Shari Puorto Band

June 2010: Dave Noyes, Producer/Buyer: "The Irvine Lake 2010 Blues Festival was the largest attended festival held thus far. Shari Puorto set the scene and got the stage rockin' with her energetic performance. Shari rocked the stage for over 45 minutes to standing ovations!! We can't wait to have Shari back next year." - Dave Noyes

August - 2008 - Review "Down The Road" in issue 45 of Blues Matters!
Stuart A Hamilton, Blues Matters!


Well now! I suspected that this second album from Shari Puorto and her Rhythm Addicts might be a rare treat when I saw that the guitars were getting handled by the fantastic Blues player Alastair Greene. And that was before I noticed the name of the legendary Barry Goldberg plastered over production, songwriting and keys! You know, the one who for med The Electric Flag with Mike Bloomfield, who wrote songs for Rod Stewart, Gladys Knight, Joe Cocker, Steve Miller and Bobby "Blue" Bland. That's when he wasn't producing albums by Percy Sledge, Charlie Musselwhite and James Cotton. Or recording one of my all time favourite albums, "Blast From My Past". Add in the powerful voice of Shari , and you end up with an album that will probably end up on my list of favourites f or this year. It's not a perfect album as Shari is at her best when she's letting rip, which means the ballads like 'This Ain't That Kind Of Love Song' or 'I Thought I Knew (You Were The One)’ fall a little next to belters like 'Treat Me Mean', 'Outta Mind' and 'What's It Gonna Take'. As with any woman singing the Blues, Shari has had the Janis Joplin comparison thrown her way, but I get more of a souped up Bonnie Bramlett vibe, even a touch of Rossington Collins band styled southern rock. She lists Etta James, Susan Tedeschi, Pat Benatar and the Doobie Brothers amongst her influences, and it's a heady mix of soul and Blues that raises a smile and lifts the spirits. The bonis live track shows there's no studio trickery, and "Down The Road" is definitely a CD to track down and enjoy. - Stuart A Hamilton

April 26, 2007 / Los Angeles, CA

Barry Goldberg, "Born and raised in Chicago, born and raised to play the blues". If you know Barry or of him, then you know early in his musical career he performed with Bob Dylan when he went electric at legendary Newport Folk Festival. Soon after, Barry formed the Goldberg/Miller Blues Band with guitarist Steve Miller and released a self-titled album on Epic Records. Along the way, he has worked with and helped develop the careers of such rock and roll and blues legends as, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Neil Young, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Bo Didley. Barry also co-founded The Electric Flag with guitarist Michael Bloomfield and later formed the Barry Goldberg Reunion. Barry as a producer has a Grammy nomination and WC handy Award for Soul Album of the Year for the 1996 Percy Sledge Album "Blue Night" and is now continuing his live performances with, The Chicago Blues Reunion. As a special appearance with special guests, the “Barry Goldberg Jam Band” will appear at the Cabana Club in Hollywood on May 12th. The band will consist of such musical veterans as, Gary Mallaber [Steve Miller Band, Bruce Springsteen, Kenny Lee Lewis] on drums, Rick Reed [Paul Butterfield] on bass, Zach Wagner [John Lee Hooker, Lowell Fulson] on guitar, and a special appearance on vocals, Ms. Shari Puorto. Their jammin’ set begins at 9:00pm and continues till 10:30pm. This is one show you don’t want to miss! For more information please go to, www.BluesRockMusic.com or www.cabanaclubhollywood.com - Goldberg Representation

February 3, 2007
http://www.pubclub.com/music/sharipuorto.htm

Her long hair with the slight curl leads down to a figure with more curves than Pacific Coast Highway.

See her in a bar and men are immediately tempted to order two drinks – one for themselves, the other for her. Then she gets on stage and an entirely different kind of attraction emerges.

For Shari Puorto can sing.

A soulful singer with a sexy and raspy sound, she immediately brings Janis Joplin to mind. Like Joplin, Puorto is a passionate performer with an energy that can rattle the foam in a pint of Pilsner. Unlike Joplin, however, Puorto's looks match the voice, making for an especially entertaining experience at the mostly intimate venues where she performs.

