Bluesbelt Magazine

Review: Peter Karp/Sue Foley: He Said - She Said

2010-05-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

I interviewed Sue Foley in a restaurant in Austin's Four Season's Hotel back in the early 90s near the beginning of her music career. I must say, the lady has grown musically as you would expect someone to after this many years on the road. Her voice is strong as is her guitar work. On this new CD from from Blind Pig Records, Foley has teamed up with Peter Karp, a man who takes both his music and his lyrics pretty seriously.

This is not your typical blues album. There's touches of country and rock throughout along with a host of other music flavors as the artists trade off songs. If you're tired of your typical, "I'm broke, drunk and down and out" blues albums, give "He Said - She Said" a spin. I think you'll enjoy the music and you might even have to use your brain while you're listening to it.

Blind Pig Releases John Nemeth On 45rpm Record

2010-04-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

Blind Pig Records has released a 45rpm record from R&B singing sensation John Németh, who continues to reinvigorate vintage American rhythm & blues.

The "A" side of the record is "Name The Day," a rousing old school soul mover, backed with "Why Not Me," a gospel-tinged, spine-tingling ballad. The analog recordings from this limited edition pressing feature jukebox mixes of two outstanding tunes from Németh's forthcoming CD release, Name The Day!, which will street on May 18, 2010.

Blind Pig decided to take the step because of the recent increased sales of vinyl product, particularly among younger music fans. And Nemeth's uncanny ability to skillfully blend retro and modern blues and soul into compelling music that is simultaneously old and new naturally appeals to those same fans. As the Philadelphia Inquirer put it, "Classic soul and R&B styles have been revitalized by artists such as James Hunter, Eli 'Paperboy' Reed, and Sharon Jones. You can include John Németh on any list of the best of them."

As label head Edward Chmelewski explained, "This seemed like a good way to introduce John to fans of groups like Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, who appeal to people who love the authentic sound and feel of that cool retro soul style that John has perfected and does so well."

The Németh 45 is currently available to purchase only through Blind Pig.

Soul Men Steve Cropper (Booker T. & The Mgs) And Felix Cavaliere (The Rascals) Reunite For Second Stax Recording

2010-04-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

Midnight Flyer, due in stores June 15, showcases more brilliant songwriting by two titans of blue-eyed soul’s golden age

Steve Cropper, guitarist for Booker T. and the MGs and one of the primary architects of the unmistakable Stax sound of the 1960s, and vocalist/keyboardist Felix Cavaliere, the voice of the Rascals and the pivotal figure in the blue-eyed soul movement of that same era, have reconvened for their second collaborative recording. Sparks fly at the crossroads of Memphis soul and East Coast R&B when Stax Records releases Midnight Flyer on June 15, 2010.

Midnight Flyer, recorded in Nashville and mixed by the legendary David Z, is the followup to Nudge It Up a Notch, the 2008 maiden voyage by Cropper and Cavaliere that scored critical acclaim from the music and mainstream press. The San Francisco Chronicle called Nudge It Up a Notch “an unexpected delight,” while BluesWax heralded the project as “one of the great surprises of 2008, and further evidence of Concord Music Group’s genuine commitment to the revamped Stax imprint.”

Album Review: John Mayall, "Tough"

2010-03-30T12:32:00.000-07:00

There's a reason that John Mayall is a legend - the man knows the blues and he knows how to pick the right musicians to help deliver his musical vision. I still can't get the picture out of my head of Mayall packing up his own gear after a gig in Austin a few years ago. Even though he's a legend, he not above doing his own equipment grunt work. You gotta respect that. On Tough, his 57th studio album (!) Mayall delivers the goods at an age when most of his musical contemporaries are either dead or have resigned themselves to listening to the blues from their rocker. Strong harmonica by Mayall is featured on the disc and some tight backing by musicians like guitarist Rocky Athas, bassist Greg Rzab, drummer Jay Davenport, and keyboardist Tom Canning. Long live the blues and long live John Mayall!

Joe Bonamassa Tour Dates

2009-10-30T12:59:00.000-07:00

If you are near one of these venues at the right time, you should check this artist out. 'Nuf said.

10/30 @ Center Stage Theatre, Atlanta GA
10/31 @ Alys Robison Stephen PAC, Birmingham AL
11/05 @ Plaza Theatre, Orlando FL
11/06 @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater FL
11/07 @ Gusman Center, Miami FL
11/10 @ Coach House, San Juan Capistrano CA
11/11 @ Coach House, San Juan Capistrano CA
11/16 @ Milano Guitar Festival, Milan ITALY
11/18 @ Capitol, Mannheim GERMANY
11/19 @ Jovel Music Hall, Muenster GERMANY
11/23 @ The Olympia, Paris FRANCE
11/24 @ Festival Blues De Traverse, FRANCE
11/25 @ AB Theatre, Brussels BELGIUM
11/26 @ Royal Theatre, Amsterdam NETHERLANDS
11/28 @ Venue Cymru, Llandudno WALES
11/30 @ Royal Center, Nottingham ENGLAND
12/01 @ Guildhall, Southampton ENGLAND
12/02 @ UEA, Norwich ENGLAND
12/03 @ Academy, Leeds ENGLAND
12/05 @ Picturehouse, Edinburgh SCOTLAND
12/06 @ Waterfront, Belfast IRELAND
12/08 @ Vicar Street, Dublin IRELAND
12/09 @ The Opera House, Cork IRELAND
12/11 @ Den Atelier, Luxembourg
12/13 @ Auditorium Parco Della Musica, Rome ITALY
12/15 @ Kyttaro Live, Athens GREECE
12/18 @ Riding 3, Tel Aviv ISRAEL

03/23/10 @ Bass Performance Hall, Fort Worth TX
03/26 @ Civic Center Music Hall, Oklahoma City OK
04/02 @ Englert Civic Theatre, Iowa City IA
04/15 @ Town Hall Theatre, New York NY
04/16 @ Wilbur Theatre, Boston MA
04/17 @ Paramount Center, Peekskill NY
04/18 @ Grand Opera House, Wilmington DE
04/20 @ Hart Theatre at the Egg, Albany NY
04/21 @ Count Basie Theater, Red Bank NJ
04/23 @ Lisner Auditorium, Washington DC
04/24 @ Keswick Theatre, Glenside PA
04/25 @ Sunoco Performance Theater, Harrisburg PA
05/28 @ Hammersmith, London UK
05/29 @ Magna Centre, Rotherham UK
05/30 @ International Center, Bournemouth UK
05/31 @ National Indoor Arena, Birmingham UK

The Essential Coco Montoya: Release date: 10/20/09

2009-10-18T15:20:00.000-07:00

The Essential Coco Montoya features a dozen tracks culled from Montoya's three excellent mid-1990s albums recorded for Blind Pig Records.

