Nick Moss.

The St. Marys Blues Guild welcomes Nick Moss & the Flip Tops to St. Marys and K.C. Geiger Park to the 2010 Riverside Bluesfest on Labor Day weekend.

Nick Moss is synonymous with Chicago-style blues. Cutting his teenage teeth on Chicago stages with Jimmy Dawkins, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith and Jimmy Rogers, Moss lived in and soaked up the essence of mid-20th-century Chicago-style blues.

Older brother Joe Moss (who played the 2007 Pickle's Blues Extravaganza in Lima, Ohio) was Nick Moss's first influence. "If it wasn’t for my brother Joe I wouldn’t be playing. I used to watch him play guitar growing up, and still today he's one of my favorite guitarists."

Over the last ten years, Moss has built a loyal and large fan base by putting on live performances that are full of spontaneity and original songs while still remaining true to Chicago blues. Says Moss, "I’ve been blessed with an extremely talented band; each one of us is a multi-instrumentalist and has no problem switching it up during our shows! ...I never have a set list and rarely know what song I’m going to do next."

This looseness and virtuosity was captured for all to hear in the band's 2006 CD, Live At Chan's recorded at Chan’s Eggroll & Jazz in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. One infectious song after another rolls off this disc, and it and Nick Moss received multiple Blues Music Award nominations as a result: "Album of the Year", "Traditional Blues Album of the Year", "Band of the Year" and "Instrumentalist: Guitar."

Despite the band's devotion to and reputation for performing "old-style" Chicago blues, Nick Moss follows his own muse. An example is the second disc of the 2-CD Play It 'Til Tomorrow that features an "unplugged" sound new to Moss fans. And the band's latest release (March 2010), "Privileged," opens unexplored ground in blues-rock and jam-groove songs that takes the blues in a new direction.

Nick Moss leads the band on guitar, vocals, bass and harp; Bob Carter keeps things in line on drums and adds vocals; and Piano Willie Oshawny is the keymaster on piano and organ, with some bass and vocal work thrown in.

Nick Moss & the Flip Tops will play the sun out of the sky on Bluesfest Saturday. If you ever wondered, this is what it's all about!
 

Discography:
Year	Title	Label
1998	First Offense	Blue Bella Records
2002	Got A New Plan	Blue Bella Records
2003	Count Your Blessings	Blue Bella Records
2005	Sadie Mae	Blue Bella Records
2006	Live At Chan's	Blue Bella Records
2007	Play It 'Til Tomorrow	Blue Bella Records
2009	Live At Chan's Combo Platter No. 2	Blue Bella Records
2010	Privileged	Blue Bella Records

Artist merchandise will be available for purchase at the Riverside Bluesfest!