JOHN NEMETH on tour in Europe

JOHN NEMETH & The Blues Dreamers
(Rhythm & Blues / USA)
BERUMUGA concerts

Only one concert in the Basque Country

BERUMUGA is a summer cycle consisting of concerts oriented towards jazz and blues, although sister styles such as funk, swing and rock and roll make up the offer. Organized by the Bergara city council for the 24th consecutive year, the concerts are outdoors and free. On Fridays in July.

BERGARA (Basque Country) Espoloi plaza. 22:00

July 12 Friday 22:00

For many, John Németh is the best soul-blues voice in the world and a true harmonica virtuoso. Boise, Idaho is not an evocative place at all when it comes to soul music but for him it is where his love for the genre began and the starting point of a journey that has taken him from his first concerts to obtaining 5 nominations for the Blues Music Awards in 2013 alone, winning in 2014 as best soul-blues artist in the world, and best soul-blues album in 2015.

When John was a teenager in the early 1990s growing up in the muddy potato fields of Idaho, he was drawn to the sounds of hip hop and rock bands of the day, until a friend, Tom Moore, introduced him to Junior Wells and Buddy Guy’s classic “Hoodoo Man Blues.”

Together they formed Fat John & the 3 Slims, which is still considered a legendary band in the Boise region. It wasn’t long before he released his own recordings, “The Jack Of Harps” (2002) and “Come And Get It” (2004), with Junior Watson and his band with whom he regularly performed.

Németh moved to San Francisco in 2004, where he was fortunate enough to begin a bittersweet two-year stint with Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets, replacing Sam Myers due to illness. John’s talent did not go unnoticed and he soon signed a recording contract with Blind Pig Records. His national debut for that label was “Magic Touch” (2007), produced by Anson Funderburgh and featuring Junior Watson on guitar. It received an enthusiastic response from fans and media, and was hailed as the new voice of the blues.

Living Blues magazine enthused, commenting, “the Magic Touch record gives hope that the blues will survive.” In 2008, Németh was hired by Elvin Bishop to perform some performances and contribute four vocal tracks to his Grammy-nominated album “The Blues Rolls On.” He released two more albums on the Blind Pig label, “Love Me Tonight” (2009) and “Name The Day (2010), both of which began his long string of Blues Music Award nominations, which reached 27 at last count.

John also won two awards, Blues Blast Music Awards: Best New Artist Debut Recording and Sean Costello Rising Star Award. John followed up with two independently released live albums in 2012, “Blues Live” and “Soul Live.” In 2013, he moved to Memphis, Tennessee where he teamed up with producer, Scott Bomar and his classic Memphis Soul band, The Bo-Keys, to create an album of soul classics, “Memphis Grease” (2014 Blue Corn). John won the 2014 BMA for: Best Male Soul Blues Artist, and then in 2015, with the album “Memphis Grease” he won Best Soul Blues Album.

In 2017, Németh released “Feelin’ Freaky” (produced by Luther Dickinson) on his own Memphis Grease label. Later that year, he was part of a side project “The Love Light Orchestra with John Németh” recorded live at one of Memphis’ favorite bars, the DKDC Bar. The 10-piece band was initially conceived by guitarist Joe Restivo, vocalist John Németh, and arranger/trumpeter Marc Franklin.

Németh returned to Electraphonic in December 2019 with his seasoned band of young musicians, The Blue Dreamers, for a rowdy, swampy, rootsy Southern jam session that resulted in his 10th album, “Stronger Than Strong,” his debut on Nola Blue Records that earned him a BMA nomination for “Best Contemporary Blues Album.” Earlier this year, Restivo, Franklin, and Németh released The Love Light Orchestra’s debut studio album, “Leave The Light On,” also on Nola Blue. And, in 2022, Németh took home the BMA award for “Best Vocalist.”

Musicians are always among the first to respond in times of crisis and offer help in order to lend their time and talent to support a cause. When word spread that John Nemeth was facing career-ending jaw replacement surgery for a potentially fatal condition, several of his old friends (Elvin Bishop, Bob Welsh, Willy Jordan, Kid Andersen and Alabama Mike) stepped up to help him record May Be The Last Time before his operation. Following his recovery he returned to the stage and toured Europe.

 

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