Robert Cray: This Time

2009-10-17T16:45:00.000-07:00

John Mayall's "Tough"

2009-09-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

New Studio Album By The Blues Master – His 57th To Date

New York, NY -Over the years, Eagle Rock Entertainment has developed a strong relationship with legendary blues master John Mayall. On September 15, 2009, through their wholly-owned Eagle Records subsidiary, Mayall’s dynamic and masterful new piece of work: Tough has been released.

On this, his self-produced 57th studio album to date, John Mayall once again proves why he is known as “The Godfather of British Blues.” Tough tackles a number of topics, deeply exploring the struggles in human relationships, the pitfalls of temptation, and the difficulties we face in the world’s current state.
However, through the “toughness,” he also touches upon one more prominent theme: the promise of hope. Current, gritty, and strong, these 11 tracks are words of wisdom told from a voice of strength and experience.

Taking on multiple instruments (piano, organ, six and twelve string guitar, and harmonica, along with his signature vocals) Mayall is backed by his touring band–guitar phenomenon Rocky Athas, bassist Greg Rzab, drummer Jay Davenport, and organist/pianist Tom Canning.

76 years young, Mayall has spent 44 years cultivating his brand of blues and has helped launch the careers of some of the greatest contemporary blues musicians, including Eric Clapton, Rolling Stone Mick Taylor, and Fleetwood Mac’s Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, and Peter Green. He has enjoyed many deserved accolades for his extraordinary contributions to blues music, including an honor from the Queen of England herself. In 2005, she named him an officer of the Order of the British Empire. He accepted this prestigious honor alongside Brian May (Queen) and Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin).

Tough promises to be another great addition to this incomparable musician’s body of work. Other Eagle Rock Entertainment releases, include In The Palace Of The King (April 2007), The 70th Birthday Concert (2CD, DVD, and Blu-ray), Road Dogs CD (June 2005), and Along For The Ride CD (May 2001).

Eagle Rock Entertainment is an international media production and distribution company operating across audiovisual entertainment programming. Eagle Rock Entertainment works directly alongside talent to produce the highest quality programming output covering film, general entertainment and musical performance. Eagle Rock Entertainment has offices based in London, New York, Germany, France & Toronto.

Track Listing:
1.) Nothing To Do With Love
2.) Just What You’re Looking For
3.) Playing With A Losing Hand
4.) An Eye For An Eye
5.) How Far Down
6.) Train To My Heart
7.) Slow Train To Nowhere
8.) Number’s Down
9.) That Good Old Rockin’ Blues
10.) Tough Times Ahead
11.) The Sum Of Something

Roots 'N Blues 'N BBQ delivers sweet meat and beats

2009-09-29T07:42:00.000-07:00

Photo by Katie Currid

It was the first night of the third annual Roots 'N Blues 'N BBQ Festival and the streets were chock full of people, moving and grooving to the sultry rhythms. Roots 'N Blues is more than just a concert; this is a musical experience. [read more by Andrea Kszystyniak]

The Crank Brothers: Black Midnights, Stars & Streetlights

2009-09-23T11:22:00.001-07:00

Norway's The Crank Brothers have a new CD out titled, "Black Midnights, Stars & Streetlights. You can learn more about this band on the web at: www.myspace.com/grandeblues

Bluesbelt Magazine - Declared one of the top blues blogs

2009-09-02T21:16:00.000-07:00

Just found out that Bluesbelt Magazine has been declared one of the top blues blogs by The Daily Reviewer. Thanks, everyone!

BLUESFEST LONDON X: Bluesman pays homage to legends and friends

2009-07-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

U.S. rock and roll royalty was in the Bluesfest house last night.

Steve Earle returned to downtown London for the first time in many years, bringing the Bluesfest London crowd to its feet with stories, one-liners and plenty of beautiful blues.

Not all Earle's blues songs fit the definition Earle supplied himself with mock seriousness part way through the set.

But when a Grammy winner stands up with just a guitar and harmonica and ends his opening number with a couple of lines from Bo Diddley's Who Do You Love and name checks blues icons Lightnin' Hopkins and Mance Lipscomb, it's safe to say this Earle is a bluesman, too. [Read More]

Koko Taylor...dead at 80

2009-07-02T23:34:00.000-07:00

Grammy Award-winning blues legend Koko Taylor, 80, died on June 3, 2009 in her hometown of Chicago, IL, as a result of complications following her May 19 surgery to correct a gastrointestinal bleed. On May 7, 2009, the critically acclaimed Taylor, known worldwide as the “Queen of the Blues,” won her 29th Blues Music Award (for Traditional Female Blues Artist Of The Year), making her the recipient of more Blues Music Awards than any other artist. In 2004 she received the NEA National Heritage Fellowship Award, which is among the highest honors given to an American artist. Her most recent CD, 2007’s Old School, was nominated for a Grammy (eight of her nine Alligator albums were Grammy-nominated). She won a Grammy in 1984 for her guest appearance on the compilation album Blues Explosion on Atlantic.

Portland, Oregon's Waterfront Blues Festival

2009-06-29T19:40:00.000-07:00

World-class music. Gorgeous setting. Great cause. What could be better?

Join blues fans from throughout the world at the 21st annual Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, presented by First Tech Credit Union, July 3 to 6, 2008. This renowned festival takes place annually on the grassy banks of the beautiful Willamette River at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in downtown Portland, Ore.

The Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival is an anomaly in the festival world. There is no other festival like it anywhere.

Now in its 21st year, the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival is the largest blues festival west of the Mississippi and the second-largest blues festival in the nation. The festival annually attracts more than 120,000 blues fans from throughout the world.

Touted as one of the best-run festivals anywhere, it remains a grassroots festival, operated by Oregon Food Bank – a nonprofit, charitable organization – with the help of more than a thousand volunteers.

The festival raises food and funds to help people who are hungry throughout Oregon and southwest Washington. Admission is a suggested donation of only $10 plus two cans of food per person, per day.

Gate donations benefit Oregon Food Bank’s mission: to eliminate hunger and its root causes ... because no one should be hungry. This is all the more important this year as food, fuel and healthcare costs climb, foreclosures and layoffs increase and world food supply dwindles.

A Four-day Festival Grounds Pass, a special Blues Buddy Pass and an exclusive Blues Benefactor Pass are available online at www.waterfrontbluesfest.com through a new ticket service created by Patrick Lamb.

