"Johnny Nicholas is one the best Bluesmen ever, Black or White."  ~ Stephen Bruton

On July 12, The Peoples Label released the latest CD by renowned Texas musician, Johnny Nicholas. While Nicholas new album may be entitled Future Blues, its roots lie in the past.  The music on Future Blues is a living, breathing (and crooning, jumping, swinging) entity, as full of life and vigor as a group of gifted Lone Star musicians can make it.

The cast of stellar players Nicholas and producer/bass player Bruce Hughes assembled for the Future Blues sessions are steel and slide guitarist Cindy Cashdollar (Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Paul Butterfield), drummer John Chipman (Band of Heathens), accordion and keyboardist Joel Guzman (Joe Ely), guitarist Scrappy Jud Newcomb (Ian McLagan, The Resentments) with some special guests such as Sam Broussard and David Greely (of Steve Rileys Mamou Playboys) and blues guitarist par excellence Jimmie Vaughan.

Johnny has toured, played and recorded with many true blues legends including:

Duke Robillard (Roomful of Blues), Fran Christina (the Fabulous Thunderbirds), Robert Lockwood Jr., Johnny Shines, Big Walter Horton, Roosevelt Sykes, Robert Pete Williams, One String Sam, Eddie Taylor, Billy Boy Arnold, Houston Stackhouse, and Boogie Woogie Red. He recorded and toured with Johnny Shines and Snooky Pryor, producing and playing guitar on their W.C. Handy Award-winning album Back to the Country.

Future Blues reunites Nicholas, Hughes, and Cashdollar after their successful collaboration with Geoff Muldaur, Stephen Bruton and Jim Kweskin on the 2008 acoustic blues Texas Sheiks project. Johnny and his touring band, which includes Hughes, Cashdollar and Newcomb will be playing dates in support of the release, including an All Star show during Jazz Fest in New Orleans with special guests Delbert McClinton and Marcia Ball.

"Johnny Nicholas is an extremely engaging innovative traditionalist.  He is constantly expanding the legacy of rhythm and blues with his music.  He's so good on piano, guitar and harmonica that it's hard to decide which is his 'first' instrument.  Johnny writes instant classics and sings them to break your heart and rock your soul." 

~ Marcia Ball