Phat Noiz

Come see Alvin Jett & The Phat noiZ on Sunday July 4th at the 84th Annual Webster Groves Community Days celebration at the outdoor rink in Memorial Park.

Phat noiZ is the headliner from 7:00-11:00 PM. There will be a break for fireworks; if you can hear Alvin, you will have a great vantage point for the fireworks. Bring a chair, bring a blanket and bring your dancing shoes.

Memorial Park is located at the corner of Elm and Glendale, just south of Highway 44.

It was announced today, in the current issue of The Riverfront Times that Alvin Jett & Phat noiZ won the 2010 RFT Award for Best Blues Artist/Band! Shae Moseley wrote "Jett's classic, bending lead lines are backed by the funky, contemporary blues sound of his backing band, the Phat NoiZ."

We would like to thank the Riverfront Times, our fans, and all the clubs and venues. While it is always an honor to be nominated, it is very special to have won.

Our co-nominees make St. Louis a vibrant and exciting place to listen to the best music in the country.

Your new booking contact for the band is Alvin Jett, whom you can reach at 314-723-0641 or via email at phatnoiz@gmail.com

Today the band begins recording the follow-up to HoneyBowl at Smith Lee Productions with the great John Katsafanas. We're excited to work John-John again and think that this album is gonna really blow some minds. If you're interested in following the recording process, hookup with the band via Facebook and/or Twitter for updates, photos and video throughout July.

Those of you less-sophisticated folks will still get your updates the old-fashioned email way!

We also have new shirts available in THREE styles and new stickers will be available very soon. These items are currently available at all Phat noiZ shows and will be available online very soon.

The North American release for HONEYBOWL is May 12th, but you can get your hands on an early copy and celebrate the release with the band on May 2nd.

The band will be performing the entire album from start to finish with all of the guests featured on the record. New Phat noiZ merchandise will be available, and some special surprises are in store as well.

You have no excuse for missing this massive party.

A portion of the proceeds form the event will directly benefit our friends at KDHX Community Radio . So come out and support local music, community radio, and the greatest band in the universe on May 2nd.

Phat noiZ is hitting the road this week for shows in Mississippi and Tennessee before returning to St. Louis to perform at this Sunday's festival.

As usual, look for photos and blog updates from the road at MySpace and PhatnoiZ.com

Honeybowl Release Party Is Set!

Now for the REALLY big news.

After over a year of promised release dates and false starts, we can state with 100% certainty that the new Phat noiZ album entitled Honeybowl will be released as follows:

April 10th - European release date
May 2nd - CD release party
May 12th - Worldwide release date

The CD release party will take place in our hometown of St. Louis, Missouri at the venerable BB's Jazz Blues & Soups. We'll be performing Honeybowl in its entirety, as well as some older faves.

Lots more info to come, so keep your eyes peeled.

That's right folks, Honeybowl will drop on April 10th in Europe according to our friends at Blues Boulevard Records. An American release date will be announced shortly, as will our CD release party (which you certainly will not want to miss).

As usual, it's been far too long since we've updated this site with news, but rest assured: we've been quite busy.

The record is mixed, mastered, and in the hands of our label reps at Blues Boulevard. They're working out the cover art and other such minutae as I wrtie this, and planning for a March 2009 release date. Yes, that's THIS year. The wait is almost OVER!

PhatnoiZ is now on Twitter, a terrific tool that lets you receive instant updates from the band. If you haven't already signed up, visit www.twitter.com/phatnoiz to do so. It's quick, free, and a great way to keep up with the band. If you're already tweeting, click the above link to follow us!

We're currently working with some folks from the St. Louis convention and visitors bureau on a song that will be used in a number of campaigns to promote our fair city. PhatnoiZ is honored to be involved with this great project, and we spent most of today at Smith-Lee Studios tracking the song. Some photos from the session are below (click for larger views).

While our family and friends here in The Lou were contending with rainy, cold weather last weekend, Phat noiZ hopped a plane and hightailed it to sunny Florida for an appearance (and a half) at the first annual Blues Birthday Bash in Fellsmere.

Now before you get all jealous and nasty consider that it was actually kind of chilly for Florida: 60 degrees. I know, I know, that may not seem cold by Midwestern standards but you should have seen the Floridians running around in parkas! Many were dressed for an Antarctic expedition.

In any case, the trip was a blast so here's the recap for those keeping score at home.

After last Friday's show at Backstreet Jazz & Blues we all made a beeline for home since the morning flight would require us to be at the airport pretty early. Security and check-in went surprisingly smooth, and before you know it we were on a comfortably half-empty plane waiting to depart.

As I watched the baggage handler "carefully" toss the guitars onto the conveyor belt I was glad I'd decided to leave my precious cymbals at home. Matt & Alvin were hardly concerned though, as their axes were in hardshell cases.

We were shortly in the air, and the direct flight was mercifully short. Matt and Frank were able to nab some shuteye but neither Alvin nor myself were so lucky. After making our way through the Orlando airport and claiming our bags and instruments, we hopped the shuttle to the Hertz rental terminal.

