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WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING:
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"an intriguing new band...Indeed, the Heritage Blues Orchestra may be a blues version of what Wynton Marsalis and his Jazz at Lincoln Center cohorts regularly do—namely, apply historical research and practical experience to different traditional styles, and finally (and not easily) to create something that is at once new and timeless."
- Wall Street Journal
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"And Still I Rise, the debut album from the Heritage Blues Orchestra, whose ambitious name reflects its intention to make up-to-the-minute music that draws upon the glorious past of African-American genres. As the title suggests, the group rises to the occasion."
- NPR Music
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"And Still I Rise features mostly old blues material given a serious jolt of modernist energy, but without sacrificing any of the original character...The results are never less than infectious"
- The Independent, UK
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"This is pretty much a perfect contemporary blues album that keeps the faith with the music's heritage. The musicians are talented, the arrangements are done with imagination and great care, and the music is sublime. "
-Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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"Though it's a reality that the blues has never gone away, and there are countless qualified and experienced musicians still out there doing it for the love of the music, the Heritage Blues Orchestra is a welcome new sound bringing a sense of urgency to the blues, and And Still I Rise is an invigorating indication of renewal."
-All About Jazz
"....a crack band that manages to seamlessly blend old-style blues with modern jazz leanings to create blues that are rooted in tradition but are still uniquely relevant to today."
And Still I Rise received their Highest Rating 10.
- Blues in Britain
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"A real eye-opener, the talented trio masterfully blending contemporary and traditional blues with elements of soul, gospel, and jazz music in the creation of an original and challenging new blues sound....'And Still I Rise' provides a blast of fresh air on a sometimes staid blues scene."
-about.com
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"Joyous and fresh...an infectious, bold exploration of the blues, R&B, and Americana delivered with passion and soul."
-Toledo Blade
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"a thing of beauty that is powerful, poignant and inspiring....The Heritage Blues Orchestra is a powerful band, blending powerful elements of traditional blues, jazz and whatever else it might take to move the listener. From work songs and spirituals to soul, blues R&B, and jazz, this combo offers up a buffet of African American music that will satisfy any appetite..."
-Billtown Blues
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"As the band’s moniker suggests, the Heritage Blues Orchestra is dedicated to reviving and keeping alive the blues. Their repertoire is encyclopedic, a survey of blues styles from field hollers to spirituals, Delta blues to big-city Chicago electric blues. And they perform the songs with studied arrangements, yet also with alacrity and fervor."
-Vintage Guitar Magazine
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"Singers-guitarists Bill Sims Jr. and Junior Mack, veterans operating in New York, and Sims’ talented daughter Chaney on vocals handle field hollers, spirituals and classic blueswith down-to-earth grace..."
***1/2
-DownBeat Magazine
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"Superb"
-Paul Jones, BBC Radio
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"In the same way the Carolina Chocolate Drops have refreshed string-band and bluegrass music, HBO brings new colour to the blues...."
4****
-Sunday Daily Express, UK
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"It will take something exceptional for this to be bettered in 2012..."
5*****
- Blues 'n' Rhythm , UK
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"'And Still I Rise' is, simply, one of the best and most sophisticated takes on traditional blues I’ve heard in a long time. Perhaps the most extraordinary thing about this album is that sounds so, well, classy without losing any of the necessary rough, authentic edge of the country blues, gospel, and spirituals that gave birth to modern blues and jazz...Don’t miss this one."
- Driftwood Magazine
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"With various influences from the blues canvas, The Heritage Blues Orchestra brings a whole new dimension to country blues."
-Blues Magaine, Holland
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"The Heritage Blues Orchestra treats us to a higly enjoyable musical voyage where old material is revived with passion and delight."
-Parool Newspaper, Amsterdam
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"What's old is new again. Absolutely Scintillating."
-Elmore Magazine
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"In 12 songs, the Heritage Blues Orchestra has succeeded in transcending a whole century of blues presenting a brand-new and magical view of the Mississippi Delta and the Crescent City."
-RootsTime, Belgium
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