Album Notes

Delta Moon -- winner of the Blues Foundation's International Blues Challenge held in Memphis, February 1, 2003 -- formed in the late 1990s when Gina Leigh, Mark Johnson, and Tom Gray all lived within a few blocks of each other in Atlanta's Inman Park neighborhood. The three got together regularly in Mark's livingroom to work up arrangements of classic blues and original songs for two slide guitars and voices. Soon, joined by a rotating cast of percussionists, drummers, and bassists, the band was playing in rib joints, nightclubs, and festivals around Atlanta and neighboring cities. Following the March 2002 release of their debut CD, imaginatively entitled "Delta Moon," Following the March 2002 release of their debut CD, imaginatively entitled "Delta Moon," the band started ranging farther from home, taking their energetic stage show across the US, Canada and Europe. As one audience member said, "Thanks for inviting us to your party!" Delta Moon's line-up on this recording was Tom Gray on vocals, lap steel, and keyboards, Mark Johnson on bottleneck guitar, Gina Leigh on vocals and hand percussion, Tommy Dean on bass and backing vocals, and Charles Wolfe and Gerry Hanson on drums. 2003: CD of the Year - Kweevak.com "Another stellar newcomer to the national music scene ... Delta Moon is poised for greatness, with nothing but a lot of opportunity and a very bright future ahead of them." - Hittin' the Note "This is an excellent-sounding album with lots of production punch, soulful performances, and spirited playing. Best of show: a rumble through Fred McDowell's 'Shake 'Em On Down' and Gray's greasy 'House of Dolls.'" - Blues Revue "A forehead-slappingly fantastic combo that wipes the floor with most of the competition." - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution "The name says it all: gutbucket Delta-style blues featuring a classy female singer and a pair of funky, slunky slide guitarists who play as one voice." - The Charlotte Observer "Two slide guitars speak in tongues and a young woman dances a siren dance." - Creative Loafing Atlanta "A perfect example of contemporary Southern roots music at its most affecting." - All Music Guide "Delta Moon has tapped into a vein of music that is as old as the hills and as vital as a river." - Playgrounds Magazine, Columbus, GA "Delta Moon strikes gold with raw intensity." - Southeast Performer