From San Diego to San Francisco, Puorto rocks bars and clubs up and down the California Coast. Shari Puorto and the Rhythm Addicts – more on them later – have played places such as the Coach House and Galaxy Theater in Orange County, Martini Ranch in Huntington Beach, the top blues club Blue Cafe in Long Beach, the Deer Lodge in Ojai, San Francisco's Biscuit & Blues, at the Ski Resort of Mammoth Mountain and have been regulars at the legendary Lighthouse Cafe in Hermosa Beach. Mixing creative original tunes with a few select covers – when she sings "Me and Bobby McGee" it's easy to start daydreaming about hitchhiking across the country with her while wearing faded blue jeans and a red bandana – the band brings down the houses.

While the songs' style leans toward the blues, the music has a bit more of an upbeat tempo, giving it a comfortable yet unique personality. This is what Puorto describes as "rock/blues. It's blues with an element of a rock beat. Blues is based on a certain pattern but my music incorporates more of a rock feel and beat."

Credit goes to Puorto's early influences: Pat Benatar, The Pretenders, Led Zepplin, AC/DC, The Doors, ZZ Top, the Black Crows, Susan Tedeschi, Aretha Franklin and Eva Cassidy. Even the Southern rock of Lynyrd Skynard and The Doobie Brothers played a part in her musical development. And, naturally, Joplin, for whom she has a remarkably similar sound and to whom she is most often compared.

"Janis is DEFINITELY an influence," Puorto said. "Mostly it's because of how her singing makes you feel – you could feel the depths of her soul when she sang. I definitely associate with that feeling. The raspy thing, well, I don't have control of it. It has control over me!"

The band has a CD – "Why is the Grass Always Greener" – and another is on the way. The original songs on the CD are a reflection of how Puorto enjoys expressing herself through her music.

"Typically, I write about an experience or a feeling," she said. "Blues music is generally based on feelings, daily lives, and in the old days something as simple as daily chores. It really tells you their stories."

For example, "my newest single release,'Free' is about breaking free and standing on your own two feet and having confidence in yourself. When 'Free' was originated, I was having difficulties in a relationship and that was my inspiration.

"'Why is the Grass Always Greener?' is the title of the latest CD and this original song is about being in a relationship and wondering if it's better to break up or stay together. We've all been there, several times, right, thinking the grass may be greener? It almost never is, by the way.

"Another original song 'Good Evil Girl' (also on the current CD) is about how women truly have power, whether they know it or not. Is it good or evil? Another original tune, 'I Thought I Knew (You Were The One)' is about all the times you thought you met the 'right' person. Coming soon is a new tune called 'Treat Me Mean.' Like the title might suggest, it's about how some girls don't like the nice guys. Don't bring me the flowers, don't call me, but treat me mean and I'll like you. It's not how I necessarily see myself, but there are girls who are that way."

And while it's easy to get caught up in Puorto's lyrics as well as her looks, it doesn't take much listening to the live performances for the rest of the Rhythm Addicts to make its presence known. The dynamic lead guitar of Michael Iba causes that "whoa" effect.


The Rhythmaddicts share Shari's soul with their rock/blues originals.

Steady on the bass is David Abercrombie. Drummer Louie Brossard, Jr., has a long list of accomplishments, including recording with three-time Grammy Award winner Randy Miller and with bands ranging from Willie Nelson and George Jones to Jon Bon Jovi and Cheap Trick.

Puorto's band was formed in 2003 and has since won much critical acclaim. Puorto was Female Vocalist of the Year in 2004 at the South Bay (CA) Music Awards and was nominated for Best Female Vocalist & Best Live Performance in 2005. She was also nominated for Best Female Vocalist and Best Blues Band at the Orange County Music Awards in 2006 with another band for whom she performs as the lead singer, Blues Bettie.

While based in Southern California, Shari Puorto and the Rhythm Addicts have played in other parts of the U.S., and is planning a European tour in 2007.

