(410) 721-0196 (home) • (443) 223-6624 (cell)
[email protected] • www.andypoxon.com
CONTACT INFORMATION
The Andy Poxon Band features 18-year-old phenom Andy Poxon on guitar and vocals, Russ Wasson
on bass, and Mike O’Donnell on drums. The band has been together since May 2009, and plays
regularly in various live music venues around Maryland/DC/Virginia. The band plays a wide variety
of Andy’s originals and covers, ranging from traditional blues to rockabilly and country. The
combination of Andy’s voice and guitar playing make for an unforgettable evening of music.
The band’s first CD, “Red Roots,” was released in July 2010 and is an all-original album. It has been
getting excellent reviews nationally and internationally. The album received Wammie (Washington
Area Music Association) nominations in 2010 for Best Blues/Traditional R&B Recording and Best
Debut Recording. In addition, Andy was nominated for the 2010 Best New Artist of the Year. In
October 2011, Andy signed a licensing agreement with EllerSoul Records to promote and distribute
“Red Roots.” Since then, the CD has been getting significant airplay and rave reviews. In 2012, Andy
was nominated for Best New Artist Release by Blues Blast Magazine. Andy signed a recording
agreement with Ellersoul in June 2012, and is
currently working on his next CD with award-
winning producer Duke Robillard and a team of
blues music veterans. This new CD is scheduled
to be released in late fall 2012.
(410) 721-0196 (H) • (443) 223-6624 (C) • [email protected] • www.andypoxon.com
About the Band
Andy has been performing around the MD-VA-DC-DE area since 2008.
He performs regularly with the Andy Poxon Band, and has also
performed with Tom Principato, Bobby Parker, Dave Chappell, Daryl
Davis, Pete Ragusa (formerly of The Nighthawks), The Nighthawks, the
Thrillbillies, Li’l Ronnie and the Grand Dukes, David Kitchen, Mary
Shaver, Greg Phillips, Hot Rods and Old Gas, The Idle Americans, Scott
Ramminger and the Crawstickers, Robert Fiester, Billy Thompson,
Clarence “The Bluesman” Turner, Waverly Milor, Lisa Lim, and Tony
Fazio.
In June 2012, Andy signed a new recording agreement with Ellersoul,
and is currently working with award-winning producer Duke Robillard
on his next CD. Andy has continued to perform regularly in the area, and
has started traveling farther and building audiences in other regions.
Andy performed with other Ellersoul artists at several venues over 3 days
at the Sacramento Music
Festival in Sacramento, CA.
Andy has performed at
various festivals, including
the 2011 Chesapeake Bay
Blues Festival (with Daryl
Davis), the Colonial Beach Blues Festival (2011 and 2012), and Artscape
2011 and Sailabration 2012 in Baltimore, MD. In 2011, Andy played in a
tribute to Pinetop Perkins with The Nighthawks and Daryl Davis at Rams
Head On Stage in Annapolis and the State Theatre in Falls Church, VA.
Andy opened for Duke Robillard, Joe Louis Walker, and Coco Montoya at
Rams Head On Stage in Annapolis, and has opened for Richard Ray Farrell,
Billy Thompson, and The Idle Americans at the Old Bowie Town Grille.
Andy performed in the South River High School jazz ensemble, and in 2009
and 2011 was the guitarist for the Anne Arundel County All-County Jazz
Band. In August 2009, he won first place in the Youth Arts Forum young
artists cover contest for his interpretation of “Don’t Burn Down That Bridge.” In 2010, Andy received Wammie
nominations for Best New Artist of the Year, Best Debut Recording, and Best Blues/Traditional R&B Recording. In 2012,
Andy was nominated for Best New Artist Release by Blues Blast Magazine. Andy is currently attending Towson
University, in the Classical Guitar Performance music degree program.
Influences include B.B. King, Otis Rush, Magic Sam, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Charlie Christian, Hank Williams, Sean
Costello, Elvis Presley, Gene Vincent, and The Beatles.
In the January 2012 issue of What’s Up magazine, Andy was named one of the top 10 people to watch in Annapolis in
2012. Andy was named “Future of the Blues” in the Blues Underground Network’s Year End Review 2011. The
Annapolis Capital has published two feature articles about Andy and the band; the Carroll County Times, the Frederick
News Post, and the Bowie Gazette have also written articles about Andy. In addition, Andy was interviewed in August
2010 on “The Daily Connection” show on NBC4.
Andy Poxon—Guitar, Vocals
(410) 721-0196 (H) • (443) 223-6624 (C) • [email protected] • www.andypoxon.com
Photo by Rick Kidd © 2012 Rick Kidd Photography
Russ Wasson—Bass
Russ has been playing bass for many years - his first professional
job was at age 14 in 1966. He has performed or recorded with
artists such as:
John Fred
Percy Sledge
Frankie Ford
Jeff Pollard and Tony Haselden of LeRoux
Bobby Kimball of Toto
Donny Wynn (drummer for Robert Palmer)
Van Broussard
and many others, including Louis Anderson and Becky Hobbs,
Kirk Holder, Todd Westbrook, Vin Bruce of Moving Colors
Productions, and Kirk and the Cutthroats.