I should note that at this point in the trip, we felt like a collective Dorothy that had just landed in Oz. The switch from the gray, rainy, leafless landscape of St. Louis to the technicolor tropics of central Flordia was both sudden and welcome. The exotic flora was eye-popping, to say the least.

While Frank scored the keys to our rental (a MINIVAN!) we each made calls home to inform the wives that our plane had not plummeted into the Atlantic. A few short minutes later and we were on the road to Sebastian, Florida. The ride was about 90 minutes, and along the way Alvin caught up on his sleep (and snoring) while Frank remarked what an ugly state Florida was. That all changed as we hit the coast, I assure you.

Our accommodations in Sebastian were at the frighteningly named Inn At Captain Hiram's, but the place was actually pretty great. Matt and I (finally) lucked out and got a killer room overlooking the picturesque Indian River while Frank and Alvin were relegated to the main building across the street.

Our room had scenic views of the water fileld with manatees, dolphins, and all sorts of waterfowl. Theirs overlooked the pool. I wish I could say I felt sorry for them.

After a brief nap, we reconvened in the restaurant connected to the hotel. It was a casual waterfront joint with the typical steel band music piped in over the P.A. but the seafood was fresh and the drinks were tasty so we couldn't complain. After we stuffed ourselves, we changed clothes and departed for the festival grounds in Fellsmere.

It's rare that we arrive a day early for a festival, but Frank had been asked to back up the legendary Matt "Guitar" Murphy on Saturday. This left Matt, Alvin , and I free to enjoy the set and I took advantage of the opportunity to feed my photography addiction by shooting the performances.

Frank did a stellar job behind Murphy, despite having never met the man and only hearing a few of the songs just 2 days prior to the event. In fact, Murphy called on Frank for the first solo of the set! Our heroic sax player barely flinched.

Frank Bauer, Darrell Raines, Matt "Guitar" Murphy

After the Matt "Guitar" Murphy set we hung out with friends we've met on our past trips to the area, including the fantastic Nouveaux Honkies--a band you absolutely have to check out.

The terrific Albert Castiglia followed Murphy, and was joined onstage by the legendary right-hand-man of Howlin Wolf: guitarist Hubert Sumlin. It was a night filled with great music, a lot of history, and a whole lot of fun. We eventually departed the festival grounds (nee rodeo grounds) in search of the after-party and jam session.

Still weary from my lack of sleep on the trip, I departed for the hotel and passed on the jam session. I hear it was quite a party though, which is no surprise considering that my bandmates were involved.

The bext morning I took advantage of the sunshine and our coastal locale and went wandering with the camera (and searching for breakfast), while Matt hung out at the pool and Frank and Alvin rested up. After a relaxing morning of exploring (something we rarely get to do in our travels) we got together for lunch at the hotel's restaurant.

Before long we were dressed for the stage and enroute back to the rodeo grounds for our afternoon set. As usual, the house drumkit was not exactly perfect but we had enough time before the performance that I could at least get it into working order before we lit the fuse on the show.

And what a show it was! Even with a crowd dressed in fleece and stocking caps, we pulled off a great show full of energy and the crowd reacted well, even after Alvin informed them that they'd never survive in a a climate like Chicago.

Hey, he's right.

After signing a bunch of CDs and posing with some great folks for pics, we grabbed a couple drinks from the VIP tent we checked out the smoking Chris Duarte band as they closed the festival and the rodeo grounds.

While there was no organized after party or jam session planned for the evening, we ended up hanging out for hours at the great Earl's Hideaway lounge in Sebastian. As we traded stories with the promoters and a couple local DJs, we all proceeded to drink ourselves into oblivion. At some point in the evening I could no longer see, and ended up stumbling a couple blocks back to the hotel room. Matt insightfully pointed out that we now knew the point at which of each of us is intoxicated:

I can no longer see (Matt says my eyes were literally crossed)
Frank can no longer hear (he's half deaf to start with)
Matt can no longer speak (it's true--jibberish begins after about 3 shots)
and Alvin can't stop speaking.

In any case, we had a blast at Earl's and want to thank Jim, Leo, Dar, and Clay for their collective company and hospitality. We can't wait to see all of you again.

Monday was unfortunately a travel day, but thankfully the flight didn't leave until 2 pm so we all had enough time to thwart hangovers. The flight to Atlanta wasn't full either, so we were able to swap seats and spread out in comfort. The plane to St. Louis looked like it would turn out the same way, so we talked Alvin into moving a couple of times but stragglers kept coming aboard so he played musical chairs amid much laughter from his bandmates.

Overall the trip was a great success, with two terrific performances and a ton of leads on new gigs both in Florida and elsewhere. We can't wait to go back, especially with the cold weather looming.

But no, we have to go to MICHIGAN next month.

We're excited about this weekend's trip to Florida (in part because we get to fly instead of drive for 70 hours or so) but we're starting to think that a trip to EUROPE might be in order!

Our Europe-only release of HOW LONG has done incredibly well and is receiving accolades from all over the Old World. Case in point, this email from a Dutch message board:

I am the webmaster of www.bluesforum.nl and I am sending you this note because your cd “How Long” is running for the Bluesforum.nl CD Award 2008. The direct link to the Award topic is at the bottom line of this mail.

