Biography
Since the closing years of the 1970s, Sugar Ray Norcia has guided his ensemble the Blue Tones through performances across New England. National recognition arrived for the group in the late 1980s and early 1990s upon issuance of its first project for the Rounder/Varrick imprint, Knockout. While directing the Blue Tones on regional tours throughout the northeastern states, Norcia logged extensive time as a supporting musician, an experience reflected in the seasoned depth of his vocals and the veteran assurance of his harmonica work.
He took up blues harmonica during high school years in his home state of Rhode Island. After relocating to Providence, he established the Blue Tones, which soon served as the regular act at a modest local venue. The musicians sharpened their abilities by accompanying visiting artists such as Walter "Shakey" Horton, Big Mama Thornton, Joe Turner, and Roosevelt Sykes at clubs in the greater Boston area. From the late 1970s onward the band retained Ronnie Earl exclusively on lead guitar until his departure to join Roomful of Blues.
Norcia draws upon a wide array of sources that surface most clearly in his own compositions. He names Nat King Cole, Joe Williams, Muddy Waters, and Bobby "Blue" Bland among his primary touchstones, yet he also credits country figures such as Ernest Tubb and George Jones with equal weight. His understated, affable, and modest demeanor leads many to seek him out for personal counsel, and both those exchanges and his individual experiences supply material for his songwriting.
Recordings issued under his own leadership encompass the EPs Sugar Ray & the Blue Tones on Baron Records in 1979 and Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters featuring the Sensational Sugar Ray on Leopard Records in 1982, together with the two Rounder titles Knockout in 1989 and Don't Stand in My Way in 1991. The latter pair present varied harmonica approaches and blues idioms that range from urban Chicago and Texas shuffle to Memphis soul and R&B, the latter illustrated by the cover of Bobby Bland's "I'm Not Ashamed" on the debut, as well as Boston-area amplified guitar blues. Don't Stand in My Way marked the first release on Rounder's newly launched Bullseye Blues subsidiary. The Blue Tones additionally supported Miki Honeycutt on her initial Rounder project, Soul Deep.
In 1991 Sugar Ray entered Roomful of Blues as lead vocalist for the storied jump-blues outfit. During his membership the group issued three well-received albums and maintained a constant touring schedule. Outside the band he appeared on the 1996 Bullseye Blues set Rhythm and Bones by trombonist Porky Cohen and on the 1994 Tone-Cool Rounder subsidiary release Little Anthony & Sugar Ray's Take It from Me. He exited Roomful of Blues in 1998 and issued the stylistically varied Sweet & Swingin', which contained material associated with Hank Williams, Arthur Alexander, and Big Walter Horton along with a guest turn by the Jordanaires. In 1999 he contributed to the Grammy-nominated Superharps collection alongside James Cotton, Billy Branch, and Charlie Musselwhite. Throughout the 2000s he supplied harmonica on projects by Pinetop Perkins, Doug James, and additional artists while also touring with the Sugar Ray Norcia Big Band. Late in the decade he concentrated on Sugar Ray & the Bluetones, an ensemble that earned numerous Blues Music Awards nominations; the 2015 album Living Tear to Tear and the 2016 album Seeing Is Believing each registered significant impact.
He took up blues harmonica during high school years in his home state of Rhode Island. After relocating to Providence, he established the Blue Tones, which soon served as the regular act at a modest local venue. The musicians sharpened their abilities by accompanying visiting artists such as Walter "Shakey" Horton, Big Mama Thornton, Joe Turner, and Roosevelt Sykes at clubs in the greater Boston area. From the late 1970s onward the band retained Ronnie Earl exclusively on lead guitar until his departure to join Roomful of Blues.
Norcia draws upon a wide array of sources that surface most clearly in his own compositions. He names Nat King Cole, Joe Williams, Muddy Waters, and Bobby "Blue" Bland among his primary touchstones, yet he also credits country figures such as Ernest Tubb and George Jones with equal weight. His understated, affable, and modest demeanor leads many to seek him out for personal counsel, and both those exchanges and his individual experiences supply material for his songwriting.
Recordings issued under his own leadership encompass the EPs Sugar Ray & the Blue Tones on Baron Records in 1979 and Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters featuring the Sensational Sugar Ray on Leopard Records in 1982, together with the two Rounder titles Knockout in 1989 and Don't Stand in My Way in 1991. The latter pair present varied harmonica approaches and blues idioms that range from urban Chicago and Texas shuffle to Memphis soul and R&B, the latter illustrated by the cover of Bobby Bland's "I'm Not Ashamed" on the debut, as well as Boston-area amplified guitar blues. Don't Stand in My Way marked the first release on Rounder's newly launched Bullseye Blues subsidiary. The Blue Tones additionally supported Miki Honeycutt on her initial Rounder project, Soul Deep.
In 1991 Sugar Ray entered Roomful of Blues as lead vocalist for the storied jump-blues outfit. During his membership the group issued three well-received albums and maintained a constant touring schedule. Outside the band he appeared on the 1996 Bullseye Blues set Rhythm and Bones by trombonist Porky Cohen and on the 1994 Tone-Cool Rounder subsidiary release Little Anthony & Sugar Ray's Take It from Me. He exited Roomful of Blues in 1998 and issued the stylistically varied Sweet & Swingin', which contained material associated with Hank Williams, Arthur Alexander, and Big Walter Horton along with a guest turn by the Jordanaires. In 1999 he contributed to the Grammy-nominated Superharps collection alongside James Cotton, Billy Branch, and Charlie Musselwhite. Throughout the 2000s he supplied harmonica on projects by Pinetop Perkins, Doug James, and additional artists while also touring with the Sugar Ray Norcia Big Band. Late in the decade he concentrated on Sugar Ray & the Bluetones, an ensemble that earned numerous Blues Music Awards nominations; the 2015 album Living Tear to Tear and the 2016 album Seeing Is Believing each registered significant impact.
Albums
