Tempting Fate on Alligator Records! Charts! Nominations! Feb 2022 News
Carolyn has 2 BMA nominations!
Excited to share the news that Carolyn has been nominated for 2 awards in The Blues Foundation’s 43rd Blues Music Awards!
* Song of the Year - “Fragile Peace and Certain War” written and performed by Carolyn Wonderland
* Contemporary Blues Female Artist
“It’s quite the honor to be mentioned in the same sentence as my fellow nominees! Holy cow! Checking out all the nominees is a great opportunity to support artists you love, get turned on to new music, and to practice that essential act of voting! Thank you to everyone at the Blues Foundation, Alligator Records, Dave Alvin, and Intrepid Artists!” says Carolyn.
The 43rd BMAs will be held in Memphis, TN at the Renasant Convention Center Thursday, May 5, 2022
Check out the nominees and support the foundation at www.blues.org
Carolyn, Marcia Ball, and Shelley King will be performing at The Nobelity Project’s “Feed the Peace” Awards March 6!
Carolyn is thrilled to announce that she’ll be joining Marcia Ball and Shelley King to play at The Nobelity Project’s “Feed the Peace” Awards at Austin’s Paramount Theatre March 6! The Nobelity Project does so much good in the world, from building schools and water systems in Kenya, to reforesting efforts here in central Texas. Carolyn has loved playing this event in the past with Kris Kristofferson, Lukas Nelson, Ray Benson, Terri Hendrix, Lloyd Maines, Ben Harper, and others. This year will surely be full of surprises, too! Scheduled to appear will be the reunited Lost Gonzo Band, Marcia, Shelley, and Carolyn, Folk Uke, and Bob Schneider! It will be great to see you there!
For more information on the Nobelity Project and the “Feed the Peace” awards, visit www.Nobelity.org
Carolyn joins the Greyhounds and special guests at the Austin Music Awards March 8! (Where she has two nominations, and HomeAustin.org has one, too!)
The Austin Music Awards, presented by The Society for the Preservation of Texas Music, The Austin Chronicle, and Cap Metro, will be held at Emo’s March 8! Carolyn will be joining the Greyhounds and special guests to play some music, along with performances from Money Chicha, Gina Chavez, Kiki Villamizar, Deezie Brown, Sir Woman, Little Mazarn, We Don’t Ride Llamas, and tributes to both Nanci Griffith and James Hand. Carolyn and the band are up for 2 awards
* Best Blues
*Best Guitarist
Carolyn also volunteers on the board of HomeAustin.org, and they have been nominated as * Best Music Non-Profit
doors at 7, show at 7:55, benefitting the SIMS Foundation
New video by Curtis Pollock for “Fragile Peace and Certain War”
Folks, we have a video! Carolyn had a crazy idea to make this video, and Curtis Pollock (“the Roommate”) stepped up to the plate and really brought the whole thing together! Featuring Carolyn, Kevin Lance, Naj Conklin, Shelley King as the judge, A Whitney Brown as the farmer, JC Shakespeare as the cop, and Dave Alvin as the guitar wielding lawyer, it was Curtis who turned the band’s good times into a fun adventure in video. It debuted on Ditty.tv and the band and crew hope you have half as much fun watching it as they had making it! https://youtu.be/GTh-rlPIpSY
Carolyn Wonderland’s “Tempting Fate” on Alligator Records is on the charts!
“Tempting Fate” has really taken off and in addition to such cool things as The Grateful Dead Hour featuring “Loser” (No. 1727 Oct 29, 2021) a bunch of the songs have found their way on to the charts
Here’s just a recent sampling of where “Tempting Fate” has landed a few months after it’s release:
Radio Singles Charts: "Broken Hearted Blues" (Greg Rzab/Carolyn Wonderland) has been the #2 top played song on Sirius/XM Bluesville this past 30 days.
· #2 Roots Music Report Contemporary Blues Song Chart (#1 LW) – "Texas Girl And Her Boots"
· #3 Roots Music Report Blues Song Chart (#2 LW) - "Texas Girl and Her Boots"
· #33 Roots Music Report Contemporary Blues Song Chart (re-entry) – "On My Feet Again"
Radio Album Charts:
· #1 Roots Music Report Texas Album Chart (#1 LW) – 16 consecutive weeks at #1
· #1 Living Blues December Radio Chart (#1 November; #3 Debut October) – 2 consecutive months at #1
· #1 NACC Blues Genre Chart - 3 consecutive weeks at #1
· #3 Roots Music Report Blues Album Chart (#3 LW)
· #3 Roots Music Report Contemporary Blues Album Chart (#2 LW)
· #5 Australian Blues And Roots December Airplay Chart (#4 LW)
· #39 UK's Independent Blues Broadcasters Assoc. December Top Airplay (#3 Debut Oct)
· #43 Americana Music Association Album Chart (#45 LW)
John Mayall’s ”The Sun is Shining Down”!
