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Peter Parcek - NewsPremier Guitar Interview - February 4, 2024Question of the Month: Childhood Memories American Blues Scene Interview - January 2, 2024Brant Buckely at American Blues Scene interviews Peter. "Peter Parcek’s incredibly soulful style weaves blues, rock, folk, and gypsy-jazz..." View the full interview here. 2022 Blues Award Nominations - October 2022Peter is honored to be nominated for Blues Artist of The Year in the 2022 New England Music Awards & Boston Music Awards! 2021 Boston Music Awards - November 2021Thrilled and honored to announce that Peter has been nominated for Blues Artist Of The Year in the 2021 Boston Music Awards! Please vote here - https://bostonmusicawards.com/vote/ Blues Blast Feature Interview - May 27, 2021 Feature interview with Buckey O'Hare. "Peter Parcek is a hybrid. A real deal Bluesman with a who’s who resume of influences and mentors, Peter follows his inspiration outside the box to deliver emotive and powerful artistic statements about his inner self that are at once deeply rooted in tradition while being unexpectedly unique and fresh. A virtuosic guitarist, Peter plays with an intensity and fluidity that allows him to express in lyrical and engaging ways. A vocalist with an understated rasp, Peter conveys a world of emotion in a single tightly measured phrase..." Read the full interview here. American Blues Scene Review - May 25, 2021Brant Buckley says: "Mississippi Suitcase, is a deeply polished blues album from an electric guitar master whose crystalized brilliant lead lines shine throughout — and whose playing suits his songs...You can hear the Delta in the most clean and precise kind of way from a guitarist who is always in control when he plays". Read the full review here.  2021 Independent Blues Awards - May 2021Thrilled to announce that "Mississippi Suitcase" has been nominated in 3 categories of the 2021 Independent Blues Awards - Blues Rock CD, Blues Rock Band & Blues Rock Song! Please vote here! Voting runs until August 31! Rock and Blues Muse - March 2021Peter is selected as one of 75 Modern Blues & Blues Rock Artists You Must Hear 2021 by Rock and Blues Muse. Martine Ehrenclou says "I’m making it easy for you. Here are more than 75 outstanding blues and blues/rock artists and bands you simply must listen to. This is real music by real musicians. These artists are current with stellar musicianship. Your music discovery awaits. Dig in and enjoy." Blues News GermanyStephan Treu of Blues News Germany gives Mississippi Suitcase 5 out of 6 stars and says: "After the first contact with “Mississippi Suitcase” one wonders why one didn't notice Peter Parcek earlier...The opener “The World Is Upside Down”, which sings about the current world situation, is carried by an energetic, driving slide dynamic with virtuoso interspersed steel string interjections...[In] the covers of Sleepy John Estes, Pleasant Joseph, Frankie Lee Sims and Sonny Boy Williamson, all of which can be attributed to the classic Mississippi blues, Parcek prescribes a highly emotional and sensitive touch, and the interpretation of the Bluesbreakers number "The Supernatural" written by Peter Green is simply breathtaking...The eleven numbers have in common a minimalist instrumentation in the style of Robin Trower including his dry, brittle vocal performance - this is exactly what creates a lot of flair and blue depth!" Live Virtual Concert - February 26, 2021
American Blues Scene - February 22, 2021Don Wilcock interviews Peter Parcek in American Blues Scene. Wilcock writes: "Parcek is a blues original who is deeply inspired by first hand encounters with everyone from Delta progenitor Skip James to British invasion guitar master Peter Green. He’s spent more than a half century honing his own sound. A muscular blues-rock behemoth that cuts like a razor on Vaseline, he’s recently been thrust into the spotlight by this album’s status as a candidate for Blues Rock Album of The Year at the Blues Foundation’s 42nd Blues Music Awards..." Read the full interview here. Blues Matters UK - February 2021Steve