wide-trax >>> big tobacco

When it comes to rock'in/swin'in/jump'in blues, nobody does it better than Buffalo's Big Tobacco. Headed up by veteran blues frontman Tony Marcolini, Big Tobacco is pushing itself out of the box and into some of the biggest and oldest buffalo area blues clubs. Born out of nearby Niagara Falls, Big Tobacco is one of the most sought after rock'in blues bands in the greater Buffalo blues scene. With their latest release "To Hell With The Blues", Big Tobacco is headed in the right direction.

As a young man, Marcolini left his hometown of Niagara Falls, New York and headed west in search of greener pastures. But what he eventually found wasn't green, but blue. After a short bout with the Phoenix Rock and Roll scene, circa early 1980's, the 90's brought him to the blues clubs in the Pacific Northwest. Seattle is the place where he fell in love with and developed his unique "jump'in blues" sound.

From one open mic to another and sitting in with some of the best bluesmen in the Northwest, he develpoed and honed his unique guitar style in an area of downtown Seattle known as Pioneer Square. An area in which swing'in, bluesy music filled the air nightly. It was here that he put together and created the concept of "Big Tobacco", a fictitious bluesman who's songs he plays and who's life he portrays on stage. After coming full circle, Tony Marcolini returned to the greater Buffalo blues scene and brought "Big Tobacco" to life with Tom Corsi on bass, and Paul Siwula on drums.

But one can't truely get the total picture of what this up and coming New York Blues band is really all about without seeing their live shows. According to lead singer/quitarist Tony Marcolini, " to truely understand and feel the vibe of blues, it must be experienced in the live setting and thats where Big Tobacco puts all its energy."

Big Tobacco is keeping up with the jump'in blues tradition with their soon to be released second CD entitled "To Hell and Back", a continuation of the Big Tobacco story and concept with a scheduled August 2004 realease.