The four-day festival will feature more than 120 performances on four stages. Some highlights:

Thursday, July 3

The festival kicks off with a Tribute to Memphis Soul, featuring soul icon Isaac Hayes, presented by Chinook Winds Casino Resort. The tribute will get a local treatment with Portland Soul All-Stars, featuring Linda Hornbuckle, LaRhonda Steele and Sean Holmes backed by an all-star band. They will put their spin on classics by Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Booker T and the MGs, Albert King and other legends of the Stax/Volt record label. Portland’s young soul diva Liv Warfield and “Boogie Cat” Norman Sylvester will open the tribute on the Miller Stage.

The Credit Union Blues Stage will feature searing riffs from up-and-coming blues guitar slingers: virtuoso Joe Bonamassa, Houston’s Carolyn Wonderland and Salem's Ty Curtis.

The stellar line-up includes a Battle of the ‘Bones on the A&E Front Porch Stage with the two funkiest trombonists on the planet: the legendary Fred Wesley & Groovesect and the young virtuoso Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews & New Orleans Avenue. The Front Porch will open with Blues from the Edge, featuring semi-acoustic acts that push the genre’s envelope: Joe McMurrian Quartet, Memphis’ rootsy Moreland & Arbuckle, and Salem’s Mark Lemhouse.

Friday, July 4

Boogie-blues-rock pioneers Canned Heat and the Los Angeles-based all-star group The Mannish Boys – with special guests Kid Ramos, Kirk Fletcher and Finis Tasby will headline July 4th. The stellar line-up includes a Tribute to Freddie King, featuring Phillip Walker, Sherman Robertson and Andrew “Jr. Boy” Jones; the punkified blues of The Legendary Shack Shakers; Pianorama Northwest and more.

The Waterfront Blues Festival will team up with the Blues Foundation to present Trampled Under Foot, the winner of this year’s International Blues Challenge, on the A&E Front Porch Stage. Bill Rhoades’ annual Harmonica Blow-off will close the stage.

The night ends with spectacular fireworks.

Saturday, July 5

Chicago harmonica ace Charlie Musselwhite, guitarist Elvin Bishop and New Orleans guitarist Eric Lindell will headline the slate. Performances include the amazing, young British blues-rockers Back Door Slam, Louisiana Creole blues-rocker Classie Ballou, Mississippi roots-rocker Paul Thorn, Gulf Coast Guitar Summit with Phillip Walker, Sherman Robertson and Andrew “Jr. Boy” Jones and more.

On the A&E Front Porch Stage, enjoy a full-day, lively Zydeco Swamp Romp, showcasing Rosie Ledet, the “Zydeco Sweetheart”; Chris Ardoin and Nu Step Zydeco; Cedryl Ballou & the Zydeco Trendsetters; Diki Du and the Zydeco Krewe; and dance demonstrations with Roland and Janine Jemerson.

Sunday, July 6

Soulful songstress Phoebe Snow will headline an afternoon of Women in Blues. Don’t miss Texas soul and folk singer Ruthie Foster; an old-time Gospel Hour with Linda Hornbuckle & Janice Scroggins; the all-star line-up of Northwest Women in Rhythm & Blues; and a special Swinging to the Blues dance on the A&E Front Porch Stage, featuring San Francisco’s Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers.

Later, the focus will shift to neo-soul with British soul crooner James Hunter, searing soul-blues guitarist Arthur Adams and a triumphant return of Portland’s blue-eyed soul man Curtis Salgado, celebrating the release of his new record.

Other highlights include an early afternoon of delta blues on the A&E Front Porch Stage, featuring North Mississippi bluesman Robert “Wolfman” Belfour and Portland’s Hillstomp, and an evening main stage set by Portland’s brass spectacle March Fourth Marching Band.

The festival will again offer its popular delta music experience Blues Cruises on the Willamette River. Tickets for all five blues cruises as well as four-day festival passes are available at www.waterfrontbluesfest.com via a new ticketing venue, created by Patrick Lamb.

But that’s not all. The festival also will offer a Louisiana Pavilion, workshops, interviews, after-hours blues jams, activities for kids and more.

About Oregon Food Bank: Oregon Food Bank distributes donated food throughout a statewide network of more than 919 nonprofit, hunger-relief agencies serving Oregon and Clark County, Wash., and works to eliminate the root causes of hunger through education and advocacy.

About festival sponsors: The Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival is presented by First Tech Credit Union. Major sponsors include FedEx Freight, PacificSource Health Plans, iQ Credit Union, Daimler Truck Financial, Land Rover, The Oregonian A&E, KINK.fm and Travel Portland. Supporting sponsors include Burt’s Bees, Good Neighbor Pharmacy, Henry Weinhard's, Deschutes Brewery, Beringer Wine, Snapple, Pepsi, Nutrisoda, Earth2o Water, Frito Lay Snacks, Yoshida Sauce, Mission Foods, Dreyer’s Ice Cream, NW Natural, Impact Advertising, Edge Design, The Boeing Company, PGE, KBOO, OregonLive.com, Blues Revue, Music Millennium, Karolyn March, Guitar Center, Lions Foundation, Cascade Blues Association, Oregon Potters Association, Cascade Zydeco and Delta Music Experience..

For more information, visit www.waterfrontbluesfest.com.

Time for a break

2008-10-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

In order to concentrate on my art, I am going to take a break from blogging except on my art blog www.artfoundango.blogspot.com

Thanks for supporting Bluesbelt...I will be back soon.

Thanks,
Randy

B.B. King: One Kind Favor

2008-10-06T15:21:00.000-07:00

Though he's created some of the most essential, elemental blues in musical history, B.B. King has never shied away from exploring different directions, and some might say he's occasionally ventured too far afield. ONE KIND FAVOR should silence those doubters; with the help of superproducer T-Bone Burnett's roots noir approach, it finds King delivering gritty, impassioned interpretations of the tunes that influenced him in the 1950s. From his soulful, syncopated take on Blind Lemon Jefferson's country blues classic "See That My Grave is Kept Clean" to the Chicago-style stomping takeover of the Mississippi Sheiks' "The World Is Gone Wrong," King proves that at the age of 82 he can still turn out fiery, energetic music as undeniably vital as anything being produced by artists a third of his age.

Blues in the Schools

2008-09-18T20:29:00.000-07:00

Portland, Oregon blues guitar legend Robbie Laws is advancing the teaching of blues to students in the Portland school system in conjunction with the Cascade Blues Association. Laws, an 18-time winner and Hall of Famer of the Muddy Awards and owner of SixStringCentral School of Music, is spending his twenty-third year ensuring that the next generation is well aware of the musical history that was the progenitor of nearly every form of American music.

