Chris Bergson Band ft. Ellis Hooks
Led by New York Blues Hall of Famer Chris Bergson and powerhouse soul singer Ellis Hooks, the band delivers what MOJO calls “gut-busting NY blues” and what Glide Magazine hails as “a modern-day, blues-infused Sam and Dave.” Bergson, an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music, has played with legends like Levon Helm, Norah Jones, and Hubert Sumlin, and his guitar work has been called “a masterclass in subtlety and sophistication” (Blues Matters, UK). Together, Bergson and Hooks have toured Europe extensively, including France’s famed Cognac Blues Passions Festival, and their latest album, Comforts of Home, earned Four Stars in MOJO and a spot on Soul Bag’s Best Albums of 2024.
“Chris Bergson has captivated fans around the world with his soulful sound and explosive performances. The [Chris Bergson Band’s] ability to flawlessly fuse elements of rock, soul and jazz demonstrates their mastery of the blues rock genre and results in a sound that is both powerful and emotionally charged. The band gives a compelling performance that is both technically excellent and emotionally expressive. Bergson's deep vocals and skilled guitar playing take center stage, while the rest of the band forms a strong foundation as a tight rhythm section. Every note they play reflects their commitment to authenticity and passion, which is a monument to the enduring power of the blues.” - Rootstime (BE)
“The music of Chris Bergson and Ellis Hooks is genuine Delta soul blues...The soulful voice of Hooks is reminiscent of the great soul men like Sam Cooke and Otis [Redding] and together with Chris, he turns it into a true party.” - Blues Magazine (NL)
Chris Bergson is an internationally acclaimed guitarist, singer and songwriter. Hailed as "the New York street poet with a blues soul" (MOJO) and "one of the most inventive songwriters in modern blues music," (All Music Guide) Bergson is best known as the leader of the Chris Bergson Band. Elmore Magazine calls the Chris Bergson Band “one of the most talented bands playing today...From blazing rock to funk to soul to Delta blues and all that's in between.” Bergson is also an accomplished sideman who has performed with luminaries across a wide range of genres including Norah Jones, Levon Helm, Hubert Sumlin, The Blues Project and Bernard Purdie. The Chris Bergson Band’s 2007 album Fall Changes, recorded at The Band drummer Levon Helm’s studio in Woodstock, New York, was named MOJO Magazine’s Number One Blues Album of the Year in 2008. Bergson was inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame as a Master Blues Artist in 2015. Bergson's latest album All I Got Left was named MOJO's #4 Blues Album of 2021. Bergson is also an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music where he teaches guitar and songwriting.
All Music Guide writes of Ellis Hooks, who has recorded critically acclaimed albums as a leader for Evidence and Artemis Records, sung with Stax legends Steve Cropper and Little Milton and performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival and Italy's Porretta Soul Festival: "Until the arrival of Ellis Hooks on the 21st century blues and soul scenes with his now-signature meld of R&B, blues and Southern gospel, it seemed that the great stories surrounding these musics had already been told and passed into antiquity...Not so...Hooks is the true continuum in the celebrated Southern traditions of soul, blues, and gospel; his voice, while reminiscent of some of the greats, is nonetheless his own, and his phrasing is a trademark. Given the powerful nature of his recordings and his now-storied intensity in concert, Hooks may indeed be the artist who brings these historic traditions back into the musical dialogue and onto the charts in the 21st century."