Shades Of Blue has performed and recorded for more than 30 years. Their music is soulful and authentic. With their original songs and classic blues tunes, Shades Of Blue is just one of those bands you need to experience live.
Shades Of Blue. American/Danish Shades of Blue has, since its inception, some 30 years ago, been in a class all its own on the blues-scene. The nerve and authenticity of the band is renowned as are the front-men on stage – American singer James Loveless and guitar virtuoso Uffe Steen. With effortless grace, Shades of Blue covers the full palette of the genre from powerful blues-fireworks to fragile, intense ballads.
’On A Mission from Muddy Waters’ is the telling title of Shades of Blue’s second album released in 1992. It pretty much sums up, what has always been and still is a prime motivator of the band: namely the goal of passing on- through their respectful and joyful renditions of the music- the heritage of grand masters like Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, and Sonny Boy Williamson. Respect for the roots of the blues shines through each bar played – be it covers or self-composed material from the band’s wide and varied repertoire of songs, many of which are recognized as classics in their own right by the Danish blues-audience.
Shades of Blue was formed in the late 80’s. For several years the band successfully toured in Scandinavia and Germany, until a health issue suddenly put a stop to the music in the late 90’s. Singer and dynamo of the band, James Loveless, discovered that he suffered serious heart-decease. After triple bypass surgery he basically called it quits and had no desire to return to the stage- but in 2006 the remaining band-members persuaded him to help them honor a contract, by performing a single gig as Shades of Blue. The result was stunning. Loveless and the band felt and sounded stronger than ever before. They therefore took up playing again carried on a wave of enthusiasm from delighted fans from the old days as well as a considerable number of newcomers.
The following year Shades of Blue celebrated their return to the concert scene by recording ‘Feels Like the First Time’- something as rare on the modern blues-scene as a double live-album. An effort cheered by both critics and a dedicated audience. The intensity literally is steaming from each track, as the band unfolds the stories of 22 tunes accompanied by tall tales and an audience answering back with cocky remarks, engaged laughter and spontaneous applause.
Dansk
Shades of Blue – dansk blues i særklasse
”Sublimt sammentømret, teknisk suverænt og med et musikalsk overskud af uanede højder.”
Sådan lød motivationen, da Shades of Blue ved Danish Music Awards Blues i 2018 indkasserede prisen som årets bedste livenavn.
Aarhus-bandet, der har været et flagskib på den danske bluesscene i mere end 30 år, har gennem årene givet et utal af koncerter på scener i ind- og udland og opbygget et trofast publikum, der tæller fans i alle aldre. Koncerterne er det levende bevis på, at Shades of Blue placerer sig i en kategori for sig. Som det lyder i en anmeldelse i forbindelse med Aarhus Jazz Festival:
”James Loveless synger med en ubesværet sjælfuldhed, fylde og timing, der er de færreste beskåret. Uffe Steen optræder opfindsomt og virtuost med den jazzede tilgang, der gør hans bluesspil ulig alle andres på den danske scene. Og Morten Brauner og Claus Daugaard er måske den bedste rytmesektion i dansk blues med deres klippefaste, altid veloplagte og melodiske spil og gode kontakt til solisterne.”(Bluesnews)
Shades of Blue’s helt særlige nerve og autenticitet er mere end intakt her godt tre årtier efter, at bandet spillede sin første koncert. James Loveless’ stilsikre originalnumre med iørefaldende hook-lines er et stærkt og ægte bud på en respektfuld nytolkning af bluesen. Sangene giver gruppen et ekstra dynamisk gear og frirum til at ’lege’ ved koncerterne. Udover egne numre tager Shades of Blue også bluesklassikere fra mestre som Muddy Waters og Howlin’ Wolf under kærlig behandling.
”Efter at have spillet sammen alle disse år, føler vi os stadig tændte og privilegerede, når vi går på scenen. Det er fantastisk at kunne dele hinandens selskab og sammen gøre det, vi alle brænder for: Playing the blues!”