michael Fronti & Spearhead) guest vocalist: LZ Love
2002 San Francisco Bay’s Best Blues Epitaph Records (compilation CD) with the song Been Lonely (artists include Angela Strehli, Chris Cain, Sugarpie Desanto)
2001 ONE - guest artist: Tommy Castro
1998 It’s Your Love – dance single (Phuture Trax, UK)
1996 See The Light – #3 dance single (Slip n’ Slide, UK – with Derrick Carter)
1995 In The Middle – dance single (Freshly Squeezed, UK)
1995 Lift Me Up – #2 dance single (Freshly Squeezed, UK)


LIGHTNING RED: www.lightningred.com
Passionate guitar and creative songwriting
…scintillating guitar riffs. Exceptional slide,
burning hot guitar and Texas style blues
- Blues On Stage www.mnblues.com

Demonstrated his guitar mastery with a series of scintillating solos. A superb guitarist and a talented songwriter. An excellent evening's entertainment
- Blueprint Magazine Lionel Ross (UK)

Born in northern Illinois (near Chicago), lived and ‘musically educated’ in Chicago
Relocated to Austin, Texas mid-seventies.

As a 3 year old, he'd sit directly in front of the saxophone sections of Count Basie, Jimmy Dorsey, Duke Ellington and all the other Big Bands playing the military base circuit. This was during the time his father was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. His mother says, “While the other kids would run outside to play, he'd plop right down on the floor and sit there all night. We could never get him to move.”

Before finishing grade school, Red became a bandleader. “When I heard Elvis doing 'Houndog' and 'Blue Suede Shoes', I was hooked on the Blues.” After befriending Luther Allison and soaking up the sounds of Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Mike Bloomfield, B.B. and Albert King in and around Chicago, Lightning Red began touring the Midwest and Canada. Upon turning 20, the Lightning Red Blues Band was formed. He’s never looked back...never considered playing any other type of music.

In 1976 Austin, Texas became his home and touring base. While Red was performing at the original Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin during the latter 70’s, Omar and the Howlers, W.C.Clark and "little" Charlie Sexton were brought onstage and introduced their music to the community. Living in Austin, Lightning Red soaked in the music of an unknown band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds (Jimmie Vaughan, Kim Wilson) at the original Antone's and met a struggling "Little" Stevie Ray Vaughan.

On Stage With:
v Willie Nelson
v Marsha Ball
v W.C.Clark
v Omar & The Howlers
v Luther Allison
v Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges
v LZ Love
v Charlie Prichard
v Kenny Acosta
v Detroit Blues Band
v Big Bob Robinson (original Ink Spots)
v Joe “Guitar” Hughes
v Milton Hopkins (BB King’s bandleader for 12 years)
v Gwyn Ashton
v Steve Tallis

Opened For:
· Bob Seger
· Dr. John
· Head East
· Pinetop Perkins
· Sam Lay
· Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges
· Marsha Ball
· Mitch Ryder,
· MC5
· Bugs Henderson
· Dallas Hodge (Canned Heat)
· Koko Taylor
· Aubry Dunham
· Grady Gaines (Little Richard)
· Omar & The Howlers
· “Mean” Gene Kelton

Presently:
2006 ‘a long way home’ Red’s first all-acoustic CD is getting rave reviews:

Lightning Red's smoky slide blues come well-seasoned by his lengthy tenure as a guitarist and harp player. His new CD, A Long Way Home, spotlights his lo-fi Chicago- and Delta-influenced blues compositions with matchless acoustic style, and nods to Willie Dixon and Jimmy Reed.
- Austin Chronicle 2006

Having toured Scandinavia and Great Britain repeatedly, with two consecutive appearances at The Great R&B Festival in Colne, England, Lightning Red was recently interviewed on Radio New Zealand [national broadcast]. This and a number of other Australasia interviews featured cuts from his previous CD release ‘Tortured Mind’.
Special Guest performer at the Whangarei Jazz and Blues Festival, Red’s fall 2005 concert appearances included Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch, New Zealand as well as Sydney and Perth, Australia.

Discography:
'Gut Bucket Blues stumpdown acoustic' (2007) LZ Love & Lightning Red GR-105
‘a long way home’ (2006) LIGHTNING RED Groovemaster Records GR-104
‘Singing Gospel In Austin’ LZPHOENIX, featuring LZ Love (lz-love.com) 2005
‘Tortured Mind’ LIGHTNING RED & Thunder Blues, Angelwing Records AW-2102
‘Texas Thunder Blues’ LIGHTNING RED Heroic Records HR-103
‘Red’s Blues’ LIGHTNING RED Heroic Records HR-102
‘East St. Louis’ LIGHTNING RED dbRecords d45-1002A
‘Walkin’ Thru The Park’ LIGHTNING RED dbRecords d45-1002B (© M.Morganfield)
‘Melting Your Mind’ ICE (w/ LIGHTNING RED on guitar) Bonny Records 1211-L