Internationally acclaimed blues singer/guitarist Joanna Connor will bring her electrifying live show to the Midnight Blues Club Sunday, Feb. 20, as part of its 2005 Sunday Night Blues Series.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and raised in Worcester, Mass., Connor received her first guitar at age 7 and was singing with various local groups by the time she reached high school. In 1981, she formed the Pino/Connor Band with guitarist Ken Pino, playing at clubs and colleges throughout New England.
After paying her dues and gaining respect in the Northeast, Connor moved to Chicago, a city with a rich tradition for blues music. Her first gig in the Windy City was with slide guitar great Johnny Littlejohn. In March of 1985, she was invited to join Dion Payton’s popular 43rd Street Band. Payton showcased Joanna, who soon became known for her slashing lead guitar work, moving slide guitar solos and strong, impassioned vocals.
Connor’s debut album on Blind Pig Records, “Believe It,” was released in 1989 and received rave reviews from critics across the country. In fact, Grammy Award-winning producer Jim Gaines signed on to produce her second release, “Fight,” also on the Blind Pig label.
The Joanna Connor Band has become a main attraction at major blues festivals and leading blues clubs around the nation.
Connor has also developed a strong following in Europe, especially Germany where she was featured several times on national television, Brazil and Japan.
In 1996, Connor released “Big Girl Blues,” her third recording on the Blind Pig label and proof of her maturity as a guitarist and songwriter. Living Blues Magazine called her “a slide guitarist of ferocious intensity.”
“Slidetime,” her fourth CD on the Blind Pig label, combined gritty guitar work with strong vocals to drive home 11 self-penned songs.
In 2002, she moved to MC Records with a 14-track CD simply titled “The Joanna Connor Band.”
For more information about the Midnight Blues Club or the Sunday Night Blues Series, visit www.3clubs.com.
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