FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Raleigh, NC - March 19th, 2008MIGHTY LESTER SIGNS DISTRIBUTION DEAL WITH BSMF RECORDS
Independently produced, award winning CD We Are Mighty Lester to be available at all Tower Records outlets in Japan
Blues powerhouse Mighty Lester announced today they have signed a distribution deal with BSMF Records for their 2006 release We Are Mighty Lester. The independently produced, award winning CD will be available at all Tower Records throughout Japan.
The winner of the International Blues Challenge Best Self Produced CD in 2007, We Are Mighty Lester garnered great reviews from Down Beat and Billboard and is regularly featured on XM Satellite Radio’s Bluesville channel.
After learning of their success at the 2007 International Blues Challenge, BSMF Records’ Masato Nishimura contacted the band and expressed his desire to distribute We Are Mighty Lester in Japan. When contacted, lead singer Todd Dewberry said, “We’re very excited for the opportunity to work with BSMF Records and look forward to a long and prosperous relationship and to bringing our music to Japan.”
Mighty Lester is an eight-piece R&B, soul, and blues band from Raleigh, NC. Formed in 2001, they have steadily built a following and earned industry acclaim with their blistering live shows. In addition to winning Best Self Produced CD, Mighty Lester took Third Place in the 2007 International Blues Challenge held in Memphis, TN, “The Birthplace of the Blues.”
Contact: Todd Dewberry
Phone: 919-417-3441
e-mail: mightylester@mightylesterband
Website: www.mightylesterband.com
For Booking:
Jo-Ann Freda, Agent
Jo-Ann Freda Promotions dba Jo-Ann Freda Agency
PO Box 1278
Orange, CT 06477
Phone: 203-298-9331
Website: www.joannfredaagency.com
1st Quarter 2008
Where the hell have we been? Good question. Taking a well-deserved break and launching a plan for world-domination. Seriously though, we have been writing new material, bringing in a few new faces and getting dates on the book from all parts of country both old and new.
Also, stay tuned for some BIG news. Can't say yet but here's a hint... The sun rises in the east...
We will be returning to Nashville this weekend (March 21 & 22) to play at Bourbon Street Boogie once again. Great club with a great vibe in Music City U.S.A! Come on our if you are in the area!
More to come soon - We promise!
July 2007
Blues N BBQ Festival & NY State Blues Festival
Had a great weekend! We kicked things off with a stop at our local haunt, the Blue Bayou Club where things were jumping all night! Always good to play the Bayou.
The next day we grabbed our rental vehicles and hit the road for Roanoke, VA where we were booked to play the the 2nd Annual Blues N BBQ Festival. We co-headlined with the superlative Mighty Sam McClain. The festival was even billed as the Mighty, Mighty Bluesfest so that was quite an honor!! Kerry and all the folks were so helpful and generous even making a special food run for us when the hospitality tent had run out of food! Very nice. We played a 60 min set chatted a bit with Mighty Sam and hit the road to shave-off half of our trip to Syracuse the next day.
Half of us stopped in Winchester, VA and the rest of us decided to put in another hour or so. Well little did we know that there 3 conventions going on and we would have drive until 4 AM to find a hotel room. We finally crashed for about 4 hours somewhere in PA and hit the road the next morning for Syracuse, NY.
Bernie Clarke - the festival director pulled out all the stops for us. He had us staying in a BEAUTIFUL hotel which we checked into right before heading down to the festival site to load-in. Man that bed looked real comfortable right about then, but work was a-calling.
We made our down to the site and had one of the easiest load-ins ever. The crew, sound techs, backline, everything at the festival was TOP-NOTCH. The food was non-stop and delicious and hanging out with all the other acts was a treat.
We got setup and got to spend a few minutes hangin' out with our friend Sean Carney (IBC 2007 champ and Albert King Guitar Winner) Sean was going to sit in for a few tunes and boy did he ever. We worked up a version of Sean's tune "Why Do You Lie" and we ripped it up. Sean and I have a great time performing together and this was no different. We then traded licks and Sean and Todd swapped vocals on the the T-Bone Walker classic "T-Bone Shuffle." Sean is welcome on any stage I am on any time.
We hung out and closed out the night hangin' out and watching all the other great acts. Buddy Guy closed out the night with one of the best performances I have seen from Buddy in years. He and the band were on fire...