Shari Puorto and the Rhythm Addicts CD can be purchased thru their website, BluesRockMusic.com, on Amazon.com, TowerRecords.com, CDBaby.com and other online retail sites. Individual songs are available on iTunes and other download sites - Kevin Wilkerson Pubclub.com

Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Shari Puorto to make Halloween rock at Swallow's Inn
By ROBERT KINSLER
Special to the Register
Comments 0 | Recommend 37

Looking to get an early start on the Halloween celebration Saturday?

Shari Puorto & the Rhythm Addicts will bring their unique blend of blues, rock and soul music to the Swallow's Inn in San Juan Capistrano at 2:30 p.m.

Puorto has a strong and distinctive voice capable of emotive delivery of blues classics such as "Stormy Monday" and "Leave Your Hat On," as well as a wealth of self-written tunes like the rock-blues of "When I Met You" from her 2008 album "Down the Road."

Puorto, a resident of Los Angeles, has a voice that draws comparisons to classic female singers such as Janis Joplin and Susan Tedeschi. She is a winner of a Best Female Vocalist honor at the South Bay Music Awards, and her performance videos have been viewed thousands of times on YouTube.

Her band, the Rhythm Addicts, features guitarist Todd Robinson, bassist Dan Malouin, drummer Jake Jacobs and keyboardist Gerry Duran. Puorto and her band have shared the bill with several famous artists, including Dickey Betts, Robin Trower, Coco Montoya, Dave Mason and the Fabulous Thunderbirds.

In addition to "Down the Road," Puorto released "Why is the Grass Always Greener?" in 2006, and she is sure to perform material from all her discs when she arrives in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday afternoon.

She is currently working on her forthcoming CD, "What Love Will Do To You." You can hear a preview of one of the songs on Puorto's MySpace page, www.myspace.com/sharip. - Robert Kinsler OC Weekly

July 2009
Shari Puorto & The Rhythm Addicts - www.BluesBrewsandBBQ.net
The second of the two ROCK THE BLOCK events - Shari Puorto & The Rhythm Addicts hail from Southern California and perform gritty blues and rock classics like their lives depend on it. Shari Puorto has a voice that can serenade as well as knock your socks off ala Janice Joplin. Performing their own songs and blues/rock standards with equal aplomb, her vocals and the Rhythm Addicts really shined on Joplin classics, Piece of My Heart and Me and Bobby McGee. The band: Dan Malouin, bass; Mike Iba, guitar; Jake Jacobs, drum and Shari Puorto, lead vocals. This band is what Rock the Block and Blues Brews and BBQ is ALL ABOUT!
www.bluesbrewsandbbq.net/pictures5.html - - Michael Caskey

Press Release
Jan 25, 2007
WNRC 97.5 FM 'From the Underground' / Dudley, MASS.
Shari Puorto
www.BluesRockMusic.com


WNRC announced today that Shari Puorto is the WINNER!
WNRC’s 2006 Indie Artist for new single release, 'Free'. Live interview will be held on February 15th, 2007 @ 5pm PST.

"DJ Rich Briggs", “Congrats to Shari for being the #1 Indie Artist of 2006 based on incoming requests on the FTU Radio Show!”

You can hear the interview live on the internet. See more information here, www.ftumusic.com.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s238/Spuorto/bannerAd_4copy.jpg - WNRC 97.5FM

Review of, Shari Puorto & Flatfoot’s ‘Why is the Grass Always Greener’ EP

Written by: Bruce Von Stiers
BVS Reviews
www.BVSReviews.com/about.htm

Every once in a while I come across a vocalist who just blows me away. The latest vocalist I’ve come across that falls into that category is Shari Pourto. She fronts a couple of bands, notably Flatfoot and Blues Bettie. This year Shari has put out a six song album that she titled Why Is The Grass Always Greener. From the first verse of the first song on the album, you will be blown away too.

Joining Shari on the album are Michael Iba, Leon Abner and David Abercrombie. Michael plays guitar, Leon drums and David is on bass. And Shari provides all the vocals.

