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PRESS KIT Requires Acrobat reader

Booking supplies for venues and friends who want to help out
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Band Press sheet 8.5 x 11" PDF

Band Biography sheet 8.5 x 11" PDF

JMQ - press sheet
the Joe McMurrian Quartet - progressive Roots/Blues

The quartet - Joe McMurrian (guitar, Banjo, vocals), Jimi Bott (drums) – Fabulous Thunderbirds, Mark Hummel, Rod Piazza, Jason Honl (bass) – Pieces, Big Mouth Bass, and David Lipkind (harmonica) - Spigot, SOB, Mad Hattie

JMQ
the Joe McMurrian Quartet- BIO Progressive New Roots/Blues

The quartet - Joe McMurrian (guitar, Banjo, vocals), Jimi Bott (drums) – Fabulous Thunderbirds, Mark Hummel, Rod Piazza, Jason Honl (bass) – Pieces, Big Mouth Bass, and
David Lipkind (harmonica) - Spigot, SOB, Mad Hattie

Joe is a native of the Northern California, San Joaquin Delta region. 7 years ago He relocated with his family to Portland after a ten year stay in various areas of Los Angeles.He carried with him his unique brand of music and has now found the perfect musicians to help him create it. Together as a collective, JMQ is massive machine of sound – a machine that surges through the earth and elevates the forms of traditional American music while also redefining the scope of the road ahead. Imagine If Robert Johnson had heard Hendrix and had hooked up with Jack Bruce, Jon Bohnam and Little Walter – mix in contemporary songwriting and one of a kind musical performances and you have an amazing band.

"A new form of Blues. A fusion of the Delta and their own haunted visions. In a way, when performing live they're like a classic jam band that can take a song and it's theme on for great lengths, never getting boring in the process.But what ever they are, they're extremely innovative with a sound completely their own....This quartet should be viewed as sculptors, or painters. They're creating a new demension of the blues within our dreams...exhilerating and mind-enchanting...a very new and very exciting vision of the blues" Cascade Blues Association, Portland Oregon 2008

"...rich, muddy Delta bottom of blues sources, and onward past the limitations of the form to a more progressive sound, one open to original material as relevant as that of any contemporary, folk-based singer-songwriter.....last year’s studio effort, Rain of Days , and the brand-new Live at the White Eagle— are both truly rewarding listens.McMurrian’s shown impressive growth as a songwriter; his words have become as musical as his guitar playing is lyrical…Some very expansive moments here "
Willamette Week - Jeff Rosenberg, Oregonian music review, Portland. 2007

The Joe McMurrian Quartet is a rapidly growing outfit in the Northwest and beyond. As a solo artist, McMurrian released his debut, "Rain of Days", which was voted the #2 best independent blues release of 2006 by the International Blues Foundation of Memphis as well as reaching the #5 slot on Japan's Tower Records chart.

With his new band in tow, The Joe McMurrian Quartet have just released JMQ - Joe McMurrian Quartet Live at the White Eagle, which spotlights seven new songs as well as some highly re-arranged traditionals, all weaved into the sonic fabric of the JMQ sound.

The live album is a deep mix of Delta/Hill country blues power, delicate finger-style slide contortions, and vocal infused scenes of talking rivers, cities on fire, loves trickery, dogs with gills, smoke building windows, failed preachers, Coo Coo birds, L.A freeways, boats of leather and stone cast across improvisational creationism and Rosewood soaked brain waves.

"We are a progressive blues based band," says McMurrian about the quartet's sound. "influenced by all music and a whole lot of old American music like the blues, But whawe do is anything but regular blues; it's new blues, if you will, and should be seen as modern yet approachable by young and old listeners."

Progressive high energy music, Gut wrenching emotion and energy transitioning to graceful melodies, complex harmonies and challenging meter changes make for the most powerful Roots/Blues music around. The sound is rooted in Delta Blues and Old American Roots music, but it is weaved into a modern concept of improvisation and original story telling that owes as much to John Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix or Led Zeppelin as it does to Son House, Mississippi Fred McDowell, R.L Burnside or Bert Jansch. JMQ is the new face of American Roots & Blues music, one that crosses limiting musical boundaries, trivialities and fads and soars up within the infinity of sound.

”Joe’s guitar playing and singing have that rare quality of unearthly wisdom and understanding. Joe is joined by three of Portland’s most innovative musicians and the connection is as immediate and natural as thunder and lightning…” says Radio host Brad Brenner of Portland’s KMHD 89.1 FM

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Contact:
Web: WWW.Joemcmurrian.Com
Phone: 971 212 3979
E-Mail: Joemcmurrian@yahoo.com