We certainly hope to be asked back as it was pleasure working with such professionals...
Turning Point and Anglesea Blues Festival
What a GREAT pair of gigs. Our first stop at the legendary Turning Point in Piermont, NY was a blast. It was a weeknight but the crowd came out ready to party. We blasted through a 90 min set and had the crowd in the palm of our hands. John, the owner was a great guy and we look forward to coming back in 2008!
We took a detour through Port Jefferson, NY and had a gig at Port Jazz. Great venue but needs to realize that people will not come out to see a band at 8pm in a resort/harbor town. Get us in there at 10pm and the place would have been slammed. Maybe another time...
Saturday saw us at the Anglesea Blues Festival. After a VERY interesting check-in at the Suitcase Inn & Travel (could be a whole blog post on its own) we headed down to the festival and met Paul the festival director. What a great guy. Had us setup with food and drinks in minutes and had one of the best sound techs we have RVER worked with ready to get the ball rolling. There were about 10 to 15 THOUSAND people running through and it was the most beautiful night you could have asked for. We played a 90 min set and the crowd was THUNDEROUS! They drowned out the band!! We had never received so much applause and attention before. It was a good feeling. We took a quick break and the CD's were FLYING off the shelf. We could not swap CDs for cash fast enough. We had about a 45 min set left to do and the crowd would not let us go. We ended playing for another 90 min and then sold even more CD's. Lots of Mighty Lester fans in NJ now... Cant wait to go back...
May 2007
Mighty Lester scores a great review in DOWN BEAT MAGAZINE!
"This first album from the most explosive little big band in the East should be compulsory listening for anyone interested in first-rate blues fun. On 10 appealing old-school originals and two well-chosen obscurities out of the r&b past, Todd Dewberry struts like a bantam rooster with his shouted singing reflecting uninhibited rather than forced use of post-Cab Caolloway jive. Just as vital to the success of Mighty Lester jump-blues: Lenny Terenzi's vivid guitar, three thundering horns, and a rugged rhythm section." BIG Thanks to FJ Hadley for the kind words!
May saw our first visit to Sweet Caroline's in Winchester, VA. Gotta love a venue that knows how to take of a band. We were well fed and taken care of by a great staff and we had a nice big stage with a killer sound system to play the night away through. We will back on July 7 for the Winchester Blues House Festival - Can't wait!
May 25 & 26 saw us at the LEGENDARY Slippery Noodle Inn in Indianapolis, IN for thier annual Indy 500 weekend tent party. Again, talk about a place that knows how to take care of a band. Well fed, and well taken care of for two nights. We headlined the Budweiser Tent on Friday night and opened for the 10,00 Maniacs on Saturday. I think we played well enough to put them on guard. ;)
BIG SHOUT OUT to Kevin Anker for filling in on keys while Jon tended to some family business. He brought his A-game and if you ever need a man on keys you gotta give him a call. http://www.kevinanker.net
Also want to thank Lester alumni Eric Weaver for filling in on drums for us this weekend. It's nice to know that we can be down two men on a gig and still bring an A+ show.
April 2007
Once again April saw us getting outside our home turf. We got to kick it off with the SOLD OUT PACKED show at our local digs the Blue Bayou Club. We then took off for our three trek to Florida and back.
Thursday saw us at Montego Bay on Hilton Head Island. The crowd stayed on thier feet and filled the the dance floor for most of the night.
Friday we went down to Tallahassee Florida to play at the LEGENDARY Bradfordville Blues Club. The history of this place is astounding. One of the first Negro League Baseball teams practiced in the field outside and it has been a blues club/juke join since the 50's with folks like BB King and Ray Charles playing after hour parties. There were FANTASTIC hand painted folk art table tops of some of the legends who have played there adoring the walls and tables. We PACKED the place. We have rarely received such a strong and vocal reaction. The dance floor was filled and we sold TONS of merch. We cannot wait to head back!
Saturday saw at the Sebastian Beach Inn in Melbourne Beach, FL. Huge stage, good food, great view and the best soundman - Dave! Raucous crowd kept the energy level high and the dance floor filled the whole night.
