GET YOUR TICKETS HERE!

We’ll be playing 6 nights a week, Monday through Saturday, for four months (October 3 – February 3) at club Centro, housed within the Kerry Center Shangri-La Hotel.

This is not only our first time in Beijing, but our first time playing at and staying in a 5 star hotel.  Apparently the decor you see in the above pic will not be there, as they are just finishing renovations and will be reopening with a bang (a new decor, and a new all American band)!

It is my honor to announce that we will have the great pleasure of supporting New Orleans based vocalist, the lovely Sasha Masakowski.

Sasha is an incredibly versatile and skillful vocalist and we are very much looking forward to building a show around her.

The lineup for this run will be:

Steve Belleville on bass (from the original Mike Null Blues Band lineup). Steve is a sharp dresser with a sharp tongue, a lady killer,  and a consummate multi-instrumentalist and  musician.

Todd Marston (from the Soulcasters Shanghai lineup) on piano and keyboard. Todd is a master yogi, a meditator, a fine chef, a comedian, a tasteful musician and an all around centered and great guy.

Max Zemanovic (also from the Soulcasters Shanghai lineup) on drums. Max is a thinker, a non-drinker, and a modern day gypsy with a personality as solid as his groove.

So much to do!  Visas, contracts, rehearsals .. oh my.  I’m very excited for this run, as I think it will be musically challenging and rewarding.  The presence of Sasha changes the focus of the repertoire, which is usually anchored in heavy blues.  Sasha comes from more of a jazz background, so we will be experimenting with applying our Soulcasters sound and arrangement skills to a different feel and approach.  I welcome the chance to explore the new sounds and adventures this trip will bring.

Know any great sights to see in Beijing?  Please leave us a comment and tell us where to go, whom to meet and what to see!

Get your tickets HERE before they SELL OUT!

I’ve updated my calendar page to reflect some of the dates we’ve thrown together. If you’re in the Tuscaras area of Ohio and feel like gettin’ down with some of the area’s best blues and classic rock & roll, keep your eyes and ears peeled for BandHouse!

Follow BandHouse on Facebook!

That’s Earl “The Pearl” Phenix on keys, Chris Sublette on bass and Matt Lydon on drums! Those of you in Shanghai will recognize Earl from the fall of 2009, when I brought him over to the House of Blues and Jazz. You might also recognize Chris from the second half of 2010, when he held down the bass chair for The Soulcasters!

Thanks to everyone who braved the arctic Boston winter temperatures to spend the evening with us. It was a great night! Earlier on we had some special guests sit in with us… James Houlahan (of Dogs on Television) and singer/songwriter Rebecca Muir graced us with their presence and talents.

This show was a nice warm up for our return show at Smoken Joe’s BBQ this Friday! Hope to see you there.

Check ‘em out and spread ‘em around!  Click below.

Carlton J. Smith backed by Mike Null & The Soulcasters

These past few weeks with Carlton and Sam have been amazing.  After focusing on and playing our own show for over 4 months, it is such a breath of fresh air to have these guest stars come in to perform with us.

This week, Greg Luttrell graces us with his soulful presence.  It will be so great to see Greg.. as he and I know each other from the Boston scene.  In fact, Greg is the guy who got me the gig at the House of Blues and Jazz to begin with, and it is a great honor to share the stage with him for the club’s 15th Anniversary!

Tonight’s jam is the only night that will have all 3 guest stars in the same house at the same time!  Don’t miss it!

Greg will be here until November 21.

Sorry I haven’t been keeping you up to date, but I’ve been so busy learning songs and rehearsing for the House of Blues and Jazz’s 15th Anniversary month that I haven’t had much time!

Last week we had the mighty Carlton J. Smith perform with us and it was an absolute BLAST!  Carlton is a FORCE.  The man has an inextinguishable fire burning in his belly that kept us going to extra lengths to keep up.  Each show was jam packed with uptempo grooves and energy that did not quit until the very last note!

This week, we are backing the veteran blues man, Sam Hooper.  Sam has been performing at the House of Blues and Jazz since 2004.  If last night was any testament, this week is going to be a scorcher!

