Lightnin' Wells Press Kit

Lightnin' Wells produced the first commercial recordings of the N.C. blues veterans Big Boy Henry, Algia Mae Hinton and George Higgs. He has traveled and performed extensively with these musicians and has documented their backgrounds and musical histories for future generations. He is also a life-long student and devotee of the pioneering performers in the piedmont blues tradition which once thrived in the Carolinas, including such artists as Blind Boy Fuller, Rev. Gary Davis and Elizabeth Cotton; deceased musicians whose influence seems only to grow with time.

His first solo recording Bull Frog Blues established his blues credentials while his sophomore effort Ragtime Millionaire strengthened his association with the Carolina-piedmont styles of blues. His most recent release Ragged But Right stretches out to explore more facets of American folk music including old-time, country, jazz, ragtime and early popular music as well as piedmont style blues selections.

Lightnin' remains an insatiable student and researcher, studying the various forms of American roots music from bygone eras. He plays a number of instruments besides the guitar including the harmonica, ukulele, mandolin and banjo. He has taught blues guitar at most of the leading "Blues Weeks" sponsored by universities and teaching organizations throughout the country. He served for ten years as a board member for the Music Maker Relief Foundation which assists elderly blues and old-time musicians to meet their basic needs and continues to serve this organization in an advisory capacity. He is presently included in the North Carolina Arts Council's Touring Artist Roster for 2005-2007 as well as the American Traditions National Roster through the Southern Arts Federation.

With his experience, knowledge and well-honed performance skills, Lightnin' Wells has established himself at the forefront of the traditional blues revival. His musical style is personal and energetic yet remains true to the original root form. His goal is to entertain and educate using a variety of sources, influences and techniques to express his dedication, respect and pleasure in presenting this unique American art form. Wrote one recent reviewer; "Whether you look for to performers for inspiration, education, virtuosity, or sheer entertainment, Lightnin' Wells delivers all the above, every single time".

For Further Information Contact: Lightnin' Wells Acoustic Folk Blues Fountain, NC email mlightninw@aol.com http://lightninwells.com

Click photo for hi-res jpeg.

Blues Al Femmenile for Centro Jazz Torino, Turin, Piedmont Region, Italy, 1998

Blues To Bop Festival, Lugano, Switzerland, 1998

Bull Durham Blues Festival, Durham, NC. 1987, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2000

Cape Fear Blues Festival, Wilmington, NC. 2003, 2004, 2005

Centrum's Country Blues & Heritage Festival, Port Townsend, WA. 1993, 1995, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2005

Charleston Blues Festival, Charleston, SC. 1992

Charlotte Folk Frolic, Charlotte, NC. 2002

Charlotte Folk Society, Charlotte, NC. 2002

Chicago Blues Festival, Chicago, Ill., 2000

City Stage, Greensboro, NC. 1999

Clearwater Festival, Beacon, NY, 1994

Dusty Strings Piedmont Blues and Ukulele Workshop, Seattle, WA. 2003

Eisenhower Hall Concert, West Point Academy, West Point, NY. 1981

Festival for the Eno, Durham, NC. 1981-2005

Gaston County Public Library, Gastonia, NC. 2003, 2005

Gathering of the Vibes, Mariaville, NY. 2002

Guilford College Folk Roots Concert, Greensboro, NC. 1999

High Point Theater, High Point, NC. 2001

Kent State Folk Festival, Kent, OH. 1988

Kerrville Folk Festival-Kerrville Blues Project, Kerrville, TX, 1993

Labadoux Festival, Inglemunster, Belgium, 1996

Lincoln Center Gospel & Blues Festival, NY. 1988

Merlefest, North Wilkesboro, NC. 2003, 2004

Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, Davenport, Iowa 2001

Moulin Blues Festival, Ospel, Holland, 1996

Music in the Park, Thomasville, NC 1999, 2000

Nancy's Farm, Bellingham, WA. 2003, 2004

Paramount Theater for the Arts, Bristol, Tenn. 2002

Penn's Landing Concert, Philadelphia, PA. 1984

Pepsi Heritage Festival, New Bern, NC. 1999

Pinewoods Camp, American Music and Dance Week, Plymouth, Mass. 2000

Poconos Blues Festival, Jim Thorpe, Penn. 2001

Portsmouth Blues Festival, Portsmouth, NH. 2002, 2003

Shakori Hills Grass Roots Festival, Silk Hope, NC. 2003-2005

Showcase-American Traditions/ Southern Arts Exchange, Tampa, FL. 1999

Six String Cafe, Cary, NC. 2004

Summit Festival, Mariaville, NY 2001

Sunday in the Park, Beaufort, SC. 2002

Sundays in the Park, Wake Forest, NC 2000, 2001

Swannanoah Gathering Blues Week, Warren Wilson College, Asheville, NC, 1994, 1995

Telfair Museum, Savannah, GA 2001

The Club, Roanoke, VA. 2003

Public House, Port Townsend, WA. 2003

University of Tennessee, Chatttanooga, TN. 2002

Wheatland Festival, Remus MI. 1990

Blues In The Schools, Ottawa, Canada, two-week residency, 2003

Boys/Girls Club, Lexington, N.C. day event, 1999

Chocowinity Middle School, Chocowinity, N.C. day event 2003

Duke Middle School, Durham, N.C. day event 1999

Grant Street Elementary School, Port Townsend, WA. Day event 2003

N.C. Assoc. For The Advancement Of Teachers, Pinehurst, N.C. two day retreat 1999

