michael packer: News

The song 'Jimmy's Blues' from the live @ Lucilles NYC CD featuring Jimmy Vivino on vocals is #1 on the blues top 50 @ Telmore Musik a Danish website.Live @ Lucilles is also #72 on the emusic Texas Blues Charts and The Michael Packer Blues Band is #53 on the Rhapsody Country Blues charts.
Some Free Beer news: The Free Beer song 'Coupe de Ville' by Sandy Allen will be featured in the DVD movie 'Joyride 2 Dead Ahead' to be released October 6th by 20th Century Fox Home Video.

The Michael Packer Anthology was released today by the Iris Music Group produced by Alan Lorber. It contains recordings from the Papa Nebo Atlantic Records years (1969-72) including some Columbia demo sessions with John Hammond Sr., Free Beer Buddah and RCA records (1974-78) the LA sessions (1979) with Van Morrison keyboard player Mark Jordan.Home studio recording Westerly Rhode Island (1991)with Sandy Allen and Bob Potter of Free Beer.Tracks from Bleecker Bowery,Halt' Music Co.(Austin TX (2004) No use running from the blues (2002)and live session @ BB King's NYC 2007. Available @ Amazon,Itunes and Emusic...

The Michael Packer - Sandy Allen Reunion CD is # 43 on the New York Roots Radio Charts with artists such as John Mayer and Billy Joel. The new Michael Packer single " Back in Albany" is also being promoted to radio stations in upstate New York! We will keep you posted....

The blues was alive and well this past weekend @ the Warwick Valley Blues Festival in Warwick N.Y. We had a great time jamming with our friends " Breakaway" an excellent band from Long Island N.Y and we look forward to doing more shows with them. We also had a great night @ the Greenwich Village jazz club, The 55 Bar and let us not forget the 50th Aniversary of Washington Square Park in NYC where we played for over 700 people on the first day of the summer. It was incredible.
In September we will be back @ BB King's in NYC and will also be launching the Muddy Cup tour up the Hudson River starting in Poughkeepsie NY.Check the calendar for a list of venues..

I FIRST MET HIRAM @ SEVENTH AVENUE SOUTH A NOW DEFUNCT JAZZ CLUB OWNED BY THE BRECKER BROTHERS IN THE 80'S. HIRAM BEFRIENDED ME. AT THE TIME I WAS HOMELESS AND HE WOULD PUT ME UP ON HIS COUCH..THE GUITARIST FOR LETTERMAN'S MOST DANGEROUS BAND WAS ALWAYS THERE WITH A HELPING HAND FOR ME. REST IN PEACE, MAN, I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU......MICHAEL PACKER

We did some great shows this past weekend opening for Melvin Taylor,great guy and hell of a guitar player @ Mexicali Blues in New`Jersey on Friday night.Then on Saturday @ the Waterside Plaza in the city but the best gig of the weekend and fair to say one of the all time best gigs was Washington Square Music festival in Greenwich Village.There were hundreds of people cheering us on and we didn't disappoint them.Go to the links page to youtube and check out Bob Dylan's classic All Along The Watchtower.Very appropiate for the 50th anniversary of the Washington Square Music Festival.Thank you to all.

My friend singer-songwriter and story teller Utah Phillips has died.The golden voice of the great southwest as he was known was a total gentleman and a true gift to humanity.The world needs more people like him.He will surely be missed.....

THE LIVE @ LUCILLE'S CD HIT # 41 TODAY ON THE ROOTS MUSIC REPORT BLUES RADIO CHARTS. THE CD HAS BEEN ON THE CHARTS FOR THE LAST 16 WEEKS. THE SONG "CORINNA,CORINNA" FROM THE CD WILL BE AIRED THE FIRST WEEK OF JUNE ON THE SYNDICATED BLUES SHOW "BLUES DELUXE" ON OVER 106 RADIO STATIONS ACROSS THE USA AND CANADA.

Coming home after a great gig in Philadelphia (Moon Saloon) Eddie Jackson and Michael Packer survived a severe traffic accident on the Jersey turnpike. Eddie's car was totaled but fortunately no one was hurt. Thank God! So needless to say it was a nice reunion of the band @ the Turning Point this past Saturday. Great crowd, great venue and great to be alive! The show must go on......

The Michael Packer Blues Band Live @ Lucille's NYC CD is now being promoted to radio stations by the highly regarded radio promoter Todd Glazer Promotions.Expect to hear some Michael Packer blues on a radio station near you.

