Big Town Playboys

The Big Town Playboys are a six-piece acoustic British rhythm and blues revival group. Founded by Mike Sanchez and Ian Jennings in 1984, they cover American music from the 1940s and 1950s, such as that of Champion Jack Dupree and John Lee Hooker.

The Big Town Playboys have released a series of studio albums, as well as a collaborative project with Jeff Beck (entitled "Crazy Legs"), re-creating the songs of Gene Vincent. [Blue, Buddy. " [http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060406/news_lz1w06beck.html Mr. Wizard] ", the San Diego Union-Tribune, published April 6, 2006, accessed May 5, 2007.] Several of their songs also appeared on the soundtrack of the film, "The Pope Must Diet". They have performed as a backing band for Robert Plant, who contributed guest vocals on their album "Roll the Dice" [Cohen, Johnathan. " [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000682724 Billboard Bits: Robert Plant, Vandross Tribute, 'Smile'] , Billboard.com, published October 22, 2004, accessed May 5, 2007.] , and Eric Clapton has also expressed admiration for their work. [Carson, Annette (2001). " [http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0879306327&id=wJszh5l-0yMC&pg=PA220&lpg=PA220&printsec=8&dq=%22big+town+playboys%22&sig=P-hrGLQm5UU4uAJyWoWvbANFJcw Jeff Beck: Crazy Fingers] ". Backbeat Books, pp. 220-221. ISBN 0-87930-632-7]

Sanchez left the band at the end of 1999 to pursue a solo career. Presently, Ian Jennings is the only remaining original member of the band.

In May 2005, the band teamed up with Gary Brooker and Andy Fairweather-Low to give a charity concert called "Aftershock" in India, with all proceeds to benefit victims of the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. [" [http://www.hindu.com/2005/05/07/stories/2005050714220400.htm British bands in fundraising drive] ", The Hindu, published May 7, 2005, accessed May 5, 2007.]

Discography

*"Playboy Boogie" (1985 - Making Waves)
*"Now Appearing" (1990 - Blue Horizon)
*"Crazy Legs" with Jeff Beck (1993 - Epic)
*"Hip Joint" (1994 - Blue Horizon)
*"Off The Clock...Live!" (1997 - Eagle)
*"Six Pack" (1998 -BTP)
*"Western World" (2001 - Indigo)
*"Now Appearing" (2002 - Blue Horizon)
*"Roll The Dice" (2004 - Mi5)

References

External links

* [http://www.bigtownplayboys.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.mikesanchez.co.uk Mike Sanchez's website]
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:39fqxqr5ldfe~T0 Big Town Playboys entry] at Allmusic.