Lil' Cliff and the Cliffhangers

After the strong showing at last year's International Blues Challenge, the boys have chosen not to compete this year to give themselves a chance to refine the act. They did receive a mention as past finalists in the 2007 LIBS ad in the Blues Festival Guide. All the best of luck to this year's Long Island Representatives, Sweet Suzi & the Blues Experience, Tommy Keys, Pamela Betti & Dirty Love and Mac & "The Rocket"

Just got the word that Lil Cliff and the Cliffhangers CD- "God Bless Women" has achieved Top Seller status at Band Village. See the list. "A Must Have!... Lil Cliff and the Cliffhangers are destined to go far..." Read the Review

Lil Cliff and the Cliffhangers have been selected (from hundreds of demos) to be included in Network Pacific Record's Volume 2 of their "Blues International" Sampler CD. Here is where you can get it. (2nd set from the top) See the PDF promo.

Lil' Cliff and the boys had the crowd movin' and groovin' at the main stage of the Riverhead Blues Festival. Pictures and more details coming soon.

Lil' Cliff and the Cliffhangers are set to play the main stage at the Riverhead Blues Festival for the third year in a row and expect their bond with their fellow musicians to become even more solid. With the Blues Festival running from July 8 to 9, Lil' Cliff and the Cliffhangers will be performing their hits on Sunday, July 9.

The band formed in 1989 and band members have jammed together at the festival many times during their 12 years together before recruiting Dennis Phelps. The quartet also consists of Cliff Bernard on vocals and harmonica, Rick Street on stand-up bass and vocals and Tom DeFranza on drums and background vocals.

The band is well-known among the blues community and has played at various clubs all over Long Island. Speaking about the town's desire for the business the festival brings in during the summer, Bernard said, “It brings people out to Riverhead, [which] needs the commerce.” However, what makes the band pleased to be a part of the celebration, according to Bernard, is that “it's [a] uniquely Long Island-based experience. We get to be with our fellow musicians in a beautiful setting and have rapport with them. It's just a gathering of a family of people.” He added, “We enjoy bumping into people, especially Little Charlie and The Nightcats, one of my favorite acts.”

It was in his teenage years that Bernard first began to show an interest in music. “I started taking voice lessons and picked up a harmonica in my early teens,” he said. “I first listened to Little Walter and early influence stuff like Muddy Waters. I always liked church-influenced and gospel-influenced music.”

The band incorporates blues with these different types of styles, which is how they defined their sound. “We have a strong emphasis on vocal R&B like The Coasters and The Robins from the ‘50s,” Bernard said. “It's a nice blend of jump swing, which is popular on the west coast, and we do some Chicago style and harmony based material.”

Bernard believes their style and stage presence is what sets them apart from other bands. “I find that lots of bands on Long Island play very hard-driven guitar-based stuff,” he said. “A lot of bands don't do a lot of singing. We try to do a lot of variety. Rick is my writing partner and he has a tremendous ear for harmony.”

The quartet's success is not limited to Long Island, having recently participated in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee, one of the most popular competitions for bands in the blues community. “We just came back from Memphis,” he said. “We placed in the top 10. Even if you don't win, it's considered a high honor ... We were happy to really be playing for a complete blues-loving community.”

The “interesting thing” for Bernard “is that people who have no orientation to our music can still be won over. It's an honor when you get people stopping by and they're listening. We're very proud to be on the main stage and hopefully a lot of people will show.”

Recently, they just completed their new CD, “God Bless Women.” On June 21, they will showcase some of the new tunes at Murrell's Blues Club, located on Post Avenue in Westbury, at 7 p.m. They will be performing along with other rock and blues musicians, at this benefit concert, which will be held in memory of Lil' Buster, a famous blues player who recently passed away.

February '06 --MEMPHIS TN:

2006 Finalist, International Blues Challenge

Lil’ Cliff and the Cliffhangers just returned from Memphis where they were honored to compete in the 2006 International Blues Challenge (IBC). The Blues Foundation, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, holds the IBC each year. With the mission to find the best-unsigned blues band, this annual compeition is held worldwide on a regional level by The Blues Foundation's 100+ affiliated Blues associations around the world.

In early January 2006, Lil’ Cliff and the Cliffhangers were selected as the winner of The Downstate New York Blues Association’s regional IBC competition. As the winner of this metro New York Blues association’s annual competition, the band proudly headed to Memphis for the national finals held on historic Beale Street, and the opportunity to compete for over $20,000 in cash and prizes. This year’s competition showcased over 130 bands and solo/duo acts from around the globe.

After two nights of semi-final competition against over 130 of the best unsigned Blues acts in the world, Lil’ Cliff and the Cliffhangers were selected with ten other acts as “finalists”. The band showcased their trademark brand of swinging’ fun and top-notch musicianship at the New Daisy Theatre on Beale Street in Memphis during their fine set. The crowd was cheering and dancing in the aisles, and you could tell by the smiling faces in the audience why these guys were honored as finalists in the 2006 IBC competition.

The band has just released their latest recording “God Bless Women” and will be touring heavily in support of this new CD.

The Blues Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of blues music. It is the umbrella organization for a worldwide network of 115 affiliated blues societies including the Downstate NY Blues Association and the Long Island Blues Society. Lil’ Cliff and the Cliffhangers wishes to express their sincere thanks for the support of these local NY Blues organizations who work so hard to promote and support their music.


Lil' Cliff's Blues News

Lil' Cliff's Blues News