AWARDS
Hall
of Fame 2006
Best Blues Band
1996, 1998, 2001, 2004
Best Bass Player
Rod Williamson, 2001
Ozark
Music Awards
Overall Musicianship Award--2004,
2005
Best Horn Player--Brian Crowne
2000, 2004, 2005
Porky Hill Memorial Drummer of the Year--Stephen
Boudreaux 2005
Guitar Player of the Year--Gary
Hutchison 2005
Lifetime Achievement Award
-- Gary Hutchison 2004
Best Album Cover Art --
Prescription for the Blues (Jeanette Sinclair) 2001
Best Blues Band--1999
Voodoo Child Magazine--Hendrix
Tribute DVD --Voted # 1 Hendrix Tribute in 2005
___________________________________________________________________
The Press on
Oreo Blue
Hogwired.com
November 11, 2006 (Hogville Tailgate) Press Release
Hogwired.com August 31, 2006 (Hogville Tailgate) Press Release
July 4th
2006 NWArkansas Times
Riverfest (Little Rock) review in Arkansas Times 06-09-2005
Gary Hutchison article in NWArk
Times 11-29-04
UA
Fort Smith Jazz Band Features Oreo Blue 04-02-03
Texarkana
Rocks.com community speaks out about Oreo Blue shows at Players
Club 11-10-03
Review
by Al Kaplan, PhD. at bluesrockers.com of DVD
Review
by Al Kaplan, PhD. at bluesrockers.com of Live By Demand
Daily
Ardmorite for Two Frogs DVD Release Party 07-05-03 (Leah
Simmons)
A
review of the Hendrix Tribute DVD by J. McDonald 06-05-03
Southwest
Times Record--By Scott Smith 06-06-3
Fayetteville Free
Weekly on the Hendrix DVD 06-12-03
Two
Guys Music Review of Hendrix Tribute DVD 06-05-03
A
Review of the Hendrix Tribute DVD by Tim Jones 06-05-03
Hendrix: Red Hot and (Oreo) Blue--Morning
News of NWA 02-21-03
Oreo
Blue Experience DVD Review Page
50
Years of Gary Hutchison by Stephen Boudreaux
Experiencing
Jimi By Wanda Freeman 02-21-03
Urban
Tulsa Weekly on Ten Down 05-01-02
Ten
Down by Morning News of NWA 04-06-02
All
About Town on Ten Down-Live at the ByPass 05-01-02
Daily
Ardmorite on Oreo Blue 03-21-02
Daily
Ardmorite on Oreo Blue 12-14-01
All About Town on
Oreo Blue Video 03-01-02
Fayetteville
Free Weekly on Ten Down-Live at the Bypass
Southwest
Times Record--March 21, 2002
Southwest
Blues Review of Nothin' But the Blues
Southwest
Blues Review of Prescription for the Blues
Southwest
Times Record Rx for the Blues Release
Delta
Snake Daily Blues on Oreo Blue
Ten
Down-Live at the ByPass Official Release
Prescription
for the Blues Official Release
Press Clips
Tribute:
something given or contributed voluntarily as
due or deserved; especially : a gift or
service showing respect, gratitude, or affection;
something that indicates the worth or virtue
of the one in question.
"That Jimi Hendrix is due
respect, gratitude , or affection comes as no
surprise. Hendrix reinvented the electric guitar as
we know it today, and there is scarcely a player who
plugs a Fender Strat into a Marshall amp that
doesn't owe the master a debt. To pay a musical
tribute to the man, or in this case, to play
a tribute to him, is a tall order- like writing a sonnet
for Shakespeare. So when the veteran
R&B band Oreo Blue decided to become the
Oreo Blue Experience Tribute To Jimi, they
approached the project with a profound appreciation
for the both the technical skill and the spirit
of the late, great Hendrix. The bands' desire
to evoke the freedom and electricity of a Jimi
Hendrix performance is attained by a rare
combination of musical talent and
beyond-the-boundaries risk-taking. The result is not
mimicry or a paint-by-numbers greatest hits set, but
a highly creative, emotional performance that
embraces the familiar and the obscure, the subtlety
and the bombast of The Experience."--by
Tim Jones
"Great
Live DVD with killer sound."