RANDOM CHANCE RECORDS WILL BE PRESENTING A CD RELEASE PARTY ON TUESDAY MARCH 11 @ 8PM @ BB KINGS (LUCILLES) 237 WEST 42ND STREET NYC IN SUPPORT OF THE NEW RELEASE ' BLEECKER-BOWERY ' SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDE PINETOP PERKINS PIANO PLAYER OF THE YEAR NOMINEE ' DAVID MAXWELL '. THIS A FREE EVENT SO COME OUT AND HAVE SOME FUN.

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DID FOR ME. I AM GOING TO MISS YOU.GOD BLESS YOU! REST IN PEACE AND I AM GLAD YOUR FINALLY GOING HOME TO BOSTON....I LOVE YOU......MICHAEL PACKER

LIVE @ LUCILLES NEW YORK CITY IS # 47 ON THE ROOTS MUSIC REPORT BLUES CHARTS. THE CD IS RECEIVING NATIONAL AIRPLAY AND ' CORINNA, CORINNA TRACK #2 FROM THE CD WILL BE FEATURED ON ' BLUES DELUXE ' SYNDICATED BLUES SHOW TO OVER 100 STATIONS ACROSS AMERICA.

THE REISSUE OF THE HIGHLY ACCLAIMED BLEECKER-BOWERY CD (RANDOM CHANCE RECORDS) IS AVAILABLE @ FINE RECORD STORES EVERYWHERE TODAY JAN.22. DISTRIBUTED BY CITY HALL RECORDS IN THE U.S AND CANADA, IT IS ALSO DISTRIBUTED IN 6 EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND MEXICO. DIGITALLY DISTRIBUTED WORLDWIDE BY IODA.

WELL 2007 IS GONE BUT WE HAD A GOOD YEAR. LAST NIGHT WE PLAYED @ THE DOCK SIDE PUB IN LAKE MAHOPAC, NY TO A REALLY FUN AND APPRECIATIVE AUDIENCE TO BRING THE NEW YEAR IN. THE CHRISTMAS DAY GIG @ BB KINGS IN NYC WAS A BLAST. IT WAS SO CROWDED WE COULDN'T STOP PLAYING. OTHER HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR WAS OUR ANNUAL MINI-TOUR WITH PETE BEST ( THE ORIGINAL BEATLE) AND ' THE SUNNY SIDE OF ME ' RELEASE PARTY ' LAST SUMMER @ BB KINGS WITH DAVID MAXWELL JIMMY VIVINO AND SANDY ALLEN . ALSO THE BLUES FESTIVAL IN WARWICK, NY WAS MOST ENJOYABLE WE LOOK FORWARD TO 2008 WITH THE RELEASES OF BLEECKER-BOWERY ON RANDOM CHANCE RECORDS, LIVE @ LUCILLE'S NYC ON IRIS MUSIC GROUP RECORDS AND THE LIVE @ SWEET RHYTHM ON WOODSTOCK RECORDS. WE ARE ALREADY STARTING THE NEW YEAR ON THE GOOD FOOT. LIVE @ LUCILLES NYC IS #8 ON THE EMUSIC TEXAS BLUES CHARTS ALONG WITH SUCH LEGENDS AS ROBERT JOHNSON AND JOHN LEE HOOKER. WE ARE ALSO GETTING NATIONAL AIRPLAY COAST TO COAST. WE LOOK FORWARD TO AN EXCITING 2008 AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU ALL BECAUSE YOU ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT. WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! --- MICHAEL PACKER

MICHAEL PACKER BLUES ON YOU TUBE. FROM THE ARCHIVES,FILMED @ CHICAGO BLUES (NYC) IN 1999. GO TO THE LINKS SECTION OF THE WEBSITE AND OPEN YOUTUBE.ENJOY!

THE MICHAEL PACKER BLUES BAND WOULD LIKE TO WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY, SAFE AND PEACEFUL HOLIDAY. WE WILL BE CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS DAY @ BB KINGS (LUCILLES), 237 WEST 42ND STREET, NYC @ 8PM. GOT THE HOLIDAY BLUES COME DOWN AND WILL FIX THAT FOR YOU. IT'S FREE TO GET IN. PEACE & LOVE!!!

REST IN PEACE LUCKY. I LOVE YOU

THE LIVE @ LUCILLES CD WAS RELEASED YESTERDAY ON EMUSIC BY THE IRIS MUSIC GROUP/THE ORCHARD AND IS LISTED #5 ON THE EMUSIC BLUES CHARTS AND #2 ON THE TEXAS BLUES CHARTS BEHIND JOHN LEE HOOKER @ #1. THE CD IS ALSO #14 ON THE RHAPSODY COUNTRY BLUES CHARTS. MORE INFO COMING SOON ON THIS RELEASE.

