Nola Blue Records celebrates Women’s History Month with the announcement of three major new album releases this summer by Maria Muldaur, Candice Ivory and the Alexis P. Suter Band. In chronological order they are: June 6 – Just Stay High from The Alexis P. Suter Band; July 11 – One Hour Mama: The Blues of Victoria Spivey from Maria Muldaur; and August 8 – New Southern Vintage from Candice Ivory.
“According to The Library of Congress website, Women’s History Month is a time for ‘commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history,’” says Nola Blue Records president Sallie Bengtson. “During this year’s Women’s History Month, Nola Blue Records recognizes three outstanding women in music, each with their own unique backgrounds and accomplishments; each who will add their own fresh contribution to the humanities in 2025 through the enduring auditory gift of recorded music. We look forward to a sizzling summer soundtrack from the new albums by The Alexis P. Suter Band, Maria Muldaur, and Candice Ivory.
“Among the many activities and accomplishments of these dynamic women, certain accolades deserve highlighting. Alexis P. Suter was the first African American woman signed to Epic Sony Japan and had a number one dance hit in the ’90s called ‘Slam It, Baby.’ Maria Muldaur is a multi-GRAMMY nominee who also was awarded the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Trailblazer Award in 2019. Candice Ivory, a 2025 GRAMMY nominee, embodies the Mississippi juke joint heritage of her ancestors as she fuses musical and visual arts to advance contemporary folk culture in the twenty-first century. These powerfully gifted, committed and dedicated women are important contributors to women’s history in America, and we are honored to represent them.”
The Alexis P. Suter Band’s Just Stay High is the creation of great minds and talent; a musical story spoken from the heart. Working with producer Byron Isaacs (The Lumineers, Levon Helm Band, Lost Leaders), along with Will Bryant, brought extra hues to the band’s coloring book of ideas, yielding magical moments that pop right off the musical pages. Recording at The Building, owned by Lee Falco, added the incomparable and magical energy so familiar to The Alexis P. Suter Band from countless performances at the family’s venue, The Falcon, in Marlboro, New York. Isaacs, Bryant and Falco are also special guest musicians on the album.
“This album is a deep reflection of our journey as a band and as a family,” states Alexis P. Suter. “We’ve been playing together for many years, and we’re always connected. These songs are a testimony, and a front row seat into our psyche.”
On One Hour Mama: The Blues of Victoria Spivey, six-time GRAMMY nominee Maria Muldaur honors her mentor, Classic Blues Queen Victoria Spivey. Known for her sassy, spunky blues delivery, Spivey had her first big hit in 1926 with the self-penned risqué “Black Snake Blues,” the first of many naughty, bawdy blues she wrote and recorded in her long and prolific career. As a blues singer, she worked with many of the greats of her day: Louis Armstrong, Lonnie Johnson, Bessie Smith, Memphis Minnie, Blind Lemon Jefferson, etc., but expanded her career to include acting in movies & Broadway musicals throughout the ‘30s and ‘40s.
During the folk and blues revival of the 1960s, Spivey started her own label, Spivey Records, giving recording opportunities to many old blues veterans as well as encouragement and support to budding new artists. She was the first to record Bob Dylan and offered Maria Muldaur her first opportunity to record, taking her under her wing and mentoring her in the fine points of performing and singing the blues. Now, more than 60 years later, Maria Muldaur presents an anthology of Spivey’s blues, both well-known and obscure, in loving recognition of both her personal impact and her vast contributions to the genre.
“A few years ago, someone sent a review of my performance at the ’64 Newport Folk Festival written by Victoria Spivey,” recalls Maria Muldaur. “It just blew my mind, as I never knew till that moment that she had written that. It was like she reached down from Blues Heaven to bestow her approval and encouragement once again to this blues disciple; a validation after all these years from someone who believed in me and my ability to deliver the blues way before I believed in myself! I am so grateful to have this opportunity to honor my mentor and hopefully acquaint newer generations of blues lovers with her wonderful and unique legacy!”
Candice Ivory, the “Queen of Avant Soul,” takes the next step on her artistic journey with New Southern Vintage. Produced by Ivory, herself, the album spotlights Ivory’s soulful voice throughout, with contributions from a host of blues icons, including Jimmy “Duck” Holmes. Drawing upon all of Ivory’s musical influences, from her great-uncle Will Roy Sanders’ band, The Fieldstones, and her family’s gospel roots to the deep blues of Bentonia, Mississippi, New Southern Vintage ushers in a new era of music.
Ivory explains, “My last album, When the Levee Breaks, was dedicated to Memphis Minnie, the patron saint of the blues. But New Southern Vintage is about the future – and how the distinct vocal styles of blues, jazz, and gospel can come together to become something greater: Avant Soul.”