"Just recieved this new Oreo Blue Experience
CD/DVD in the mail. The sound quality is
amazing...crystal clear and punchy. The show was
filmed nicely and features some really cool versions
of Hendrix tunes done by a band in top form. Seems
like the band was having a great time on stage. It
has great versions of some of Hendrix's best stuff
and features this great unreleased Hendrix tune
called Strato Strutt...a really cool fusion type
tune with some nice added percussion. The guitar and
sax work is smokin' thoughout the whole set. You can
either listen to the CD or play the DVD and watch
the show. At any case it's definitely worth the
money. It would be a great DVD to put on at a party.
When I play it in the store it gets the place rockin'...play
it loud!!! you'll see."--Reviewer:
Steve (Two Guys Music) Rhode Island
"Unlike a lot of blues bands, the members of
Oreo Blue pay as much attention to their lyrics as to their musicianship
on `Ten Down,' and the result is a disc that satisfies on both
levels. Even their cover songs are well-chosen, and given just
enough of a different spin to justify their being redone. This is a
solid and intriguing disc."--John
Wooley, Tulsa World entertainment writer on Ten Down-Live
at the ByPass
"Arkansas
quartet has a polished sound that comes only from lots of
performance experience. Front men and guitarists Brian
Crowne and Gary Hutchison are backed up by drummer Stephen
Boudreaux and bassist Rod Williamson on 11 tunes expertly
produced at Fat Rabbit Studios"--Blues
Access 2001 on “Oreo Blue “Rx
for the Blues”
“Rx
for the Blues from Arkansas based group Oreo Blue is also
distinguished by strong writing and production.
Brian Crownes’ saxophone adds an extra dimension to the
R&B/funky rock sound of this project. The minor key
blues “Nobody Knows, the swingin Why’d Ya Do It To Me, and
the 70’s strut of Settle Down are the albums best. --Blues
Revue Fall 2000 on
“Rx
for the Blues”
An
excerpt from Nightflying
editor Peter Read's article addressing the new CD, "Prescription
for the Blues":
One of Arkansas' most popular bands, Oreo
blue, has just released their fifth CD, entitled RX For The
Blues, an exceptional offering by an equally exceptional group.
Recorded at Van Buren's Fat Rabbit Studio in March of this year,
the CD contains 11 cuts of hot inspired rhythm and blues with
a heady dose of playful swing and downright soulful rock 'n'
roll. I've followed this band from the start and have enjoyed
the evolution...from basic bar band beginnings through a stack
of tours and each of their recordings. And now RX For The Blues
proves this band has made the transition to professional producers
as well, here delivering a studio performance that every bit
equals the delightful energy they produce live. Unlike previous
offerings, this is the 'stripped-down' basic 4-piece band, [without]
all the accoutrements of guest musicians that dot their other
recordings. And it's fine, too...as the resulting product portrays
the very real power of music in its purest form played by seasoned,
professional musicians who know each other's musical moves intimately.
Oreo Blue consists of Brian Crowne on sax, guitar and vocals;
Gary Hutchison on guitar and vocals; Rod Williamson on bass;
and Stephen Boudreaux on drums and vocals...Kudos to Oreo Blue
for such a fine outing. If fate and muses are kind you won't
be able to see this group in the near future without having
to go through TicketMaster. --Peter Read
What People
Are Saying
Rock-n-Roll giant Ronnie Hawkins, who gave "The
Band" and producer, David Foster, their starts
in the music business said, "this band has
the talent and the work ethic to go all the way!".
Doug Huffman, drummer to the super group "BOSTON"
'87-'94 said, "they have been a favorite band
of mine and I'm excited about filling the drum chair!"
Richard Davis publisher of The Travler said,
"Oreo packed the dance floor with their original songs
that held every emotional range imaginable!"
Linda Seibold of the Times Record
said,
"Brian and the rest of the band are a tightly meshed groove
machine!"
Peter Read publisher of Nightflying Entertainment
Guide said, "Oreo Blue is positively one
helluva band and are definite contenders with the major players
in the industry!"
Brett Brewer of the Bricktown Blues Festival
OKC said, "Oreo Blue took the air out of an
open air concert!"
Live
By Demand So, you attended one or both nights of the Oreo Blue live album
recording sessions at Roster's Blues Club in April. And you signed
the guest book so your name could appear as "co-producer" on the
band's T-shirts and the double CD liner notes.
Now, you want to check out the finished product? You asked for it, you got it.
This weekend Rooster's will host the album release party for the
new Oreo Blue double disk live CD. Between live performances,
member of the band will autograph the CD's and T-shirts that display
the signatures of the 500 or so people who turned out for the
two April concert/recording sessions.
