John Nemeth

CTRB is thrilled to present this year’s Soul Blues Male Artist award, John Nemeth! 

John’s musical journey began as a teenager in Boise Idaho. He was first drawn to the hard-edged hip hop sounds and rock bands of the day, until he discovered the Junior Wells and Buddy Guy classic, “Hoodoo Man Blues”. This inspired him to form Fat John & the 3 Slims, still a legend in the Boise area. John played and sang locally, often opening for nationally touring blues acts.He quickly gained recognition and released his own recordings, “The Jack Of Harps” (2002) and “Come And Get It” (2004).

In 2004, John moved to San Francisco, joining Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets. Németh immersed himself in the deep musical waters of the Bay area, absorbing more of the soul and funk grooves of what he calls “the early East Bay Grease sound” of San Francisco and Oakland. He signed with Blind Pig Records, releasing his acclaimed national debut “Magic Touch” (2007). He collaborated with Elvin Bishop on the Grammy-nominated “The Blues Rolls On” and released more hit albums, earning multiple Blues Music Award nominations.

Németh released two more albums on the Blind Pig label, “Love Me Tonight” (2009) & “Name The Day (2010), both hitting #6 on the Billboard Blues Chart, and beginning his long string of prestigious award nominations and wins. He followed up with two independently released live albums in 2012, “Blues Live” and “Soul Live.”

In 2013, John moved to Memphis, working with classic Memphis Soul band The Bo-Keys to create “Memphis Grease” (2014), which debut at #4 on the Billboard Blues Chart. John won the 2014 BMA for Best Soul Blues Male Artist, and “Memphis Grease” won Best Soul Blues Album in 2015.

In 2017 Németh released an original album, “Feelin’ Freaky”, on his own Memphis Grease label, crushing genre and style barriers, blending blues and R&B, with contemporary sounds of hip hop. The same year, he was part of a side project “The Love Light Orchestra Featuring John Nemeth”, a 10 piece band who recorded, “Live from Bar DKDC in Memphis TN”.

In 2019 John released “Stronger Than Strong” with his seasoned road band of young gun players, The Blue Dreamers, featuring 19-year-old guitar phenom, Jon Hay, drummer Danny Banks and Matt Wilson on bass, again demonstrating his uncanny ability to blend retro and modern blues and soul into compelling music that is simultaneously old and new.

John is an engaging, entertaining, multi-talented, multi-award winning musician, and we are so fortunate to have him and his band as our 2024 Headliner!

Solomon Hicks, the 29-year-old guitar phenom from New York City invested in music from a very young age and started playing guitar at six years old. Growing up in Harlem he was constantly surrounded by music. Solomon witnessed performances that made a significant impact on his ambitions as a musician and he says: “When you’re around good musicians, it gives you that spark”.

I wanted to be the one who knew the most riffs and drew on a lot of knowledge so I could play anything with anyone. Solomon won the 2021 Blues Music Awards for Best Emerging Artist for his 2020 CD release, Harlem. The set, produced/recorded by multiple Grammy Award winner Kirk Yano (Miles Davis, Public Enemy, Mariah Carey), showcases Hicks as a writer, player and interpreter.

He was WXPN’s “Artist To Watch” for August 2020, His original song “421 South Main” made the Top 20 Blues Songs of 2020 on Spotify, and the song “What the Devil Loves” still gets spins on “Sirius Bluesville” Radio. He has performed on KISS Kruise V and Joe Bonamassa’s Blues Alive at Sea [2017 & 2019]. He's shared stages with Buddy Guy, Samantha Fish, Tony Bennett, Jeff Beck, Ringo Starr, Jimmie Vaughn, Beth Hart, Mavis Staples, Robert Cray, Eric Gales, Norman Nardini, and many others.

Solomon is a supporter of Young Musicians and The Blues Foundation. He teaches music for the Children's Aid Society, working with the Harlem Arts Alliance and the New York City Jazzmobile.

Lee-Ann Lovelace is a singer/songwriter from Waterbury, CT who has performed on hundreds of stages throughout New England and beyond since 2004. She'll charm you with hints of jazz, dig into some roots and Americana, then leave you floored with powerful soul, rock and blues vocals all in one performance. This versatility holds true in her original compositions, and her original band spans from 6-10 pieces depending on the venue. The band's torque is fueled by her powerful vocals, deep grooves, vocal harmonies, and a horn/woodwind section that hits like a sonic left hook.

Lee-Ann's career began in a variety of original and cover bands from CT who all won listeners choice awards from the The Hartford Advocate and various local band competitions. In 2021 she won the pilot episode of Vocal Match for best singer, and she is now recording her original songs under her own name. Her first two singles "Dirty Water" and "Drink it Down" are available on YouTube and all streaming platforms.

Lee-Ann has collaborated with the late, legendary producer Paul Leka, and she has opened for bands like Orleans, Rock & Roll Hall-of-Famer Ronnie Spector, and most recently and notably, Christine Ohlman, "The Beehive Queen." She has done extensive studio work throughout CT and NY as well. Back to The Garden 1969, the US's premier Woodstock tribute band out of Yonkers, NY, added her to their full-time line-up in 2020. She travels far and wide with this band, but you can also find her singing with any number of different duos, trios, or larger ensembles when she isn't playing with her original outfit.

Her original band for the CT Rhythm and Blues Festival this year will consist of her full 10-piece line-up

Originally formed in 2017, the band hit the Hartford scene swinging. With a focus on traditional Blues and American Roots music, the band has been a favorite of New England clubs and festivals. Their music has the dance floor packed, and their originals are always crowd favorites. Led by legendary frontman, Carl Ricci, they won the 2022 and 2024 Connecticut Blues Challenge and competed at the 2023 International Blues Challenge in Memphis Tennessee, and will represent CT again, at the 2025 IBC.

“Michissippi Mick” Kolassa lived in Memphis, until recently, but was born in Michigan and lived in Mississippi for nearly 30 years, where he was given his nickname. He has played blues in solo and duo acoustic formats and with his bands for years. Mick has performed in legendary blues venues such as Ground Zero, The Rum Boogie Café, Biscuits and Blues, Martha’s Midway Tavern, The Bradfordville Blues Club, Darwin’s, Blind Willie’s, Underground 119, The Capitol Oyster Bar, the National Blues Museum, and many more. He has also performed at multiple blues festivals in North America and Europe. Mick has put out 14 albums and has an independent record label, Endless Blues Records.