IZZY & CHRIS

Winner of the Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania's 2006 Blues Challnege, Izzy plays the Blues like a man possessed. Don't miss his riveting stage presence and soulful renditions of classic blues. - JEFF KEARNS, Past President WPBS.

http://www.grafwv.com/Music/story/mus21_123200723814.asp

Izzy and Chris Prove Worthy of the Hype

By J.F. Rote

Over the years I've lost count of the number of unsolicited CDs, agents' business cards and emails I've received touting the next best, biggest act to come down the highway since Dylan. And, as you might expect, most are bad. But the thing that keeps me listening is the handful that lives up to the hype. Izzy Steter and Chris Nacy make the cut and then some.

This duo has, while just jumping into the blues world's consciousness, been paying their dues and living the life for some time. Chris, a keyboard player by training, picked up the harmonica in college and never looked back. He honed his skills on countless open stages sitting in when he could, solo when he couldn't. It wasn't long before a serious buzz began to rise in the Pittsburgh jazz and blues community on this hot new guy with great chops. He caught the attention of the legendary Smokin' Joe Bisgella and became the late guitarist's sideman, playing with him until his death in 2002. By then Nacy was a committed blues man.

Izzy's journey into the blues began at a flea market in New Orleans. Music was his life, but the direction was uncertain. He began playing before he was 10, but it was not until, on a trip to the Big Easy, he stumbled upon a Robert Johnson album at an open air market. There was no turning back. Steter honed his technique (and voice), in juke joints and cafes from Memphis to Pittsburgh. He walked the road. I first saw him open for phenomenal Ana Popovic - he not only blew the room away, but Ana stood front and center absorbing every lick and riff with a big smile. Izzy would go on to cop the Best Solo nod at the 2006 West Penn Blues Society competition.

We actually met at an open stage, said Nacy, at Moondogs, in Pittsburgh. Izzy was hosting and I asked to sit in. That was about a year ago. All those stories about us meeting in prison are exaggerated.

By the time they stopped playing, the crowd was on its feet screaming for more.

I've been doing the solo thing for some time, added Izzy. Really doin' the blues road thing. It started in New Orleans. I'd been driftin', following what was left of the Grateful Dead, and I wanted to pick my Dad up a blues album. At a flea market, I randomly picked up a Robert Johnson CD. I had never heard of Robert Johnson it was just random. No doubt that turned my life.

The road took Steter to Memphis and Beale Street, the Mecca of American music and the blues.

I played every bar that would have me, Izzy said, and the New Daisy Theater. And every corner on the street.

Steter made the finals, last year, at the International Blues Competition at the New Daisy, in Memphis. The buzz on this guy was growing. Shortly after hooking up with Nacy, the duo signed with 80/20 Records with their first release due next month. Not long after they became a team, Izzy and Chris took first place (solo/duo), at the Appalachian Blues Competition in Charleston. This earned them a berth at the 2008 International Blues Competition, on the stage of the New Daisy in Memphis.

These cats are what I call the next generation of blues legends. While their style is infused with the deep tradition of the Delta sound (and technique), what they bring to the art is as fresh and original as any blues jam should be it's done in their voice.

The CD is Preachin' The Blues Vol. I,but if you can't wait, catch the boys on Dec. 7 at the Front Row in Parkersburg, and on Dec. 29 at Baristas in New Martinsville. Mark it in the date book. You'll want to tell your grandkids about these guys one day.



