Ruth Brown
They called Atlantic Records "the house that Ruth built" during the 1950s, and they weren't referring to the Sultan of Swat. Ruth Brown's regal decade of hit-making helped tremendously to establish the New York label’s predominance in the R&B field.
Ruth Brown is a rhythm-and-blues diva who is finally enjoying her moment in the spotlight. After 53 years, Ruth is getting the recognition she deserves as one of the first rhythm-and-blues singers.
While many R&B veterans cultivate a softer-edge, Ruth remains a shouter to the bone. Her deep, raw voice has the force and texture of a trombone blared to the rafters. Ruth signed with Atlantic Records in 1948 and delivered a string of hits across an 11-year span.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Ruth fell out of the limelight and worked many different jobs to survive. But her career enjoyed a renaissance starting in the early ’80s and it has seen her starring on Broadway in “Black & Blue,” winning a Tony award and her first Grammy award. In 1993, Ruth was inducted into the Rock-and-Roll Hall of Fame. Seeing Ruth Brown perform is an unforgettable experience.
 Roomful of Blues
USA Today says Roomful of Blues plays "marvelous wall-to-wall grooves" between the wicked guitar work and the brassy horn section, things never stop swinging." With their masterful combination of jumping, hard-edged blues and R&B, it's no wonder why the great Count Basie called them "the hottest blues band I've ever heard." DownBeat said the band is "in a class by itself." Without a doubt, Roomful of Blues is all this and more. Since 1967, the band's deeply rooted, horn-driven blend of swing, rock-n-roll, jump, blues and soul has earned it five Grammy Award nominations and a slew of other accolades, including four W.C. Handy Blues Awards.
The band has always boasted great musicianship featuring a stellar horn section, winning two W.C. Handy Blues Awards in 2004: Instrumentalist of the Year-Horns, and the coveted Blues Band of the Year. With an almost non-stop performance schedule for the last 36 years, Roomful of Blues has earned critical, popular and radio success and a legion of fans around the globe. Twice, the prestigious DownBeat International Critics Poll selected Roomful of Blues as Best Blues Band. With their non-stop touring schedule, long-time fans and new converts alike can see for themselves why The San Francisco Examiner called them "the hottest, most solid and wonderfully entertaining band around."
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