Third Place in Song Contest's Band Category

"Solitaire" feat. Lorete Medne (LV) - one of the two songs by Andres Roots that made it to the Blues & Roots Radio's International Song Contest finals in the Duo/Trio/Band Category - has come third in the jury's Top Ten! Check out category winners HERE.

The above photo by Siret Roots dates back to 2012 and documents one of the rare live performances of "Solitaire", with Lorete Medne on vocals and Edgars Galzons (LV) playing the tuba.

Tartu Pics - Tallinn Tomorrow!

Dave Arcari and Andres Roots will play at Von Krahl in Tallinn tomorrow - Sunday, May 26, doors 6:30, showtime (NB!) 7 p.m.! And yes, the limited edition Andres Roots EP "Loch Lomond Blues" *will be* available at the concert - in limited quantities, of course!

Below are some pics by Rainer Kratt from Thursday's Arcari-Roots show at Illegaard in Tartu - and a live video of "Build Me A Statue", captured by Asko-Romé Altsoo.

News, News, News

The new live EP "Loch Lomond Blues" will become available digitally via Spotify and other online platforms on May 31; meanwhile, there are 45 signed and hand-numbered hard-copy CD's you can purchase at the upcoming gigs: May 23 at Illegaard in Tartu with Dave Arcari, May 26 at Von Krahl in Tallinn with Dave Arcari, and (should there be any left) June 1st at the Record Fair in Harjumägi in Tallinn, as part of the Old Town Days.

There is an interview in the current issue of KesKus monthly that was conducted in March, and there is also a review of the "Breakfast in September" album in Les temps du blues in France, calling Andres "an interpreter who's mastered all nuances of the slide" - watch the programme here. Soon, very soon there'll be more exciting news about this summer's gigs, so watch this space! :)

Solo Shows With Dave Arcari

Even though the May 23 show at Illegaard in Tartu was originally announced as a set by the Roots, Piik & Wilson trio, the band are unfortunately unable to appear - so Andres Roots will be supporting Dave Arcari solo both at Illegaard and at Von Krahl in Tallinn on May 26. Advance tickets for the Krahl show are available HERE.

Andres Roots' new limited edition EP "Loch Lomond Blues", recorded live by Dave Arcari in Milton of Buchanan on March 2 and performed on Dave's National Delphi guitar, will be launched with these concerts at Illegaard and Von Krahl. 

UK Tour & Illegaard Pics

The first dates for Andres Roots' 2019 UK tour with Dave Arcari have been announced: March 1st at Leith Depot in Edinburgh and March 2nd at Buchanan Memorial Hall in Milton Of Buchanan! 

Meanwhile, the "Breakfast in September" CD's made Album of the Week on Ian McKenzie's Acoustic Blues Club on Kansas City Online Radio - and Andres has made it into the history books, as Mart Jaanson's "100 Years of Estonian Music" lists him as 'our internationally best-known player of pure blues'.

Below are some photos from the Andres Roots, Peeter Piik & Les Wilson set at the Tartu Blues Society's 15th anniversary party at Illegaard on December 6 - all photos by Leif Laaksonen. 

Tartu Album Launch & Trio Pics

The Tartu launch of the "Breakfast in September" CD is finally upon us: 8.30 p.m. at Barlova on Thursday, December 13! No cover charge.

Meanwhile, last week saw the first public appearances by the Roots, Piik & Wilson trio at the Tartu Blues Society's 15th anniversary party at Illegaard and at the University of Tartu Library's reopened music department, along with an Andres Roots solo set at the Dave Arcari show at Barbar in Tallinn. Photos by Leif Laaksonen & Svea Pärsimägi.

New Music Video Online!

Last night saw the premiere of Sawmill Roots Orchestra's "Wagon Swing" video on ETV's Eesti TOP7 show and on YouTube shortly after. The voting for this week's Eesti TOP7 music videos has started HERE and lasts until Sunday evening. 

The video was filmed at Tagurpidi Maja/Upside Down House in Tartu, Estonia and directed by Asko-Romé Altsoo. The crew included Marti Savi (grip) and Cristine K. Bartels (make-up) while the video also features live footage filmed by Sirje Penjam at Illegaard, as well as photos by Leif Laaksonen. The tune "Wagon Swing" is available on Sawmill Roots Orchestra's recent debut album.

Sawmill Update

The opening night of the Tartu Bluusikuu festival at Illegaard yesterday was a blast - the Sawmill Roots Orchestra will return for their album launch shows in March, along with Mr. Robert Johnson!