Contact John at jrote@graffitiwv.com - Graffiti Magazine

Yes folks Friday the 13th @ 8:30 pm, an evening with Izzy Stetar and Chris Nacy. Although blues music calls to mind sorrowful emotions, the genre makes Israel Stetar feel good, especially now when it's bringing him closer to his dreams. Izzy won the 2006 Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania Acoustic Competition, held in May, which puts him on the road to Memphis for next years International Blues Competition. Izzy is a local phenomenon, and he's playing a genre that most 24 year old musicians lack appreciation for (I know this b/c I'm 24 and most of my peers don't get down with the Blues). Inspired by Delta Blues troubadours similar to the likes of Taj Mahal, Mississippi John Hurt, and Robert Johnson. - Beer Advocate

WHATS HAPPENIN'*
****************
*GREAT SHOW-
One of "the best" shows anywhere, anytime... that's what we were witness to this past Saturday night at the Union Hall Theater in Chesterhill, OH. We decided at the last minute to make the short drive from P-burg thru beautiful southeast Ohio to Morgan County. The Union Hall Theater (http://www.unionhalltheater.org) at the corner of Marion and Coal Street in Chesterhill is a great venue operated by great people. The first annual Ribs, Rhythm & Blues thing would have to be considered a success if only due to the food alone... outstanding beef BBQ, beans, potato salad and of course the homemade pies!
WOODY PINES & THE LONESOME 2 (actually 3) kicked it off at 6:30pm with the nearest thing to a New Awlins street band to be found anywhere near Chesterhill, OH. We were told later the addition to the Lonesome 2 on clairnet was actually a local guy (didn't get a name) from just around the corner. Woody payed homage on his National guitar to Bessie Smith, Cab Calloway and others. In fact all three acts on this day have a respect to the past greats while keeping their eye on the future. Following Woody was IZZY & CHRIS who continued in the same theme with some Rev Gary Davis, Blind Willie McTell and of course Robert Johnson. We were sorry to hear about their difficulties at The Purple Fiddle last week... but guess we all gotta live 'n learn. Couldn't help but notice they received lots of complements and signed quite a few copies of the new CD afterwards out in the lobby. The COLIN JOHN BAND closed out the evening with a fantastic set. Kept thinking all along how much Quincy, Spider and others would have loved this. But didn't feel too guilty, too long... there wasn't time between the great bass playing, Colin's multiple guitars and flying drum sticks! Plenty of kinlin' wood lying on the floor after this show. Loved the Albert Collins "Too Many Dirty Dishes", Elmore James "Please Find My Baby"?... and "Sunshine of Your Love/Crossroads" was a jaw droppin' great ending to a magnificent show...
Can't say enough good things about this place or this event. The Union Hall Theater although nothing special in the way of ornate decorations; we've all seen fancier theaters, is still a wonderful place... and this is a great event with even greater possibililties. Keep this date in June (if ya can't make it to Chicago) on the calendar for 2009... and somebody tell us what that altimeter mounted in the corner was all about? - CrawlingKingSnake / BJFM

Monday, October 6, 2008
CD -"Preachin’ the Blues - Volume 1" - Izzy & Chris
80/20 MUSIC

“Blues is our Business…and Business is Good.” This is the motto of the Pittsburgh-West Virginia Duo and it fits perfect.
Izzy Stetar is a writer, vocalist and guitar genius, mature beyond his 26 years. He has outstanding vocal quality and mastery on acoustic guitar that simply dazzles. His lyrics suggest a more mature bluesman, when he sings, “All I Ever Wanted Momma was to be Your Man.” You no only get the feeling that he used that line before but also that he meant it. Izzy is without question a very talented musician. Chris Nacy is the glue that holds it all together. His harmonica compliments Izzy and adds greater depth to this CD. Chris also plays with one of Pittsburgh’s finest Blues bands, “Miss Freddye and Blue Faze.
I first saw Izzy at the Guitar Center’s, “King of the Blues Guitar” competition. He won the first round, beating more experienced guitarists. He was unable to attend Round Two because of illness. He later won the BSWPA International Blues Challenge. While in Memphis, he won his semi-final round and came in third in the finals. The following year, he teamed with Chris and won the West Virginia Blues Society IBC. Again, he competed in Memphis. They have shared the bill with Keb Mo, Robert Cray, Sonny Landreth, Hubert Sumlin and Watermelon Slim. Recently, they have played: the Kalamazoo Festival, Foothills Fest in Ohio, Festivall in West Virginia, Red, White & Blues in Ohio and Floyd Fest in Virginia.
It seemed fitting that when we finally made it to the home of the Blues, Clarksdale, Mississippi, we were greeted with an Izzy and Chris bumper sticker on the front door of Ground Zero Blues Club.
This CD has eleven cuts of original material. As with most blues CDs, it is difficult to put a name to the music-blues folk, acoustic blues, delta blues…These guys call their music Appalachian Blues. Their my-space page has four of the CD’s songs to listen to and “Flat Broke and Busted” is getting the most play. This is the song that 80/20 gave our Blues Society to use on our compilation CD. A copy was sent to Alligator Records. Their response singled out Izzy & Chris along with a few others. It is impossible to pick favorites, each being that good. I will end with some advice-“Buy the CD.” And some of the lyrics.
“Here I am back out on the street
Don’t know where I’m gonna stay
Don’t know how I’m gonna eat
Here I am flat broke and busted again.
Here I am flat broke and busted again.”

