BLUE BELLA RECORDS
Delivering Classic Chicago Blues In A Whole New Package - Since 1998

Necessity is the mother of invention. Just ask Chicago blues guitarist Nick Moss of Nick Moss & the Flip Tops, who founded Blue Bella Records in 1998 to bring back the traditional style of Chicago blues music with an emphasis on not only keeping the classic Chicago sound alive, but making it appeal to a larger audience as well - across the country and around the world.

Blue Bella Records was Nick's answer to dwindling opportunities from record labels to record and to promote his traditional Chicago blues music sound, which he initially learned from working closely with blues artists like Jimmy Rogers. A family affair, Nick's wife, Kate, helps with marketing and promotions.

Since it's inception, Blue Bella Records has quadrupled in size to comprise four bands and 11 recordings, including Flip Top band member bassist Gerry Hundt (Since Way Back - 2007); harmonica ace Bill Lupkin (Where I Come From - 2006 /Hard Pill To Swallow - 2007); and the young guns of the genre, The Kilborn Alley Blues Band (Put It In The Alley - 2006 / Tear Chicago Down - 2007). The label's impressive releases garnered attention right out of the box; Blue Bella now boasts fourteen Blues Music Award nominations since the release of Moss' second effort, Got A New Plan, in 2001. Nick has eleven Blues Music Award nominations for his albums (including two "Band of the Year" nominations); Gerry Hundt received a nod for the 2008 honor of "Best Instrumentalist: Mandolin"; and the Kilborn Alley Blues Band have received two nominations: Onein 2007 for Put It In The Alley (for "Best New Artist Debut"), and the other in 2008 for the follow-up, Tear Chicago Down (for "Best Contemporary Blues Album"), both of which were produced by Nick and recorded in his studio with the help of engineer/sideman Gerry Hundt.

Even though the music and bands on Blue Bella are traditional, the record label is anything but. Nick says he is not in the business to make money off his artists and that is why Blue Bella Records is a co-op, where all bands on the label contribute equally to recording, duplication, advertising and distribution. Nick does not actively seek any band to record with Blue Bella in order to sell CDs. Instead, he sees Blue Bella Records as a conduit for musicians he believes have the talent and passion to keep traditional blues alive on stage and on the airwaves-a vehicle with which to record their music for the fan's listening enjoyment.