The first song on the album is Voodoo Woman. Shari does a great job of covering this Koko Taylor song. Shari shows here that she can really belt out those hot, steaming blues vocals.

Shari has been compared to artists like Bonnie Raitt, Janis Joplin and even Melissa Etheridge. She has performed on the same stage as Dickey Betts, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and Dave Mason. Shari seems to have a liveliness that, if bottled, could be sold as a top notch energy drink.

The second song is the title track, Why Is The Grass Always Greener. It is a song that Shari and Michael Iba wrote. The song is styled in a classic Blues format. The blues guitar gives a solid backdrop for the sulky, yet smooth vocals by Shari.

The third song is another that Shari/Michael tune. It has a great guitar intro. This song, Good Evil Girl, tells about how a woman can get what she wants with little or no effort. There is a guitar bridge that is a tough rock piece, giving this song a good mix of styles.

Another cover on the album is John Prine’s Angel From Montgomery. I think that this is about the best cover of the song I’ve heard. I know, a lot of people have done this one. But you just have to listen to Shari singing it to see what I mean.

The fifth song on the album is yet another tune that Michael wrote. This one is a fun tune called I Like To Get Around. Listening to the song you will be definitely reminded of Bonnie Raitt.

The last song on the album is a cover of Randy Newman’s Leave Your Hat On. Whereas I like Joe Cocker’s version of the song the best, Shari and her band do a really good job with it.

Shari Pourto is a great vocalist. Her music ranges from blues to rock and a lot in between. Don’t miss a chance to grab a copy of Why Is The Grass Always Greener. Once you listen to the album, you will understand why I think she is so great.

You can hear a few samples of Shari’s music on her web site. Check it out at www.bluesrockmusic.com. You can also order a copy of the album through the site. There is also a list of upcoming club and concert dates in case you want to go watch Shari perform live.
- Bruce Von Stiers

Creating a Southland souvenir that we can all be proud of, Shari Puorto and Flatfoot interpret a program of originals and well knows songs on their latest album. With guitarist Michael Iba, bassist David Abercrombie and drummer Leon Abner, Puorto belts ‘em out forcefully. There’s a distinctive parallel between her natural delivery and that of celebrated singers Janis Joplin, Melissa Etheridge and Bonnie Raitt. It’s all about passion and communication.

The album starts off with Koko Taylor’s “Voodoo Woman,” introducing the weapons that Puorto uses so well. Her clear, forceful delivery and convincing expression bring it all home. Guitarist Iba provides plenty of thrills throughout the program, combining with the rhythm section for a power-packed session. Their “Why is the Grass Always Greener?” comes with a easier lope, while Randy Newman’s “leave Your Hat On” rocks hard with a powerful band. “Angel from Montgomery” gives Puorto the opportunity to show us her exceptional ballad chops, as she sings convincingly of growing up, getting old, and searching for something to hold on to that we can proudly call our own.
While the album runs a mere 34 minutes, it’s packed with first-class energy and plenty of emotion. Puorto and her band understand the blues. A preview of Puorto’s next release, due out this fall or early next year, reveals “I thought I knew” with piano, guitar, bass, drums and background vocals as a contemporary blues story. It’s a lovely ballad that continues the blues tradition that she’s begun with this recommended release.

--Jim Santella
- Southland Blues Magazine Sept 06 issue

"......before inviting Bonnie Anderson to the stage who thrilled the audience with Chain of Fools and other classics in what turned into a wonderful jam session as other players joined in. This was the highlight of the night for most until California's Shari Puorto entered and blew everyone away with her incredible voice and spectacular show of originals and classic covers. Described as "Janis Joplin meets Bonnit Raitt", Puorto outperformed them both in the opinion of the folks we talked to including people who saw Janis live in the 1960s.

To wrap it all up. HotelTravel.com CEO Blair Spears presented Shari Puorto with a huge bouquet of roses after the show and together whith festival organizer Andy Andersen thanked the audience for supporting a great community event putting Phuket on the map as the blues rock capital of South Eas Asia.
We already look forward to February 20-12, 2009"
Phuket Post - Phuket Post March

http://www.easyreadernews.com/

“The bottom line, whether I’m doing my own songs or covering an artist is [to convey] an emotion. If I can make people feel something, whether it’s in the lyrics they hear or the rhythm of the song – or just the passion that comes out of how you do it – then I know things are good.”