Spring 2007
Man have we been busy! We have taken the gospel of Mighty Lester to Memphis TN; New Orleans, LA; Charleston, SC; Williamsburg, VA; Charlotte, NC; and back home to a SOLD-OUT, SLAM-PACKED show at the Blue Bayou Club in Hillsborough, NC. We are booking dates at some the of the premier venues and festivals all over the MidWest and Eastern Seaboard (check our schedule for more detail) and we have begun work on new original material for the NEXT CD! If you make it to any of our upcoming shows you can hear a few of these new songs.
MIGHTY LESTER TAKES IT TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND AND FLORIDA!
This week we have a nice little weekend planned. First we are taking it to Montego Bay, the hottest spot in Hilton Head, SC and then we are off to Tallahassee, FL to play at the LEGENDARY Bradfordville Blues Club. Everyone who is anyone has played there and we are proud to add our name to the list! After that we head over to Melbourne Beach, FL to lay it out at the Sebastian Beach Inn. Our good friend the Blewzzman should be inattendance so it will be good to see him again.
If you are in the area come on out and show your support for LIVE music and LIVE music venues!
February 2007
Mighty Lester placed 3rd out of a total of 100 bands (57 solo/duo) in the prestigious International Blues Challenge competition held in Memphis Feb. 1-3, 2007. Photos on the way soon!
In addition winning the best band award, Mighty Lester also took top honors in the 2007 Best Self Produced CD Competition! We are still speechless...
To read the full account of our trip check out our MySpace blog.
To learn more about the competition, visit the IBC site by clicking here.
January 7, 2007
Mighty Lester hits NEW ORLEANS for a Star-studded PARTY! We are very excited to help host a PARTY for the 1 year anniversary of the New Orleans Musicians Clinic (NOMC) helping NOLA musicians get back on their feet with FREE healthcare after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. We are proud to be part of this event and do what we can. It may be over a year later but the scars and pain are still there.
The event will be at the RockNBowl at 4133 S Carrollton in New Orleans from 8:30p.m. until it shuts down! We will be sharing the stage with Susan Cowsill and her Band and The Soul Rebel Brass Band. It gets better! sitting in with Mighty Lester will be Cranston Clements on guitar! Cranston's work can be heard with Maria Muldaur, Dr. John and MANY others. The event cost is only $5.00 with ALL proceeds going to the NOMC. The famed Antoinette K-Doe will be selling her famous red beans and rice for only $2.50 a plate with the proceeds going to the NOMC.
Download the JPG flyer | 
Download the PDF Press Release
January 3, 2007
Mighty Lester is a FINALIST in the Blues Foundations 2007 Best Self-Produced CD Contest! We are very excited. with almost 50 entrants we made the first cut down to 10. That was exciting enough but to see that we made it to the FINAL 5 is an honor. When you listen to the other artists you will see why. This is from the Blues Foundation web site:
Five CDs Remain in Best Self-Produced CD Contest
The final round of judging in the Best Self Produced CD is just around the corner. Round three was a real challenge for the judges. They reported a difficult time in choosing from the remaining entries. The following acts will be judged at the International Blues Challenge February 1-3, 2007 and the winner will be announced at Band finals in the Orpheum Theater.
1.Mainly Blue ---Charles Pasi (Blues sur Siene – France)
2.Headed South – Blue Stew & Friends (Santa Barbara Blues Society)
3.We Are Mighty Lester – Mighty Lester (Triangle Blues Society)
4. If I Was a Fish – Matt Woods (Central Iowa Blues Society)
5. Rain of Days – Joe McMurrian (Cascade Blues Association)
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Sorry for the delay but the holidays invaded in a big way and I just needed some time off.
December 2006 saw two great shows for Mighty Lester. We had a gig at the Pour House Music Hall on Dec 14 and what a gig it was. We had our buddies Edsel 500 open the show and they BURNED it up. I have never heard F.J. sing so well and with the recent addition of Make Drake on guitar they on FIRE. Lester took the stage and played for over 2 hours straight and never sounded better thanks to Jac Cain running the show. Truly one of the best in the area that's for sure. Look for a return engagement sometime in early 2007.
Our New Years Eve gig at the Blue Bayou Club was one for the books. A PACKED (and I mean PACKED) house from the beginning of the night well past midnight ensured that we tore it down, built it back up and tore it down again. We made so many new friends that we look forward to seeing again at future shows.
The rest of January will see us getting ready for the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. It's quite an event with over 150 blues acts competing over three nights, so if you are in the area please come out, say "hi" and show your support!