Just before I took a 4th of July break, Oreo Blue saxman, band
leader and vocalist Brian Crowne brought me a copy of the CD.
It was so fresh off the press it didn't have its 12-page liner
note booklet inserted yet. But it had the more than 100 minutes
captured live of smoldering, smokin', soaring sax by Brian, gritty,
hard-hitting vocals by Chris Payton, the rock-solid rhythms of
bassman Rod Williamson and drummer Don Orrel and the amazing range,
technique and tone of local guitar guru Gary Hutchison (who speaks
fluent guitar, in all of its dialects). --
Southwest Times Record, Linda Seubold
Brickhouse Blues Fest in OKC was just incredible. We would like
to thank Brewer Entertainment and Martin Herlocher for bringing
us over and thank you to our new OKC fans for the wonderful show!!!
-- Oreo Blue, Special Thanks
Oreo Blue is a high-energy progressive R&B band with talented
seasoned musicians who share a passion to entertain. Oreo has
developed a unique style of funky-rockin-blues. They perform
their kind of music with a driving vengeance that exhilarates
their audience. Oreo Blue is composed of Brian Crowne (sax and
vocals), Chris Payton (vocals), Gary Hutchinson (guitar and
vocals), Rod Williamson (bass) and Mike Lovelady (drums). Their
list of references is long and they play to packed houses in
Fayetteville and many sites in a 4-state area. -- Arkansas
Democrat Gazette
1998
was a tremendous year for Oreo Blue. Oreo
was featured on the international radio show "The Beale
Street Caravan." This has opened up doors in radio airplay
on the east coast and the northwest. Oreo Blue is receiving
airplay in some European markets and two markets in Australia.
The band has also just released their latest CD "Nuthin'
but the Blues"! It is an exciting journey down the different
blues roads from Chicago to New Orleans. They have performed
at the festivals and clubs all over the country to blown
away audiences. The feedback and energy from the audiences
has been incredible!
Oreo also signed a publishing deal with
One Music Nashville
to
place their music on movie soundtracks. Oreo Blue is also featured
on the web company Audiohighway.com.
"Earned
The Right" by Oreo Blue
These guys kick big time butt, y'all. I mean they cook. I've seen'em
light up the stage and I'd be willing to bet you have too. You're
bound to have; seems like they have played every venue in Arkansas.
And if you haven't seen Oreo Blue, you owe it to yourself to check
the Sound listings and catch their act as soon as you can. If
your not into the bar scene but you do like the blues, I suggest
you buy this disc. It's a plenty good dose of the blues, baby.
Chris Payton is the lead vocalist - sounds a bit like Miss Molly
- with that deep, full voice. The inimitable Gary Hutchinson adds
vocals and his own brand of blues guitar . Brian Crowne contributes
vocals, guitar, and a bit of gritty saxophone. Rod Williamson
and Mike Lovelady drive the group on bass and drums, respectively
( and respectively ). Recorded at Omega Sounds in Fort Smith,
the album consists of originals put together by various members
or the whole bygod band and should you be of the mind that songs
by committee don't work, check out "Earned The Right". I'd say they got it.
-- Nightflying,
Indie.
"Earned
The Right" by Oreo Blue
First, I must say I am impressed. The production values on Oreo
Blue's self-produced first recording, fittingly named "Earned The Right" is first class. An A-1 production from the packaging to the
recording itself. Recorded and mixed at Omega Sound in Ft. Smith,
its just goes to show what can be done here in the hills. The
song list ( all Oreo Blue originals ) includes two titles credited
to the group, four y band member Brian Crowne and associates,
and three by the newest member of the group, Gary Hutchinson.
Each song merits recognition. Especially noteworthy are the title
tracks, the bluesy "She Exudes the Blues" and the hauntingly beautiful
"Tell Me What You Need".
One of Fayetteville's favorite blues acts, Oreo Blue has indeed
earned the right over the past few years even though they have
experienced some personnel changes. Chris Payton's heartfelt vocals
bring your soul right up into your throat. She is definitely the
heart and soul of this act. Drummer Mike Lovelady is the glue
of the group and bassist Rod the beat of the band. Hutchinson,
one of the area's hottest blues guitarists adds power to the set
that sends the message home. Last, but not least, vocalist, saxophonist
and guitarist Brian Crowne is Oreo Blue. His vocals and sax attacks
always bring out the crowds when the group plays local venues.-- Fayetteville Free Weekly
I
liked the CD verry much ...