Jo Serrapere & the Hot Tail Section
Jo Serrapere, a singer/songwriter from the Detroit area, started playing guitar at 23 when seeking out lessons from Delta Blues guitarist, Shari Kane (of Madcat and Kane). Shortly thereafter, Serrapere began writing her own songs while completing her college studies in clinical psychology. For the last few years, she has been playing at music venues throughout Michigan and touring sections of the mid-west, southern and eastern United States.
Her highly eclectic writing and performances fuse elements of various modern and traditional folk music, old-time and electric blues styles, swing, country and jazz and even some alternative rock. Her band, the Hot Tail Section, brings added depth and musical styling to her original songs as well as classics by such artists as Mississippi John Hurt, Bessie Smith, the Nat King Cole Trio, Louie Prima and Tom Waits.
SerrapereÆs awards include winning the songwriting competition at the 1999 South Florida Folk Festival for ôBest Balladö with her song Dream My Girl. She also won ôBest Vocalistö in the acoustic music category at the 1999 Detroit Music Awards.
SerrapereÆs 1998 release, My Blue Heaven, features mostly her original material. She is currently working on three new CD projects, live with the Hot Tail Section, one with old-time bluegrass songwriter K.C. Groves and another studio album with producer/songwriter Adam Druckman. All three albums are expected to be released sometime this year.