Featured Artists    ***   Reservations Recommended

 Alizon with Michelle Willson and Scott Shetler Wednesday March 3

Alizon is joined by Michelle “Evil Gal” Willson on vocals, Scott Shetler on Sax and Clarinet, and Ed Scheer on drums

 Groove Authority March 5

Shirley Lewis band with Friends   Saturday March 6 – reservations suggested

Award winning blues artist, member of the Down home Blues Society and all around legend in the Blues community. Ms. Lewis began her career opening for such artist as BB King and Ike and Tina Turner.

Alizon, Monster Mike Welch, Rosy Rosenblatt, and Chris Rivelli.  Wednesday March 10

Alizon is joined by Monster Mike Welch on guitar, Rosy Rosenblatt on harmonica, and Chris Rivelli on drums. 

Professor Harp Friday March 12 

Muzik Makerz   Saturday March 13

Timo Arthur Band   Wednesday March 17

About Tyme Friday March 19 

Shirley Lewis Band   Saturday March 20

Award winning blues artist, member of the Down home Blues Society and all around legend in the Blues community. Ms. Lewis began her career opening for such artist as BB King and Ike and Tina Turner.

Alizon with Ed Scheer on drums    Wednesday March 24

  Love Dogs Friday March 26

 Muzik Makerz Saturday March 27

 Alizon Presents – Monthly R&B Jam Wednesday March 31

Michelle “Evil Gal” Willson with Scott Shetler Friday April 2

Smoken’ Resident Artists

Sundays 7 – 10 PM

Geoff Bartley and Friends

Geoff has been called both a prophet and the “Godfather of the Boston Folk scene”. Most know him for his writing skills (having songs played by the likes of Mary Black and John Gorka) and for touring as a soloist and accompanist for Tom Paxton. He can play some mean acoustic blues and smokin’ bluegrass too. Each week he is joined by a special guest

Tuesdays 7:30 – 10:30 PM

The Gumbo Kings

Every Tuesday is Fat Tuesday at Smoken’ Joe’s! This collaboration assembled just for us consists of Brad Faucher (Muzik Makerz, This is Soul), Ed Scheer (Love Dogs), and Bruce Bears (Duke Robillard , Big Jack Johnson, Toni Lynn Washington) playin New Orleans favorites, Blues, and soul.

Wednesdays 7:30 – 10:30 PM

Alizon Lissance and Friends

(soloist and member of The Love Dogs) Alizon is one of New England’s most intriguing performing and recording artists. Playing piano since the age of six, her gutsy rock n roll blues style has been honored at home and across the world. Each week she invites a guest or two to sit in and create a new and different color.

Thursdays 8:30 – 11:30 PM

The Philip Pemberton Band

Smoken’ Joe’s got soul on Thursday night with this collaboration only found here. Philip Pemberton (lead singer for Roomful of Blues) has been said to be a man who could sing his way out of jail. In fact that is the only reason we can figure why he isn’t in jail. He is joined by Brad Faucher on Guitar (see Gumbo Kings), Lee Lundy (Charles Locke, Denny Laine, Shirley Lewis), and John Cameron keyboards (Bim Skala Bim).

We’ll be celebrating Mardi Gras for 2 weeks this year beginning on Wednesday February 3rd. 

Joe is cooking up some special New Orleans favorites too including a Crawfish Boil and Crawfish Etouffee sometime this weekend (the shipment got delayed because of the Superbowl – call to confirm).

Some of the special guest artists already signed up are as follows. See the schedule for dates and times

 Scott Schetler on Sax and Clarinet

Chad Huval on Cajun Accordian

Ron Levy

The Hot Tamale Brass Band

Amadee Castanell on sax and flute

The Barrett Anderson Band

Fat Tuesday with the Gumbo Kings with special guest Myanna on Sax

That’s right Chris Beard right here at Smoken’ Joe’s on Friday February 26 with opening act the Barrett Anderson Band .

This will be a very special show sponsored in part by the Boston Blues Society and Palm Beer Company. The show will begin at 8PM. Tickets are on sale now at Smoken’ Joe’s. Call 617-254-5227.

