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For more than 30 years, The Nighthawks
have entertained audiences all over the world with their
unique blend of blues, rock,
soul, R&B, rockabilly and swing. Their hard driving,
soulful, and sometimes raucous live performances earned
them a reputation as "the world’s best bar band." They've
played along side legends that include Muddy Waters,
BB King, Gregg Allman, Pinetop Perkins, John Lee Hooker (and
more) and have helped launch the careers of numerous blues
artists.
Throughout their career, The Nighthawks have released more
than 20 albums and have toured the U.S., Canada, Europe and
Japan. They play a wide variety of music that has appeal
to a diverse audience.
The
group is made up of four extremely high caliber performers: Mark
Wenner (vocals and harmonica), Pete Ragusa (drums and vocals),
Paul Bell (guitar and vocals), and Johnny Castle (vocals
and bass).
 The Nighthawks currently play 175-200 shows
a year and are considered one of the best and most active
blues bands around.
In recent years, the band has also received their share of
TV exposure, appearing first on the show “Homicide” on
NBC and then on the HBO program “The Wire.”
In 2004, The Nighthawks
made a change to their lineup - when long time members, Mark
Wenner (harp/vocals) and Pete Ragusa
(drums/vocals), were joined by Paul
Bell (guitar/vocals) and Johnny Castle (bass/vocals).
This new lineup transformed what was already an internationally
respected blues band into a highly energetic
and extremely versatile musical powerhouse -
leaving fans to conclude that "The
Nighthawks are now the best they've ever been!"
"All
in all, Ragusa's rock-steady drumming and singing,
Wenner's virtuoso
harp stylings and gritty
vocals, Bell's on-the-mark, bluesy soloing, and Castle's
pumping bass and singing show why this present Nighthawks outfit
is
their funkiest and most powerful yet."
-- Alan Kurzer
Blues News, Natchel' Blues Network
April 2005 OK
everybody, all that post-Jimmy Thackery era lament and
whining can be put to rest once and for all. This is the
best live
set I’ve seen them perform since the mid-1980s ...Rockabilly,
Soul, R&B (the real kind), Roots Rock, and Boogie are
all integral parts of a Nighthawks show. They never were
a mere
Blues band.
-- Beardo
BluesWax's Blues Beat
April 2005 "
...a blues summit, wherein the Nighthawks team up with the great
guitarist Hubert Sumlin." "...the Nighthawks
are typically in fine bar-band form, playing plenty of
road-tested
tunes and
frequent requests, such as 'Can't Get Next to You' and
'Pretty Girls and Cadillacs.'" -- Mike Joyce
Review of "Live at the State Theater DVD"
The Washington Post
December 2004
"there's
not a whit of pretension, they run their band like a
well-oiled machine, and they're guaranteed to put a smile
on your face - or at bare minimum, some sweat."
--
Creative Loafing
Charlotte, NC |
CURRENT CD/DVD RELEASE
The Nighthawks:
Blue Moon in Your Eye
Live at The Barns at Wolf Trap
Rolling Storm (2006) |
