Alex McKown

Wow, what can you say about this young man?  First saw him back in 2011 when this young lad sat in on a couple of numbers with Hamilton Loomis down at Sheffield’s Greystones and made the hair in my ears tingle.

Fast-forward to last Friday night at Sedgefield, and here’s a young man (now at least a foot taller!) leading a 3-piece with a sound that while it’s not a million miles removed from his mentor, Ham-bone, it has a core of Yorkshire grit. (Okay, I know Alex is Derbyshire Peak District.) Alex set forth and virtually played through his entire debut album showing tremendous fret-skills, and for a lad just shy of his 18th, some soul tinged vocals. In a set lasting almost 1hr, only a couple of covers were dropped in, which included a blasting, lesser known Bill Withers track.

Alex wasn’t finished with just the main set; in the 2nd half Laurence Jones called him up on stage and the 2 scallywags jammed through 3 standards like demons - hard to believe their combined ages didn’t come to 40!

Definitely another youngster to keep an eye on. Hell, repeated nominations for young blues player and his album was recorded at Superfly; should have had a thread here before now…... Ashamed to say, he has been up these parts a few times but I've always been elsewhere, but there's a couple of dates below that are going in the diary.

Friday 26 September @ 9pm The White Horse, 22 Pilory Street, Nantwich, CW5 5BD
Friday 3 October Hayfest, Hayfield Cricket Ground, Derbyshire, SK22 2EP
Opening Hayfest Main Stage.  Headliner is Andy Fairweather Low & The Low Riders
Saturday 11 October Marsden Jazz Festival, The Railway, Marsden, HD7 6AX   
Saturday 18 October The Globe, 144 High Street, Glossop, SK13 8HJ
Friday 31 October Barrow R&B Club, Bar Continental, Abbey Road, Barrow in Furness, LA14 1LG
Saturday 1 November The Lounge, Peterlee Catholic Club, Grampian Drive SR8 2RL ( 01915863027 )
Sunday 2 November The Tyne Bar, Malin Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE6 1LP
Saturday 8 November Blues for Langdale, Hamworthy Club,  Canford Magna, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 3AP.
Saturday 15 Novermber The Running Horse, 16 Alferton Road, Nottingham, NG7 3NG.
Friday 21 November Gig booked : New venue and details coming soon
Saturday 29 November Alex McKown ( solo ) supporting Marcus Malone. The Leopard, Doncaster,
Saturday 6 December Brasserie Blues, Abbaye De Neumunster, Luxembourg.