Blues in the Schools is a program modeled after the after nationally recognized “Blues in the Schools” programs offered throughout the United States and is sponsored by the Cascade Blues Association, considered one of the most active blues associations in the country.

According to Laws, “As a player, a teacher and an aficionado of the blues, I almost consider it my duty to let kids know there is a form of music still out there breathing and thriving that gave birth to the music they are currently listening to. Portland school children aren’t all able to come to SixStringCentral to learn to love the blues, so we go to them.”

B.B. King Museum Grand Opening

2008-09-11T08:42:00.000-07:00

Blues giant B.B. King will christen the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola, Miss., September 13 and 14 and just released a new CD. Get more info at the website.

B.B. King - Premier Collection

2008-09-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

As part of Acrobat Music’s U.S. label launch, B.B. King’s B.B. King & His Orchestra Live will be released October 21, 2008, marking the recording’s first availability in the U.S. The album was recorded in January 1983 in Cannes during the international music industry gathering known as MIDEM. The concert, sponsored by Kool, was held at the Palais des Congres, where King shared the stage with Dave Brubeck Quartet and Pat Matheny.

B.B. King & His Orchestra Live presents many of King’s hits and standards recorded under the band directorship of Calvin Owens. King and famous guitar Lucille and the band were in top form on such hits as “Why I Sing the Blues,” “The Thrill is Gone,” “Everyday I Have the Blues,” “Sweet Little Angel,” and a world-class reading of Louis Jordan’s “Caldonia.”

The collection features liner notes by British music historian Neil Slaven, who says, “Instead of chitlin’ circuit gigs that paid the rent and touring bills, King was elevated to concert stages on the U.S. and Europe and ultimately, around the world. Since then, apart from winning a string of music awards including Grammys and Handys, he’s been awarded Doctorates, Lifetime Achievement Awards, Humanitarian Awards and has played at the White House for two presidents.”

Slaven quotes King biographer Charles Sawyer as observing, “His penetration into the mainstream has given blues a distinct place and a clearly defined identity as a result of his success,” adding, “Amen to that.”

Acrobat is a UK-based record label specializing in collectors’ and reissue CDs across just about every genre of music. In 2007, Acrobat Music Group purchased the Kruger Organisation catalog, a library of more than 22,000 original tracks by Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone, among scores of others. Launching its U.S. label out of New York this October 21, Acrobat will establish its presence as a premier independent reissue label in the U.S. through its distribution with TVT Distribution.

The U.S. label debut features 15 reissues that offer high quality, historical significance and excellent value. The first set of releases includes jazz/big band, blues, country, R&B, doo-wop and rock. All the Premier Collection titles are showcased in “deluxe packaging,” with o-cards, extensive liner notes and either a large number of tracks or lengthy play time.

Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials

2008-08-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

Celebrating 20 years together as one of the most explosive and electric live bands on the blues scene today, the newest album from Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials delivers more of the foot-stomping boogies, emotionally-charged slow blues, and rocked-out celebrations that have become the band's trademark. (Release date: 08/26/08)

Irma Thomas Teams Up with Jazz Stars on New CD

2008-08-12T10:51:00.002-07:00

Blues singer Irma Thomas' new album, Simply Grand, will be released on August 12. The collection teams her with 12 renowned pianists, including Ellis Marsalis, Norah Jones, Henry Butler, Dr. John, Marcia Ball and Randy Newman. Last year, Thomas won her first Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album for After the Rain.

Buddy Guy - Skin Deep Video

2008-07-16T15:29:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the imminent release of his all new album "Skin Deep," Buddy Guy has filmed a great solo version of the song

Taj Mahal, Eddie Floyd added to Long Beach Blues Festival lineup, August 31

2008-07-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

Blues and world music legend Taj Mahal and Booker T. Jones will co-headline the Sunday, August 31 show of the Long Beach Blues Festival. In addition, Stax soul veteran Eddie Floyd has been added to the Sunday roster. The festival will be held Saturday and Sunday, August 30-31 in its breezy new oceanfront home, the Rainbow Lagoon at Linden Ave. and Shoreline Dr. adjacent to the Long Beach Marina. Previously booked Sly & the Family Stone cancelled their appearance at the festival, according to the festival’s co-producers Bill Silva Presents and Rum & Humble.

T. Jones, who will co-headline on Sunday, a line-up of venerable artists from the blues pantheon has been announced. Saturday's performers also include Eric Clapton associate John Mayall, New Orleans’ riotous Dirty Dozen Brass Band, blues piano patriarch Pinetop Perkins, Northern Californian slide slinger Roy Rogers, and Jamaican soul vocalist Roy Young, in his West Coast debut. Sunday's performers also include Crescent City artist/producer/arranger Allen Toussaint, harmonica blower Charlie Musselwhite, straight-up bluesman Joe Louis Walker and rising guitar phenomenon Ana Popovic.

Waterfront Blues Festival

2008-07-07T09:51:00.000-07:00

From all reports, The Portland, Oregon Waterfront Blues Festival was a big success - good crowd, great weather and super blues.

The budget was a little tighter this year, which probably accounts for the proliferation of Portland bands represented, but some classics represented there as well.

Blues stalwarts, like Charlie Musselwhite, Sherman Robertson, Joe Bonamassa and others put the meat on the bone and helped to bring blues lovers to Portland form around the world.

I'm looking forward to next year's festival already!

Jimmy Reed Marker Unveiled Today

2008-06-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

The Mississippi Blues Commission unveils a marker today at 4pm honoring the great Jimmy Reed in Sunleith, Mississippi at Collier Road. A mural unveiling will follow at 5pm on Broad Street in Leland and a reception at the Hwy 61 Blues Museum (307 N. Broad).

2008 Blues Music Award Winners Announced

2008-06-11T23:06:00.000-07:00

The 2008 Blues Music Awards were announced in the Mississippi Delta on Thursday, May 8. The winners selected by the vote of the Blues Foundation's members are.