Bluesforum.nl is the largest Dutch-spoken blues community on the web. Bluesforum.nl has over 1100 registered members and a lot more unregistered readers. In October 2008 there were over 400.000 page views.

Main goal of Bluesforum.nl is promoting the blues. The Bluesforum.nl team would be really thankful if you could add a link to www.bluesforum.nl in the link section on your website.

OK, so maybe we aren't exactly legends but it is fall. And as usual, that means road trips to gigs in exotic lands like Ohio, Philadelphia, and Nashville.

We just returned from our four day trip looking for sleep and anything but the inside of the Phatmobile. There was way too much driving on this trip, but the shows went great so it was all worth it.

Friday began with an eight-hour drive in pouring rain to Pomeroy, Ohio.

Where?

Exactly.

Pomeroy is a small town nestled in the foothills of Southeastern Ohio just across the river from West Virginia. The major industry of the area is power generation and as a local informed us there are eight power plants within a mile of the town. I can't tell you much more about the town because it was dark and raining when we arrived, and the same way when we left at 6 AM the next day.

Just getting to Pomeroy was a bit of an adventure as our planned route was interrupted by a bridge out. Thank God for the GPS as it guided us through a series of narrow two-lane county roads throughout West Virgina and eventually into Ohio. The word rural has never so aptly described an area.

The show in Pomeroy was at a surprisingly small but nice club called the Court Street Grill. We were greeted warmly and immediately filled with burgers and beer by the gracious staff. After going to check into the Meigs Motel we returned to find a small but mighty crowd anxiously awaiting our show. We played our collective ass off and won several new fans. We're looking forward to an invite to their annual blues festival next year.

Hitting the road early Saturday morning for another marathon drive to that night's show in Philly, we found ourselves viewing a rainy dawn over the rolling hills of Southeastern Ohio. Eventually Frank pulled over at a mom-n-pop diner attached to a questionable motel and we huddled up at the counter for breakfast. Aside from the barely cooked "home fries" it was a decent meal save for the comment from Frank that I "could use an Ab-Roller" after seeing a commercial on the TV over the lunch counter.

He meant no harm (I think) but we certainly crucified him for it.

I don't remember much of the trip into Philly because I was drifting in and out of consciousness, but we eventually arrived at a relatively nice Red Roof Inn a few hours prior to the show. After naps and showers all around, we were led to the union hall where the Bucks County Blues Society was hosting their annual R&B Halloween Bash.

The organizers had done a great job (as usual) of providing ample crew and hospitality for the artists but were a little worried about the turnout since the Phillies were playing in game 3 of the World Series that night. I don't know why they worried though, as the crowd evetually filled the room to capacity.

Before our set, we caught some of Skyla Burrell's great set and hung out in the green room where Alvin checked out some of the guitars from Bryan Lee's band.

Our turn came to take the stage, and as usual we attacked it with a fervor interrupted only when Alvin snapped a string in the middle of a tune (it happens). The crowd reaction was mostly favorable, but many were obviously keeping tabs on the ball game. We managed to impress the right folks though, as an offer to play a festival in Delaware next year is in the works.

We were followed by the great Bryan Lee and his terrific band. In between portions of his set we chowed on the great food in the green room, hung out in the bar where Matt kicked everyone's ass at a video game called "Bags" (big surprise there), and eventually found ourselves outside enjoying the clear fall evening while chatting with Skyla and her band before finally departing for the hotel.

Thankfully we had Sunday off because the 13-hour drive to Nashville was more than any of us cared to tackle in a single day. It also happened to be a gorgeous day for a drive. After filling our bellies at IHOP (NOT Cracker Barrel) we hit the road, passing through Philly, Baltimore, and D.C. before descending through the picturesque Shenandoah Valley where we eventually stopped for the night in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

It was killing me to see all the beautiful fall foliage and not stop to take photos, but alas I had no choice. I did manage to snap a few through the filthy windshield of the Phatmobile though. What an incredible part of the country.

Sunday night was a nice chance to relax, so we treated ourselves to a steak dinner and retired early to the hotel where we had a few beers and watched rodeo riding and Poltergeist on TV. Such party animals we are.

Another long drive was ahead of us on Monday, but when we arrived in Nashville we were encouraged a bit to find ourselves at another decent hotel. Usually we are in a real dive there, but since Monday Night Football was taking place merely blocks from the venue we stayed out in the suburbs and scored a nice pair of rooms.

The Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie Bar is under new management and that apepars to be a good thing. The new blood is easier to work with and they had one heck of a crowd in there, especially after the ball game. We've never played to that many people in Nashville before, so I have to call the night a success, even if the gig was a marathon at five hours long.

I unfortunately had to be back in The Lou early on Tuesday so I forced everyone out of bed at 7am (a real feat, trust me--especially after leaving the club at 2:30am) and repaid the favor by driving all the way home.

Phat noiZ is playing locally for the next couple weeks before flying (HALLELUJAH!!!!) to Florida for a festival appearance on the 15th and 16th of November.