Chris Beard joins the leaders of the newest generation poised to take music into the next century. Beard was born into the Blues of Rochester, New York on August 29, 1957 as son of blues guitarist Joe Beard, who is just now receiving recognition as a recording artist. Chris grew up surrounded by blues players and the music. Naturally there were many greats passing through the house as they came to town to do shows with Joe and his band. Buddy Guy and Matt Murphy are just two of the many ace guitarists Chris remembers from those early days.
Chris Picked up the guitar at age five and there was no looking back. The first tune he could pick out was “Green Onions”, which is appropriate as that funky mix of blues and instrumental panache that characterizes so much of his style today. At age 15, Beard was working steadily with an established R&B band, now known as national recording artists, CAMEO. Invited to go on the road, mom said no, he had to finish school. After years of working as a sideman in local bands and with his father, Chris took the big step of fronting his own group and setting out to establish himself as a serious modern Blues artist. With songwriting influences acknowledged such as Luther Allison, Albert King, Buddy Guy and Johnny “guitar” Watson, this young man has also carved out an identity for himself as a talented writer.

In June of 1998, Beard released his first CD “Barwalkin”, which earned him a 1998 nomination for the W.C. Handy Award, “Best New Blues Artist”, the Oscar of the blues world. In 1999 he won the Muddy Waters Award by Blues Beat Magazine, “New Talent of the Year”. Chris Beard’s warm soulful voice was ideally suited to his material and the songs were written by Chris and steeped in the Blues tradition, but with a nice new contemporary edge. Producing this CD for Chris was recording artist Johnny Rawls, a Soul/Blues veteran and former O. V. Wright Bandleader that brought in the sweet southern soul and deep blues grooves to this project.

His next release in 2001, “Born to Play the Blues”, Chris produced himself and showcases his own feeling for the blues. His powerful and passionate vocals, punctuated by his talent for strong, clean guitar lines, result in a sound that is emotionally charged and impeccably played.

Chris Beard’s third CD, “Live Wire”, also produced by Chris, was released in 2005. A compilation of two “live” performances in Grand Rapids, MI and Chicago, IL which contains new songs and bonus studio tracks. This disc exhibits, without doubt, Chris’ extraordinary talent as a musician and contemporary blues artist. His absolute stage presence and showmanship come through to take you there in the listening. This CD seals Beard’s place in the top rank of the young bluesmen for the future.

Joining Barrett Anderson will be Per Hanson on drums, Washtub Robbie on 2-string bass, and Richard “Rosy” Rosenblatt on harmonicas.

The Professor returns on Jan 8th to celebrate Joe’s birthday. That’s right Joe (the man- not the restaurant) turns **(we can’t really say) this Friday and we are going to celebrate. The show begins at 9PM. Eertainment charge $5. For more information on Professor Harp go to his website at http://www.professorharp.com/professorharp/index.htm

We are fortunate to have Barrett Anderson perform on Wednesday January 6 from 7 to 10PM.

There will be no entertainment charge for this show. Come on down and meet this rare talent.

Blues singer and guitar player Barrett Anderson has experience that belies his age of 26. Barrett toured extensively throughout the northeast as a member of internationally renowned bands, Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters, and The Monster Mike Welch Band, has performed with many legends including Levon Helm (The Band), Kim Wilson (The Fabulous Thunderbirds), Pinetop Perkins and Bob Margolin (The Muddy Waters’ Band), T-Model Ford and more.

In 2007 he went to North Mississippi and recorded his debut album, All the Way Down, at Jimbo Mathus’ Delta Recording Service. His album was produced by Jimbo Mathus (The Squirrel Nut Zippers, Buddy Guy), and features Barrett’s red hot electric guitar backed by a smoking North Mississippi boogie trio. He is currently back in the New England clubs he knows so well, performing in a trio, bringing his brand of “renegade” blues to the ecstatic crowds and packed dance floors. He is not to be missed.

Oh, and for all you Alizon fans, not to worry. She took a week off and will be back next week with Scott Schetler.