Gregg Juke & The Mighty No-Stars
Buffalo, New York, United States | INDIE | AFM
Music
Press
"From the gutbucket exuberance of 'Wild & Blue' to 'Elmwood Shuffle,' with its rollicking celebration of Buffalo's past, present, and future, 'Blues Power' is contemporary blues at its best. Gregg Juke and company bring us along a journey of discovery that makes us glad we took the trip." - Jim Santella; WBFO FM/The Buffalo News
"Blues may come out of hard times, but it's not about hard times; it's about surviving, and triumphing over hard times. It's about better times coming. I can't think of a better example of this than Gregg Juke & The Mighty No-Stars. Their playing was all about good times... Gregg Juke is not just a talented and charismatic vocalist, but a smoking harp player. But he also surrounds himself with plenty of talent as well. Guitarist Bruce Rounds...truly plays with a feel for the Blues that is a pleasure to experience. The Mighty No-Stars exceed their billing; they should be stars." - Al Gritzmacher; Doc Wu's Magical Musical Mystery Tour
"...What sets the No-Stars apart from other Blues groups? They're willing to go the extra step... go hear them yourself. I think you'll agree that the No-Stars aren't really no-stars at all, but stars in their own right." ('06 live review and interview)
"Lots of variety on this one...with Gregg's light and agile harp work featuring...Pretty easy to see why this one made it so far." ('08 Blues Power CD review) - Blues Beat Magazine
"The Mighty No-Stars formed with a core group of some of the WNY area's finest 'unknown' musicians, but the players in the No-Stars have all been at the music game for a long, long time... For the best in contemporary and classic Blues, R&B, Blues Rock, Soul, and originals, check out Gregg Juke & The Mighty No-Stars." - Night-Life Magazine
"Gregg Juke & The Mighty No-Stars bring a level of talent, energy, and showmanship that is unrivaled in local Blues circles. They had Lewiston dancing in the streets with their contagious enthusiasm. RUN, don't walk, to their concerts!" - Tim Henderson; Chairman, Blue Monday Concert Series, Lewiston Council on the Arts
"On their first album... 'Unlucky' and the excellent 'Elmwood Shuffle,' very New Orleans, stand out as regards rockin' rhythm & blues, the instrumental 'Planet Mars' as regards rockin' blues, whereas 'Dust Tracks,' is a fine rock & roll number, the melody of which being reminiscent of 'Down the Line,' 'This Can't Go On' is a catchy 60's soul ballad and 'Blue Rhumba' is an original rockin' blues instrumental with a rhumba beat." - Bernard Boyat; The Cry of The Coyote/Blues Magazine (France)
"A crackin' CD!" - James Carlyle; Hambone's Blues Rumshack (Scotland)
#43 on the Top-100 New CD's Chart, March '08 - Real Blues Magazine (Canada/North America)
"A fun band that enjoys what they do, with a great vibe and attitude!" - Bob Putignano, WFDU FM (Teaneck, New Jersey)
"This debut album from Gregg Juke and band contains 16 songs-- 13 original compositions and 3 covers. When we speak of 'covers,' however, you must know that gems like Peter Green's 'Oh Well' and ZZ Top's 'Jesus Just Left Chicago' are transformed through interpretation, production, and arrangement into their own, 'new' songs with an enticing original twist... With 'This Can't Go On,' 'Cookin' Pot,' and 'My Three Sons,' Gregg Juke & The Mighty No-Stars show that this debut CD is on par with any strong recording from the many great contemporary blues bands on the scene today." - Freddy Celis; www.RootsTime.be (Belgium)
Discography
*Gregg Juke & The Mighty No-Stars: Blues Power (Blue Buffalo Records CD6345789)-- Noted as one of the Top-10 independent Blues releases in the world (!) for 2007/2008, according to the Blues Foundation in Memphis, TN; also named one of Real Blues Magazine's Top-100 New CD's and #36 in the Top-50 on the Roots Music Report Blues Chart (2x on the National/International Blues Chart,
and 2x on the NYS Roots/mixed-genre Chart)
*WBFO Gives Me The Blues, Vol. II (on DCD Records; available from WBFO FM in 2006 and 2007)
*WBFO Gives Me The Blues, Vol. III (on DCD Records; available from WBFO FM in 2007)
*WBFO Gives Me The Blues, Vol. V (on DCD Records; available from WBFO FM in 2008)
*The 3-Song E.P. (Independent CD benefitting the Food Bank of WNY; sold out and out-of-print)
* Airplay (Radio, TV, and Internet for "Blues Power" and WBFO CD's in the US, Canada, and Europe-- See Radio List above, or visit our Media/Charts page at www.MightyNoStars.com)
*Current bandmembers Gregg Juke, Bruce Rounds, and Joel Thomas have recorded extensively as sidemen, solo artists, and producers (discographies available on request)
Photos
Bio
Gregg Juke & The Mighty No-Stars: Maximum Blues, Soul, and Roots-Rockin' R&B...
