Sugar Ray & The Bluetones

The Bluetones formed as an East Coast blues ensemble led by Ray Norcia on vocals and harmonica. Over time its guitar chair was occupied successively by Ronnie Earl, whose résumé includes Roomful of Blues and his own Broadcasters, and by Kid Bangham, formerly of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. In 2003 blues sensation Monster Mike Welch joined that lineage for the quintet’s fifth studio album. Beyond his acclaimed harp playing, Norcia sings with authority and, at peak moments, folds country and jazz inflections into the blues framework. Hands Across the Table appeared on Severn Records in 2005; thereafter the group issued new material at roughly two-year intervals, delivering My Life, My Friends, My Music in 2007, Evening in 2011, and Seeing Is Believing in 2016. Throughout those years the lineup stayed constant while the musicians maintained a steady concert schedule and contributed to recordings by other contemporary blues artists.