Having triumphed at the Melbourne Blues Appreciation’s Blues Challenge in 2019, local blues legends Checkerboard Lounge won their way to Memphis, Tennessee in 2020 to compete at the International Blues Challenge. While there, the opportunity came up to book a 5 hour, midnight recording session at the legendary Sun Studios, the very room in which maverick visionary Sam Phillips recorded not only Elvis Presley for the first time, but also the likes of Howlin’ Wolf, Ike Turner, BB King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and countless other blues, rock and country artists in the ’50s. Now CHECKERBOARD LOUNGE have released that 12 track recording, SUN SESSIONS on Cheersquad Records & Tapes
With longtime bass player Amos Sheehan (who played on their Sun Sessions album) recently leaving the band, Checkerboard Lounge are now: Carl Pannuzzo on drums and vocal (Kylie Auldist, Mia Dyson, Paul Grabowsky, Shane Howard, Patti Labelle, Fred Smith, Deb Morrow, Bob Sedergreen and more). Tim Neal on keys (Mavis Staples, Ricky Lee Jones, Joss Stone, Archie Roach, Paul Kelly, Ernest Ranglin, Randy Crawford, Fiona Boyes and more). Shannon Bourne on guitar (Chris Wilson, Vikka Bull, The Black Sorrows, Russell Morris, Tex Perkins, Broderick Smith and more, and new bass player Zoë Frater (Zoë Frater Quintet and more)
Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips caught up with the Checkerboard Lounge’s singer, drummer Carl Pannuzzo to chat about the band and discuss the creation of the Sun Sessions album
Checkboard Lounge will launch SUN SESSIONS Friday April 1 at the Thornbury Theatre, with special guest Sarah Carroll. Details and tix are available here
SUN SESSIONS is out now on limited edition marbled yellow/orange vinyl, black vinyl, CD (with bonus tracks) or as a digital download and available from
https://cheersquadrecordstapes.bandcamp.com/album/sun-sessions