Kai Strauss & The Electric Blues All Stars

In the organizer's words:

30th Rock & BluesWeek

The days when European artists simply imitated North American productions are long gone. Whether one regrets it or not, the blues has become global and is defended by musicians who give it their individual soul. Singer and guitarist Kai Strauss belongs to this small circle.
"Even as a teenager, I was infected by the magic of Buddy Guy, Albert King and the Vaughan Brothers," says the musician, who grew up in Germany's blues stronghold of Osnabrück and is now regarded as one of the biggest names on the European scene together with his international band.
From his professional start, when he teamed up with Texas-born singer Memo Gonzalez in 1995, to his successful career as a solo artist, Kai Strauss has proven himself to be a guitarist and singer with power and originality. Several German Blues Awards as well as appearances at renowned festivals from Europe to the Caribbean confirm that Strauss has arrived in the international "Blues Champions League".

With "Night Shift", Kai Strauss has now released his seventh album, and once again he has succeeded in weaving his blues roots with elements of his own brand of funk and soul to create an exciting contemporary sound. As a songwriter, he has noticeably evolved. His songs have gained in urgency and topicality, sometimes tackling more serious subjects. Although Strauss has clearly learned the grammar of the old blues masters, his guitar work is by no means paint-by-numbers blues. Delivered in his very own voice, Kai places his guitar licks with energy and sophistication like a South American penalty kick shooter. And when even US blues mogul Bruce Iglauer (Alligator Records) praises Strauss as a musician "who has it all", you know that eight records, TV appearances and countless shows in over 20 countries have paid off.
The blues has always been a difficult field to conquer, but Kai Strauss is well on his way to doing just that.

Kai Strauss
Kevin DuVernay
Henri Jerratsch
Paul Jobson