See you on the road!

W.

PhatnoiZ will be returning to Florida next month to play the Blues Birthday Bash, and Frank will be backing up the legendary Matt Guitar Murphy as well.

When a club owner offers you a drink, it's customary to partake. After all, a great many owners wouldn't dream of socializing with "the entertainment" let alone give them booze on the house. However, the great Beale on Broadway isn't your ordinary club and proprietor Bud Jostes isn't your ordinary owner. Bud and his fantastic staff run a great place with great sound and a lot of respect for music and the people that play it.

Friday's show was terrific, with an energetic crowd and beautiful weather over the outdoor stage. At the end of the night, as usual, we hung out for a couple drinks while trading laughs with the staff. At some point we mentioned Quanshi, which prompted Bud to produce from within the bar one of the most sickening things I've ever witnessed.

Apparently, Bud's parents lived in China for a time and when he asked them to bring home some obscure beer as a souvenir they instead smuggled home a jar of Quanshi. Bud has had this jar of liquor for years, and it looks it. The Chinese lettered label is faded and stained and the jar is only about 1/8 full.

Did I mention that it's also filled with baby king cobras and geckos? And it supposedly induces hallucinations?

So when Bud presented this lizard-filled concoction to us we colelctively recoiled in horror, as you'd expect. He regaled us with stories of past clients that have partaken in the Quanshi and informed us that we'd never really fit in until we've had Quanshi with him. My bandmates don't resist peer pressure too well, and each had a shot of the vile beverage. While no one reported seeing funny colors or being chased by flaming demons, the consensus was that it tasted like ass.

Snake ass.

The best part? The bartenders weren't even impressed, as one remarked that "the only it proves is that you guys are idiots".

Lots to report. It's been a busy month around St. Louis for us, having played to 7,000 people at the Whitaker Music Festival and performing at The Lot festival for Metropolis STL.

This week will find us playing our way to Topeka and back, so check the shows link and catch us if you can.

Next weekend is the annual Big Muddy Blues Festival and PhatnoiZ has again been asked to perform. We'll be appearing on the 2nd & Morgan stage at 8:45 PM on Sunday August 31st.

Last week's appearance on TV was brief, but it's on Youtube if you care to see it. Our friend Nephew Davis is filling in on bass for the absent Matt Davis (no relation).

And last, but certainly not least, please join us at the Benefit for Josie on Saturday September 6th. Josie is the daughter of Beale on Broadway's Kelly Filla and is fighting off leukemia. The benefit looks like a blast, with PhatnoiZ performing at 6pm followed by Jell-O wrestling and mouse races. Come have some fun and help Josie kick leukemia's ass.

Alvin Jett & Phat noiZ will be appearing on Show-Me St. Louis this Friday, August 22nd. The program airs in the St. Louis area on NBC affiliate KSDK channel 5 at 3pm central time.

You can also catch the band on Art Dwyer's Blues In The Night radio show. Hear them on KDHX 88.1 FM radio between 5pm and 5:30, also on Friday.

This Saturday, catch Phat noiZ at The Lot, an event celebrating the 10th anniversary of Metropolis St. Louis. Phat noiZ is proud to support this great organization and will perform alongside seven other diverse St. Louis acts. The event takes place at the Schlafly Tap Room and is a FREE all-ages event. The Tap Room is located at 2100 Locust in St. Louis.

Let's get right to the point. We finally met Pookie! For years we've been been playing clubs on the blues circuit around the country where posters of our fellow artists decorate the walls, advertising shows both past and present. One of the groups we see most often on these walls is Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials, a fantastic Chicago act that's signed to Alligator records. It always seemed that we were missing Lil Ed by a day or two at the most--almost like we were following each other around. We've even played a few festivals where Lil Ed played either the night after or the night before us, and after awhile this trend became a sort of in-joke with our band. We're actually fans of Lil Ed so it became a kind of minor quest to actually catch them live at some point. Add in the fact Lil Ed's bassist (and half-brother) goes by the name "Pookie" and you can imagine the level of mystique bestowed on their ever-elusive band by the four of us while crammed in the Phatmobile.

Yeah it's a boring story, but it keeps us laughing on the road so please bear with us.

So for many months we've been looking forward to last night's appearance Cincinnati Blues Festival, partly due to our primo 7pm time slot on the main stage and partly because Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials were booked to close the show. On the same night. Finally! But would they live up to our elevated expectations? Read on.

I have to say that the Cincy Blues Festival was easily the most organized festival experience we've ever had. Before we even arrived the organizers impressed us with emails containing detailed directions to the festival site, what to do and who to talk to once we arrived. When we pulled into the artists' lot at the grounds we were greated by incredibly polite volunteers that helped load us and our gear on a pair of motorized carts for transport to the backsage area. Another crew took our instruments and placed them under watch while were taken to our favorite scene at any festival: the hospitality area.

