Oct 14, 2023
For more than 30 years, rust belt blues shouter and guitar
slinger Larry McCray's greatness has been
hiding in plain sight. A native of Magnolia Arkansas, Larry McCray
discovered his love of music at a young age through his sister
Clara, who introduced him to the guitar and the transformative
music of Blues legends like B.B. King. After moving to Michigan at
12, he spent his teen years harnessing his guitar skills, adding
rock riffs to the traditional blues style he loved. After high
school, he began playing the local circuit, and by the late 80's he
attracted the notice of Virgin Records and was signed as the
inaugural artist to their blues label Point Blank Records. In 1990,
McCray released his critically acclaimed debut album, aptly named —
Ambition. A stunning debut, the record was a convincing hybrid of
blues, rock, and soul, with McCray combining the interrelated
idioms in sizzling fashion. Throughout the 1990's, he continued to
help define blues rock, releasing several albums including 1993's
Delta Hurricane, and 1998's Born to Play the Blues. After starting
his own record label, Magnolia Records, the bluesman remained
active throughout the 2000's, releasing 2001's Believe It and Blues
Is My Business, 2006's Live on Interstate 75, and his self-titled
album "Larry McCray" in 2007. He toured extensively, playing with
blues greats like B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Keb' Mo and
Joe Bonamassa, and worked with rock legends like the Allman
Brothers, Levon Helm, Chris Robinson, Dickie Betts and countless
others. Somewhere along the way, though, his path to the top of the
blues world was derailed. During the recording process of his
latest release, McCray felt "reborn" as he developed a newfound
drive and passions for his career. In 2021, McCray released his
first original material in nearly 15 years, "Blues Without You," an
album that showcases his power as an instrumentalist and a
vocalist. The 12-track record, produced by Joe Bonamassa's Keeping
the Blues Alive label, garnered McCray even more critical acclaim
with Blues Rock Reviews calling it "the record of a lifetime and
the best project of his career."
Born and raised on the shores of Lake Superior, Phil
Anich served as Big Top Chautauqua's Operations
Manager for nearly 30 years. A performer for most of his life, in
the 1980's along with other local artists he began singing in shows
written by Warren Nelson & Betty Ferris about the history of the
local Lake Superior region. This group would go on to become Big
Top's famed house band the Blue Canvas Orchestra. Every summer
since Big Top's founding in 1986, the Blue Canvas Orchestra have
continued to write and perform in original shows that have often
celebrated the history, environment, and cultures of the local
region. Since then, Phil Anich has continued to perform in shows at
Big Top including Riding The Wind, Big Top Does The Beatles, Wild
Woods & Waters, and most recently In Spite of Ourselves: The Music
of John Prine & Nanci Griffith. During the 2022 summer season, Phil
Anich performed under the tent with Dale Engquist, Brian Russ, and
Mason Pavel, as Phil Anich & Friends opened for legendary country
swing band Asleep At The Wheel.
This episode features recordings from each artists' August 2022
performances at Big Top Chautauqua.
First broadcast in 1994, Tent Show Radio is a weekly one-hour radio program showcasing the best live recordings from acclaimed music acts and entertainers who grace the Big Top Chautauqua stage each summer in beautiful Bayfield, WI. In the program's nearly 30-year history it has featured artists like Johnny Cash, B.B King, Brandi Carlile, Willie Nelson, Don McLean, and many more. Hosted by celebrated New York Times best-selling author Michael Perry-who weaves stories and humor throughout each episode - Tent Show Radio features performances from renowned national & regional artists, with regular appearances featuring Big Top’s own unique brand of shows that feature songs and stories performed by its acclaimed house band, The Blue Canvas Orchestra. Tent Show Radio is independently produced by Big Top Chautauqua, a non-profit performing arts organization, with a mission to present performances and events that celebrate history and the environment - along with their annual summer concert series - nestled in the woods on the shores of Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands.
EPISODE
CREDITS
Michael Perry - Host
Phillip Anich - Announcer
Jaime Hansen - Engineer
Gina Nagro - Marketing
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2023 TENT SHOW RADIO
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