(410) 721-0196 (H) • (443) 223-6624 (C) • [email protected] • www.andypoxon.com
Mike O’Donnell—Drums
Drummer and educator Mike O'Donnell has performed with:
Daryl Davis
Mike Westcott
Clarence "The Bluesman" Turner
Jubal Kane
Scott Ramminger and the CrawStickers
John Luskey
Kevin Kline
John Remy
ACME Blues Company
The Idle Americans
Mike currently serves on the music faculty at North County High
School in Glen Burnie, Maryland. He holds a Masters in Jazz Studies
from the University of Maryland.
Press
(410) 721-0196 (H) • (443) 223-6624 (C) • [email protected] • www.andypoxon.com
“Wow ...There’s the future of the blues right there.” Duke Robillard, Rams Head On Stage, Sept. 2011
“Red Roots marks The Andy Poxon Band as one to watch. It is enjoyable from start to finish and shows the potential that this
teenager artist has in him. Andy Poxon is primed for big time success and he should look forward to a wonderful career.” Brian McKinnon, MuzikReviews.com, Nov. 2011
http://www.muzikreviews.com/reviews.php?ID=1908
“This phenom from Maryland is headed somewhere special.” Blues Revue Magazine, July/Aug. 2011
“The word “phenom” is bandied about quite a bit in the music world, but if anyone deserves that title, Maryland native Andy Poxon fits the bill...He’s got everything
you can imagine–guitar chops, a bluesy vocal delivery that many will compare to Jonny Lang, and a writing maturity that is waaaaay beyond his years.” Sheryl & Don Crow, Nashville Blues Society, Nov. 21, 2011
http://donandsherylsbluesblog.wordpress.com/
“Poxon and his band of well seasoned professionals are just darn good.” Stuart A Hamilton t/a Zeitgeist, Dec. 2011 http://www.the-rocker.co.uk/
“His guitar playing displays inventive, creative licks and studied riffs reflecting plenty of talent plus research; his young voice reminds me of an early Jonny
Lang….Looking at the total package, full of song and style variety, it is pretty amazing that a 16-year-old could have self-produced and generated such a fine work.” James "Skyy Dobro" Walker, Blues Blast Magazine http://www.illinoisblues.com/Archive/BluesBlasts/2011/BluesBlast12_29_11.htm
“I find it to be a personal bonus when the longest track of a very good CD happens to be the best track as well. That's the case with
"Is There Anything I Can Do". Inasmuch as I love the smokin' shuffles and the beautiful ballads - and this kid does them all with equal excellence - there's nothing like slow, scorching blues to light
my blues fire. This one features over seven minutes of passion filled vocals and blistering blues guitar leads.” Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro, November 2011
http://www.mary4music.com/CD56.html#CDAndyPoxon1
“Keep an eye on this guy. He may actually bring the genre back to national prominence.” Michael Macomber , Retro Music Review, October 2011 http://retromusicreview.com/2011/10/25/andy-poxon-band-red-roots-review/
Press
"Andy is a 14 year old singer / guitar player of enormous ability. A big mature voice emanates from a pale blue eyed boy with a
huge red head afro - you can't believe how strong that voice is. And he is an absolute wiz on guitar. The combination of the vocals and guitar is as good as it gets. At 14 yet. And he's all
about the blues. You will be hearing from this kid." Steve Keirn, Blues Nation Thread, Baltimore Blues Society Forums, 2008
“Andy astounds us with his passionate blues guitar playing. He takes the stage
and the audience becomes wrapped in his playing and his singing. His voice is giving a new level to his already super
guitar playing.” B. Salottolo, Director, Youth Arts Forum, Sept. 2009
(410) 721-0196 (H) • (443) 223-6624 (C) • [email protected] • www.andypoxon.com
“The combination is particularly potent in the figure of Poxon, whose big, mature
voice is even more surprising coming from a gangly teenager with a wild head of red hair.” Washington Post, August 27, 2009
“...his hair and his age become irrelevant as the cool blues flow. Poxon’s precocious musical abilities are on full display in his new
CD, “Red Roots”...” T. Winslow, The Annapolis Capital, Aug. 5, 2010
“...a 16-year-old blues prodigy...” Aaron Gilchrist, Daily Connection, NBC4, Aug. 26, 2010
“...check out young Andy Poxon with us from last Saturday.
This young man is extra special.”
Mark Wenner, The Nighthawks, August 2010
(410) 721-0196 (H) • (443) 223-6624 (C) • [email protected] • www.andypoxon.com
2010 WAMA
Nominations for:
Best Blues/Traditional
R&B Recording
Best Debut Recording
Best New Artist of the Year
Excerpt from review in REAL BLUES Magazine, October 2010, by Andy Grigg:
“...this young Bluesman is The Real Thing. He doesn’t need anyone’s help as the music speaks for itself and it
speaks loud and clear. Talent rules here folks, and Andy Poxon is a ‘Natural’ who reminds me of but a handful of
prodigies over the last 5 decades...”