John Mayall’s “The Sun is Shining Down” on 40 Below Records is #4 on the Blues Charts this week, too! This is the second album Carolyn has had the honor of playing on along with Jay Davenport and Greg Rzab in The Godfather of British Blues, John Mayall’s band. Eric Corne produced this release, recording the band at Robby Krieger’s Horse Latitudes Studio in Glendale. John recently announced he is retiring from the road. The band was sounding great in December and January! Carolyn will join him for the last weekends of February and March in Southern California for what are being billed as the final shows. More information and ticket links at www.JohnMayall.com
Plus, get personal with Carolyn & her husband, the amazing A Whitney Brown in this Austin Chronicle Cover Story
Carolyn has been doing several fun interviews, and we’d love to share this love story about Carolyn and her husband, A Whitney Brown that made the cover of the Austin Chronicle for Valentine’s Day. “We had such a great time having Kevin Curtin and dear friend Todd V Wolfson over that day. We were sweetly surprised to find our smiling faces staring back at us from the newspaper rack on our way to play Dallas the next week!” -Carolyn https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2022-02-11/diggin-way-down-into-life-with-carolyn-wonderland-and-a-whitney-brown/
Recent Features: DownBeat, American Songwriter, Rock And Blues Muse, Middletown Press, Barry On The Beat, Gloucester Gazette Journal, Rochester Democrat And Chronicle, Austin American-Statesman, Chicago Blues Guide, Houston Chronicle, Lincoln Journal Star, Forbes.com, Rock And Blues Muse, American Songwriter, The Bluegrass Situation, Guitar Player, Guitar World, Premier Guitar's Rig Rundown
Recent Reviews: Living Blues, Chicago Blues Guide, Texas Music, Twangville, Chicago Blues Guide, Blues Music Magazine, The Alternate Root, Down At The Crossroads, Austin American-Statesman, AllMusic, Americana Highways, Holler, Blues Rock Review, Rock And Blues Muse, Glide Magazine, California Rocker, Tahoe OnStage, Grateful Web
Recent International Press: Il Blues, Blues Matters, Varese, Paris-Move, Web Orpheo (Spain), Roots Highway (Italy), Blue Enthused, Concert Monkey, Rootstime (Belgium), Soul Bag (France), The 13th Floor (New Zealand), The Rockin Magpie, Blues Blues (UK), Gonzo O'Kanagan, Bluestown Music (NL), Fotos Blues Rock and More,Talkin' Blues Podcast: Carolyn spoke with Mako Funasaka on the Talkin' Blues podcast about her Alligator Records debut, Tempting Fate, the path that led her to music, working with John Mayall, her gear and more. https://talkinblues.podbean.com/e/talkin-blues-podcast-episode-299-carolyn-wonderland/
Spring/ Summer 2021 News: Live Music is coming BACK!
New Music on the Horizon, Alligator Records signing, and other changes…
We are excited to report that Carolyn has been signed to Alligator Records! Carolyn has been a fan of the label all of her musical life; she loves, lives, and breathes artists from Hound Dog Taylor to Marcia Ball, and is looking forward to touring behind a new album this fall! More news coming soon! Read the press release from Alligator HERE
Carolyn has appreciated her time touring and recording with the legendary Godfather of British Blues, John Mayall, since 2018. With Carolyn’s new album on Alligator forthcoming, (and the heavy touring that will follow) John has decided to shine his light on another guitarist for the tour, adding the immense talents of Chicago’s Melvin Taylor to the guitar position for a while.
“It has been an honor to play with John Mayall these past few years. A life changing experience pushing myself to do my best to get inside all those songs, hear that beautiful voice and signature licks every night. Any day you get to hear John Mayall sing and play is a damn good day! I learned how to be a better musician and bandleader, and played more guitar than I ever had in my guitar obsessed life since joining the band in early 2018. John is so joyful and generous to play with! Thank you for everything to John Mayall, the #bestbossever“
~Carolyn Wonderland
More tour dates are being added weekly! Check out the TOUR tab and come “revel in the vibratory waves of external unity” (to quote Uncle John Turner) when you can.
We are jumping with joy
...to report that live music is making a comeback! It was life affirming and beautiful to play for our long time family at our debut return show at Houston's legendary Last Concert Cafe. Thank you so much for that! We are taking our fully vaccinated crew and are ready to hop in the van with our pockets full of songs to share. Music. Absolutely alive! The touring band this Spring/ Summer will be Carolyn, Shelley King, Kevin Lance, Naj Conklin, and our amazing tour manager, Shelley Cox. (Of course, Fat Stanley will be riding the amplifier.) We are following CDC and all local recommendations; check with the venues for social distancing, testing, and mask requirements. Please be extra kind to yourself and to all the venue staff as we are all navigating our way back as best as we can!
