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Biography
The Big Town Playboys are a six-piece acoustic music|acoustic United Kingdom|British rhythm and blues revival group. Founded by Ricky Cool and Andy Silvester in 1984 and known as Ricky Cool and the Big Town Playboys, they covered United States|American music from the 1940s and 1950s, such as that of AmosMilburn and Little Walter .
The Big Town Playboys have released a series of recording studio|studio album s, as well as a collaborative project with Jeff Beck (entitled Crazy Legs (album)|Crazy Legs ), re-creating the songs of Gene Vincent .Blue, Buddy. " http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060406/news_lz1w06beck.html Mr. Wizard", the San Diego Union-Tribune , published April 6, 2006, accessed May 5, 2007. Several of their song s also appeared on the soundtrack of the film , The Pope Must Die . They have performed as a backing band for Robert Plant , who contributed guest vocals on their album Roll the Dice Cohen, Johnathan. " http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp? vnu_content_id=1000682724 Billboard Bits: Robert Plant, Vandross Tribute, 'Smile', Billboard.com, published October 22, 2004, accessed May 5, 2007. They also performed together at the Birmingham Heart Beat 86 charity concert. Eric Clapton has expressed admiration for their work,Carson, Annette (2001). " http://books.google.com/books? vid=ISBN0879306327& id=wJszh5l-0yMC& pg=PA220& lpg=PA220& printsec=8& dq=%22big+town+playboys%22& sig=P-hrGLQm5UU4uAJyWoWvbANFJcw Jeff Beck: Crazy Fingers". Backbeat Books, pp. 220-221. ISBN 0-87930-632-7 arranging for them to open for him during his two week long stint at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 1996.
MikeSanchez left the band at the end of 1999 to pursue a solo (music)|solo career. Presently, Ian Jennings is the only remaining original member of the band. After Sanchez's departure, the Big Town Playboys were fronted by another local London artist, Big Joe Louis, of "Big Joe Louis and his Blues Kings."
In May 2005, the band teamed up with Gary Brooker and Andy Fairweather Low to give a charity concert called "Aftershock" in India , with all proceeds to benefit victims of the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake ." http://www.hindu.com/2005/05/07/stories/2005050714220400.htm British bands in fundraising drive", The Hindu , published May 7, 2005, accessed May 5, 2007.
Discography
Playboy Boogie (1985 - Making Waves)
Now Appearing (1990 - Blue Horizon Records|Blue Horizon )
Crazy Legs (album)|Crazy Legs with Jeff Beck (1993 - Epic Records|Epic )