Review in Blues Matters magazine, Issue 57, by Norman Darwen Well, I checked and rechecked this one – see; teenage Blues guitarists may be rare but are not unknown, though
tall, gangly, fresh-faced 16 year olds with huge red afros are perhaps less common. Even so, I can’t quite figure
how Andy has come up with such a mature set. I thought maybe the photographs had been taken a couple of
decades ago at least, but I was wrong. Take a listen to this set and you’ll see my problem: all the songs are
originals, penned by Andy and displaying an insight and depth not usually associated with teenagers, and his
singing voice also sounds mature and soulful. He is a master of Blues and roots guitar styles, whether it is the
rockabilly styled opener, the country inflected ‘When’, the blues ballad ‘I Want You So Bad’, the soul inflected ‘I
Need My Girl’ or the traditional-sounding Blues ‘I Hate Being Alone’ and the slow ‘Is There Anything I Can Do’
– and he never overplays, not even on the Blues-rocking ‘I’ll Sing The Blues’. I feel fairly safe in saying that the
Blues world is going to be hearing a lot more of Mr. Poxon and his tight little group – I certainly hope so.
Red Roots has also received excellent reviews in Blues Magazine (magazine in The Netherlands) (http://
www.bluesmagazine.nl/cd-recensie-andy-poxon-band-red-roots) and Boles Blues (http://
bolesblues.com/2010/10/02/the-andy-poxon-band-red-roots-review/). In addition, the CD is receiving airplay on
local, national, and international radio stations and has been featured on podcasts.
Previous Venues
(410) 721-0196 (H) • (443) 223-6624 (C) • [email protected] • www.andypoxon.com
Shenanigans, Richmond, VA
Hill Country BBQ/Market, Washington, DC
Blair’s Londontowne Pub & Grill, Edgewater, MD
Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center, Washington, DC
The Jewish Mother, Virginia Beach, VA
Kilroy’s Restaurant & Sports Bar, Springfield, VA
The Bullpen, Nationals Stadium, Washington, DC
Poplar Inn, Dundalk, MD
Fat Boys Country Store, Leonardtown, VA
Glen Allen Cultural Arts Center, Glen Allen, VA
Loafers Beach Club, Raleigh, NC
Wilberts Food and Music, Cleveland, OH
Anthony’s Bar & Grill, Dunkirk, MD
Harborplace Summer Concert Series, Baltimore, MD
Bethany Blues, Lewes, DE
Joe Squared - Station North, Baltimore, MD
KClingers Tavern, Hanover, PA
Pompei Lounge, Staunton, VA
LOCAL Chop & Grill House, Harrisonburg, VA
Earth Dog Cafe, Berkeley Springs, WV
Night Cat, Easton, MD
Huntt’s Tavern, Pomfret, MD
Sacramento Music Festival, Sacramento, CA
Music & Wine Festival, Harrisburg, PA
Sailabration 2012, Inner Harbor, Baltimore, MD
The Hickey Tavern, Allegany, NY
First Sunday Annapolis, Annapolis, MD
Blue 5 Restaurant, Roanoke, VA
Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival, 2011 (with Daryl Davis)
Colonial Beach Blues Festival, Colonial Beach, VA
Artscape 2011, Baltimore, MD
Blue Parrot Bar & Grille, Wilmington, DE
Westminster Library, Westminster, MD
Mangos Bar & Grill, Rose Haven, MD
Beach Cove Restaurant, Chesapeake Beach, MD
Rams Head Tavern On Stage, Annapolis, MD
State Theatre, Falls Church, VA
Capital Ale House, Richmond, VA
Lexington Market, Baltimore, MD
Austin Grill, Annapolis, MD
Bluemont Concert Series, Capon Bridge, WV
Kent Island Yacht Club, Kent Island, MD
First Sunday Festival, Annapolis, MD
Swinetastic BBQ Festival, Frederick, MD
Madam’s Organ, Washington, DC
The Music Cafe, Damascus, MD
Westminster Church, Washington, DC
Pickled Herring Pub, North East, MD
Rod and Reel, Chesapeake Beach, MD
Annual Tomato Festival, Annapolis, MD (2010 & 2011)
Baltimore Book Festival, Baltimore, MD (2010 & 2011)
Riverdale Park Day, Riverdale, MD
Eastport-A-Rockin’, Annapolis, MD
Old Bowie Town Grille, Bowie, MD
Surf Club Live!, Hyattsville, MD
Bangkok Blues, Falls Church, VA
Bare Bones Grill, Ellicott City, MD
JVs, Arlington, VA
219/Basin Street Lounge, Alexandria, VA
Annapolis Harbour Queen, Annapolis, MD
Greenbelt Blues Festival, Greenbelt, MD (2009, 2010, 2012)
Calvert House Inn, College Park, MD
New Deal Cafe, Greenbelt, MD
House of Wing, Herndon, VA
Silver Spring Blues Festival, Silver Spring, MD
Varsity Grill, College Park, MD
Delta Blues Juke Joint, Waldorf, MD
Potomac Grill, Rockville, MD
White Hall Pool, Bowie, MD
Homeless Resource Day, P.G.Comm. College, Largo, MD
Wounded Warriors Benefit, Greenbelt, MD