Johnny NIcholas - New Moon Mullican Tribute Album

Legendary roots music all-star and self-avowed Moon Mullican music fan Johnny Nicholas has done a special advance promo video about his upcoming two-volume set, Moon and the Stars: A Tribute to Moon Mullican, coming on vinyl/CD on January 27, 2023.  This brand new tribute to Moon comes straight from the Louisiana bayous  and the Texas Hill Country, presented by Valcour Records’ recording artist and former Asleep at the Wheel frontman Johnny Nicholas, along with an all-star cast paying homage to this rather unsung hero of American Roots music.  The package includes liner notes by acclaimed music journalist Ben Sandmel. The albums will be distributed in the North America by Select-O-Hits and in Europe by Bear Family Records. Two-Volume Set on Vinyl and single CD features Johnny Nicholas, along with Marcia Ball, Linda Gail Lewis, Earl P Ball, Augie Meyers, Peter Rowan, Steve Riley, Los Texmaniacs, and many more. Johnny Nicholas has also scheduled several shows in advance of the Moon Mullican Tribute Album release featuring many of the artists on the albums: Marcia Ball, Linda Gail Lewis, Johnny Nicholas, Earl P Ball, Katie Shore, Danny Levin, Scrappy Jud Newcomb and others.

Chances are, if you haven’t heard of Moon Mullican, you’ve either heard his music or felt his influence,” writes Ben Sandmel in his liner notes. “Revered for perfecting a wildly eclectic yet seamlessly organic blend of genres, Aubrey “Moon” Mullican (1909 – 1967) was an agile piano player and a fervent singer who described the rambunctious side of his hybrid repertoire as ‘East Texas sock’ that could ‘make goddamn beer bottles jump on the tables!’ More than half a century later, Mullican continues to inspire people who appreciate the soulful spirit, the remarkable breadth, and the consistent high quality of his work. The expressive new renditions of his songs on this tribute, co-produced by Johnny Nicholas and Joel Savoy, pulse with the same passion and artistic commitment that Mullican brought to the originals. Collectively they touch on every facet of Mullican’s music, from torrid and toe-tapping to touching and tender. Yes indeed, Moon Mullican played it all.”

 “I was first turned on to Moon Mullican by Danny Erlewine in Ann Arbor, Michigan around 1971,” recalls Johnny Nicholas. “I was impressed and I dug his Starday/King LP, but didn’t realize that it was just the tip of the iceberg. When we opened a show for Commander Cody at Hill Auditorium, the Commander invited us out to the East Bay to play music with them and a bunch of hippies in cowboy hats named Asleep At The Wheel, who had just moved there from West Virginia. We were playing stone cold Chicago blues and boogie at the time, but we dug them and they dug us. We all shared gigs and sometimes brought home as much as $15.00 per man! I was sitting around one day with Lucky and Leroy and Ray and said, ‘Hey, you guys ever heard of Moon Mullican?,’ and they all responded in the affirmative and with great enthusiasm.  Considering the scope of Moon Mullican’s repertoire and his enormous talents and legacy, he remains today grossly under-recognized and under-appreciated. This project was a labor of love and represents a wish by all of us involved to honor one of our heroes and bring some long overdue recognition to the ‘King of the Honky Tonk Piano Players.’ On every track, I asked each artist to put their own stamp of originality upon the songs and the arrangements. As you would expect with veteran artists and roots music legends like Marcia Ball, Linda Gail Lewis, Augie Meyers, Peter Rowan, Steve Riley, Earl P Ball, Los Texmaniacs, Floyd Domino, and Danny Levin, this was accomplished in spades. However, the arrangements and performances by the lesser- known younger artists like Katie Shore, Tif Lamson, Emily Gimble and Kelli Jones are as powerful and compelling in their originality and performance as any on the record. The superb backing by Scrappy Jud Newcomb, Rusty Blake, Chris Maresh, Greg Piccolo, Joel Savoy and Trey Boudreaux cannot go without mention.” 

Mark Pucci Media | www.markpuccimedia.com

Moon and the Stars Album Tracks

Volume One
Side A:
1. Good Deal Lucille - featuring Earl P Ball
2. When Love Dies - featuring Kelli Jones and Tif Lamson
3. Moonshine Polka - featuring Los Texmaniacs
4. I'm Waiting For Ships That Never Come In - featuring Peter Rowan
5. Big Big City - featuring Johnny Nicholas

Side B:
6. I'll Sail My Ship Alone - featuring Linda Gail Lewis
7. You Don't Have to be a Baby to Cry - featuring Johnny Nicholas
8. There's a Little Bit of Heaven - featuring Katie Shore
9. So Long - featuring Kelli Jones
10. Make Friends - featuring Johnny Nicholas

Volume Two
Side A:
1. Good Times Gonna Roll Again - featuring Marcia Ball
2. Leaving You with a Worried Mind - featuring Emily Gimble
3. What Have I Done - featuring Katie Shore

4. I Was Sorta Wonderin - featuring Tif Lamson and Johnny Nicholas
5. All I Need is You - featuring Johnny Nicholas

Side B:
6. Pipeliner Blues - featuring Augie Meyers
7. Downstream - featuring Peter Rowan
8. Seven Nights to Rock - featuring Steve Riley
9. Bottom of the Glass - featuring Tif Lamson
10. Don't Ever Take My Picture Down - featuring Johnny Nicholas