- This event has passed.
Bluesdays: Rick Estrin & The Nightcats
July 18, 2017 @ 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Rick Estrin & The Nightcats prowl the Village at Squaw Valley for Bluesdays on Tuesday, July 18. Hamish Anderson was originally slated to perform.
A resident of Sacramento, Estrin is a quintessentially cool bluesman who plays West Coast jump blues. He’s a harmonica virtuoso, a captivating and hilarious entertainer, and a witty songwriter.
Legendary pianist Pinetop Perkins used to break out laughing whenever he saw Estrin, quoting the chorus from one of his songs, “Dump that chump!”
“Estrin has created some of the finest blues songs of any artist on the planet,” Blues Music Magazine reported. “His carefully wrought lyrics penetrate human weakness with the precision of a boxer, though more often than not, he chooses to leave you laughing after the blow’s been struck.”
Most of this summer’s Rick Estrin & The Nightcats shows will be in Europe. In the United States, the band will play at the Chicago Blues Festival and the Las Vegas Big Blues Bender.
The Nightcats are accomplished as well.
Guitarist Kid Andersen is one of the busiest blues producers on the West Coast. At the age of 21, Andersen left Norway to join Terry Hanck’s band, landing him in California. Legend has it that his green card read, “Alien of Extraordinary Abilty.” He also played for several years with Charlie Musselwhite. Andersen replaced Little Charlie when he split with Estrin a few years ago.
Joliet, Illinois native J. Hanson has been a Nightcat since 2002. The drummer performs while standing. A singer and songwriter, Hanson previously played with jazz and swing bands, ideal for Rick Estrin and the Nightcats.
Lorenzo Farrell plays organ and acoustic and electric bass. He’s been playing piano since he was 5, studied philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley and religion in Delhi, India. He joined The Nightcats in 2003.