Photo by Kristi Terep.

Elektriteater Photos

Here's a few photos by Liisi Re from Sawmill Roots Orchestra's appearance at the Prima Vista international literature festival at Tartu Elektriteater where the band provided music for Buster Keaton's "The Balloonatic" and "Cops". And don't forget: the orchestra's last appearance this season will be this Saturday at Illegaard!

Illegaard!

Photo by Liina Einla.

The Buster Keaton affair at Prima Vista was fun - next, the Sawmill Roots Orchestra will return without film for a free concert at Illegaard in Tartu on Saturday, May 20. Also appearing: Roots & Terep. 

Tartu, Pärnu Shows - Video!

Roots & Terep's Trad.alt.winter Tour continued with shows at the Tartu Illegaard with Dirty Trainload (ITA) and at the Pärnu Yacht Club/Blue Icicle Festival with Louie Digman (UK) and Ismo Haavisto (FIN). Here's footage from the former, filmed by Sirje Penjam and featuring a brand new tune - "Spanish Run".







Pärnu Postimees also published a lengthy interview with "blues ace" Andres Roots. Next up: Genialistide Klubi in Tartu on Thursday, February 12 with Slinghunt and UnderGround in Põlva on Friday, February 13th with Slinghunt and Desert Queen!

Tour Launched With Lahti, Helsinki Shows!

Piazza Blues, Lahti - photo by Markku Pyykkönen.

Roots & Terep's Trad.alt.winter Tour kicked off last Friday in Lahti, Finland, with the Etelä-Suomen Sanomat newspaper announcing the event with the headline "Estonia's blues king to open Piazza Blues" - and confirming in a later story that the music was "really good." The show was also reviewed in the Puutarhakatu blog: "Andres Roots proved to be an excellent guitarist and an even better composer... His modest-looking amplified acoustic guitar provided a variety of sounds thanks to the dexterity of the guitarist and his selection of pedals. The artist himself appeared modest, too. Needlessly so, for Roots is master class... We'll be hearing more about this guy. You'd do well to remember the name: Andres Roots."

If the Lahti show was opened by Antsu Haahtela with just a man and his voice, his guitar and his full-size Marshall stack, then the next night at Helsinki's Ghettoblues kicked off with a powerful, semi-electronic set from Zalo Duo - with a snow storm raging outside. Roots & Terep followed; to say that the tour got off to a good start would be something of an understatement. Thanks to everyone involved and all who attended - this week's gigs include Illegaard in Tartu, Estonia with Dirty Trainload and the Blue Icicle festival at the Pärnu Yacht Club in Pärnu, Estonia!

In other news, "Chicken Man" has repeated its Eesti Top7 performance and reached #2 on Kanal 2's Reporter Hit Chart as well. Should you feel inclined to vote for the tune there, you are most welcome to do so! :)

Ghettoblues, Helsinki - photo by Leif Laaksonen.

Tours & Posters, Pt. 2

"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.

 

"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.    

On The Road Again

Tartu Concerts!

Andres & Martin will be playing a short duo set tonight (Jan. 10) at the University of Tartu Library - and next Thursday (Jan. 17th), there's the trio show with Raul at Illegaard! 

Roundabout Goes Finland

The January 2013 Finnish tour schedule has been finalized:

January 23rd (trio) - Shipyard Club, Helsinki + MOduo
January 24th (trio) - Bar Mendocino, Helsinki
January 25th (trio) - Pikku-Torre, Turku
January 26th (quartet) - Blackpool, Järvenpää + El Trio

Right before the trip, on January 17th, the Roundabout trio will also appear at Illegaard in Tartu, Estonia!

UK Pics, Finnish Tour TBA

First and foremost, the opening of the Illegaard live music season on October 11th was a blast - thanks to all who attended!

The first show of Roundabout's January 2013 Finnish tour has been announced: Wednesday, January 23rd @ Shipyard Club (Nosturi) in Helsinki, with MOduo. More dates and band combinations TBA soon!

Here's three pics from the Sept. 27th show @ Liverpool's legendary Lomax club, where bands like Radiohead, Muse, Oasis and Coldplay used to play - photos by Frank Hedges:

 

And here's a few from the Roots & Fusion session at Quarry Bank Mill - photos by Jason Powell:

    

Last but not least, the "Electric Dixieland" EP is #17 on the French Blues Radios' airplay chart - that takes quite a few spins, so merci beaucoup! :)

Illegaard Poster!

Photo by Leif Laaksonen, design by Siret Roots.