Talk about being blind-sided by a killer punch!

In the great blues tradition of his 'Short Cool Ones' (the 1996 Gold-selling ARIA Award nominated blues album from diesel and Chris Wilson), Diesel has returned to his roots to produce one of his most roundly applauded and critically acclaimed albums in an already stellar career: ‘Project Blues – Saturday Suffering Fools’

No one saw Diesel’s ‘Project Blues’ album coming but it’s been unanimously reviewed as a knockout with comments such as;

"singing the blues in a fashion so intimately personal…” Sunday Herald Sun, Melbourne

“Album Of The Week: Diesel has lost none of the magic that has made him one of Australia’s most loved performers.” The Advocate, Tasmania

"fast and loose, with a real warmth.” Herald Sun, Melbourne

And now, just to kick things up another notch, Diesel and his band announce the ‘Hits & Blues 2009’ Tour.

In the words of the great Willie Dixon “..the blues are the roots, all the rest are the fruits” so the ‘Hits & Blues’ Tour will incorporate the blues ‘as nature intended’ and the ‘fruits’…all the hits from Diesel’s nine albums thus far.

The song selection for the first set will feature a broad selection from Project Blues, which comprises some freshly unearthed blues gems and some original songs, including classics from the likes of Buddy Guy, Albert King and Elmore James plus Diesel’s extraordinary rendition of the Don Gardener song ‘My Baby Likes To Boogaloo’. Other obvious standouts include ‘Them Changes’, originally from Buddy Miles and Buddy Guy’s ‘First Time I Met The Blues’ along with originals ‘Whiskey And Weed’ and ‘Walkin’ The Blues’ for which a live video is now available.

The band features long-term Diesel cohorts Richie Vez and Lee Moloney, as well as Bernie Bremond (ex the Injectors and an integral part of Diesel’s musical history - performing at select shows only).