1. DVD - Kenny Wayne Shepherd – 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads

2. Traditional Blues Male Artist - Hubert Sumlin

3. Traditional Blues Female Artist - Koko Taylor

4. Acoustic Artist - Bobby Rush

5. Acoustic Album Bobby Rush - Raw

6. Pinetop Perkins Piano Player - Honey Piazza

7. Instrumentalist-Guitar - Bob Margolin

8. Soul Blues Male Artist - Bobby Rush

9. Soul Blues Female Artist - Irma Thomas

10. Soul Blues Album - The Holmes Brothers – State of Grace

11. Historical Album - Epic/Legacy – Breakin’ It UP, Breakin’ it DOWN

12. Contemporary Blues Album - Tommy Castro - Painkiller

13. Contemporary Blues Female Artist - Bettye LaVette

14. Contemporary Blues Male Artist - Tab Benoit

15. Instrumentalist-Harmonica - Kim Wilson

16. Instrumentalist-Bass - Bob Stroger

17. Instrumentalist-Drums - Sam Lay

18. Instrumentalist-Horn - Deanna Bogart

19. Instrumentalist-Pedal Steel- Robert Randolph

20. Best New Artist Debut - Diunna Greenleaf & Blue Mercy – Cotton Field to Coffee House

21. Song - “Gonna Buy Me a Mule” – Koko Taylor

22. Traditional Blues Album - Koko Taylor – Old School

23. Album - Watermelon Slim & the Workers – The Wheel Man

24. Band - Watermelon Slim & the Workers

25. B.B. King Entertainer - Tommy Castro

Music Review: Marcia Ball - Marcia Ball: Live at the Highline Ballroom

2008-06-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

By Stephen Foster of Blogcritics

Listen carefully now: Marcia Ball ("long, tall Marcia Ball," as she's called) is possibly the best blues piano player you've never heard. If you know her and her music, you've been blessed. If you don't know her, Woozyfly gives you a glimpse of her hard stomp, swamp boogie blues. So get connected. It's time to receive communion. (read more...)

Goodbye, Bo Diddley

2008-06-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

Rock legend Bo Diddley has passed away from heart failure at his home in Archer, Florida on Monday, according to his spokeswoman Susan Clary. He had suffered a heart attack last August, three months after suffering from a stroke. He was 79.

Diddley won a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 1999, and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

New Guitar Summit Gives You Shivers On News CD Out July 8

2008-06-01T18:29:00.000-07:00

Stony Plain Records announces a July 8 release date in the U.S. for Shivers, the second album from New Guitar Summit, comprised of Jay Geils, Duke Robillard and Gerry Beaudoin. Joining this trio of stellar guitarists as special guest on Shivers is legendary Canadian rocker Randy Bachman (Guess Who, Bachman Turner Overdrive), who adds his sparking guitar work and laid-back vocals on two Mose Allison classic songs, “Your Mind Is On Vacation” and “Everybody’s Crying Mercy.”

The critically-acclaimed New Guitar Summit’s self-titled first CD and DVD, Live from Stoneham Theatre were both released by Stony Plain in 2004. The three New England-based guitarists first began performing together in 1997, with one of their highlights coming that year when they joined the Woody Herman Orchestra as special guests in front of 5,000 fans at City Hall Plaza in Boston..

On Shivers, the three guitarists come together again to play a rousing set of vintage jazz and blues music, the kind that inspired each player to become the masters of their instruments. In addition to the two Mose Allison tunes, the band covers such classics as “Flying Home,” “Honey Suckle Rose,” “Broadway” and the title track, written by Charlie Christian and Lionel Hampton. The band also adds a jumping arrangement on the early rock ‘n’ roll/R&B chestnut, “Little Bitty Pretty One,” plus three original songs.

“It’s about amazing communication, the three of us really like and respect each other,” says Gerry Beaudoin in the album’s liner notes. “Jay and I play together every month and come up with different sets of material, and when Duke, who is so busy, gets together with us, it really is like falling off a log.”

Randy Bachman became involved in the project after he and Gerry Beaudoin met. “Randy and I crossed paths when I was selling some vintage guitars and we hit it off,” remembers Beaudoin. “When we were on our tour of Canada, we were able to record with him. Holger (Petersen) from Stony Plain Records and I both thought the two Mose tunes would be a good fit,” he adds.

Shivers was produced by Jay Geils and recorded primarily at WellSpring Sound in Acton, Massachusetts with Timm Kelleher engineering

For more information, visit www.stonyplainrecords.com.

Big names for Kiwi Bluesfest

2007-12-24T18:34:00.000-08:00

The Coromandel peninsula will host a major international blues music festival for the next three years.

Promoter Manolo Echave said up to 12,000 music fans were expected to attend Bluesfest NZ, to be held for the first time on March 22, 2008, at Dakota Fields, Moewai Rd, off SH25 near Whitianga.

It is connected to the highly rated Australian annual East Coast International Blues and Roots Music Festival (also known as Byron Bay Bluesfest), the West Coast Blues and Roots Festival in Western Australia, Point Nepean A Music Experience (Victoria) and Southern Roots (Tasmania).

Louisiana-born blues veteran and Rock'n'Roll Hall of Famer Buddy Guy, 71, is the headline act booked for Bluesfest NZ, which will also feature Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, Californian guitarist Keb Mo and, most surprisingly, Ian Brown, the former singer for iconic 1980s British rock band The Stone Roses. Chicago-based Wilco, led by Jeff Tweedy, is the other international act announced so far.

New Zealand acts confirmed on the bill are soul/jazz diva Hollie Smith and bands Little Bushman, Pluto and The Checks.

In previous years acts performing at the Byron Bay event have played dates in Auckland, but this is the first time there has been a definitive link to the Australian festivals.

"It's taken three years to persuade Australia to include New Zealand on the tour," Echave said.

"Our proposal was to start this year with conservative crowd, one-day event with the aim of establishing a blues festival in NZ."

Echave said the festival was confirmed for three years, and would feature two stages.

"It's great news for our region. Let's hope we can keep it down here."

The event has the same venue as the New Year's Eve event Mercury Rising, and a second line-up announcement is expected near the end of January. Other artists confirmed for the Australian festivals include Sinead O'Connor, Keith Urban, Xavier Rudd and John Fogerty (formerly of Creedence Clearwater Revival).

It will be the first visit to New Zealand for both Guy and Tunstall, and Echave said one or two major international acts were set to be announced, "but we're pretty close to knowing what the final line-up is".

Echave said the site was owned by the Thames Coromandel District Council, which bought the property so it could be used as a recreational facility. Echave said one of the major bonuses of the site was its proximity to the centre of the holiday resort town.

General admission tickets, which go on sale in January, will be $100 each.

"If you look at the quality and calibre of the artists, it's a pretty economical package when you include the eight internationals," said Echave.

Peter Noble, director of the Australian festivals, spends six months every year seeing all artists perform before booking them for the series.

Delta Blues Acts Nominated For Grammys This Year

2007-12-17T11:55:00.001-08:00

50th GRAMMY NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED... And nominations include Mississippi natives like Pinetop Perkins (who's technically up for 3 Grammys!), Otis Rush, Honeyboy Edwards, Henry Townsend and more.

