Bryan Lee: USA & Cisco Herzhaft: France
A Red White and Blue program

On the occasion of the festival "le Vieux Sorel en fête" bluesmen Bryan Lee and Cisco Herzhaft are at le Cabaret du St-Cyrille for double bill of blues with Cisco Herzhaft in the opening act and Braille Blues Daddy Bryan Lee in the second.

After performing at the Montreal International Jazz Festival on July 1, Braille Blues Daddy Bryan Lee brings his show to Sorel to le Cabaret. Blues Revue magazine says that "…Bryan Lee's fiery Telecaster is unstoppable, and his banshee wails blast the tunes into the apogee". The Jazz Report quotes that "…To his credit,"like (Albert) King, Bryan Lee knows how to use dynamics to build an exciting solo."

Born on March 16, 1943 in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, Bryan Lee completely lost his eyesight by the age of eight. His avid interest in early rock and blues was fostered through the 50s by late night listening sessions (and sleeping through school the next day) via a Nashville-based radio, where he first encountered the sounds of Elmore James, Albert King and Albert Collins. By the time he was thirteen, Bryan Lee was good enough to play in bands with older musicians. In his late teens, Bryan Lee was playing rhythm guitar in a regional band that covered Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Chuck Berry material. Through the 60s, Bryan Lee's interest turned to Chicago blues and he soon found himself immersed on that scene, opening for some of his boyhood heroes.

In the midst of a particularly cold Wisconsin winter, in January 1982, Bryan Lee headed south to New Orleans, eventually landing a steady gig in the heart of the French Quarter. For the next 14 years, Bryan Lee and his Jump Street Five played five nights a week at a popular bar, developing a huge following and a solid reputation.

Bryan Lee has eight albums to his credit on the Justin Time record label.

source: justin time records

Cisco Herzhaft, bluesman from France, is at his second appearance at le Cabaret du St-Cyrille. Cisco Herzhaft is considered, by the press, as the "new king of Ragtime guitar" and also as the veteran of Blues Fingerpicking in France; one of the last authentic acoustic fingerpickers and surely one of the best sliders in Europe.

It has been a long road to his first solo CD but this album, titled Ghost Cities, reflects hundreds of concerts and shows… He remains loyal to that particular touch that Cisco Herzhaft brings to blues and especially French blues.

Ghost Cities, distributed by Mélodie, features Bernard Brimeur, Patrick Cassotti, and David Herzhaft and is composed of fourteen titles: ten originals and four remakes.