Biography

M.C. Records is thrilled to announce the release on April 5th, 2024 of Rogue Blues, the first release from groundbreaking Chicago blues legend Nick Gravenites in eight years.

Recorded in 2022 and 2023, Rogue Blues features special guests Charlie Musselwhite, Jimmy Vivino, Barry Sless, Wally Ingram, and Lester Chambers of The Chambers Brothers. Pete Sears co-produced the record and is featured throughout. Renowned illustrator Thomas Yeates designed the cover and photo art and is also a co-producer. The record features 7 songs many never released.

"I’ve known Nick since 1961–and have always admired his singing and songwriting—this record really shows off his stuff beautifully—his music is grounded in the classic Chicago blues of the ’50s and ’60s, but he doesn’t try to imitate anybody—is always just himself—the songs are well written and strongly sung—always come at you from a totally unique angle. Charlie Musselwhite adds some way cool touches on harmonica—the production, by Pete Sears (who also plays piano and bass) is spare and tasty and really complements Nick’s voice perfectly—there’s a beautiful flow to the whole thing and I love it."
Elvin Bishop

Over his career, Nick worked with and wrote for many rock n blues luminaries. He worked closely with Janis Joplin throughout her career, becoming the “music handyman” for her Kozmic Blues Band after she left Big Brother and the Holding Company. Two songs penned for Joplin, “Work Me Lord” and “As Good As You’ve Been To This World,” appeared on her Kozmic Blues release. Another,“Buried Alive in the Blues,” was released as an instrumental only on her album Pearl, the vocal track unfinished when Jopin died suddenly. Nick also worked with Big Brother and the Holding Company, joining the band after Joplin left, and co-founded the Electric Flag band with Mike Bloomfield. He has also written songs for Pure Prairie League, Tracy Nelson, Roy Buchanan, and blues legends Howlin’ Wolf, Otis Rush, and James Cotton, and produced the hit “One Toke Over the Line” by folk rock duo Shipley and Brewer.

It’s been seventy years since a scruffy, rebellious, wicked smart local Greek kid wound up hanging around Chicago’s south side club scene with friends and fellow blues enthusiasts Michael Bloomfield, Elvin Bishop, and Paul Butterfield. Soaking up legends like Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, and Otis Rush, Nick began composing and playing songs of his own. As Nick himself has said of that time, “Man, it was blues heaven in Chicago in the late fifties and early sixties, and I was an angel in residence.” When Butterfield recorded Nick’s composition “Born in Chicago” on his 1965 debut album, the world was introduced to the blues according to Gravenites, and the rest is history. In 2006, and in 2015, Nick was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, and the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, respectively, for his songwriting contributions. Currently, Nick lives in Northern California, playing the occasional gig.

"Nick Gravenites is such a great no-nonsense artist….a huge part of the blues scenes of Chicago and California, in the 60s! Great songwriter and STILL performing and singing as great as ever! I’ve known Nick for about 60 years and he’s always been an inspiration and by golly, he continues to be!!!! I AIN’T LYIN’!!!”
Charlie Musselwhite