MAY
Wednesday, May 19, Shelley King & Carolyn duo - The House of FiFi DuBois in San Angelo, TX
JUNE
Wednesday, June 2 the band will play a free outdoor shindig at Music on Main (Prete Plaza) Round Rock, TX
Friday, June 4, the band is getting back together and will play at the Levitt Pavilion Arlington, TX
Saturday, June 5, Shelley & Carolyn duo set (maybe a special guest...) at the Dreamfest Dreamland Dripping Springs, TX
Friday, June 11, Shelley & Carolyn play McGonigel's Mucky Duck in Houston, TX
*first tour starts!*
Monday, June 21 - City Winery Nashville, TN
Thursday, June 24 - Colony Woodstock NY
Friday, June 25 - Caffe Lena Saratoga, NY
Saturday, June 26 - New York State Blues Festival Syracuse, NY
Sunday, June 27 - Abilene Bar and Lounge Rochester, NY
More Carolyn Wonderland dates are in the works! Also, be sure to check www.JohnMayall.com for summer tour dates - starting at the end of July!
and... yes, Virginia, there will be a new album out this fall! Produced by Dave Alvin and engineered by Stuart Sullivan, that's all we can tell you at the moment. Well, that and THANK YOU for your support over the years! Hope to see you on the road...
(jumping for joy photo by: DHillsPhotography)
News: New Recordings and livestream shows!
“A musical force equipped with the soulful vocals of Janis and the guitar slinging skills of Stevie Ray, Carolyn Wonderland reaches into the depths of the Texas blues tradition with the wit of a poet. She hits the stage with unmatched presence, a true legend in her time.” -Margaret Moser
We are missing the road! Music is the salve for our times. Here's some livestream shows that I hope you'll consider:
Sat, Oct 3 - 1pm CDT - Carolyn Wonderland's Farewell to One-2-One Bar FULL CONCERT PPV www.one2onebar.com
Wed, Oct 7 - *6:30pm CDT* (new time) - Concert Across America to End Gun Violence 2020 kicks off with Carolyn Wonderland, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Wynton Marsalis, John Fogerty, Melissa Etheridge, Kevin Bacon, Bobby Rush, Tank and the Bangas, Rhiannon Giddens, Billy Strings, Camden Voices, Larkin Poe, Anders Osborne, and Cyrille Aimee. There's some great auction items, too! www.concertacrossamerica.org
Sat, Oct 10 - 8pm CDT Can't Stop The Blues presents the Benefit for www.HomeAustin.org re-tooled and ready to go, featuring Marcia Ball, Jai Malano-Ayers, Omar Dykes, Eve Monsees, Shelley King, Carolyn Wonderland, Sarah Brown, Rosie Flores, and Ruthie Foster. Followed by a full set from our hero and icon, Miss Lavelle White. Livestreaming at www.cantstoptheblues.com
Friday, November 27 tune in to our blowout fundraiser for www.HomeAustin.org Here's a great article about the event: https://www.broadwayworld.com/austin/article/Austin-Based-Nonprofit-HOME-Announces-HOME-COOKIN-FOR-THE-HOLIDAYS-Virtual-Benefit-20201006
HOME Cookin’ For The Holidays is a virtual broadcast airing on the HOME Facebook page and on the KUTX YouTube Channel on Friday, November 27, from 7PM Central Time. You can watch the show in it's entirety (archived for your perusal at any time) right here: https://youtu.be/c2q30zreN7o
Our line-up includes Marcia Ball, Ray Benson, Marc Broussard, A. Whitney Brown, Sarah Brown, Gina Chavez, Charley Crockett, Jesse Dayton, Joe Ely, Mike Flanigin, Sue Foley, Ruthie Foster, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Kaz Kazanoff, Shelley King, Lisa Loeb, Jai Malano-Ayers, Raul Malo, John Mayall, Delbert McClinton, Eve Monsees, Tracy Nelson, Shinyribs, Irma Thomas, Kathy Valentine, Jimmie Vaughan, Jackie Venson, Vintage Trouble, Miss Lavelle White, Lucinda Williams, and Carolyn Wonderland. Turk Pipkin will be the emcee.
Sponsored by Juice Consulting, KUTX, Brown Distributing, and Jumper Productions.
There will be singing and cooking and cooking and singing. We will divulge secret recipes and share our takes on traditional favorites. Please join HOME in helping make the holidays shiny and bright for Austin’s treasured older musicians.
Happy Holidays and Bon Appetit!
For more information, to apply for a grant, or to make a donation, visit us at www.HomeAustin.org
You can find Carolyn playing guitar in John Mayall’s band on tour since 2018, and on his 2019 Forty Below Records release, “Nobody Told Me.” Look for a new John Mayall release in the nearest future! John, Greg Rzab, Jay Davenport, and Carolyn just wrapped up with Eric Corne in Robby Krieger’s studio in LA this past December.
Speaking of new recordings… Carolyn, Kevin Lance, and Bobby Perkins just finished tracking the next Carolyn Wonderland release in their hometown of Austin, TX at Stuart Sullivan’s Wire Recording with Dave Alvin producing! “Holy whatnot, he just said yes!” is rumored to be Carolyn’s first utterance after Dave texted he would, indeed come down and create and capture some joyously musical lightning in a bottle. We were super lucky to have Dave, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Red Young, Cindy Cashdollar, Marcia Ball, Shelley King, and Jan Flemming all lend their extreme talents in the studio and we cannot wait to share it with y’all! Look for that next spring. Fingers crossed, it will be accompanied by lots of tour dates!
