Three guitars, three voices; that’s the 18th edition of Ruf’s Blues Caravan which will take off in mid-February 2023. Thus carrying on a tradition which was established in 2005 when Thomas Ruf, founder of internationally operating German record company Ruf Records, came up with the idea for this kind of package tour and with Sue Foley, Candye Kane, and Ana Popovic sent three of his artists on the road together for the first time.
This time the line-up will consist of Texan blues rocker Ally Venable, Chicago-born Berlin resident Will Jacobs, and Ashley Sherlock from Manchester in the UK, supported on stage by the seasoned rhythm section of bassman Roger Inniss and drummer Denis Palatin.
Ally Venable was only 19 years old when Texas Honey, her debut album for Ruf Records, went on sale in 2019 and together with her then label colleagues Ina Forsman and Katarina Pejak she played her first Blues Caravan tour. In 2021 her second studio album for Ruf, Heart Of Fire, followed. Album number three is currently in the making and scheduled for release in early 2023. In addition, the guitarist and singer from Kilgore, East Texas, was featured as a special guest on another Ruf release, Mike Zito’s duet album Rock’n’Roll: A Tribute To Chuck Berry, joining Zito for the Berry classic “School Days.” Says Venable, “When I play live, I want to connect with people and for them to let go of their troubles.”
Will Jacobs hails from that US metropolis whose name is linked to the blues like no other: Chicago, where in the 1950s the likes of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf or Willie Dixon electrified the country blues of the Deep South from which they had migrated to the Windy City. And he too left his own musical thumbprint in the blues clubs of his hometown before after a couple of whistle stops he moved to the German capital of Berlin where he still lives today. But even if his Ruf debut album Goldfish Blues is audibly rooted in the eponymous genre, Jacobs spices his song material with anything that makes his neck tingle. About the album he says: “I’d describe the music as a funky blues experience.”
Ashley Sherlock is a Manchester-based singer and guitarist whose musical career began with solo performances. Asked for his main inspirations, he cites Jeff Buckley, The Marcus King Band, The Cadillac Three, Gary Clark Jr, and Chris Stapleton. After lots of solo gigs he decided to form a blues rock power trio in 2017 with which he has recorded two self-released EPs and a couple of singles so far. His debut album for Ruf Records is scheduled for release in early 2023. “This package tour is something I’ve wanted to take part in for quite some time,” he says. “I can’t wait to get on the road and play some music!”
Premiering exclusively today is the new Blues Caravan video which finds Ally, Will, and Ashley getting by with a little help from friends!
Blues Caravan 2023 Spring Tour:
4/18 – München at Backstage Kulturzentrum
4/19 – Lindewerra at Gemeindesaal
4/20 – Menen at CC de Stijger
4/21 – Koblenz at Café Hahn
4/22 – Luxembourg at Sang & Klang
4/25 – Stuttgart at Merlin
4/26 – Karlsruhe at Jubez
4/27 – Kassel at Theaterstübchen
4/28 – Offenburg at Reithalle
4/29 – Isernhagen – Hannover at Blues Garage
4/30 – Twist at Heimathaus
5/1 – Weinheim at Muddy’s Club
5/3 – Bonn at Harmonie
5/4 – Oberhausen at Zentrum Altenberg
5/5 – Ospel at Moulin Blues
5/6 – Cleon at La Traverse
5/7 – Dortmund at Musiktheater Piano
5/9 – Vienna at Reigen
5/10 – Rimsting/ Chiemsee at Blues Club Chiemgau
5/11 – Eppstein at Wunderbar Weite Welt
5/12 – Rheine at Hypothalamus
5/13 – Lebus at Kulturhaus