Blues-rock vocalist and songwriter Shari Puorto lives just up the hill from The Mermaid in downtown Hermosa Beach. We met there a few days ago to talk about her new CD, “Down the Road,” recorded over the past year with her band The Rhythm Addicts. The group often plays locally (tomorrow night at Hermosa Saloon) and they’ve just returned from a tour of Asia after opening for Robin Trower in Anaheim.

Influences and songwriting
“I was born in Canoga Park, but I grew up in Connecticut,” Puorto says. “Then, in ’84, my father uprooted us back to California. My musical influences growing up were Southern rock, and rock like Led Zeppelin and Pat Benatar. When I was really little I also liked Bill Haley and The Comets – ‘Rock Around The Clock,’ I played that a million times a day.”

When I think of Southern rock I think of The Marshall Tucker Band, The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd…

“I love that style of music,” Puorto replies, “but also what feeds my soul is the blues. I would never say that I’m a traditional blues artist, but I just love the blues. I love listening to it, I love how it makes me feel. And the writing on this CD has a combination of that influence with a touch of… I’m almost scared to say… country, because I’m not a country artist at all.”

That’s true, she’s not, although the galloping beat that underlines the title track provides just a trace of that genre.

You co-wrote every song on “Down the Road.” What’s your part in the songwriting process?

“My involvement is more than just [penning] lyrics. With (songwriting partners) Barry Goldberg or Alastair Greene, for example, we would sit down and I would tell them what my ideas were for the lyrics if I didn’t have the entire lyrics written out, and the mood I wanted the song to go in, or maybe the tempo of the tune, and then we’d just collaborate from there.”

And your ideas for songs; where do these originate?

“This is going to sound so cliché, really, but life. Anything that touches me deeply is something I’ll never forget.”

The result, 13 original compositions, all based on personal experience: “Which is scary to put out there,” Puorto admits, “because you don’t know if people are going to think you’re crazy or weird, or ‘What kind of life does this girl lead?’ You never know. But you just got to put your soul out there because you find, more times than not, that people relate to your experiences and they’ll remember some of the lyrics in the songs because of that.”

The album concludes with a live version (recorded at the Hermosa Beach Festival in September 2006) of “Hurt So Bad,” written by Tom Hambridge and recorded by Susan Tedeschi, which isn’t – for those wondering – the classic of the same name made famous by Little Anthony and The Imperials. The powerhouse vocals on this closer can easily put one in mind of Janis Joplin.

“We get requests for that song,” Puorto says. “It’s basically about being hurt from being in a relationship and I think we can all relate to that somewhere in our lives. Whenever we do that song people can feel [the emotion] from each one of us, not just in the lyrics and the way I’m singing it, but in the solo, and the lead guitar is just crying, and the bass is just right there, and the drummer is just locked in with the bass. All this together really brings the tune home.”

So if I were to distill the whole album and try to evaluate you, I would say that this is a person who has been in a lot of good relationships – and some not so good.

Puorto laughs. “Unfortunately, yes. Somebody was telling me, ‘I stay in relationships I know are bad because it gives me good material.’ In a sense, there’s a lot of truth to that, although consciously I don’t stay in bad relationships for good material.” She mentions “Treat Me Mean,” a track on the new album, which she emphasizes is to be taken tongue-in-cheek.

“It’s not physically ‘treat me mean,’” she says. “It’s about how the girls don’t like the nice guys. That’s all it’s about. And I thought it was funny because it’s generally true: The nice guy finishing last kind of thing. Whenever I explain it all the guys are like, ‘Yeah, what’s with that, anyway?’ And then we start the song.”

This voice is a power tool
For a blues-rock singer you have a seductive and sexy voice, certainly compared to the cigarette-stained voices of all those old-timers. How did you get the voice you have?

