Traverse City Events: Muddy & The Wolf with Fabulous Thunderbirds featuring Kim Wilson with JJ Grey, James Cotton, Jody Williams and Bob Margolin comes to City Opera House on Friday, February 8th, 2013 at 8 p.m. The performance is presented by City Opera House, Porterhouse Productions and Winter Microbrew and Music Festival. There can only be one outcome when Blues at the Crossroads joins forces with Fabulous Thunderbirds: a hit evening that will keep toes tapping! Tickets start at $28 and go onsale next Friday, December 4 at cityoperahouse.org.
Blues at the Crossroads celebrates two Blues legends: Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. Both have vied for the "father of modern Chicago Blues" title and both are considered the key bluesmen that inspired Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, John Mayall, Eric Clapton and others who brought about the 1960's British blues explosion. Although Muddy & The Wolf are friends, they have also been rivals for the top slot. This friendly competition spurred the creation of classics including "Spoonful," "Mannish Boy," "Rolling Stone," and "Smokestack Lightning."
From the beginning, 30 years ago, the Fabulous Thunderbirds have been led by the one of a kind vocalist / harmonica player, Kim Wilson. The group's distinctive and powerful sound mixes Texas blues and southern rock; they are swamp blues meets R&B. Because of their peerless musicianship and unique vocals, they have a huge worldwide fan base. This has led to world tours with The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton.
JJ Grey, James Cotton, Jody Williams, and Bob Margolin are the backing greats in the show. Over the course of his career, JJ Grey has shared stages with the likes of B.B. King, The Allman Brothers Band, The Black Crowes, Los Lobos, Jeff Beck, Ben Harper, Lenny Kravitz, Booker T. Jones, Mavis Staples and many others. James Cotton is a Grammy winner, an inductee into the Blues Hall of Fame and the Smithsonian Institute, and a recipient of countless W.C. Handy Blues Awards. As the first great string bender on the Chicago blues scene, Jody Williams provided the stylistic bridge between B.B. King and T-Bone Walker and young firebrands Otis Rush and Buddy Guy. Bob Margolin is a Blues guitar player, vocalist, and recording artist who tours worldwide leading his own band, The Bob Margolin All-Star Blues Jam.