Joe Nosek of the Cash Box Kings joins KGNU’s Will Two-Step to talk about the band’s upcoming Colorado tour, their deep roots in classic Chicago blues, and a new album on the way from Alligator Records.
In the interview, Nosek discusses the band’s seven-piece lineup featuring co-leader Oscar Wilson, guitarist Billy Flynn, pianist Queen Lee Kanehira, and rising soul and blues vocalist Cameron Webb. He also previews new original songs that Colorado audiences will be among the first to hear, while reflecting on the band’s mission to keep the timeless sound of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Little Walter alive for today’s listeners.
Listen to the interview here:
Transcript:
Will Two-Step: Hello, KGNU listeners. We are honored and privileged to have one of Chicago’s finest harmonica players and leader of the Cash Box Kings, Joe Nosek. Welcome to KGNU.
Joe Nosek: Great to be here, Will. Thanks for having me on.
Will Two-Step: Absolutely. The Cash Box Kings, one of the finest Chicago blues bands rooted in the classic Chicago blues of the 1940s and 1950s, are coming through Colorado. They’re making a big run, ladies and gentlemen.
On July 22, they’ll be in Fort Collins at Avogadro’s Number for a 7:00 p.m. show. On the 23rd, they’ll be at the Roots Music Project in Boulder at 7:30 p.m. Then on the 24th, they’ll play Dazzle in Denver at 6:30 p.m. Finally, on the 25th, they’re heading to Fargo for the second day of the Fargo Blues Festival, where they’ll be playing with Bobby Rush.
That’s quite a schedule, Joe.
Joe Nosek: It’s a nice little run. We’re really looking forward to it.
Will Two-Step: You mentioned you’re traveling with a seven-piece band. Let everyone know who’s coming with you.
Joe Nosek: We’ll have myself and the great Oscar Wilson, who’s co-leader of the band with me. Oscar is one of the last great classic Chicago blues frontmen from the Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf tradition. He’s a deeply powerful blues singer.
We’ll also have the great Billy Flynn on guitar, who many people in the blues world know well. I consider him one of the best blues guitarists around. He’s played with everyone from Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, and Jeff Beck to Beyoncé. He’s a phenomenal guitarist.
Then there’s the great Queen Lee Kanehira, a young pianist originally from Tokyo who now lives in Chicago. She’s one of the finest blues and boogie-woogie piano players in the world and is absolutely dynamic.
Our rhythm section features Chicago John W. Lawler on upright bass and Derek Hendrickson on drums.
We’re also bringing a new addition to the band, a great young soul and blues singer, Cameron Webb. He’ll be featured on our new record, and I think he’s someone you’re going to be hearing a lot more about on the blues scene in the coming years.
Will Two-Step: This new album will be your fourth on Alligator Records. Is that right?
Joe Nosek: Yes, it’ll be our fourth on Alligator. I think it’s our eleventh or twelfth album overall.
Will Two-Step: Outstanding. When can we expect it?
Joe Nosek: We’re looking at late fall, or more likely early winter. We’re really happy with the results. We think it’s our best material yet.
There’s a lot of new original music, all rooted in the blues. We also explore different branches of American roots music that grew out of the blues. There’s some early R&B and soul, some rockabilly, and what we call “bluesabilly”—a blend of the Sun Records blues recordings by artists like Howlin’ Wolf, James Cotton, and Junior Parker with the country and rockabilly sounds of Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins.
Will Two-Step: Will Colorado audiences get to hear some of the new material?
Joe Nosek: Absolutely. The Colorado crowds will be among the first anywhere to hear many of these new original songs. We plan on debuting them during this tour, and we hope people enjoy them.
Will Two-Step: What else would you like to tell the KGNU listeners?
Joe Nosek: We’re really excited to get back to Colorado. The last time we played Dazzle in Denver, we sold out. We also played the wonderful Trinidadio Blues Festival in southern Colorado a few years ago.
We love Denver, and we’re really looking forward to playing Boulder and Fort Collins for the first time.
If you enjoy the classic blues of the 1940s and ’50s—artists like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, and Jimmy Reed—that’s our specialty. We also perform a lot of original music that addresses current issues in society and the things we feel need to be talked about.
We’re trying to keep the music relevant while helping preserve the classic Chicago blues sound. We also draw from the early Delta blues tradition and the Sun Records rockabilly sound of the 1950s.
Will Two-Step: Fantastic. So once again, the Cash Box Kings will be making a three-day run through Colorado.
On July 22, they’ll be at Avogadro’s Number in Fort Collins at 7:00 p.m. On July 23, they’ll play the Roots Music Project in Boulder at 7:30 p.m. And on July 24, they’ll be at Dazzle in Denver at 6:30 p.m.
If you’re listening in the Fargo area, they’ll also be there with Bobby Rush.
Joe Nosek: Bobby Rush is always great to hang with, but it’s going to be especially fun doing that in North Dakota.
Will Two-Step: Thanks again, Joe. Safe travels, and we look forward to seeing you.
Joe Nosek: Thanks so much for playing the blues and for having us on the air to talk about these shows. We look forward to meeting you and all your listeners in person in Colorado. Thanks, Will.