“Well,” Puorto laughs, “I don’t think it was cigarette smoking… I fell into singing ‘professionally’ by mistake. I had a boyfriend at the time who was a drummer and one thing led to another, and they asked me to sing back-up vocals.” Before she knew it, “I was in a band singing some back-up vocals and singing my own tunes, and the next thing I know I was hired to sing with this amazing guitar player in Venice Beach. We played together for three years and from there it exploded – I ended up getting my own band and traveling around California.”

Speaking of back-up singing, on “This Ain’t That Kind Of Love Song,” it sounds like there’s a ‘50s girl group in the background. Is all that you?

“It’s all me,” Puorto replies, adding that she supplied back-up vocals for all the songs on “Down the Road” except for “Free” and “What’s It Gonna Take?”

The latter song has a nice, chugging-along vibe, and not surprisingly it’s one of those crowd-pleasers – along with “Out Of My Mind” and “Treat Me Mean” – that can get people to their feet.

This writer has a fondness for the back-up singing on one of the last tracks, “I Thought I Knew (You Were The One).” Since the song resonates with me I just have to find out—

I assume you wrote this one about me?

“Well,” Puorto says with her Mona Lisa smile, “we’ve known each other for how many years now, two? Right? I’ve been sending you e-mails. So, who knows? It might be; but, again… If I throw it out there and you know, the fantasy’s over.”

Around town
“I love playing locally,” Puorto says, “because I’ve lived here for so long and I know a lot of people here. Not only that, each time I play locally I meet new people who live here. And the more people we know, the better.”

Any less than ideal situations in the local clubs?

“I think the only negative thing,” Puorto replies, “would be that the sound systems aren’t great in some local venues. I wish everybody had top-notch sound systems and PA systems, of course, but you gotta work with what you get, and typically I don’t get caught up in that stuff because I know people are there to be entertained. And if they’re having fun, they’re going to have a great time.

“But,” she adds, “I would love to play Café Boogaloo. As long as I’ve lived here, I’ve never played there. I can literally roll down the hill and hit their back door. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t play there; I know we’d fit in well.”

Your new record is quite an accomplishment, but if I were a rich record mogul (and perhaps the Lamborghini gives me away, who knows?) why should I pay attention to your album?

“I am so happy you asked that question,” Puorto says. “The hardest thing for me is to talk about myself, but I think what I have to offer, and what my band offers, is something unique in the sense that I choose to surround myself with passionate people – meaning my band – that not only connect with their instruments but can make the audience connect with their instruments, with the sound and the tone they’re hearing, and allow them to feel some kind of emotion.

“I think what we bring to the audience,” she continues, “is what a lot of people in their mid-30s to 50s, 60s, remember of the ‘70s era, the passion of the music and the way it’s delivered. We bring that every single time we play, even if there’s only two people in the bar [because] you never know who’s listening. And I think that’s what’s unique about us.”

Coming from some bands, we might interpret this as wishful thinking without the drive to back it up. Puorto would like nothing better than to find a good promoter and continue touring – across Europe and back to Asia, then throughout the USA. But in the meantime she’s not just waiting for the world to come knocking at her door.

“I’ve opened for Dickey Betts [of the Allman Brothers] three or four times, and people e-mail me and they call me: How do you get those gigs? And I’m like, ‘You know what? Get off your ass, get off the couch, get on your computer, make the phone call, send the e-mail.’ It’s like any job; if you want a job you have to work hard to get it, and it’s not easy because there are so many talented people.

“Even if it’s a little local blues jam or rock jam or open mike jam, go. You meet musicians, you meet people; constantly get yourself out there.”

Those aren’t the words of someone who expects a free ride in the music business, but now there’s one more thing in Puorto’s favor. “Down the Road” makes for a respectable calling card.

Shari Puorto hosts an open mike jam tonight 8 p.m. to midnight at the Hermosa Saloon, 211 Pacific Coast Hwy., Hermosa Beach. She also performs there tomorrow night with her band, The Rhythm Addicts, from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Call (310) 374-9060. For more information go to ShariPuorto.com.
ER
- by Bondo Wyszpolski