Howard and the White Boys to perform June 10 at Pride of the Fox
"Chicago's Hardest-Working Blues Band - For Over Two Decades!," Howard and the White Boys continue to perform through out the U.S. while getting ready to record the follow up to their critically-acclaimed CD, "Made in Chicago" (Evidence Records).
Catch Howard & The White Boys live when they perform at the 29th annual Pride of the Fox Riverfest at 8 p.m. Friday, June 10. Free. Info: (630) 444-7460.
Getting some much-overdue acclaim, the band were nominated in a whopping six categories - "Best Blues Group or Artist;" "Male Vocalist of the Year" (Howard McCullum); "Guitarist of the Year" (Rocco Calipari, Pete Galanis); "Bassist of the Year" (Howard McCullum); and "Drummer of the Year" (Jim "Bucka" Christopulos) for the fifth annual South Bay (Los Angeles) Music Awards. Vocalist Howard McCullum won "2009 Male Vocalist of the Year" honors at the event. Most recently, band member Rocco Calipari has branched out with his side project Head Honchos, who have released a well-received debut CD.
Their impressively large fan base on both sides of the Atlantic won't be disappointed -- not by a long shot! "Made in Chicago" represents the zenith of the group's recorded output, and it's certainly the disc that Howard and the White Boys are most proud of. While the band hasn't recorded in six years, they have been gigging continuously throughout the U.S. and Europe; this, in turn, has lent their trademark brand of contemporary blues an indomitable tightness brimming with raw power. All of this comes through on the new disc, proving that the wait was well worth it.
"Fans of the group will definitely want 'Made in Chicago,' and those unfamiliar with this fun-loving group will find the disc a good place to start," writes Blues Revue, the world's largest blues magazine. "The group digs deep intotheir vast repertoire to record some favorite covers in their idiosyncratic, high-energy style ... McCullum is a sturdy, versatile vocalist ... the band's vastly, varied catalog has forged McCullum and Christopulos into one of the best rhythm sections on the scene today. "
"Whether it's an original or a cover tune, Howard & the White Boys are making the Windy City proud on their latest album!," says Dave Johnson, host of the nationally-syndicated "Blues Deluxe" radio program. "The popular Chicago based band Howard and the White Boys are among my personal favorites of these bands, and are also high upon my 'hope to see live soon' list," writes Tom Branson in Bluesrockers. "With the release of their most recent and best to date project 'Made in Chicago' it is highly likely that the band will also move onto the 'must see' lists of many more folks from all across the world," he emphatically concludes.
While past studio outings spotlight the group's songwriting prowess and contain 90 percent original material, "Made in Chicago" affords the band an opportunity to put their own unique stamp to tunes they didn't write but enjoy performing nonetheless. Of the nine songs on the new release, seven are covers (some quite obscure) of songs the band has been playing live for some time. Yet, all are performed in the celebrated H&TWB style which will be immediately recognizable to long-term fans.
Between 1994 and 1997, the group made two highly acclaimed recordings, "Strung Out on the Blues" and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?," for Los Angeles-based Mighty Tiger Records. They began traveling extensively across the United States and their growing popularity captured the attention of Philadelphia-based Evidence Records. "The Big $core" was the first of two successful discs released by Evidence, and the band wasted no time in promoting it via the first of many trips to European countries such as Belgium, France, Italy, Holland, Switzerland, Norway, Germany, Luxembourg, and England. Riding the ever-growing wave of popularity both at home and abroad, the group then released a well-received live CD for Evidence entitled "Live at Chord on Blues" in 2000.
In 2004, long time band members Howard McCullum (lead vocals/bass), Rocco Calipari (guitar/vocals) and Jim "Bucka" Christopulos (drums/vocals) were joined by 28-year-old guitarist Pete Galanis. Galanis' tight blues chops-coupled with his natural versatility at handling the funk, R & B, and rock styles that have become Howard & the White Boys trademarks-have magnificently slotted right in with the group's signature sound and lent it an exciting, youthful exuberance, readily apparent on "Made in Chicago." The band is now focusing on touring and working on material for their next one.
Recorded in the Windy City, "Made in Chicago" is aptly titled. But it's also apropos because Chicago, a city steeped in Blues history, is where the band have honed their chops almost since their inception in 1988.
Howard & the White Boys have established a reputation as one of the city's favorite attractions; regular appearances at Buddy Guy's Legends have afforded them an opportunity to display their wares before locals and out-of-towners who come to Legends to hear the best the city has to offer in Blues entertainment. Indeed, Buddy Guy has been the band's unofficial "mentor," and his support for the band has been instrumental in exposing them to a wider audience. In 1995, Guy took them on a major Midwestern tour as his opening act, and he often jumps onstage to jam with them when they appear at Legends. Guy also gave them the ultimate endorsement by making a rare guest appearance on their 1999 release "The Big $core." He plays some scorching guitar and sings a duet with Howard on a remake of the Sam & Dave classic, "I Thank You."
The members of Howard & the White Boys first met at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb in 1988 and began jamming together just for fun, but their fast-growing popularity soon convinced them they could make a career of it. After only a few months, they got their first big break by opening for Blues legend, B.B. King. The band soon made the move to Chicago and began performing with the biggest names in Blues: Koko Taylor, Albert King, Junior Wells, Lonnie Brooks, Luther Allison, Bo Diddley, and Chuck Berry (the latter whom they were the backing band for in a headlining capacity at the 2002 Long Beach Blues Festival in Long Beach, Calif.).
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