THE BAY STREET SALOON LOCATED @ 523 BAY STREET, STATEN ISLAND NY. IS OPENING THE DOORS ON SATURDAY DECEMBER 1, 2007 @ 7PM TO THE BLUES AND WHAT A SHOW IT'S GOING TO BE.....SCHEDULED TO APPEAR ARE INTERNATIONAL BLUES STARS MICHAEL HILL, BASSIST PETE CUMMINGS, GUITARIST CHAZ DEPAOLO, THE MICHAEL PACKER BLUES BAND, QUEEN TIPSY AN BLUESNYC. THE SHOW WILL BE FILMED FOR CTV BY GUY POWELL. FOR MORE INFO CALL GARY @ 718-442--1050

IT WAS AN HONOR TO MEET SID BERNSTEIN ( THE MAN WHO BROUGHT THE BEATLES TO AMERICA) @ THE RODEO BAR IN NYC LAST NIGHT WHEN WE OPENED FOR BEATLE PETE BEST. TRULY A MEMORABLE NIGHT. WE HAD SOME GREAT GIGS WITH THE PETE BEST BAND, THE REAL McCOY, THE TOWNE CRIER AND THE RODEO BAR. 2008 WE ARE GOING TO LIVERPOOL TO PLAY THE IPO FESTIVAL AND THE CAVERN COURTESY OF CASBAH MANAGEMENT. THANK YOU PETE, PHIL, ROAG, TONY, PAUL, TERRY AND ROAG JR. FOR A GREAT 2 WEEKS OF ROCK & ROLL.

WE WILL BE DOING MORE SHOWS WITH PETE BEST THE ORIGINAL BEATLES DRUMMER. THE PETE BEST BAND WILL BE INVADING STATEN ISLAND, NY FOR THE FIRST TIME ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 30TH @ THE REAL McCOY AND WILL BE @ THE RODEO BAR IN NYC ON MONDAY OCTOBER 1, THE TOWNE CRIER CAFE OCTOBER 7TH AND BACK @ THE RODEO BAR ON OCTOBER 8TH. MORE INFO GO TO www.petebest.com

The Michael Packer Blues Band returns to Savannah's, Albany N.Y. Saturday Sept.15 and on Sunday October 7 marks the return of former Beatle Pete Best for an engagement @ The Towne Crier, Pawling N.Y. Also The Michael Packer Blues Band have been chosen semi-finalists in the Jersey Shore Blues and Jazz Society's regional IBC regional competition with the winner going to Memphis, TN for the International Blues Challenge in February 2008.. Michael Packer's cover of ' All Along The Watchtower ' has been included in a Dylan covers compilation released on the Iris Music Group as well as a Lennon -McCartney song 'I've Just Seen A Face' included in a Beatles covers CD.The ' Live @ Sweet Rhythm' CD will be released on Woodstock Records home to the late,great Rick Danko of the Band and our friends Prof. Louie and the Crowmatix. So summer is almost gone and it was fun but can't wait for the changing of the leaves.

THE MICHAEL PACKER BLUES BAND WILL BE PERFORMING WITH COMMANDER CODY AND WOODSTOCK RECORDS PROF. LOUIE & THE CROWMATIX @ THE BLEND BAR, 17 CHESTNUT STREET, RIDGEWOOD, NEW JERSEY THIS COMING SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 8TH. SHOW STARTS @ 8PM. DON'T MISS THIS GREAT NIGHT OF MUSIC. (CHECK CALENDAR)

We want to thank everybody who came out to the party @ BB Kings last Sunday. It was something else. The band smoked with the help of Jimmy Vivino and David Maxwell. The session was recorded live so expect a release soon. We not only played blues but also started the night off with a country-folk feel courtesy of Sandy Allen who made the trip from Rhode Island. Lots of guests Dave ' Snakeman ' Runyan, Felix Cabrera, Billy Schroder gave it there all. Unfortunately songwriter 9 year old Gabby Kasper fell asleep @ the club. A little past her bedtime but was awakened by her mom for her song ' The Sunny Side of Me. A special thanks goes out to Alan and Bonnie Lorber, Rick Congress for coming out and sharing the evening with us. We will be back @ BB Kings on Halloween so get ready for some black magic and the blues.