- Jim Weber - Jim Weber

*SNEAK REVIEW OF A SNEAK PREVIEW-
Can I get an amen?! There's been a lot said and written about acoustic artists Izzy & Chris over the past few months. So much so I hesitated to say anything more. But after last week, I had to. AMEN!
Thanks to Jack Rice of the West Virginia Blues Society, I had an opportunity for a sneak preview of IZZY & CHRIS new CD. "Preachin' the Blues...Vol I" which has yet to be released. But soon will be with a release party early March in Charleston. But I've got just one question... how can, and I don't want to sound the least bit racist, sexist, genderist, ageist, regionalist or any other 'ist's... but how?... How can a couple 20-some year old white boys from Weirton, WV possibly manage to play and vocalize with the soul of a couple 70-some year old black guys from Friars Point, MS? AMEN! When this CD finally is available to the public, be certain to get one for yer ownself. Don't ask me, or anybody else to "burn" you a copy, cause these old soul-youths need and deserve your support. AMEN!
I'd been a fan of Izzy Stetar since he entered the River City Blues Competition a few years ago. Even though he didn't win, everybody who was there that day just knew he had "it". And if he stayed with "it" then he was gonna be something special. I didn't know Chris Nacy until he started playing with Izzy. His harp playing takes a backseat to nobody and these guys together make up a true dynamic duo. Yeah-yeah-yeah I know, in this time of "the next best thing" it's hard to believe too much of anything we hear or see. So I guess you're just going to have to go out and see these guys for yourself. And when this CD is on the shelf of your favorite music store, "buy it". AMEN!
For more audio/video clips and upcoming dates go to http://www.myspace.com/izzyandchris. But trust me, this site ain't gonna do no justice to their new Preachin' The Blues CD. AMEN!

Mike Lucas/CrawlingKingSnake - CrawlingKingSnake BJFM update

This guitar-and-harmonica duo, hailing from West Virginia and western Pennsylvania, is the real thing. Live, they're so earthy they sound like scuffed-up boots on a muddy trail, and this disc captures that gritty but melodic sound well. Chris's soulful harmonica dances like a dusty rain over Izzy's guitar, Dobro, and mournful vocals. Simplicity is key in these tracks; it's a real accomplishment to achieve that while still sounding honest in a style of music that's storied and, in some quarters, set in its ways. Izzy & Chris have no need to invent anything, except for writing their songs; they tap into the fundamentals of country blues and mine that vein for all it's worth.

Jon Sobel - April 30, 2009


- Jon Sobel, blogcritics.org

80/20,IZZY & CHRIS/Preachin’ the Blues V. 1: Hey, yuppies, here’s a roll back to your college days. Remember when two white cats would get together on guitar and harmonica and have a chemistry that would just blow the roof off the sucker? These two cats, who came together in a chance meeting, have managed to gel in a grand way and they are keeping the train a-rollin’! Totally cool, organic stuff that’s a blast to hear and shows you never know where some great blues is coming from next.