Now this aspect of festivals can vary hugely in quality, ranging from a whole hog in a smoker with terrific local microbrews on tap to a crock pot full of lil smokies and warm Miller Lite. Cincy had their act together in a big way, as the food table looked like the best potluck dinner you've ever seen and was supplemented with a wide variety of frosty beverages. All of the folks we dealt with were supremely polite and genuinely concerned with our comfort--hospitality indeed.

After relaxing a bit and chatting with some friends both new and old, we ambled over to the stage area to catch the end of local pianist Rickie Nye's great set. By this time a sizable crowd had started to amass on the expansive lawn and we were in the dressing room cooling off before taking the stage. A few minutes later we were launching into "Bluesman's Hat". The set went really well, but about halfway through Alvin's guitar amp started cutting out, and as soon as they swapped it out Matt blew a fuse in the bass amp. Thankfully the equipment wasn't ours (nothing parties like a rental!) and they got everything back on track somewhat quickly, but technical difficulties like that bum us out when they happen in front of a couple thousand people (and live on the radio). Overall though, the crowd reaction was fantastic and we had several folks waiting for us at the merch booth when we left the stage.

We walked back to the main stage to watch the last half of Jimmy Thackery's terrific set, and I saw a rotund gentleman in a sparking blue shirt and bright red pants talking to one of the crew backstage.

I introduced myself as the drummer for Alvin Jett & Phat Noiz and he had actually heard of us! I chatted with him for a minute, relieved that he was a cool guy, and managed to snap a photo of him before leaving him to his business. Eventually the rest of our band met Lil Ed and the rest of their band and I'm pleased to say that they were all super cool people and very fun to hang with. On top of that, they put on a stellar show for the crowd, even playing our favorite tune: "Icicles In My Meatloaf". A grand night was had by all.

I managed to get a good shot of my bandmates with Pookie and Kelly, and Frank made a valiant attempt to work my camera as I posed with Ed & Pookie.

We retired back to the hotel lounge for one last cocktail before heading off to our rooms. Which reminds me--we each had our own room! A nice touch and wholly unexpected. Just another example of how much Cincy Blues Fest cares for its artists. This was the 16th year for the festival and I can see why they've been so successful. They do things right!

At this moment we're on the road somewhere east of Indianapolis heading to the 'Lou for a gig at a new distillery in south St. Louis. Phat noiZ and a distillery? Sounds perfect to me!

Unfortunately our show in Indianapolis this Thursday has been cancelled by the venue. The good news is that we are playing a huge festival in Cincinnati on Friday and it's only $7 to get in and a couple hours away from Indy. So come on over!

In other news, PhatnoiZ will join several other notable local acts at the Tap Room in downtown St. Louis on Saturday August 23rd to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Metropolis St. Louis. More info on the event is available at mstl.org . Come check out the REAL St. Louis brewery and celebrate this excellent organization.

Well kids, we now possess the first rough mixes of Honeybowl. It's been over 3 months in the making, and there's still a few tweaks and additions coming but overall it's sounding really damn good.

You and everyone you know is gonna like it. A lot.

In the "Funny Stuff From The Road" category...

As most of you know, we routinely close our show with an extended, extra-funky version of "Phat Noiz". It's basically our "them song" in which the only lyrics are "P-H-A-T" and "N-O-I-Z". That's right, we spell out the name of the band. And on most nights the audience is cool enough to spell it with us as they shake their collective booty.

So it came as a bit of a shock to me when a patron of the club came up behind me as soon as we finished the song and asked what the name of the band was. At first I thought he was joking but he was dead serious. I couldn't help but laugh. I'm sure he thinks I'm a jerk now. My apologies, sir.

On The Road Again

It's been awhile since we did any significant traveling (thanks OPEC!) so we're excited about the next month of gigs. We'll be heading to Bloomington, Illinois this weekend for the Nothin' But The Blues Festival, and at the end of the month we play Indianapolis and Cincinnati for the first time. Cincy should be especially fun as we are playing a great slot on a big festival, headlined by the fantastic Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials, featuring the elusive POOKIE(!) on bass. Our fascination with Pookie and Co. is inexplicable and we always miss these guys on the road, so we're stoked to meet them. Next month sees us heading West to Kansas City and Topeka, so we'll be racking up the miles on the Phatmobile.

See you on the road!

W.

This band has more talent than you can possibly comprehend. Witness: Matt on GUITAR! Alvin on DRUMS!

Not alot new to report, other than that we are almost done recording Honeybowl. It's been a long, sometimes frustrating process, but we assure you that it will be worth the wait.

In the meantime, check out pics of the band and some new fans from yesterday's show at Robller Vineyards.

Last weekend's appearance at the Simply The Blues festival in Fort Madison, Iowa was a great success and a rousing kickoff to this festival season. Thanks to all the great folks that put on the show and screamed for an encore at the end of our set!

Usually when someone points out that our website and blog haven't been updated in a while, my first instinct is to apologize for being lazy. We are typically a very busy band and I don't always get around to letting you fine folks what's going on with your favorite musicians (us, silly).

But not this time. I won't apologize. Why not? Because I was just saving all my news for this very moment. It's all going according to plan.