Category 66 - Best Traditional Blues Album

- Pinetop Perkins On The 88's Live In Chicago, Pinetop Perkins [Sagebrush Productions/Vizztone Label Group]
- Live...And In Concert From San Francisco, Otis Rush [Blues Express, Inc.]
- 10 Days Out: Blues From The Backroads, Kenny Wayne Shepherd Featuring Various Artists [Reprise Records]
- Old School, Koko Taylor [Alligator Records]
- Last Of The Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen Live In Dallas; Henry Townsend, Pinetop Perkins, Robert Lockwood, Jr. & Honeyboy Edwards [The Blue Shoe Project]

Category 67 - Best Contemporary Blues Album

- Into The Blues, Joan Armatrading [429 Records]
- Is It News, Doyle Bramhall [Yep Roc Records]
- The Road To Escondido, JJ Cale & Eric Clapton [Reprise Records/Warner Music Group]
- Truth, Robben Ford [Concord Records]
- The Scene Of The Crime, Bettye LaVette [Anti]

CLICK here for the complete list of Grammy nominations.

DELTA BLUES ACTS NOMINATED FOR GRAMMYS THIS YEAR

2007-12-17T11:55:00.000-08:00

CLICK here for the complete list of Grammy nominations.

Exploring the Home of the Blues

2007-12-03T08:37:00.000-08:00

Buddy Guy Gives Tour of Chicago Music History: Exploring the Home of the Blues, the Chicago Blues Audio Tour narrated by Chicago-local Buddy Guy has found an astonishing audience in just six months.

The podcast has been downloaded more than 97,000 times and is currently averaging over 1,000 downloads per day. The free, 50-minute tour combines an interactive map, tour stop directions, archival photos, video, music clips, and interviews – a true multimedia experience unlike anything else available.

Listeners are able to follow the tour either by downloading to a portable media player or by virtually experiencing Chicago on a home computer. The Chicago Blues Tour is free and can be downloaded at www.downloadchicagotours.com.

Digg this article

15- year-old can rock with the best of them

2007-11-26T08:41:00.000-08:00

I love finding out about new up and coming talent, and 10th grader, Desiree Bassett apparently burns up a guitar fretboard. Her dad is Dan Bassett who plays with Living Colour. This info is from courant.com

DESIREE' BASSETT, a 10th-grader at E.O. Smith High School in Storrs, is gaining national recognition for her skills with a guitar. The 15-year-old, who started playing when she was 3, was featured in Guitar Player magazine this past summer. "She's a true artist in every sense of the word," her father, Dan Bassett, said. Desiree', who likes country music, jazz and blues, took guitar lessons from professors at the University of Connecticut, and she now gives lessons to others. She's currently working on an album with her band, Desiree' & the Time Machine. (MARK MIRKO / November 14, 2007)

You can read more about Desiree here...

Kilborn Alley Blues Band

2007-11-24T09:19:00.000-08:00

This Chicago based band is making a few waves with their new release, "Tear Chicago Down" on Blue Bela Records. Mark Seleski of Blog Critics gives the new CD a great review here. I'm going to have to check these guys out.

Uncle John Turner Benefit Recap

2007-11-13T20:12:00.000-08:00

If there is one concert that I wish I wouldn't have missed, it's got to be the benefit concert that Johnny Winter and friends did at Antone's in Austin this past summer in honor of Uncle John Turner. Turner was Johnny Winter's drummer in the late 60s and died of complications from Hepatitis C in July of this year. He was 62. I met him a number of years back in a bar in Austin and reminisced about a concert I saw him play with Tommy Shannon when they had a band called, "Krackerjack."

Turner later performed with such artists as Hendrix, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Muddy Waters and B.B. King.

“Man, I can set my watch to your time,” King is said to have once exclaimed after a jam with Uncle John, who played Woodstock with Winter.

Mississippi Music Legend Honored

2007-11-05T08:42:00.001-08:00

The Mississippi Blues Commission unveiled a blues marker honoring legend Bo Diddley Friday in McComb, Mississippi, Didley's hometown. Governor Haley Barbour declared the day "Bo Diddley Day" across the state in honor of the legend.

"He was elated. Tears came down, and he couldn't believe this was actually happening after all these years," Evelyn "Tan" Kelly, Diddley's daughter said.

Friday marked Bo Diddley's first public appearance since suffering from a stroke several months ago and his first time back home in McComb, Mississippi in more than a decade. Kelly took the stage with her dad, and they shared a family performance during the ceremony.

"Being his daughter, just being at home with the amplifier in my ear all the time. That's where I learned how to sing, and now I sing for the Lord," Kelly said.

Bo Diddley never allowed his children in the clubs where he performed. But the music he played found its way into their lives and now beats on in the third generation.

"It meant everything to him. If you know him, it just meant everything to him," Jatonne Mitchell, Didley's granddaughter said.

Mitchell has been playing the drums since she was six years old. Friday she got to play with her granddad for only the second time in her life.

The blues marker in honor of Diddley is part of the Mississippi Blues Trail honoring blues legends from Mississippi. Diddley is one of the few blues legends still alive to take part in the honor.

-By Emily Wood

The Essential Fleetwood Mac

2007-10-29T14:04:00.001-07:00

The Essential Fleetwood Mac

Artist: FLEETWOOD MAC

Genre: Others

(Sony BMG)

Reviewer: MARTIN VENGADESAN

LONG before Fleetwood Mac put together the blockbuster album Rumours (1977) and the superb comeback Tango in the Night (1987), the group was formed as a spin-off of seminal British blues outfit John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. While drummer Mick Fleetwood and bassist John McVie rode a host of changes to lead a revamped version of the group to the promised land of multi-platinum sales, the original incarnation of Mac was a different beast altogether.

Powered by the sheer genius of singer/guitarist Peter Green, the first incarnation of Fleetwood Mac made excellent plaintive blues music. Inspired by masters like Howlin’ Wolf, B.B. King (whose style definitely influenced Green) and Elmore James, Fleetwood Mac was master of the art.

Mixing tasteful covers like those of Wolf’s No Place to Go and Little Willie John’s Need Your Love So Bad with scintillating originals like Black Magic Woman (yes, it was a Peter Green composition) and the spine-chilling Love That Burns (Green’s solo made me scream like a giddy schoolgirl), this incarnation of the Mac is magic. Check out the change of pace on the instrumental chart-topper Albatross.

Unfortunately even though they only lasted through three full albums of original material, I’ve yet to find a compilation that didn’t leave one essential track or another off its selection. In this case, Mac’s first two albums are very strongly represented, but there are glaring omissions in the form of highlights from the final Green album Then Play On (Oh Well, Closing My Eyes and Rattlesnake Shake) as well as a pair of hit singles, Man of the World and The Green Manalishi (and the Two-Pronged Clown).

