"...Teacher, maybe you could give me some lessons?"
(Ron Wood to Marcos Ottaviano, after jam session in Bourbon Street - January 2002)
"...and the band they're wicked!!"
(Ron Wood, after jam session in Bourbon Street - January 2002)
"...excellent phrasing, great tone, fantastic guitar player..."
(John Pizzarelli, about Marcos Ottaviano, after jam session in Bourbon Street - May 2002)
"...even in The United States, I have a hard time to find such a good band..."
( Big Time Sarah, after performance in NatuBlues Festival 2002 )
"...no doubt, a great band..."
(Magic Slim, after jam at Kiss FM Radio - June 2002)
"A great player!!"
(Coco Montoya, after seeing Marcos Ottaviano playing with Blue Jeans in NatuBlues Festival, 2002)
"He's a devil!!"
(John Hammond, after seeing Junior Moreno playing with Blue Jeans in Nescafé & Blues Festival, 1996)
Blue Jeans, one of the pioneering blues bands in Brazil, was formed in 1988 by singer and guitarist Alan Marcus, at a time when the market for this musical style was almost nonexistent in the country.
In 1990, as drummer Junior Moreno joined the band, it became a power trio; Over the years, the band has developed a highly personal and unmistakable style, reminiscent of musicians such as B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Freddie King, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Junior Wells, among others.
In 1991 Blue Jeans recorded a videoclip for the song "Cachaceiro", considered one of the best among independent bands by MTV.
When Alan Marcus left in 1993, guitarist Marcos Ottaviano, who had already played with "Cia. Paulista de Blues", "Celso Blues Boy" and "Fickle Pickle" was invited by Junior Moreno to join the band.
In late 1995, Blue Jeans had the privilege of opening the shows of Buddy Guy, a living legend of the blues.
In 1996 the trio was invited to play at "Nescafé & Blues", the most important blues festival in Brazil, sharing the stage with John Hammond, Pinetop Perkins and Johnnie Johnson, among others. The band received critical acclaim and an enthusiastic audience for that performance, who gave a standing ovation, specially directed towards the three players: Marcos Ottaviano, who also plays lapsteel guitar, creating a distinctive sound of traditional roots music, Junior Moreno, "the only musician in the country who can play drums, harmonica and sing at the same time" and Andrei Ivanovic who, according to Nuno Mindelis, is the finest blues bass player in Brazil.
Shortly after, the trio released its first, self-titled CD, a mix of classic blues and original compositions, like the successful mix of "Forró and Blues" on the track "ForróBlues" performed by Genival Lacerda, and the already brazilian-blues classic, "Cachaceiro".
Blue Jeans has performed all over the country, in cities like Salvador, Recife, Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Florianópolis, Rio de Janeiro, São Luis, and São Paulo, playing in top venues and nightclubs like Olympia (SP), DirecTV (SP) Mistura Fina (RJ), Circo Voador (RJ) Opinião Bar (RS), Bourbon Street Music Club (SP), to name a few. They also appeared in well-know interview TV programs and talk shows such as "Jô Soares Onze e Meia" (SBT) and "Gás Total" (MTV); Their music is regularly played on radio stations such as Kiss FM, Brazil 2000 FM, Eldorado FM and Joven Pan.
Blue Jeans has also accompanied renowned blues and rock musicians in jam sessions, including Magic Slim, Big Time Sarah, Peter Tork (The Monkees), Sugar Blue, Kenny Brown, Bobby Keys and Ronnie Wood (Rolling Stones).
In 2002 the band was invited to play the "NatuBlues Festival" in Curitiba and Porto Alegre, where they had the privilege to be the backing band of american singer Big Time Sarah, who was impressed with the quality of the musicians.
Since 2002, Blue Jeans is the host of "Tuesday's Blues" at Bourbon Street Music Club (SP), which takes place in January and February, sharing the stage with brazilian and foreign blues artists.
On 9th January 2002, during one of these shows, Blue Jeans was joined by Ronnie Wood for a jam session. Playing for a full house, Ron himself said: "The band, they're wicked" and called guitarist Marcos Ottaviano "The Teacher".
Their new release, "Come Back Home", expands upon their blues-based influences, adding an eclectic mix of R&B, soul and funk - the result of 10 years of extensive touring.
The CD includes arrangements of blues classics such as "Five long years" and "Never make a move too soon", recorded as a tribute to the master B.B. King. A collection of eleven songs whose performance and sound can be compared to the best blues music played in the U.S.A., the CD also features special guest performances by André Christovan, Flávio Guimarães, Bocato, Ari Borger and Misty, and was produced by Alexandre Fontanetti, who has worked with several brazilian blues and pop musicians such as Rita Lee.
For all these reasons Blues Jeans is considered the best blues trio in Brazil.
Check out the artist's website:
http://bandabluejeans.com.brTrack List:
1. Can't You See What You're Doing To Me
2. Sing A Simple Song
3. Come Back Home
4. Five Long Years
5. Into The Same Old Blues
6. Rock Me
7. Thru' These Hard Times
8. When The Music Stops
9. See The Future
10. Never Make A Move Too Soon
11. Georgia Women
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