Tonio K. (a.k.a. Steven M. Krikorian, b. July 4, 1950) is an American singer/songwriter who has released eight critically acclaimed albums and has had original songs recorded by many of Pop, Rock, Country and R&B’s leading artists ranging from Al Green, Aaron Neville and Burt Bacharach to Bonnie Raitt, Wynonna Judd and Vanessa Williams. His song, “16 Tons Of Monkeys,” co-written with guitarist Steve Schiff, was the featured tune in the 1992 Academy Award winning Live Action Short Film, Session Man. His work with Bacharach and Hip-Hop impresario Dr. Dre won the Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Recording in 2005.
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Billy Price
Billy Price
Billy Price is a legendary soul-blues vocalist who has spent over five decades as a cornerstone of the Pittsburgh music scene. He first gained national prominence in the mid-1970s as the lead singer for guitar virtuoso Roy Buchanan, appearing on acclaimed albums like That’s What I’m Here For and the high-energy Live Stock. This early exposure established Price as a premier interpreter of “blue-eyed soul,” a reputation he solidified after forming the Keystone Rhythm Band in 1977. Throughout the 1980s, the group became a regional powerhouse, blending gritty urban blues with the smooth, rhythmic phrasing of Southern soul.
In the years following the Keystone Rhythm Band, Price continued to refine his craft with the Billy Price Band. A career pinnacle arrived in 2016 when he won a Blues Music Award for Best Soul Blues Album for This Time for Real, a collaborative project with his long-time idol, Otis Clay. Price has remained remarkably prolific in his later years, releasing celebrated albums such as Reckoning and Dog Eat Dog, both of which earned further award nominations. His 2024 release, Person of Interest, marked a significant creative milestone as his first collection consisting entirely of original material. Beyond his musical life, Price maintained a long-term professional career in corporate communications at Carnegie Mellon University until 2023. Now fully retired from his “day job,” he continues to tour extensively across the United States and Europe, remaining a vital force in the international blues community.
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The Cactus Blossoms
The Cactus Blossoms
“Hey baby, do you wanna take a trip with me? / I’ve got a feeling there might be a silver lining all around.” So begins One Day, the captivating new album from critically acclaimed Minneapolis duo The Cactus Blossoms. Written and recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, the record explores the tension between optimism and despair that’s defined much of the past few years of American life, examining the power (or naïveté, depending on your perspective) of positive thinking in the face of chaos and uncertainty. The songs here are tender and timeless, with straightforward arrangements centered around brothers Jack Torrey and Page Burkum’s airtight harmonies, and the performances are warm and intimate to match, delivered with a soulful, ’70s-inspired palette of playful Wurlitzer, breezy guitars, and muscular percussion.
The Cactus Blossoms broke out nationally in 2016 with their JD McPherson-produced debut, You’re Dreaming. Dates with Kacey Musgraves, Jenny Lewis, and Lucius followed, as did raves from the New York Times and NPR, who praised “the brothers’ extraordinary singing.” The band was further catapulted into the spotlight in 2018, when David Lynch tapped them to perform in the return of Twin Peaks, and continued to build on their success with their 2019 sophomore LP, Easy Way, which led Rolling Stone to laud the duo’s “rock-solid, freak of genetics harmonies.” High Road Touring
If you love the harmonies of the Everly Brothers, do not miss listening to The Cactus Blossoms. Brothers, they are.
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Rachael Yamagata
Rachael Yamagata
Rachael Yamagata is an American singer-songwriter and pianist from Arlington, Virginia. She began her musical career with the band Bumpus before becoming a solo artist and releasing five EPs and four studio albums. Wikipedia
