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Based out of San
Francisco, Californis Red Archibald & the Internationals
are one of a kind. First and foremost this is a great
Blues/R&B band. The band takes it a step further, touching
on a wide range of style elements that make them truly unique.
The harp/sax driven horn section, one of the trademarks
sounds of the band, is fused into many fortes: Funky
R&B/Soul, Big City Blues & Jumpin' Jive.
Their original songs and their interpretations of others,
draw from many musically geographical roots: Chicago, Detroit,
New Orleans, Mephis, Kansas City, Texas, East Coast and West
Coast. You will hear many different influences! Put all this
together with Red's infectious showmanship and high energy
show, with the great band of Eddie Valentine (Guitar), Don
Baraka (Sax), Dave Coltrara (Bass Guitar) and Scott Lamantia
(Drums), you've got Red Archibald & the Internationals.
Their debut CD on Blue-Tone Records "It Just Won'y Go Away"
is selling great and is being enthusiastically reviewed by the
critics. Look for their new CD due out in September!
Check out their calendar page for upcoming shows. This is
one of the busiest bands around...come to the show &
you'll see why! |
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Red Archibald:
Harmonica virtuoso, singer and master showman, has a unique
and exciting approach to traditional and modern day Blues and
R&B harmonica. Having drawn from a lot fo the "Masters"
influences, Red started embarking on his own styistic journey.
He has incorporated a lot of horn (trumpet-sax) players
approach to his playing. You might hear a country influence in
the middle of a New Orleans secoud line harp solo, or a Be-Bop
sax inflection on his harp in a jump tune. What ever it is, he
rtruly has a unique style.
His song writing, which is always in collaboration with the
band is as varied as his harp playing. San Francisco Blues
Festival Promoter Tom Mazzalinni says "Definitely not the same
old chiche stuff!" There is definitely a lot of soul and fire
and even some hummor etched in their songs. All of it draws
from a vast realm of experience and circumstance from his very
colorful past!
Born in the San Francisco Bay area in 1953, Red started out
his professional career in Northern California and also did a
vast amount of touring in Canada. There was a period in New
Orleans in the 1970's and a return to his Bay Area home around
1975, where he worked and performed with a lot of different
people.
Red had a two man "show" called the "Marin Red Show", (as
he was known at the time), that sounded like a full band and
was extremely successful for 5 years. At the same time he was
playing with Blues great Luther Tucker and a half a dozen
other bands too. "Late at night, after all the other musicians
gigs were over, every one would stop by the "Deluxe Club" on
the back industrial streets of Oakland and jam together until
dawn. At any given night ot would be Sonny Rhodes, JJ Malone,
Cool Papa, Luther tucker, Elvin Bishpo, Mark Hummel, Hightide
Harris, myself and a lot of others too! It was a really great
scene when I think back on it!"
In 1980 Red took off ot Europe with slide guitarist Ron
Hacker for a two month tour. After the tour, "Hack" came back
and Red stayed for 9 years! There he started "The
Internationals".
Over that period players from as many as 15 different
countries went through the ranls of that band. "We played 300
or more nights a year mostly in Germany, Holland and Belgium,
and it was happening!" At the same time Red had the
opportunity to work as a side man once in awhile for two of
the greatest piano ledgends; Mephis Slim and Champion Jack
Dupree. "That was a great gift in my musical life." In 1989
Red returned to the Bay Area with his European wife and they
had a daughter, Kenzie. He did not resume his music career
stateside, but instead battled a climbing substance abuse
problem that was bringing him to an almost certain death.
For the last many years living a clean ans sober and happy
life, Red is 101% focused on his music career again. He is
playing, singing, writing and performing to new heights with
endless engery and dedication. "All I can say is ot just keeps
getting better and better..." He is not exaggerating about
that at all!!
The debut CD "It Just Won't Go Away" on Blue-Tone Records
has received great National and International reviews and is
being played in over 15 countries. Along with partner and
guitarist Eddie Valentine, they've put together a great line
up of band members which remains today one of the "hardest
working bands from the West Coast".
The show is INCREDIBLY HOT and the MUSIC IS GREAT and the
show is a MUST SEE for blues fans.
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