"Three!" On The Road!

Currently Blues Underground Network's 'album of the week' in Canada, with the Soul Bag magazine in France calling it "un disque joyeux, fair pour la danse" and Estonia's biggest daily Postimees suggesting the listeners' feet will never stop tapping, "Three!" will be performed live throughout October. Andres Roots Roundabout will kick off the tour with a free show at Illegaard in Tartu this Thursday, October 3rd.

 

Live: Roots, Piik, Terep!

"Three!" Tour!

In October, the trio line-up of Roundabout - Andres Roots, Martin Eessalu, Raul Terep - will be playing five shows across Estonia to promote their new album "Three!", namely: October 3rd @ Illegaard in Tartu, October 18th @ Endla Jazzklubi in Pärnu, October 21st @ Clazz in Tallinn, October 30th @ Kannel in Võru, and October 31st @ Tudengiklubi in Viljandi.

The album has been very well received internationally, as were the original launch shows at Sigulda Blues Festival in Latvia and at Augustibluus in Estonia (see earlier posts!). The most recent review comes from Canada, where Blues Underground Network's John Vermilyea writes that ""Three" takes what you thought about the Blues to a whole new level" and is "the best Blues and Beyond instrumental album" he has heard "all year". In the current issue of the Estonian Kitarr magazine, there is also an interview with the band, conducted by KUMA radio's Andres Põllu right before they hit the stage at Augustibluus.    

Shetland Blues Festival: Pics and Video

The Shetland Blues Festival last weekend was certainly a blast! Along the way, Andres, Steve Lury and Peeter Piik played a set at the Slouch in Glasgow with Craig Hughes, next was a festival show at Haroldswick Hall in Unst with Richard Townend, then the fabulous Mareel in Lerwick with Townend, Andy Taylor and Giles Robson, then da Wheel in Lerwick with Dave Arcari and Beef Cleaver, and again the Mareel with Paul Garner, Sophia Bastian, Townend, Arcari and Robson, as part of a Muddy Waters tribute night. For the latter, the band was joined by Paul Archibald of the Gramophone Jass Band on drums, and a fantastic job he did, too...

To the festival. Photo by Andres Roots

At the Slouch, Glasgow. Photo by Dave Arcari

At the Mareel, Lerwick. Photo by Chris Brown

At the Mareel, Lerwick. Photo by Chris Brown

At da Wheel, Lerwick. Photo by Chris Brown

At da Wheel, Lerwick. Photo by Chris Brown

At the Mareel with Paul Archibald. Photo by Chris Brown

At the Mareel with Paul Archibald. Photo by Chris Brown

With Andy Taylor, Richard Townend, Dave Arcari, Paul Garner. Photo by Chris Brown

News: Gigs in Scotland!

But first, a quick update on the "Three!" album: it made 'CD of the week' on "een uurtje van NiX"/ EnschedeFM in the Netherlands while Andres ended up as 'artist of the month' in the Estonian fashion magazine "Mood". In Germany, the "Wasser-Prawda" webzine calls the album "one of the most entertaining and versatile instrumental albums... and not just for guitar players." And Andres' lengthy live interview for Estonian national broadcasting's classical music station Klassikaraadio can be heard and downloaded here for another week.

OK: the real news is that on Wednesday, September 11th, Andres Roots, Steve Lury and Peeter Piik will play a show at the Slouch in Glasgow with Craig Hughes, followed by three nights at the Shetland Blues Festival: September 13th in Unst, 14th in Vidlin, and 15th in Lerwick. That is the "most northerly blues festival" in the UK, as close to Norway as it is to Scotland, so don't miss this! :)

   

Muddy Tour Pics

The last Muddy Waters tribute concerts by the Haavisto/Roots Band are done: thanks to all who attended! 

The line-up of Ismo Haavisto, Andres Roots, Matias Partanen and Peeter Piik will return next year; in September, though, Peeter and Andres will fly to Scotland for Glasgow and Shetland gigs with Steve Lury.

Here are some photos from the "Ismo Haavisto & Andres Roots in Muddy Waters" show at the Origo Summer Stage in Riga, Latvia on August 29th - pics by Iveta Sēbriņa.