Banks interviews Peter Parcek in the latest issue of Blues Matters UK. Read the interview here. The Blues Foundation’s Blues Music Awards - January 28, 2021 Honored that Mississippi Suitcase has been nominated for 2021 Blues Music Award (BMA) for Blues Rock Album. Widely recognized as the highest honor bestowe d by the blues community, The Blues Foundation’s Blues Music Awards applaud the past year’s exceptional achievements in blues music recording, performance, and songwriting, as well as supporting the blues’ rich cultural traditions. The 42nd Annual Blues Music Awards will be presented as a virtual event on Sunday, June 6, 2021. Peter would deeply appreciate your vote in the Blues Music Awards. You do need to be a Blues Foundation member to vote. If you are interested and able to join, please go to https://blues.org/become-a-member/. Twangville Playlist - January 2021"The World is Upside Down" from Mississippi Suitcase included in Twangville's Dancing in the Streets of Hyannis – A Special Boston Playlist. "“Smokin’!” is the best way to describe Mississippi Suitcase. The album is filled with fiery blues gems, both Parcek originals and classics from some legendary bluesmen. Throw in a cover of Lou Reed’s “Waiting For My Man” and an instrumental version of the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby” and you’ve got a master class in blues-based electric guitar." View Playlist Premier Guitar - December 22, 2020Premier Guitar has chosen Mississippi Suitcase as one of the best albums of 2020! Senior Editor Ted Drozdowski says "I’ve sought refuge during the pandemic—mental deliverance and comfort food for the soul—in my roots. Blues has long been a source of the latter for me. And Mississippi Suitcase is elemental: a celebratory bonfire, radiating Parcek’s virtuosity, creativity, and musical intelligence. It’s not simply his world-class and richly original guitar playing, which dances on an emotional high wire between transcendent invention and deep tradition, or his songwriting, which illuminates all the corners of our humanity, that makes him such an important and hauntingly expressive artist in today’s blues and roots scene. Or even the way his singing breathes with life and wisdom. There’s also his ability to reframe classic material, whether by Sonny Boy Williamson or Lou Reed, in a way that’s respectful of history and yet resonant in the present. He can be wild and unpredictable, yet resolute as granite. And, like a bonfire, he burns. He is truly a master, and I love this album." Twangville - December 17, 2020Mississippi Suitcase chosen by Mayer’s Picks – More Favorites from 2020. Rock & Blues Muse - December 2020Mississippi Suitcase has been nominated by Rock & Blues Muse as one of the Top 20 Albums of 2020! All About Jazz Review - December 2020Doug Collette reviews Mississippi Suitcase in his "Blues Deluxe" column. [full review] Blues Matters UK - December 2020Steve Banks of Blues Matters UK says "...it's just fantastic when the quality and wit of the lyrics and their delivery matches the extremely high quality of the instrumental accompaniment..Very highly recommended!" [full review] Making a Scene - December 2, 2020Richard Ludmerer
& Richard L’Hommedieu at Making a Scene include “Mississippi Suitcase” in their list of the Top Indie Blues Albums Of 2020.
Blues Blast Magazine - November 5, 2020"Boston-based guitar virtuoso Peter Parcek bounces back from a wrist injury that threatened to sideline him permanently with this powerful CD, celebrating the joy of living while baring the full, bluesy depth of the pain and struggle we all endure in these troubled times...A powerful album of blues rock that was conceived out of his own personal struggles, the three originals and eight covers here span about 80 years of musical history, all of which has undergone thorough reinvention...Like Buddy says, Peter Parcek’s a master." [full review]
Crossroads Blues Society - November 2020Mark Nelson says "...I love the deep cuts he covers, and how he expands on them to a modern feel. I look forward to more from him. Grab
this release and sit back for a listen."