It remains a tragedy that Green suffered a breakdown (followed eerily by his two proteges, guitarists Jeremy Spencer and Danny Kirwan) and that the Mac lost its innocence. Still, despite the aforementioned absences, the music here is outstanding, and at less than RM30, this double CD collection is the best value-for-money purchase available in our record stores today.

Buy it now.

ShedHed Blues Festival Rocks Jackson County, Mississippi

2007-10-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

By Toni Miles

Barbeque, blues and beer were the perfect combination for the ShedHed Blues Festival in Jackson county Sunday. This is the fourth year the event has been held.

"We do three things at the Shed. We do beer, barbeque and blues, and this is what this is about. It's about the blues," said Brad Orrison, Head ShedHed.

They may have been singing the blues, but no one seemed to have a case of them at the event.

"I think it's a really good way to get all the local blues people around, to just hang out and have some fun, be yourself and just dance, and have a good time," said employee Beth Garvey.

It was Jason Clark's second time to go to the festival. He moved to South Mississippi about a year ago and has made several adjustments. Music like this is one of the changes he enjoys.

"It's a 180 degree turn from back where I'm from. You don't have blues music up there. You have rap and heavy metal, that's about it, and this right here, this is it. This is where it's at right here," Clark said.

Nine bands from near and far took center stage.

"The Line Up, we've been very fortunate this year. We have Bobby Rush, guitar Shorty who taught Jimmy Hendrix how to play the guitar. This is Blue Mountain playing, now, it's really great," Orrison said.

Hattiesburg native Dave Riley was one of the performers. His music has taken him touring all over the world, but he says there's no place he'd rather be than right here.

"It feels good, you know, I spent all my childhood days down here. It's no other place in the world like this. Trust me, and I go around the world...nothing like this place," Riley said.

Matt Dillon to play music mogul

2007-10-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

Matt Dillon is set to play Leonard Chess, the legendary co-founder of blues label Chess Records, in the upcoming Cadillac Records.

The movie charts the rise and fall of Chess Records, which launched the careers of music legends like Muddy Waters, Etta James and Chuck Berry.

Production on the film is due to begin in January in New Jersey and Chicago.

Chambers BrotherTime Has Come Today Once Again

2007-10-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

Four early blues/soul/roots albums by the Chambers Brothers from the Vault label are reissued on Collectors’ Choice Music.

LOS ANGELES — The Chambers Brothers will forever best be known for their 1968 hit “The Time Has Come Today” on Columbia Records. But long before they inked with CBS, the Mississippi-bred, California-weaned sibling band logged an extensive discography of bluesy soul recordings on Jack Lewark’s L.A.-based indie Vault label, known primarily for the surf band the Challengers. On October 31, 2007, Collectors’ Choice Music will reissue four out-of-print early Chambers Brothers albums: People Get Ready for the Chambers Brothers; Now, Shout!; and Feelin’ the Blues.

Steeped in the gospel hymns dating back to their Mississippi Southern-Baptist church upbringing, George, Willie, Lester and Joe Chambers’ earliest music freely combined blues, folk, soul and gospel. Their earliest sides included a gospel single for the Proverb label and a Folkways album with Barbara Dane. Signing with Vault in 1965, their recordings juxtaposed covers of blues standards with original compositions. The band became a stalwart presence at L.A.’s legendary Ash Grove folk venue. Only on their departure to Columbia did their soul become psychedelicized.

Vault Records recorded a passel of material in a short time, and released much of it concurrent with the Chambers’ Columbia recordings. Collectors’ Choice presents these early albums all fully re-mastered and with extensive notes by music historian Richie Unterberger.

People Get Ready for the Chambers Brothers: The Chambers Brothers’ first album was recorded live at the Ash Grove, ‘60s home of the burgeoning L.A. folk scene, and at the Unicorn in Boston. Ed Michel (best known for his work with Impulse! in later years) produced the album, which includes covers of Curtis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready,” Lowell Fulson’s “Reconsider Baby,” Hank Ballard’s “Tore Up,” Gershwin’s “Summertime” and a signature cover of “It’s All Over Now” more faithful to writer Bobby Womack’s original than to the Rolling Stones.

Now: Folk revival graphics on People Get Ready’s cover were replaced with a flower-power look on Now, the band’s second Vault long player, released in 1966. Like People Get Ready, the album was recorded live at the Ash Grove and Unicorn, and consisted of covers of blues and R&B classics including “High Heel Sneakers,” “Baby Please Don’t Go,” “What I’d Say,” “Long Tall Sally,” “C.C. Rider” and “It’s Groovin’ Time.”

Shout!: The cover of the 1968 release Shout! probably caused confusion in the marketplace as its lettering and overall look was suspiciously Columbia-like. The music nods to the Chambers’ gospel roots as well as the rock sound they were rapidly embracing. Like its two predecessors, Side One of Shout! consisted entirely of live covers including the Isley Brothers’ title track, which holds its own with the original. Side Two, however, featured mainly originals recorded in the studio. Highlights are Willie Chambers’ harmonica-laced “There She Goes” and Joe Chambers’ “It Rained The Day You Left,” which has more in common with Vault label-mates the Beau Brummels than to blues or R&B. Also included is “Love Me Like the Rain,” penned by Brian Keenan, the group’s drummer on the later Columbia recordings.

Feeling the Blues: By the time Vault released its fourth and final Chambers Brothers album, the band had already hit the big time on Columbia. But Vault had vaulted several albums worth of music from which this was culled. Like Shout! before it, Feeling the Blues was a mélange of live and studio material. The album tarried off in many musical directions: there’s a cover of Ray Charles’ “I Got a Woman” along with folk anthem “House of the Rising Sun” and gospel standard “Just a Closer Walk With Thee.” There’s even a jazz track (“Undecided,” co-written by trumpeter Charlie Shavers in the ‘30s.) A pair of Chambers originals — Lester’s “Girls, We Love You” and Joe’s “Don’t Lose Your cool,” opened each side of the original LP.

By the time Vault released the lion’s share of these albums, the Chambers Brothers were onto greener pastures. Yet the Vault sides document the band’s blues, folk, gospel and soul roots of which later fans might not know existed — until now.

Blues Harmonica Great, Gary Primach, Dies

2007-09-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

Gary Primich, considered by many to be one of the greatest harmonica players in the world, passed away suddenly on September 23rd. Not only is this the loss of a world-class talent, but also of a true world-class person. Offstage, Gary was a caring and gentle soul — a real Regular Joe of the best kind. Onstage he played with a ferocity and indescribable sound that was often mind-blowing. He'd say Thank You to his fans then quickly change the subject because he didn't want it to be all about him. He loved animals, he loved people, he loved music and he loved life. Gary's career sent him around the world, traveling thousands and thousands of miles for his love of music, but he'll always be right here, in our hearts.

