Iridium Hosts Esperanza, Cropper And More In June

The Iridium gets bluesy this June, when North Mississippi Allstars, Robert Randolph, Elvin Bishop, and more all hit the historic Manhattan music destination. In addition to its longstanding Les Paul Mondays series, the club will celebrate the guitar giant's birthday June 9-13, with the Les Paul Trio performing nightly with special guests including soul guitar god Steve Cropper, Gary Hoey, Steve Conte, and more.

Check out some of the June highlights below:
North Mississippi Allstars w/ The Les Paul Trio (6/6): North Mississippi All Stars have brought their hill country blues-infused rock and roll to stages around the world since their Grammy-nominated 2000 debut 'Shake Hands with Shorty.' The band has performed with greats like Robert Plant and John Hiatt in addition to teaming up with Robert Randolph and John Medeski to perform as the critically acclaimed group The Word.
Les Paul Birthday Celebration w/ Steve Cropper & The Les Paul Trio (6/9-10) - Steve Cropper, "arguably the best known soul guitarist in the world" (All Music Guide), earned his venerable reputation as the guitarist for Booker T & The M.G.'s, the house band at Stax Records. As a guitarist (#36 on Rolling Stone's Top 100 Guitarists of All Time), producer, and songwriter, he's worked with everyone from Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett to Jeff Beck, John Lennon, and The Blues Brothers. Expect special guests and Les Paul-penned tunes in celebration of the guitar master's birthday.

Gary Hoey Band w/ The Les Paul Trio (6/11) - With a collection of 16 albums and five top 20 Billboard hits, it's no wonder Gary Hoey is listed in the top 100 greatest guitar players of all time. Hoey has toured and traded licks with the likes of Brian May (Queen), Ted Nugent, Foreigner, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Peter Frampton, and more in addition to opening for Jeff Beck on his 2010 tour.
Robert Randolph w/ The Les Paul Trio (6/13) - One of Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarist of All Time, pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph rose to fame around 2000 with his group, The Family Band, quickly earning fans in established stars like Eric Clapton and B.B. King and younger artists including The Roots and John Mayer. Randolph's latest album, 2010's 'We Walk This Road,' was produced by T Bone Burnett.

Elvin Bishop (6/17) - A founding member of the groundbreaking Paul Butterfield Blues Band in the early '60s, Bishop has had a profound impact on the world of blues and rock, performing with everyone from John Lee Hooker to The Allman Brothers along the way. He wrote the 1976 smash hit "Fooled Around and Fell In Love."

Mike Stern Band ft. Esperanza Spalding, Bob Malach & Lionel Cordew (6/21-25) - Some of the world's premier jazz and fusion artists join forces for five nights at The Iridium, when six-time Grammy-nominated guitarist Mike Stern performs with Best New Artist Grammy-winner Esperanza Spalding on bass, plus saxophonist Bob Malach (Steve Miller), and drummer Lionel Cordew (Angelique Kidjo).
Also appearing at the Iridium in June are The New NRBQ, the Jacky Terrasson Trio, the Larry Stevens Band, Kathleen France Vacation, Danny Aiello w/ The Bronx Wanderers & Hassan, Mavis 'SWAN' Poole & Soul Understated, Joe Alterman, Pete Levin Trio w/ Lenny White & Dave Stryker, Dave Frank, Terese Genecco & Her Little Big Band with Nicholas King, Reid Grenauer and Jason Crosby (from Assembly of Dust), Chihiro Yamanaka Trio, and more.

About The Iridium:
Deemed "hallowed ground" by legendary guitarist Steve Miller, The Iridium stage has played a part in launching the careers of countless artists, though it may be known best as The Home of Les Paul. Called "The Father of the Electric Guitar," Paul performed at The Iridium weekly for more than 12 years until his passing in 2009. Today, the Les Paul trio continues on in his honor, showcasing the diversity of the electric guitar every Monday night with world class special guests that have included Jeff Beck, Zakk Wylde, Steve Miller, and Ted Nugent, who will perform May 16.

For a complete calendar of events at the Iridium in June, visit:
http://www.theiridium.com/calendar