N.C. Museum Of History, Raleigh, N.C. day event 2004

Quincy Art School, Durham, N.C. day event 1999

Surrey County Public Schools, Mt. Airy, N.C. two-day event 2004

Third Street School, Greenville, N.C. day event 2004

Washougal High School, Washougal, Washington, one-week residency 2004

Ragtime Millionaire (New Moon 9820) 1998

Ragged But Right (Music Maker 26) 2002

Featured On Kent Cooper The Blues And Other Songs (Labor 7036-2) 2002

Featured On Kent Cooper The Blues And Other Songs Vol. 2 (Labor 7004) 2004

Featured On Shoo Fly; An Audio Magazine For Children (Vols. 2, 3, 4) 1995

Featured On The American Fogies Vol. 2 compilation of recent American folk music (Rounder 0389) 1996

Big Boy Henry, Mr. Ball's Warehouse, EP (Audio Arts, 1985) #9 WC Handy Award, Best Blues Single

Vintage Soundtrack, Pitch A Boogie Woogie, EP (Lord-Warner Pictures, Greenville, N.C. 1947) and (Audio Arts, 1986)

Algia Mae Hinton, Piedmont Blues Traditions, EP (Audio Arts, 1986)

Big Boy Henry, Strut His Stuff, LP (Swing Master 2117, The Netherlands, 1988) produced one album side and performed on four cuts

Big Boy Henry, Poor Man's Blues, (New Moon 9508) 1995, Co-produced and performed on release

Algia Mae Hinton, Honey Babe; Blues, Folk Tunes and Gospel From North Carolina (Hin-Tone 82929) 1996

Big Boy Henry, Beaufort Blues (Music Maker 27) 2002 Co-produced and performed on release

Performed musical score for Quilters, East Carolina University Summer Theater, 1993

Music for Dark Of The Moon, East Carolina University, 1996

Touring Artist Roster, North Carolina Arts Council, 2005-2007

United Arts Council Wake County, N.C. Community Outreach Program and Public School Program 2005-2007

Tar Heel Tunes; North Carolina Recording And Record Production, North Carolina Literary Review, East Carolina University, 2000

Music Makers - Portraits And Songs From The Roots Of America edited by Timothy Duffy Hill Street Press Athens, Ga. 2002 (Wrote chapters on Algia Mae Hinton and George Higgs)

"He seems to have an endless supply of words in his head to sing. He puts these elements together with confidence and flair. Wells does full justice to the expressive traditions he carries on". -- Bill Newton, Durham Morning Herald

"He proved to all that Big Boy Henry's assessment of him is correct: that is the best white boy in the business doing this type of music. Lightnin' does it from the heart". -- Ogi Overman, Piedmont Blues Preservation Society Newsletter

"A veritable bottomless pit of songs and techniques. Wells should be declared a state resource, placed on the endangered species list, and given his own habitat to practice his craft." -- Bob Burtman, Spectator Magazine

'"Fine, Hard Blues!" -- Anthony Alder, Chicago Reader

"Lightnin' plays a wider variety of blues and boogie in one evening than most radio stations cover in an entire series" -- Rebecca Newton, Triax Magazine

"Whether you look to performers for inspiration, education, virtuosity, or sheer entertainment, Lightnin' Wells delivers all of the above, every single time." -- Cliff Nelson, R.A. Fountain General Store

"Lightnin' Wells has put out a really strong C.D. here, with an unusually varied program of songs and tunes from a variety of genres. It is really a pleasure to hear a C.D. that could only have been done by the person who made it. Congratulations are due to Lightnin' Wells for a great job and an excellent C.D." -- John M. Miller, The Old-Time Herald

"Happy-Go-Lucky piedmont blues at its best. There's something so honest about this style, it's hard not to enjoy. Whether your tastes run from acoustic blues, to country, to Americana and roots to folk. 'Ragged But Right" is a sure pleaser." -- Karen Karsten, Sound Waves Magazine "Regardless of the song, and whether he's playing the banjo-uke, harmonica or his more familiar guitar, Wells sounds utterly at ease with his music and conveys his enthusiasm to the listener." -- Jim DeKoster, Living Blues

"Wells is doing the blues community a great service by keeping songs like these alive. If you're a fan of acoustic blues you will absolutely love this recording." -- Bill Harriman, Sound Waves

"With his second album, Lightnin' Wells can clearly lay claim to the title 'King Of The Piedmont Bluesmen.' This C.D. is highly recommended." -- Elliott Crews, Up and Coming Magazine

"With consummate talent, clean recording and one of the best rounded collections of Piedmont blues around, this recording should be winning awards." -- Bruce E. Baker, Dirty Linen Magazine

"A fine display of acoustic blues and vocals from a style that deserves more attention. An important recording." -- The Critical Review

"A performer who exemplifies the best in Piedmont style, Lightnin' Wells' approach is so casual you fail to notice his perfection and complexity." -- Michael Raab, The Beat

"Piedmont blues at its finest. Wells fingerpicks and sings like he's channeling the spirit of Blind Boy Fuller." -- Magnet

"This acoustic guitarist, who may be the premier Piedmont blues musician today, solos on Ragtime Millionaire. Simple and clean, touched by the blues, yet tinged with happiness." -- Annette Thompson, Southern Living

"This C.D. is a colorful collection of old acoustic tunes and one of the best acoustic blues recordings I've ever heard. His love of this music is evident on every song on the disc". -- Bill Harriman, Sound Waves Magazine, Mystic, Conn.

" All of the tunes demonstrate the subtlety of a very knowledgeable and talented musician �. Best listened to on a Saturday afternoon on the back porch with iced tea or other whistle wetters." -- Doug Cox, Music City Newsletter, Tenn.

"Blues and rags of the 20s and 30s done by a modern, down-home Piedmont interpreter who can really pick." -- Blues Access, Boulder, Col.