Kirk Fletcher, The Nat Martin Band, Diana Silveira

Tickets for this gig are £20 and can be reserved by emailing coolhamtickets@gmail.com. Please bring your own refreshments (and some change for the charity collection bucket). Doors will open at 7pm and first set will start around 7.45.

Kirk Fletcher's soulful playing and singing never fails to elicit chills, and his unique approach to Rhythm & Blues music is both refreshingly modern and completely authentic. Widely considered one of the best blues guitarists in the world, he commands the respect and acclaim of critics, peers and fans across the globe. A four-time Blues Music Award and a 2015 British Blues Award nominee, has played with a variety of artists, including Joe Bonamassa and for three years was lead guitarist of The Fabulous Thunderbirds. He has released four studio albums and a live album.

Kirk first picked up a guitar at age eight and after meeting Jeff Rivera, Robben Ford’s guitar tech they started hanging out and Kirk would help load gear, change strings and just be a fly on the wall.
This was when Kirk’s full introduction to traditional blues occurred and he started seeking out other musicians who shared this same understanding. This included Al Blake, lead singer and harp player for the Hollywood Fats Band, who helped establish connections to other famous West Coast blues artists like Junior Watson and Richard “Lynwood Slim” Duran. Kirk’s first gigs as a blues guitarist followed.

Al Blake also introduced Kirk to Kim Wilson of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, who brought him further into the blues family and. gave him the opportunity to perform with his blues heroes Pinetop Perkins, James Cotton and Hubert Sumlin. Shortly thereafter a call came from blues legend Charlie Musselwhite, confirming that Kirk was becoming one of the most in-demand blues guitarists on the scene.

So began three years touring with the Thunderbirds. Kirk played on the Thunderbirds’ Paint It On album spending time with many famous blues artists along the way, including a brief stint with the late Doyle Bramhall Sr. and a few guest appearances playing for Cindi Lauper, Michelle Branch. More recently he has been part of two projects with his friend Joe Bonamassa -Muddy Wolf at Redrocks and the Grammy nominated Live at the Greek Theatre.

At Coolham Kirk will be joined by Matt Brown on drums and Johnny Henderson on keys, both of whom are in demand session players in their own right. Here is a few examples of what Kirk is about.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ks8TCrCytU
youtu.be/wnBx4CNSvbc
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oNCf9XmUfI

To round of this treat for guitar lovers, we have invited back Nat Martin, who has previously appeared with Jo Harman and Stevie Watts Organ Trio at Coolham, but this time with his own band.

The Nat Martin Band vibe is a unique blend of blues, funk, soul and jazz influences featuring Nat's highly respected guitar work. Their critically acclaimed debut album, ‘Don’t Lose Your Cool’, was brought to the attention of BBC Radio 2 presenter Paul Jones who said ‘You get a lot of people saying, “Oh yes, we’re pushing the boundaries, we’re extending the envelope of the blues” and all that sort of thing. I would say The Nat Martin Band are definitely doing that, without necessarily claiming too much of it. The Nat Martin Band blew me away.’

Their music addresses ideas linking the blues with human emotion and that to experience the blues and to let it out, is a release and so acts as a healer. Collectively the band are immersed in a heritage of African American music genres and these influences and the great emotional strength of Nat’s guitar playing are impossible to overlook in this music, as these video clips demonstrate.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTbGzoZlHxg
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAWDpWgWkUU
www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vHHz0TGa6I
The band will be joined on this date in Coolham by the incredible Portuguese born vocalist Diana Silveira, an exceptional talent who is turning heads and catching ears wherever she performs, both here in the UK and across parts of Europe. Diana’s ability to sing a wide range of genres with authority and her ability to switch from sweet tones to a full out rock and roll vibe make her a force to be reckoned with! Here she is covering a Beth Hart original.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXEgvEDUpjA
This is a new partnership and one which creates exciting musical prospects! to good to miss.