Sure, we're in the process of recording our new CD, entitled Honeybowl. Unfortunately, just as we were hitting our prime studio vibe, producer Mark Burris came down with an ear infection from hell that sidelined us for two weeks, and we're now shuffling schedules around in order to get back to Music Creek and move forward. The good news? What we've done so far is gonna blow your mind. Seriously. It's really damn good. I should know.

We drove to Peoria a couple weeks ago for our monthly gig there, only to discover we were scheduled for the following week. After exchanging a few "what the hell?" glances with each other, we learned that the club had goofed. A few minutes later, our good friend Rockin' Jake and his band showed up for what was apparently their gig and gave us the exact same look.

Frank saves every single email exchange for this very reason and quickly produced his laptop to prove that it wasn't our goof. Our experience in these situations is that the club owner typically apologizes and sends us packing as we mumble and curse. This particular instance was handled incredibly well by the owner. Out of discretion I'll keep the details under wraps, but we were fairly compensated and fed a great meal on the house.

We love you Nathenia! Thanks for taking such great care of us, as always.

In other news, festival season is rapidly approaching and we will hit our first one of the season in Iowa next month. We love festivals. In fact, we love them so much that we are throwing our own festival this October.

That's right. We are still in the planning stages, but look for a full day festival in early October, featuring several local bands, great food, and camping. It will take place on a sweeping 400 acre tract of land outside Warrenton, MO. Details will surely follow, but think of this inaugural "PhatPhest" as a mini Bonnaroo in our own backyard.

For those of you concerned about Frank's recent injury, I only have this to report: he's fine. Stop babying him, already. Sheesh.

All for now,

W.

We've all seen the "Behind The Music" shows. We know that, sooner or later, someone in the band ends up in the hospital thanks to another bandmate. Car crashes, booze binges, overdoses, fist fights--it doesn't matter. Eventually at least one member makes the trip.

Of course, it's what happens after the drama that determines the fate of the band. Let's get that settled right now with an open letter:

Frank, let me use this public medium to apologize.

I know I should have warned you that my driveway was slick when it rains. I should have known that, in order to preserve your meticulously coiffed hair, you would need to get to your vehicle quickly in the rain. I realize it takes a lot of work to maintain that mane, and I should have considered that when you left my house today.

But alas, I was selfish. I said nothing. I simply said "goodbye" as you trotted to the Phatmobile, lost your footing on the slippery asphalt driveway, and took a nosedive into the gutter. I know that you ripped your jeans, tore open a giant flap on skin on the palm of your hand, and ended up in the E.R. to have your bloody knee examined. And for this, I am sorry. It's my fault.

I could have been a truly supportive bandmate and walked you to the truck under my Snoopy umbrella. At the very least, I could have offered the protection of an old bread bag in the fashion of my grandma. Instead, I could only offer you a Band-Aid from my medicine chest while you bled in my bathroom.

But look at the bright side, Frank. For one, you got a prescription for Vicodin. That's really awesome. Plus, since you can't walk worth a damn for a few days, you can have Matt fetch your beers instead of the other way around, for once. And at least you didn't tear up your sax-playing hand. We all know you only use the left one (you show-off).

So again, I apologze for being such a selfish ass. As my penance, I'll happily carry your saxophone for the next couple gigs, in addition to all my drum gear. It's a mighty burden, but I feel it's only fair.

In all seriousness, folks. Buy Frank a beer and a shot when you next see him.

You know, for the pain.

W.

PhatnoiZ has invaded Europe! Music Avenue has just released the compilation "How Long", comprised of material from our first two albums. It is available throughout Europe and in the US via Amazon.com.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, new photos are up on the MEDIA page. Come ogle your favorite Phat noiZ member!

Yeah, it's been awhile since you last had something tantalizing to read about your favorite band. No, not Fall Out Boy, you twits.

The last several weeks have been hectic for PhatnoiZ. Our typically high number of gigs combined with all of the activities of the holiday season have kept us quite busy. But now that 2007 is behind us, we're focused on making 2008 a landmark year for PhatnoiZ. How? Read on.

Going Original

As a bit of an experiment, PhatnoiZ has been performing only our original music so far this year, and with extraordinary results. While we realize that some of our fans really dig some of the unique things we do with classic songs, we feel that it is vital for the band to showcase our true musical identity. This doesn't mean that you'll never hear Alvin tear the roof off with "Black Magic Woman" again, but we are focused on letting the world know how great PhatnoiZ music truly is.

One of the benefits of this approach is that fans are now hearing songs they haven't heard us play live in some time (and in some cases, EVER). We're doing some really interesting things with older tunes like "Wet My Beak" and "China Doll", for example. In addition, we are playing over a dozen new songs written for the next album. Overall, it's a very exciting time for the band, as people continue to embrace our original sound. As always, we sincerely thank you-our beloved friends and fans-for making it happen.

Speaking of the New Album...

It has a fabulous name: Honeybowl. It has fabulous songs. It will soon have fabulous artwork. We currently have about 20 songs that we'll be taking into the studio this spring. We are painstakingly looking at producers, engineers, and studios at the moment with the hopes that this album will really blow people away. If you want a sneak peak at some of the new tunes you need to high-tail it to one of our shows. There's a great variety of material, and it's all going over extremely well as it continues to evolve onstage before our very eyes.

