Hey Hey, it’s Markey Blue! Coming out of the gate at #1 on the Blues Debut Chart, Markey Blue’s Hey Hey is also riding high on the Roots Music Album and Singles charts. Original songs and fresh grooves, with some help from Grammy-winning Stax legend Steve Cropper and former Allman Brother Jack Pearson, have gained co-leaders Markey and Ric Latina international recognition.
Barely a year after meeting, they’re taking the Roots/Soul/Blues scene by storm. Their song “Baby I’m Cryin’” will soon debut in an independent movie, and DownBeat magazine will review the CD in its December issue.
– Markey Blue recently signed with WZTV Fox 17, a regional FOX News affiliate for tracks from “Hey Hey” to be used as Bump Music in a tri-state area.
– The Band was recently featured twice in RUST Magazine, landed the March 2014 cover story in Blackman Life and was featured in Barfield Magazine.
– The Band was nominated 2013 Best Blues Artist in the NIMA Awards.
Their unique mix of Stax, Muscle Shoals, Chess Records and a little Philly Soul with a modern touch is getting recognition, airplay and great reviews nationwide and internationally.
For example:
“What do you get when you have a great singer, a great band and great songs? A great project. Markey Blue, you have done it!”
Steve Cropper-Grammy winner and Legendary Stax Recording Artist
“I’m reviewing the new Markey Blue album in the December issue of DownBeat. Only six ‘blues’ albums out of several dozen get picked by me for the column, so I guess I really DO like your new album.”
Frank-John Hadley –DownBeat Magazine
“Throughout the disc Markey and Latina display their uncanny ability to draw on the wellspring of great soul/blues music — particularly the Memphis-based sound of the Stax and Hi Records labels and Alabama’s Muscle Shoals studios — as a source of inspiration for delivering original numbers that seem satisfyingly familiar while buoyed with wide-eyed energy and zealous performances that make them ring distinctly contemporary.”
KBA Award winning music journalist, Premier Guitar, Guitar World- Ted Drozdowski
“It’s impossible to put this band in a box, Hey Hey is smooth and very well played with immaculate arrangements. Markey Blue has hit on a vibe that works for all involved. With that ‘big band’ sound and Markey’s incredibly strong vocals, this one is sure to be a winner on more fronts than one. Call it what you will, good music is wherever you find it and, this is good music. This is extremely well played and, while quite good to be sure, would probably blow you right out of your shoes if you caught the act in a club. Enjoy!”
Bill Wilson –Billtown Blues