alligator records Archive
19 Jul 2022
Bruce Iglauer: Alligator at 50 (Part Two)
Continued from Part One… From the artists’ perspective, what makes being on Alligator different? I’ll say this loudly: They’ll never get the personal attention from any other label that they’ll get from Alligator. Even in the days before cell phones, every artist had my home number. And if there was a problem, they knew they
18 Jul 2022
Bruce Iglauer: Alligator at 50 (Part One)
One of Living Blues’ founders, last year Bruce Iglauer celebrated the 50th anniversary of his Chicago-based label, Alligator Records. The acclaimed label commemorated the occasion with a new 3CD compilation, fittingly enough titled 50 Years of Genuine Houserockin’ Music. I chatted with Bruce just ahead of the album’s release date. Your full-page “letter from Bruce”
23 Oct 2020
Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite: Birds of a Feather Make Blues Together
This feature appeared previously in SF Weekly. The musical careers of Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite have followed similar paths. Both were raised in America’s heartland: Bishop in Iowa, Musselwhite in Tennessee. Both white musicians developed a deep and abiding love for the blues, eventually relocating to Chicago. After establishing themselves as formidable players –
04 Apr 2020
Album Review: Roomful of Blues — In a Roomful of Blues
There are a handful of retro (or, if you prefer, classic-minded) acts that transcend nostalgia, doing something special. They trade in forms that had some great popularity in the past, but they continue, making new music in the style, adding their own personal spin. NRBQ is one. Los Straitjackets are another. And Roomful of Blues
26 Jun 2019
Book Review: Bruce Iglauer’s ‘Bitten by the Blues’
Launched in 1971, Chicago-based indie label Alligator Records would grow to become one of the most significant forces in the commercial revitalization of blues. Founded by Bruce Iglauer (who remains at the label’s helm to this day), Alligator has been at the forefront of support for blues artists old and new. Iglauer’s new memoir, Bitten