Festival Alert!

We have already been honored with several blues festival bookings this year. The first is Fort Madison, Iowa's "Simply the Blues" Festival on Saturday May 10th. We haven't played Iowa for some time, and are looking forward to this show.

Washington, Missouri hosts the Main Street BBQ & Blues Fest on Saturday, June 28th. Festivals are always a blast to play, but when there is BBQ involved....oooooooooooooooweeeeeeeeeee!

The city is more famous for chili than BBQ, but Cincinnati, Ohio has tapped PhatnoiZ to headline their annual Cincy Blues Fest on Friday, August 1st. Bringing our music to new parts of the country is always a milestone for us and this, our first time headlining a large festival, will be a big one. Get ready to party!

How do you say "PhatnoiZ" in Dutch?

Look out Europe! Music Avenue is about to drop our first international release, entitled "How Long". The album includes songs from our first two full-length albums with brand new artwork and packaging. Slated for release in February, this disc will initially be available throughout Europe and other lands, with a US release coming later. We are thrilled to be working with the esteemed Music Avenue label and look forward to our first European tour!

The Evolution Continues

As you can see, PhatnoiZ is poised to make a lot of...uh...noiZ in 2008. Thanks again for reading and continuing to support this band. We'll see you on the road!

...and...we're back. Phat noiZ has just returned from a two week tour of the southern states! While we're glad to be back home in St. Louis, we had an absolute blast on the road (as usual) and met some terrific folks at all of our shows. So, thanks if you were there, shame if you were not.

In other news, Phat noiZ will be recording a live CD at The Old Rock House in Soulard this Tuesday night, and we'd love to hear you on it!

We'll be joined by our friends Bootigrabbers Delight, the Bottoms Up Blues Gang, and Big Bamou. Each band will perform a set with the possibility of an all-star finale at the end of the night. Performances are scheduled to start around 8pm.

The Old Rock House is St. Louis' newest music venue with a state-of-the-art sound system and great sight lines, plus they serve fantastic food and beverages. So don't miss this opportunity to get yourself on record with four of St. Louis' greatest live acts, all in one night!

Tuesday, November 20th
8pm

The Old Rock House
1200 South 7th
St. Louis, MO

Work continues on our new album, tentatively titled Honey Bowl. We've begun talking with potential producers and several of the new songs have been integrated into our live sets. As if you needed any more reason to get to one of our shows!

The Treble Clef Ninja Jam Session is going to continue every Tuesday from 7:30 pm to 11:30 pm
through December 2007. Thanks to all of you who consistently come out to perform for helping to make it a success.

Alvin Jett & the Phat noiZ will perform at the grand opening of Catch 22 in Springfield, Illinois
on Wednesday, October 3 at 6:30 pm.

On Friday, October 6, the band takes to the outdoor stage of St. Louis' Beale On Broadway at 10 pm.

Saturday’s double header has Alvin Jett & the Phat noiZ performing at Mount Pleasant Winery in
Augusta, MO from 1 pm to 4 pm and the Ritz-Carlton Lobby Lounge from 9 pm to 12:30 pm.

Milk And Cookies has continued to make the top twenty on the Roots Music Report Chart of Missouri and September 2007 was no exception. Check it out at
http://www.rootsmusicreport.com/statechart/missourichart.php

Check out www.PhatnoiZ.com for all the latest Phat newZ and www.myspace.com/PhatnoiZ for the latest blog about life in the Phatmobile.

"Angels Sing the Blues" was featured in the "New Groove" segment on Springfield, Illinois radio station WDBR last night. Check out the station at www.wdbr.com and be sure to keep requesting it!

The band's photo shoot went well today. Keep your eyes peeled for new publicity shots and posters soon.

Lots to report! Obviously, the new website is up and continues to evolve. Several new photos are up in the media section, including some from our recent appearances at the Big Muddy Blues Fest (St. Louis, MO) and the Prairie Dog Blues Fest (Prairie Du Chien, WI)..

PhatnoiZ will be appearing at the South Florida International Blues Festival on Friday November 9th in Davie, Florida. The festival is in the middle of our fall tour of the Southeast which will include stops in Tennesee, Alabama, and Florida. See the shows section for details.

You can now keep up with the PhatnoiZ on the road via Woody's blog on MySpace. If you have not yet added PhatnoiZ as your MySpace friend, what are you waiting for?

Writing continues for the next album, and we've already begun performing some terrific new stuff live. So if you want a sneak peek at the latest PhatNoiz material, get your ass to a show!

As you can see, PhatnoiZ.com has recently been redesigned. Drop us a line and let us know what you think of the new look. Email us or contact us on MySpace. We are also compiling a new mailing list, so please sign up if you haven't already.

The Phat noiZ reached the number 12 slot in Missouri on the Roots Music Report for the month of June 2007.

XM Satellite Radio has been featuring the award-winning song "Angels Sing The Blues" on their Bluesville 74 station. Call 866.267.0454 or email programming director Bill Wax to request the song.

