Natural Blues - Elementary Power (2021)

For almost 40 years, Natural Blues has stood for powerful Blues and committed lyrics. In 2021 this first album Elementary Power finally is released.

This publication shows the wide range of the music of Natural Blues, the elemental primal power of this band and the political commitment of the musicians for a better world.

The dramatic developments due to police violence in the US were the impulse for the Natural Blues solidarity campaign: The artistic engagement is supported financially by donating 20% of the turnover from the sale of the 2020 EP’s and this CD plus the net income from the song I Can’t Breathe to the Black Lives Matter movement.

The Natural Blues Story

Natural Blues is the Blues formation created in Hamburg by Norbert Egger in 1982. At that time, the 1979 founded band City Blues Connection has been the main project with up to 20 concerts a month. Initially Natural Blues has been intended as a “side project”, but with its incredibly diverse Power Blues and extravagant show, the band evolved to become a main act.

After the death of the founding member and outstanding Blues harp player Heiko Petcke in 2017, Norbert Egger reformed and expanded the band. At the new formation, Alex Meik (double bass), Hubert Hofherr (Blues harp), and Stefan Schubert (guitar and vocals) joined the band.

Blues from all eras of its history is presented, from the earliest country blues on acoustic instruments to the Blues of the 1920s, Mississippi Delta Blues, Chicago Blues and current Blues Rock. As live act, Natural Blues offers an extraordinary stage performance: it is captivating and entertaining, when band leader Norbert Egger throws his jacket across the stage, letting his slide guitar scream while sliding on his knees or lying on the floor, Hubert Hofherr is doing his magic with the Blues harp, Stefan Schubert conjures up his brilliant solos on the parquet, or the whole band involves the audience as a huge background choir.

In 2019, Natural Blues published the first EP Shame On You, Mr. Trump with committed lyrics according to the politics of the 45th president of the United States, Donald J. Trump. This first release has been very successful: the music has been played by many radio stations around the world. Two songs of this EP established themselves for almost 18 months in the Bluestime Blues Charts, reached #1 and held the top position for more than nine weeks. Dozens of very good reviews in music magazines and radio shows completed the successful publication. The same year, Natural Blues had also a big number of very successful concerts, too. In good memory are, for example, the concerts at Rockhouse Salzburg and as support act for Jethro Tull, where they wowed the audience!

Due to Corona restrictions in 2020 only few concerts took place. But the band made good use of the time by producing another two EP’s.

EP I Can’t Breathe included mainly tough electric Chicago Blues and Blues Rock, matching the committed lyrics against racism and police violence. On second EP Extraordinary Times a musical journey from the Mississippi delta to Chicago is to be heard: the songs are varying from delta style with Dobro and double bass to modern electric Chicago Blues performed with the typical setup with amplified Blues harp, electric guitars, electric bass and drums. Concerts and releases are demonstrating:

Natural Blues is elemental primal power, music and a show really worth listening to, captivating any audience!