Chris Spector
Midwest Record
Lake Zurich, IL.,
www.midwestrecord.com
www.myspace.com/midwestrecord - Chris Spector

This guitar-and-harmonica duo, hailing from West Virginia and western Pennsylvania, is the real thing. Live, they're so earthy they sound like scuffed-up boots on a muddy trail, and this disc captures that gritty but melodic sound well. Chris's soulful harmonica dances like a dusty rain over Izzy's guitar, Dobro, and mournful vocals. Simplicity is key in these tracks; it's a real accomplishment to achieve that while still sounding honest in a style of music that's storied and, in some quarters, set in its ways. Izzy & Chris have no need to invent anything, except for writing their songs; they tap into the fundamentals of country blues and mine that vein for all it's worth.

Jon Sobel - April 30, 2009


- Jon Sobel, blogcritics.org

Izzy & Chris – “Preaching The Blues Vol. 1”
blue barry faust – smoky mountain blues society

Wow! Did I ever hear some music that knocked me out this week. Actually a few weeks ago, but it doesn’t matter when it happened, just that it did. Izzy & Chris have a new CD out called “Preaching The Blues Vol 1,” on Blind Raccoon. Try out myspace.com/izzyandchris. That’s Izzy Stetar on vocals and guitar, and Chris Nacy on blues harmonica. In the footsteps of Cephas and Wiggins, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee, and Satan & Adam, they are an acoustic duo that is just better than they should be. Izzy does most of the writing and plays stellar guitar. Chris is a killer, tasty, on the money, harp player. They play a refreshingly laid back style of acoustic blues that is just sure to please. I love it. There are 11 songs on the CD and they are just one good tune after another. If this is Vol 1, I can’t wait for Vol 2 to come out. My favorite cuts are “Flat Broke & Busted,” been there, and “Country Blues #5.” I’m talking country style, old timey blues, and some fine ragtime. Now I’ll admit that I’m pretty jaded toward old style country blues, but I just love this CD. For you harp players out there, there’s plenty of licks to learn from Chris. You can also learn some great phrasing. He never overplays, lays that great harp right in there, and obviously has done is homework listening to the greats. Not too loud, not a ton of reverb and octave stuff, just harp. Who could imagine? Izzy can play that guitar too. Great vocals on top of it. Takes his time, nice & easy. Looking for something that will surprise you, here it is. Have a great summer. Thanks guys. Keep up the good work. Don’t believe me, listen for yourself. One love.........blue barry

- Blue Barry Faust

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Music Review: Izzy & Chris - Preachin' The Blues
After a while there's only so much acoustic blues music you can listen to without it starting to become tedious. It's not the music's fault, it's the fact that there are far too many people out there playing it who really have no business doing so. Acoustic blues are apparently a fairly simple genre to play, judging by how many people all of a sudden are either recording or performing it. It seems like every time I receive a new batch of material to review there are always a couple of new acts trying their hand at it. However, far too many of these acts just don't have what's necessary to make the music interesting.
So it was with some trepidation that I began listening to Preachin' The Blues by the duo Izzy & Chris on the 80/20 Music Entertainment label. I was all prepared to have to try and force myself to pay attention to their music. Far too many of the discs like it that I've received in the past little while have been so boring that all the songs end up sounding the same. However, I quickly realized that these guys weren't like that at all as the first song reached out and grabbed me by the ears and made me listen to it.
The intangibles that go into making a good blues song are sometimes hard to spell out. First of all different things appeal to different people, so that something which might make a blues song work for me, is going to turn you off. We all have different emotional triggers that we react to, and blues has to be able to work on an almost primal level for it to make a connection to its audience. If the performer doesn't connect to you emotionally your not going to be that interested in him. Personally I respond more to the tonal quality of a performance rather than what a band is actually saying with their lyrics. I listen to quite a lot of music where I don't even understand the lyrics because they're being sung in a language I don't know, but I can still relate to the music because of what they are able to communicate in other ways.