La Hora Del Blues - November 2020"Con este álbum el guitarrista y cantante Peter Parcek quiere plasmar la lucha social y personal que nos ha tocado vivir en estos tiempos tan convulsos por la pandemia que asola a la humanidad. Herido de gravedad en una muñeca que casi le impidió poder tocar la guitarra, además de sufrir otros problemas personales, afortunadamente Parcek se ha recuperado completamente y ahora vuelve a la palestra con este álbum muy personal y distintivo que contiene once canciones de las que tres son composiciones propias y el resto versiones de composiciones de Sleepy John Estes, Bob Dylan, Peter Green, Pleasant Joseph, Lennon & McCartney, John Lee Williamson, Frankie Lee Sims y Lou Reed. A todas ellas Parcek les confiere un sello distintivo y personal que hace que no sean simples copias de los originales sino que aparezcan dotadas de una nueva y muy actual dimensión. La elegancia, el fraseo y la calidad limpia y brillante del sonido de su guitarra es realmente notable y nos muestra a un artista en plena forma. Para acabar mencionar una anécdota. Una noche en los camerinos después de un concierto Buddy Guy escuchó como Peter Parcek tocaba distraídamente una guitarra que había encontrado en el backstage. Guy hizo callar a todo el mundo, se acercó a Peter y le dijo: “Eres “tan malo” como Eric Clapton, y “conozco” muy bien a Clapton”. Todo un detalle viniendo de alguien como Buddy Guy. MUY BUENO." [review with translation]
Chicago Blues Guide - October 30, 2020Marty Gunther says Parcek is "an intense instrumentalist who delivers modern sounds that hint of the Delta and more." [full review]
Goldmine Magazine - October 27, 2020"Mississippi Suitcase... is a swampy, bluesy, souful, funky, rockin' gem with an A-List of incredible musicians like guitarists Luther Dickinson, Willie Nelson's longtime harmonica man Mickey Raphael and keyboardist Spooner Oldham amongst the 11-man cast on his searing originals plus transcendent covers of Bob Dylan, Peter Green, Sonny Boy Williamson, Paul McCartney and Lou Reed...Mississippi Suitcase is a real-life reaction to today with thought-provoking odes like the opening The World Is Upside Down and the closing A Head Full Of Ghosts yet there's always time for a song in-between the profundities like She Likes To Boogie Real Low. This one's a keeper, one of the best of the year."
Wicked Local Hamilton - October 16, 2020Ed Symkus profiles Peter Parcek and Mississippi Blues. [full review]
Blues in the Night Podcast - October 9, 2020Peter joins Perry Evatt to discuss Mississippi Suitcase [listen to podcast]
Bman's Blues Report - October 9, 2020I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Mississippi Suitcase, from Peter Parcek and it may be his best yet. Opening with The World Is Upside Down, Peter Parcek opens his grittiest and rockinist release, with a driving rhythm and blazing guitar... [full review]
2020 Boston Music Awards - September 2020Peter Parcek has been nominated by the Boston Music Awards for "Blues Artist of the Year." 5-Star Review The Rock Doctor - September 25, 2020John Kereiff reviews Mississippi Blues in The Rock Doctor: "A brilliant new album from a guitar player Buddy Guy calls “as bad as Eric Clapton”. Mississippi Suitcase, Peter’s 4th album if you include his EP Pledging My Time, is a heady concoction, a tasteful and melodic exploration of the potent and timeless humanity of the blues. The songs tell a story that stretches from swamps and flatlands the Delta of the 30’s to today’s streets, of the pain and joy of life. Not bad for a guy from Boston...Joyous, sad and thought provoking at the same time, this is great blues." [full review] Rock'n Force - September 23, 2020Kamarad Fañch of Rock'n Force writes "Visionnaire et s’attaquant à des morceaux intemporels, le guitariste et chanteur Peter Parcek parvient avec brio à remanier et proposer de toutes nouvelles versions qu’aucun se serait refusé à bouger à ce point. L’Américain, plus virtuose que jamais, propose un « Mississippi Suitcase » hors-norme et plus qu’inspiré." [full review] The Alternate Root - September 19, 2020Alternate Root writes: "The sound of guitar notes screaming and shouting out, demanding an answer in the roar from 'The World is Upside Down', the opening track from Peter Parcek on his recent release, Mississippi Suitcase. In-your-face Blues draws a line in the sand for a storyline as Peter Parcek wades through the muck and mire of modern times questioning WTF? over a rolling onslaught of rhythm. The cut is a template for Mississippi Suitcase. Whether Peter Parcek slows down the beat to a late-night, empty-highway groove in 'Beyond Here Lies Nothing', his guitar is feral, a thing untamed as it spits out accents for the tune. A snarling riff kicks off 'Life’s a One-Way Ticket' as Peter Parcek encourages embracing above-ground days while a molasses-slow Blues trudge takes aim and hits hearts with the seductive 'Until My Love Comes Down' and sinks low into a Blue-noir nether world in 'A Headful of Ghosts'. The Boston Globe - September 2020The Boston Globe writes: “Veteran bluesman Peter Parcek has just issued his third solo album, Mississippi Suitcase, which also serendipitously starts off in a fashion suitable to these times with “The World Is Upside Down.” …originals, including the title track… combine nicely with covers of songs from Dylan, Peter Green, Sonny Boy Williamson and Frankie Lee Sims. All are rendered in various shades of the blues, but Parcek is not afraid to color outside those lines, and when he does so with a marvelous, ringing take on “waiting for My Moan, “ Lou Reed’s tale of an uptown heroin score, it turns in the album’s most engaging moment.”