Gregg Juke, a 25 year veteran of the music scene (musician/performer, producer/arranger, recording artist, songwriter, educator, and music journalist) decided to spend more time on his own music, rather than playing "everyone else's" songs. His debut album ("Gregg Juke & The Mighty No-Stars: Blues Power") was recorded in Western New York featuring special guests from some of the region's most well-known bands and musical organizations, including members of the Soul Invaders, Alert Records recording artists Them Jazzbeards, Amherst Records recording artists the Amherst Saxophone Quartet, The Jukes, Night-Rhythm, The Rubes, and Project R&B.
As performing and touring became a necessity, Gregg formed The Mighty No-Stars to play original material, as well as the best versions of classic Blues, Blues Rock, Soul, R&B, and Roots Rock covers.
The "No-Stars" moniker is an in-joke-- everyone in the band has established themselves as a solid musical commodity through years of performing and recording with other groups and artists. The band strives to present not only the best in live music, but also in live entertainment; but as Gregg says: "There were already so many 'Joe Schmoe and The All-Stars' bands out there, we decided to be 'No-Stars'."
Concert-goers will be treated to a high-energy, high-caliber musical event.
The band has a unique sound that captures the essence of the Blues in all of its stylistic varieties, but adds touches of Latin, Rock, Reggae, and Worldbeat to the mix.
Gregg is a member of the Vic Firth teaching artists program (the Vic Firth Education Team), and uses Lee Oskar harmonicas and Vic Firth drumsticks. Bruce Rounds endorses First Act guitars. Joel Thomas endorses the innovative Barker bass.
The band's awards and honors include:
* A listing as one of the Top-10 independent Blues bands in the world (according to the Blues Foundation judging committee for the "Best Self-Produced CD" competition for 2007-2008 at the 2008 International Blues Challenge)
*Album: "Blues Power" named as one of Real Blues Magazine's Top-100 New CD's; #36 on the Roots Music Report Blues Chart (twice in May 2008), and
featured on the Roots Report New York State Chart
(Roots/mixed-genre twice)
* Winner, "Best Self-Produced CD, 2007" contest, sponsored by the Blues Society of Western New York
* Top-10 (#8) on the original MP3.com Blues Vocal Chart for "Nomo Loot"
* Top-100 on original Garageband.com Blues Chart for "Wild & Blue"
* Runners-Up, "Memphis Bound" competition, 2004 & 2005 (Blues Society of WNY)
* Selected by listeners of WBFO, FM 88.7 for Volumes II, III, and V of "WBFO Gives Me The Blues" compilation CD
Current Radio/Media Airplay List:
* KTEP 88.5 FM, El Paso, Texas, www.ktep.org
* WPKN/WPKM 89.5 FM, Bridgeport, Connecticut
* WVOF, Connecticut
* WRUW 91.1 FM, Cleveland, Ohio, www.wruw.org
* WUCF, 89.9 FM, Orlando, Florida, www.smokestacklightnin.com
* WYAV, Myrtle Beach, SC
* WNTI 91.9 FM/wnti.org, Hackettstown NJ, myspace.com/rockitscienceblues
* WKZE, NY/CT
* KMXT 100.1 FM, Kodiak, Alaska
* KMSU 89.7 FM, KMSK 91.3 FM, Mankato and Austin Minnesota, The Maverick Radio Network, www.KMSU.org
* KMFB 92.7 FM / 96.7 FM , FM 100.5 KTDE, Willits, CA, www.LesTarr.com, www.kmfb-fm.com, www.ktde.com
* WWCU FM Power 90.5, Cullowhee, NC,
www.wwcufm.com
* Blues Deluxe, www.bluesdeluxe.com
* Radio ZRO, 106.2 FM, and Radio Goud, 107.7 FM, Belgium, www.hogtown.be/weblog
* WebRadio Golden Flash
* Uptown Jazz Network
* WBFO, Buffalo, NY
* WJJL AM, Niagara Falls, NY
* The Lake 107.7 FM, Buffalo, NY
* WGR 55 AM, Buffalo, NY
* WIUT FM, Canada
* "Blues & Friends," Netherlands
* Osnabruecker Radio, Germany
* Hambones Blues Rumshack, Scotland
* A World of Blues, Colorado
* www.BluePower.com
* www.chicagobluesman.com
Visit www.MightyNoStars.com for more information...
Links
