Kevin Purcell & The Nightburners
Wauconda, Illinois, United States | SELF
Music
Press
...the audience has come to know Kevin Purcell and The Nightburners for a brand of roof-thumping boogie-woogie that tears through dancing shoes like tires on a NASCAR track…the fiddle player is out of this world, the guitarist is mind blowing no matter what he does. He’ll take a ballad and shred it. And the bass is a serious rock ‘n roller. That’s what he was weaned on…. - Pioneer Press
…Kevin is one of the most talented harmonica artists I have ever heard…audiences always seem to want more. - WSCR Infinity Host of ‘The Score’
…they’re just a damn good band. I’ve seen people just stand and watch the band slack-jawed in some sort of attempt to glean some of the energy coming from the stage…I can’t get those songs out of my head…. - Midday DJ Bill Lloyd
…and the final song is a showcase for Kevins’ excellent harp playing which explodes on this final blow-out number which sees the band tearing up the place and is a fitting end to this powerful live recording by a classy band…. - KBA Award winning Blues CD Review Site
…very intense showman…been known to come down in the audience and sit on laps, dance from table to table, and dance across the bar…some of the best music this side of the Mississippi… - Daily Herald
…Purcell and company have proven that their style (of music) is a major force to watch for from a new generation of performers. The intense showmanship of this rockin’ blues band will give the right combination for a great evening of live music and fun… - Entertainment Weekly
Kevin blows up a storm but leaves plenty of room for the rest of the band to show their stuff too. Nobody holds back…these guys kick butt!! - Suncoast Blues Society
Andy is capable of doing unbelievable things with the fiddle…he can create sounds with the instrument that are much akin to guitar than violin…when he plays, people commonly react by dropping their jaws and staring in wonder… - Pioneer Press Review
Fun, fun, fun. What a band, what a harmonica player. Kevin is like Pan with his flute – he prances and dances around the stage and magic comes out of his instrument. He is another harmonica player that just blows me away…one of the best new bands I’ve heard… - Windy City Harmonicazette
He bound from one end of the stage to the other with an energy that the crowd wildly fed from. It was a fast paced show through and through…I couldn’t help but praise his intense showmanship. - Reggi Hopkins, Music Critic
Discography
ThunderBallin' - 1990
Movin' In For The Kill - 1994
Live From the Crawdaddy Bayou - 2000
House of Fire - 2007
Photos
Bio
Kevin Purcell grew up steeped in Chicago blues and inspired by the musicians who played it. But as his career in music broadened, he developed a deep respect for the southern sounds heard in early country and electric blues. The similarities in the sound were compelling, mainly because the early blues in Chicago had all come from the south. As a harmonica player and lead singer, he became very interested in pursing the legacy of southern music. Soon he was hooked on all the different styles: bluegrass, Cajun funk, zydeco, boogie, and the instruments; dobro, fiddle, mandolin, harmonica, and then there's the songs..Kevin blends all these components together to create a rich tapestry of sounds, from southern country blues, delta blues, cajun rythmns and Chicago boogie for an unforgettable show with a deep love for the music.
Years of playing has earned Purcell a reputation as a smokin’ harmonica player, a powerful vocalist, and a respected songwriter. As a captivating frontman, Kevin Purcell welds the gritty, back alley sounds of Chicago blues with the back roads soul of southern music. When Kevin met Andy Ohlrich, the most fiery blues fiddler in all of the Midwest, the magical sound was unmistakable. The harmonica/fiddle duels/duets have had people jumping to their feet for almost a decade now.
Kevin’s award winning band has shared the stage with the likes of BB King, Etta James, Koko Taylor, Taj Mahal and other blues greats and switching easily to sharing the spotlight with Delbert McClinton, Marshall Tucker, The Outlaws, Wayne Toups and Zydecajun and many more southern rockers.
“The intense showmanship of this rockin’ blues band will give the right combination for a great evening of live music and fun….” Arts and Entertainment Weekly
Purcell delivers an intense, crowd pleasing performance because he thrives on the magical connection between performer and audience. His shows are packed with great showmanship, high energy, intimacy, soul and plain ole’ fun. He leads a band of alchemists bringing crowds to their feet. Purcell has successfully distilled the essence of his roots, the blues, and the great southern traditions that consistently enlighten in a true and original musical experience.
Make no mistake about it; this is one performer you will want to meet.
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