The St. Louis Post Dispatch today announced the scheduled lineup for the 2007 Big Muddy Blues Festival, taking place over Labor Day Weekend. The festival features three stages and the Phat noiZ are honored to be featured on the main stage the night of Saturday, September 1st. View the entire article here.

"Big George Brock & the Houserockers kicks off the Budweiser Main Stage at 3 p.m. Sept. 1, followed by Joanna Connor, Alvin Jett & Phat Noiz Blues Band, and Big Sam's Funky Nation. Acts on the Pinnacle Entertainment Stage that day are Leroy Pierson, Dogtown Allstars, Ground Floor Band, Marsha Evans Coalition with Stacy Johnson, and Cryin' Shame Band. Brian Curran, Bottoms Up Blues Gang, David Dee & Hot Tracks Band, Marquise Knox & Rough Grooves Band, and Marcel Strong & the Apostles are on the Regional Arts Commission Stage."

05/04/07

Every Tuesday bring your axe to the Highway 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen and jam with Alvin and Matt from 7:30 – 11:30 pm.

Alvin Jett & the Phat noiZ Blues Band will be performing at the following festivals this summer:

Hannibal Spring Wine & Blues Blast – Sunday, June 3 – Hannibal, Missouri
Cruise With The Blues Festival – Saturday, June 16 – Washington, Missouri
Kalamazoo Blues Festival – Friday, July 13 – Kalamazoo, Michigan
Buck’s County R&B Picnic – Saturday, July 21 – Levittown, Pennsylvania
Prairie Dog Blues Festival – Friday, July 27 – Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin
Summer Blues In Central Park – Thursday, August 16 – Decatur, Illinois
Big Muddy Blues Festival – Labor Day Weekend – St. Louis, Missouri

The latest Alvin Jett & the Phat noiZ Blues Band CD, Milk And Cookies, has been reviewed in the April 2007 issue on Living Blues Magazine. “With It’s A Cinch…..Jett offers a hook filled three and a half minutes of music that’s sharper than anything you’d expect from…..a party-hearty blues band” – Evan Haga. Pick up a copy and check out the full review.

All the songs from both Wet My Beak and Milk And Cookies are now available for download at www.myspace.com/phatnoiz.

04/13/07

The Treble Clef Ninjas (Alvin Jett & Matt Davis) will be hosting the jam session at Highway 61 Roadhouse & Kitchen every Tuesday night from 7:30 pm to 11:30 pm starting Tuesday, April 17.

Alvin Jett & the Phat noiZ Blues Band will be performing on April 20 as part of the following collaboration between Exuberant Television Productions and BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Exuberant Television productions will be filming live music performances in St. Louis at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups from April 14-21. Each night will feature a mini showcase of different music styles with multiple acts performing each evening. The goal of this project is to capture a representative view of the St. Louis music scene and its history for broadcast as a series via PBS, cable networks, webcast, and podcast.

This venture opens a window to the music world providing much deserved exposure and opportunity for many St. Louis artists. Negotiations are underway for further broadcasts from BB's to further highlight St. Louis' music scene as well as its unique contributions to American music history. BB's has recently expanded their stage and will soon open their 2nd floor featuring an interior balcony overlooking the sound stage as well as a New Orleans style balcony above the outdoor patio.

April 14	April 15	April 16	April 17
Tom Hall Michael Burks Band	Bugs Henderson & The Shuffle Kings Jimmie Lee Kennett Billy Barnett	Jim Byrnes Vince Martin Keith Robinson Terry Coleman Ladelle Fitzpatrick John King Amos Brewer	Sandy Weltman Dave Black Willem Von Hombracht Thayne Bradford & The Orbits Tom Hall Charlie Pfeiffer John Higgins Mike Prokopf Blake Travis
April 18	April 19	April 20	April 21
Boo Boo Davis Arthur Williams Big George Brock Marquise Knox Eric McSpadden	Margaret Bianchetta Erika Johnson Marsha Evans Renee Smith Kim Massie	Alvin Jett Rich McDonough Brian Curran Leroy Pierson Ron Edwards	Marty Abdulla Beau Shelby Marcell Strong Stacy Johnson Skeet Rogers Larry Thurston Soulard Blues Band

03/23/07

Pete “Blewzzman” Lauro of Mary4Music.com caught our show at the Riverwalk Blues Festival in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Here’s what he wrote about us:

“….Next on my Blues itinerary was a band from St. Louis that is rapidly working on becoming a household name in the Blues community, Alvin Jet & The Phat noiZ Blues Band. Having recently placed high in the International Blues Challenge, the band is aggressively touring the country promoting the newest CD Milk & Cookies. Joining Alvin Jett on lead vocals and guitar are Frank Bauer on sax, Matt Davis on bass, and Jeremy West on drums. The band put on a strong performance of a real nice mix of Blues, Jazz, and Funk, with Jett and Bauer constantly switching leads. They literally blew away the crowd with a song that I felt should have been last year's Blues Song of the Year - "Angels Sing The Blues." This is a band you should all keep your eyes and ears out for…..” The entire article can be viewed at www.blueswax.com.

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