The Samantha Fish Blues Band

A 20-year-old dynamo with incredible talent and an impeccable sense of tradition, Samantha Fish imbues the most standard of blues standards with youth and enthusiasm. Inspired by the likes of Koko Taylor, Muddy Waters and Bonnie Raitt, her live persona is part self-assured fireball, part slinky siren. Fish’s vocal takes are full of emotional resonance and heart, her guitar solos grungy and gutsy. - Colombia Daily Tribune

Twentysomething Samantha Fish, in town with the visiting Kansas City Blues Caravan, packs a surprising double-punch. She’s a powerful vocalist in the Janis Joplin vein (which means, for those with a longer perspective, the Esther Phillips vein), but she’s also a promising blues guitarist, which still has some novelty for blues women today. What’s particularly strong about her talent, though, is that for such a young artist she has a very mature control of performance dynamics, rarely pushing a song outside its boundaries, avoiding the melodramatic pitfalls that many young blues musicians, male and female, have made into a near-cliche over the years. She’s earnest without being cloying, and has a wide range both vocally and as a guitarist, which bodes very well for her future. - Chicago Blues Tour

The IBC is one way to determine who will carry the Blues torch into the future, but there are budding Blues stars popping up everywhere. In Kansas City , Samantha Fish is carving out her own niche and rapidly becoming the local “It” girl. It wasn’t too long ago this young lady was a regular on the open jam circuit. She soon got the attention of some of the top players in town. Before long she started her own band and now hosts her own open jam at Hannibals Waldo Bar & Grille in KC MO every Monday night. She has shared the stage with the likes of Billy Gibson, Mike Zito, Tab Benoit and Aron Burton. The Samantha Fish Blues Band has played all the top Clubs in town including Knuckleheads Saloon, BB’s Lawnside BBQ, and The Hideout and they will soon be taking part on the KC Blues Caravan (more on that later) and rumor has it even the Legendary Blues Cruise. All this and she isn’t even old enough to buy herself a beer. But don’t be distracted by her youthful appearance; she looks like a young Katherine Heigl, but she can knock the Blues around better than a lot of people twice her age. The Samantha Fish Blues Band recorded a live CD in November of ’09 with Steve McBride. Steve McBride has recorded many of the top Blues acts in town including Trampled Underfoot, Ron Teamer, and Scottyboy Daniel. Currently she is working with her trio (that includes Paul Greenlease on bass and xxxxxxxx on drums) on some new original material. In addition to Hannibal ’s on Monday nights the band also plays every Thursday at Longbranch Saloon on 90th and Metcalf in Overland Park , Kansas . Keep your eyes peeled, because it won’t be long before you see Sam jam in your town. Just remember you read it here first, baby. Go to http://www.myspace.com/samanthafishblues to find out more. - Big City Rhythm and Blues