Sugar Ray and The Bluetones have been playing their unique style of blues the world over for nearly forty years. Not limited to one style but rather a blend of several including Chicago Blues in the style of Muddy Waters, Little Walter, and Billy Boy Arnold, Kansas City Swing in the style of “Big” Joe Turner; Texas Blues like “T Bone” Walker and Freddie King; and the swampy Louisiana sounds of “Lazy” Lester—all played with distinctive originality.

 

Early on they toured as the backing band for blues legends Otis Rush, Big Joe Turner, J.B. Hutto, Sunnyland Slim, Hubert Sumlin, Roosevelt Sykes, and others.

 

Sugar Ray Norcia has been the driving force behind the Bluetones since their inception and is known for his powerful bluesy voice and masterful harmonica play.

 

Three-time Grammy nominated Norcia has received a total of twenty-two Blues Foundation’s Blues Music Award nominations including winning two Blues Music Awards in 2014. Sugar Ray has been on over sixty recordings with the likes of Roomful of Blues, J. Geils, Michelle Wilson, Otis Grand, and Pinetop Perkins to name a few. 

 

In 2016 Sugar Ray and his band The Bluetones released a CD on Severn Records called “Seeing Is Believing,” for which Sugar Ray was nominated for an unprecedented seven 2017 Blues Music Awards including Traditional Blues Male Artist and B.B. King Entertainer of the Year. 

 

It has been said of Sugar Ray Norcia by his peers …

 

“Sugar Ray is the Real Deal. There is Nobody Better to represent this Music.” – Kim Wilson, The Fabulous Thunderbirds

 

“Sugar Ray has great tone and phrasing, singing and playing the harp. One of my favorites.” – Charlie Musslewhite

 

This will be  one spectacular evening of exciting, awe-inspiring blues that will have you moving and grooving.