Rootstime Review - September 2020"Parcek's ability to embrace the deepest traditions of the genre, while pushing its boundaries, is echoed through his third album. His interpretation of the Sleepy John Ester song 'Everybody Oughta Make a Change' is infectious and the Bob Dylan / Robert Hunter 'Beyond Here Lies Nothin' is sweet and bittersweet, while his guitar gives atmospheric colors to this portrait of the preciousness and fragility of the world. love….Parcek reveals his soul again in his songs and his guitar still sounds like the old days! Zicazic - September 16, 2020Fred Delforge of french site Zicazic reviews
Mississippi Suitcase. Rootsville - September 2020Rootsville review: “Award-winning blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Peter Parcek demonstrates the rare ability to get into the soul of his songs and listeners on his new record “Mississippi Suitcase”. Parcek is a virtuoso in the primal sense of the word...His guitar work is powerfully sparse and direct, and his vocals are dripping with the despair of someone waiting at the crossroads of life to strike a deal...” [full translated review] Bluestown Music - September 6, 2020“Peter Parcek’s new album Mississippi Suitcase is a visionary exploration of the potent and timeless humanity of the blues. Its 11 songs tell a story that resonates from the swamps and flatlands of the 1930s Delta to today’s streets, with the tone and tenor of his guitar speaking eloquently of the pain and joy of life, of the struggle for balance in the modern world, and of his own stunning virtuosity, which marks him as one of the truly great exemplars of blues guitar today.” [full review] Concert Monkey - September 4, 2020 Mississippi Suitcase is reviewed by Convert Monkey in Belgium. [review] Ted Drozdowski - September 2020 Ted Drozdowski, senior editor for Premier Guitar and 1988 Keeping The Blues Alive award winner writes “Peter Parcek’s Mississippi Suitcase is elemental—a celebratory bonfire, radiating his virtuosity, creativity, and musical intelligence. It’s not simply his world- class and richly original guitar playing, which dances on an emotional high wire between transcendent invention and deep tradition, or his songwriting, which illuminates all the corners of our humanity, that makes him such an important and hauntingly expressive artist in today’s blues and roots scene. Or even the way his singing breathes with life and wisdom. There’s also his ability to reframe classic material, whether by Sonny Boy Williamson or Lou Reed, in way that’s respectful of history and yet resonant in the present. He can be wild and unpredictable, yet resolute as granite. And, like a bonfire, he burns, both on album and onstage. He is truly a master.” Making a Scene - September 2, 2020 Richard Ludmerer writes “...Each of Parcek’s totally unique interpretations display his rare vision of where melody and improvisation meet. This deeply moving album should bring guitarist Parcek the recognition he deserves.” [full review] Philly Cheeze's Rock & Blues Review - September 5, 2020 Phillip Smith writes “Boston-based blues guitarist Peter Parcek has hit a homerun with his third and latest album, Mississippi Suitcase. I can certainly see why he was compared to the great Eric Clapton, by living-legend Buddy Guy. This new eleven-track album is fully loaded with fabulous songs played with a fine-tuned finesse.” [full review] Glide Magazine - September 3, 2020 Jim Hynes writes “Peter Parcek is one of the most criminally underrated blues guitarists despite having earned a BMA nomination ten years ago...Whether through his biting tone, sizzling chromatic runs, bent notes, or judicious use of effects his guitar alone is worth every minute of listening but add to that his weary, spooky voice and Parcek creates a singular sound unlike anyone else on today’s blues scene. His are the hard blues.” [full review] Rock and Blues Muse - September 2020 Mike O’Cull writes “Parcek is tasteful, melodic, and spellbinding and takes us all to school. Every second of Mississippi Suitcase contains this same level of understated greatness and deserves a chance to be permanently installed in your musical consciousness. Peter Parcek has quietly mastered every nuance of the blues and will touch the innermost part of your being. Listen to this record daily for at least a year.” [full review] Rock and Blues International - September 2020 Kevin Wildman interviews Peter for the September issue of Rock and Blues International. Blues N Roots Corner - September 4, 2020 Jan Van Eck writes "Peter Parcek’s new album Mississippi Suitcase is a visionary exploration of the potent and timeless humanity of the blues. Its 11 songs tell a story that resonates from the swamps and flatlands of the 1930s Delta to today’s streets, with the tone and tenor of his guitar