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Cathy Lemons and Johnny Ace with their new CD "Lemonace" have hit the jackpot when it comes to dishing up some rocking, soul-drenched blues. Andy Grigg of Real Blues Magazine says of the effort, "If Cathy Lemons and Johnny Ace don’t become Blues ‘Stars' because of this disc then there ain’t no hope for the future of Mankind.... I declare this to be the greatest thing I’ve heard so far in 2010!"

Cathy Lemons started singing blues back in the day when very few women dared attempt this hard-edged genre. Well, according to Andy Grigg, Cathy's singing "drives home the claims by the West Coast crew that she’s the finest female vocalist with straight hair (Real Blues 2010)." During the Texas blues explosion and at the age of only 23, she recorded with Anson Funderburg and performed with Stevie Ray Vaughan. Cathy came out to the dream state of California in 1986 and worked briefly with Mark Hummel and Paris Slim and then moved on to become John Lee Hooker's send off singer, touring with his Coast to Coast Blues Band in 1987. She has been headlining her own bands since then, working with the Bay Area's finest guitarists, but when she teamed up with blues veteran, bass player, and singer Johnny Ace in 1995, a magical partnership was formed that has endured for 15 years.

Johnny Ace is one of the most respected blues bass players in the business today and a consummate showman. He hails from NYC and has played with a veritable who's who in blues: Otis Rush, John Lee Hooker, Victoria Spivey, Eddie “Clean Head” Vinson, Roscoe Gordon, Charlie Musselwhite, Boz Scaggs, Elvin Bishop, and many others. It has been said that "Johnny Ace plays the bass like it amplifies his heartbeat" ( Midwest Record 2010), but he is also known for his wild stage antics, tremendous energy, and his own special brand of sly east coast humor -- no one is spared. Ace also writes regularly for Big City Blues, a national magazine out of Detroit, and he is a gifted photographer--see links below for details.

Lemons and Ace are joined by tasteful guitarist Pierre Le Corre from Marseilles, France and San Jose's own hard-driving drummer, Artie "Stix" Chavez--see their bios below.

This is a red hot band with a red hot CD which sports a stellar cast of guest artists: Kid Andersen, Tommy Castro, David Maxwell, Paul Oscher, and Ron Thompson.

To Purchase 'Lemonace" go to http://vizztone.com or CLICK HERE.

The Band

Guitarist Pierre Le Corre, Vocalist Cathy Lemons, Bassist & MC Johnny Ace, and Drummer Artie "Stix" Chavez. Photo: Victoria Smith

Pierre Le Corre: Guitar
Pierre arrived on the San Francisco blues scene from a far away and unlikely place, Marseilles, France. He studied music in Geneva Switzerland in his early twenties and later while in europe became a professional musician playing guitar in a variety of styles. Pierre became dedicated to blues music soon after his european experience and moved with his wife and two daughters to San Francisco. He has played with many fine Bay Area voicalisrts throughout his 10-year tenure such as Lady Bianca, and Tia Carrol, and Lisa Kindred. He is a welcome addition to the Lemons/Ace band--a tasty, skilled, and versatile player with a keen ear for detail. Real Blues Magazine says "Guitarist Pierre Le Corre is a funk tornado.... and should be considered in the ranks of Kid Ramos and Rick Holmstrom when it comes to West Coast Guitar. He is featured throuhout the new CD "Lemonace," playing both lead and rhythm guitars, plus slide.
Artie "Stix" Chavez: Drums
Artie started laying down the beats in 1967 as a teen with Tommy Castro who was his early band mate. In the 80's, he was a founding member of the Seattle rock band "Strutt," which was the hottest ticket in town. He also did session work, recording with such luminaries of the late ‘80’s rock scene as Roger Fisher (lead guitarist for the band Heart). But Artie wanted to return to his roots, both geographically and musically. He made the decision to move back to the Bay Area to establish himself as a blues drummer— mission accomplished. Artie “Stix” Chavez has performed with some class acts—just to name a few: Tommy Castro, Sonny Rhodes, Kenny Neal, Tia Carrol, and the master of the boogie himself, Ron Thompson. Artie is a fabulous and addition to Lemons/Ace because he works so well with a trio and knows how to fill up the sound without overwhelming it. Artie loves to play and it shows: he literally shines on stage.

To read an in-depth bio on Cathy Lemons go to the "Cathy" link above or click HERE

To read more about Johnny Ace who has played with many a blues giant go to the "Johnny" link above or click HERE

To see Johnny Ace's photgraphy website click HERE

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