Izzy and Chris are Israel Stetar on guitar and Christopher Nacy on harmonicas, and I assume they share vocals, but they don't delineate who sings what so that's hard to tell. Although it's probably safe to assume that when Chris is blowing the harp it's Izzy doing the singing. However, no matter who it is, they could have been singing in pig-Latin, and I would still have been moved by their music. Right from the opening guitar chords of the first song on the disc, "Steady Rollin' Daddy", you get that shiver up your spine that tells you're about to hear something special.
One of the things I noticed about them right away was that they weren't trying to impose their will upon the music. Some players will try and make their guitar sound more "emotional" by strumming or plucking harder, playing faster, or doing something else to "colour" their music. Izzy just lets the music speak for itself, and in doing so he's found a way for it to express what he's feeling with the same amount of power that his voice does. I don't know how it works, but when a person is completely focused on what they are doing and are willing to invest everything they do with all of themselves, it shines like a beacon on a dark night. Izzy is somehow putting so much of himself into his guitar playing that each note "talks" to the listener. It doesn't seem to matter what speed he's playing at either, as each note is alive with a little piece of his soul and comes through loud and clear.
Chris is doing much the same with his harmonica playing. Now I've heard guys who play fast, loud, and who can fill the air with a million notes when they play harmonica. They bend notes left, right, and centre in an effort to show off their virtuosity, and put on a really good show. However, half the time I don't really feel anything while listening to them. There's been tons of guys who can do the same thing. From what I heard on this disc though, Chris doesn't seem hung up on the impression he makes on the listener, he's more concerned with making sure he serves the song that he and Izzy are playing. When he bends a note it's only because he's expressing the curve of an emotion as it arcs through a song, not to show off. It's not often a harp player is able to send shivers up my spine just by playing a single note, but there's something about Chris' playing that the was able to do that time and time again throughout this recording.

As befits the almost plain and rough hewed style of music they play, the vocals on this disc are rough and unadorned. If they've used anything like reverberation in the recording process it's been so little that you can barely tell. Again, like their playing, neither of them are forcing anything when they sing and are content with allowing their voices to come out as naturally as possible. Just the sound of their voices is able to communicate a de - Richard Marcus

Izzy & Chris – “Preaching The Blues Vol. 1”
blue barry faust – smoky mountain blues society

Wow! Did I ever hear some music that knocked me out this week. Actually a few weeks ago, but it doesn’t matter when it happened, just that it did. Izzy & Chris have a new CD out called “Preaching The Blues Vol 1,” on Blind Raccoon. Try out myspace.com/izzyandchris. That’s Izzy Stetar on vocals and guitar, and Chris Nacy on blues harmonica. In the footsteps of Cephas and Wiggins, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee, and Satan & Adam, they are an acoustic duo that is just better than they should be. Izzy does most of the writing and plays stellar guitar. Chris is a killer, tasty, on the money, harp player. They play a refreshingly laid back style of acoustic blues that is just sure to please. I love it. There are 11 songs on the CD and they are just one good tune after another. If this is Vol 1, I can’t wait for Vol 2 to come out. My favorite cuts are “Flat Broke & Busted,” been there, and “Country Blues #5.” I’m talking country style, old timey blues, and some fine ragtime. Now I’ll admit that I’m pretty jaded toward old style country blues, but I just love this CD. For you harp players out there, there’s plenty of licks to learn from Chris. You can also learn some great phrasing. He never overplays, lays that great harp right in there, and obviously has done is homework listening to the greats. Not too loud, not a ton of reverb and octave stuff, just harp. Who could imagine? Izzy can play that guitar too. Great vocals on top of it. Takes his time, nice & easy. Looking for something that will surprise you, here it is. Have a great summer. Thanks guys. Keep up the good work. Don’t believe me, listen for yourself. One love.........blue barry

- Blue Barry Faust