speaking eloquently of the pain and joy of life, of the struggle for balance in the modern world, and of his own stunning virtuosity, which marks him as one of the truly great exemplars of blues guitar today..." [full review] Midwest Record Review - August 28, 2020 "When you don’t have the chops and pals to pull off these omnibus kind of releases, they can be compost for the landfill. Parcek rubs shoulders with those North Mississippi boys and their pals and shows he knows his way around a song stack as well as he does turning his amp up to 11. A certified guitar slinging white boy with the blues, he handles John Estes as easily as he does Robert Hunter. Hot stuff for audiences bursting at the seams for a dose of same." Making a scene Podcast - August 22, 2020Live from the Midnight Circus Featuring Peter Parcek by Richard L'Hommedieu. "Peter Parcek’s daring, incendiary and soulful style is a distinctive hybrid. He weaves rock, gypsy-jazz, country, folk, and blues– especially blues– into a tapestry of melody, harmony and daredevil solos that push those styles to their limits without sacrificing the warmth of his own personality." Listen to the Podcast. Elmore Magazine - August 2020Song Premiere. Get a first listen to “Beyond Here Lies Nothin" from Peter's upcoming album Mississippi Suitcase in the Elmore Magazine review. New Videos - August 2019Peter has a number of exciting new live videos filmed at the Bull Run on Father’s Day 2019 by Moejoe Marino. You can find them in the video section. Metronome Magazine - Top 20 Picks 2018 - January 2019"Peter Parcek- Bluesman Parcek has always taken his time creating his music and his recent offering Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven was no exception. He
shared his fascinating story with us in the January issue." [view full article] AXS - Top 13 best blues guitarists - December 14, 2018AXS names Peter Parcek one of top blues guitarists. "Parcek put out an album in 2017 called Everybody Wants to go to Heaven, and for many heaven is exactly where Parcek’s guitar work on the album takes them. Fuzzy and swampy on “World Keep on Turning,” understated and mournful on Blind Lemon Jefferson’s “See That My Grave is Kept Clean” and playful and teasing on the instrumental “Shiver,” Everybody… is a solid example of Parcek’s ample talent." Vintage Guitar - Review - June 2018John Heidt writes: "
Parcek is that unique picker who calls to mind some older blues players, but is totally unique unto himself. He has great chops, a world-weary voice, and upon close listening, a completely different way of expressing American music. Check out 'Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven' for a highlight. Oh, yeah, Luther Dickinson guests on four cuts." Blues Music Magazine - Review - April 2018Brian M. Owens writes: " Journeyman singer-songwriter-guitarist Peter Parcek is no stranger ot the New England blues scene. Gaining a profound musical education in the 1960s while living in London during the British Blues Explosion, Parcek found himself sitting at the feet of the masters like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, adn Peter Green before they all hit global fame. Those influences have lasted for Parcek to this day. On his latest album in seven years, Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven, Parcek keeps things tight and electrically charged with minimal frills and gimmickry. His mastery of the fretboard is well intact as he spirals in, out, and through his band's raw accompaniment with deep blues-rock guitar sentiment. And while his is a bluesman at heart, his sound is original and inventive from track to track. Featuring an A-list of guests that include guitarist Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars), keyboardist Spooner Oldham (Muscle Shoals session player), drummer/producer Marco Giovino (Robert Plant; Norah Jones) along with others, Parcek delivers a handful of future classics with the fretboard workout of 'Pat Hare,' the earthy grind of 'Ashes To Ashes,' the moody '"Every Drop Of Rain,' and the entertainingly playful instrumentals 'Shiver' and 'Mississippi Suitcase.' Suberb!" Premier Guitar Magazine - Februrary 2018Thanks to Premier Guitar Magazine & Emile Menasche for the kind recent feature! Menasche writes: "Like all great blues records, Peter Parcek’s powerful new album Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven cuts close to the bone. Yet, from the opening track—a gut-punch rendition of Peter Green’s “World Keep on Turning”—Parcek takes us on a two-way journey. One direction is back to the deep emotion that defines the truest blues of every era; the other is forward into a modern sonic approach with which he breaks blues conventions without dishonoring them..." [more]
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