Link to story: http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/shanghai/articles/blogs-shanghai/shanghais-nightlife/celebrating-15-years-of-shanghais-best-blues-and-jazz/

Dana Shellmire – Vocalist for Mike Null & The Soulcasters

Most venues in this city don’t make it past their first birthday, let alone into their second decade. But the House of Blues and Jazz has proven itself to be one of the few exceptions to the rule as it turns 15 this November.

Since 1995, it’s been a second living room for those who are hungry for quality live music and a home for blues and jazz musicians from all over the world. It was the first blues and jazz bar in “new” Shanghai, opening initially on Sinan Lu, in a space that’s now a furniture shop, before moving to the Cypress Hotel in Hongqiao, then to Maoming Lu during the street’s glory days before upscaling to its Bund-side digs in 2008.

This month, anniversary celebrations see a host of artists returning to the venue. First up are the Cangelosi Cards, a small, soulful unit that combines the best aspects of old-time swing, hot jazz and acoustic roots and blues. Hailing from New York, the quintet features the inimitable singing talent of Tamar Korn, who takes her cues from old New Orleans jazz.

After that, there’s a week of shows by Shanghai stalwart Carlton J. Smith, who played his first Shanghai gig at the House of Blues and Jazz back in 2005. There follow shows by blues outfit the Sam Hooper Group and high-octane soul vocalist Greg Luttrell, all of them backed up by the HOBJ’s house band, Mike Null & The Soulcasters.

Music at the House of Blues and Jazz feels up-close and personal, which is exactly what jazz and blues needs to be. The management has always supported those who come to Shanghai and try to make a living out of their music, and it’s cited again and again as a favorite place to perform by the city’s jazz professionals.

DETAILS

What: The House of Blues and Jazz Birthday Celebrations

When: The Cangelosi Cards play Mon. Nov. 1 | 9:30PM
Carlton J. Smith plays Nov. 2-7 | 9:30PM
Sam Hooper plays Nov. 9-14 | 9:30PM
Greg Luttrell plays Nov. 16-21 | 9:30PM

Where: 60 Fuzhou Lu

Tel: 6323-2779

How much: RMB50 on weekends

The first one was just published today!

Mike Null
Special to The Killing Floor

It’s finally starting to hit me. In less than forty-eight hours I will be waking up on the other side of the world! My life as I know it is about to be turned upside down. My new band, The Soulcasters, will be playing a residency at The House of Blues and Jazz in Shanghai, China, starting next week. I can’t believe I’m going back!

This week has been busy. The band has been getting together every day to rehearse with an enthusiastic and anxious energy that keeps us burning the midnight oil. We have a lot to prepare for; three sixty-minute sets six nights a week is a lot of material for any style of music. That in combination with last minute visa applications and honoring other commitments, this trip is consuming just about every free minute I have.

The biggest priority is preparing for the unofficial ceremony that takes place upon arrival. Every band that gets the gig agrees to host a blues jam every Sunday. After the plane touches down and the band is given an opportunity to shake off a little jet lag, they suit up and head to the club to make their first impressions.

This event is promoted and usually well attended. In addition to the draw from the previous band, the crowd also consists of many of the movers and shakers in the local music scene. The resident band calls up the new band to showcase a few songs and they are given one shot to make a strong impression, a trial by fire of sorts. If the band lacks skill or isn’t rehearsed, there is a good chance they’ll lose a good percentage of the crowd for their entire residency. First impressions are everything, especially in Shanghai.

Fortunately, we will have a chance to warm up before we get on the plane. We’re having our own state-side ceremony tonight at Smoken Joe’s in Brighton. Last year’s lineup, The Mike Null Blues Band, will open, followed by Boston legend Toni Lynn Washington. Closing out the night is the debut of the new Asia-bound lineup, The Soulcasters.

I’ll be writing about it here in more depth, as well.  Stay tuned!  We leave first thing tomorrow.

Don’t forget about the send-off party tonight!  Hope to see you there!