Details regarding a memorial service for Gary will be posted as soon as more information is available.

In lieu of flowers, donations to any of Gary's favorite organizations would be greatly appreciated:

The SIMS Foundation Please click the "Make a Donation" button which will take you to the SIMS Foundation PayPal donation link. Or, you may send a check or money order to: The SIMS Foundation, PO Box 2152, Austin, TX 78768-2152.

Animal Trustees of Austin

Thank you again for keeping the family in your thoughts and hearts.

David ”Honeyboy” Edwards to make historic performance

2007-09-24T15:06:00.000-07:00

National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship Recipient, blues legend, and one of the last surviving primal Delta blues icons, David ”Honeyboy” Edwards, 92, is scheduled to make a historic performance for students in the Washington D.C. area. He will perform on Thursday, October 4, 2007 at 12:30 p.m. at Georgetown Preparatory School, located at 10900 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, Maryland 20852. The program is being spearheaded by The Blue Shoe Project, a Dallas-based, nationally-recognized non-profit organization that educates children on the impact of blues on American music.

David “Honeyboy” Edwards, featured in Martin Scorsese's PBS series ”The Blues,” Eric Claptons Crossroads Guitar Festival, and in his own award-winning documentary film “Honeyboy,” is one of the most sought after bluesmen in the world. “Edwards is among the last authentic performers in the blues idiom that developed in central Mississippi during the second and third decades of [the 20th] century. Through him, an entire body of great American music lives on,” states Robert Palmer, author of “Deep Blues.” and former pop music critic of The New York Times.

Mr. Edwards will also perform a concert event and fundraiser the evening of Thursday, October 4th at 8:00 p.m. at Figge Theater located on the Georgetown Preparatory School campus at 10900 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda , Maryland 20852 . Tickets are extremely limited and may be reserved online at Georgetown Prep's website www.gprep.org or by calling 301-214-8610.

Big Mama Thornton Vanguard Release

2007-09-18T10:46:00.000-07:00

Read the review by Richard Marcus

Library of Congress Partners with WWOZ-FM and Grammy Foundation® To Preserve Legendary Musical Recordings

2007-09-10T14:53:00.001-07:00

WWOZ-FM, the legendary community-supported radio station in New Orleans, has gifted the Library of Congress with more than 7,000 hours of live jazz and blues recordings spanning 15 years. The contribution, which comes after Hurricane Katrina’s floodwaters nearly destroyed the station’s primary tape storage facility, will ensure the safety of the station’s collection of historic recordings. In support of this remarkable gift, the GRAMMY Foundation® has awarded WWOZ $45,000 in grants toward the preservation of the collection.

“We are excited about this unique collection and look forward to partnering with WWOZ and the GRAMMY Foundation to preserve it and make the historic recordings available to the American people,” said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington.

Of the $45,000 provided by the GRAMMY Foundation, $5,000 was awarded through the foundation’s Music Preservation Project, which identifies and restores at-risk media and archival materials, and $40,000 was provided through a special Gulf Coast award cycle through the GRAMMY Foundation Grant Program.

According to David Freedman, general manager of WWOZ, “Without the combined support of the Library and the GRAMMY Foundation, the station could not have come up with the money to save all its live performance recordings. At the same time, we were in a position to greatly enhance the Library’s collection and thus every American’s access to great music.”

These one-of-a-kind recordings, derived from various music festivals, nightclubs and street events, feature diverse forms of New Orleans’s roots music including jazz, blues, gospel, brass band

and zydeco. “The WWOZ Crescent City Living Legends Collection” includes the most extensive collection of live music performances dating back to 1993 of New Orleans’ most recognized artists, including Ernie K-Doe, Boozoo Chavis and Tuba Fats. Selections from the WWOZ collection were named to the Library’s 2002 National Recording Registry.

While awaiting cataloging and digital preservation, the fragile recordings will be stored in climate-controlled vaults at the Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation (www.loc.gov/avconservation/packard/), the Library’s state-of-the-art preservation facility in Culpeper, Va. The Packard Campus, with a construction cost of more than $150 million, represents the largest-ever private gift to the Library of Congress and one of the largest ever to the federal government. It has been supported since 2001 by $82.1 million in federal funds for operations, maintenance, equipment and related costs.

The 415,000-square-foot facility will consolidate in one place audio-visual collections from across four states and the District of Columbia and will greatly enhance the Library’s efforts to preserve and make accessible the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of moving images and sound recordings. The WWOZ collection will join the Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division’s holdings of some 5.7 million items (1.2 million moving images, nearly 3 million sound recordings and 1.5 million related items such as manuscripts, posters and screenplays). The Library will provide public access to the preserved audio at listening stations in the Recorded Sound Reference Center in the Library’s Madison Building on Capitol Hill.

Debbie Davies Triggers a Musical Explosion on New Telarc Release

2007-09-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

Blues Blast includes guest appearances by Tab Benoit, Coco Montoya and Charlie Musselwhite

"Her dedication to 'rockin' the blues,' as she puts it, continues to inspire superlative efforts and a deep freezer's worth of bone-chilling guitar."
-- Relix

When blues guitarist Debbie Davies' released All I Found (CD-83636), her June 2005 debut on Telarc, Blues Revue raved: "She pulls out all the stops. She can play it all: seductive, soulful material, down-home delta blues, or humorous tales of life on the road."

Two summers later, Davies follows up with the August 28, 2007, release of Blues Blast (CD-83669), a pressure cooker recording that showcases her seasoned guitar and vocal capabilities and includes guest appearances by three high-profile bluesmen: guitarists Tab Benoit and Coco Montoya, and harpist Charlie Musselwhite.

"Like a master chef's gourmet meal offering exquisite courses, Debbie has crafted a nine-course wallop of her musical vision and spirit," says Art Tipaldi, senior writer for Blues Revue and the author of the album's liner notes. "One listen to Debbie's tribute [to guitar mentor Albert Collins] with Coco, the opening 'A.C. Strut,' proves these kids learned Pop's lessons."

And that's just the beginning. While the spirit of Collins is ever-present in Davies' guitar attack, the earthy Texas shuffle has become her trademark sound. On Buddy Guy's classic 'My Time After While,' she conjures up that fiery Lone Star groove.

Four of the eight remaining tracks are either written or co-written by Davies. Musselwhite ups the ante when he steps in with his high-end blows and low-end draws on Davies' own "Sittin' and Cryin'" and Musselwhite's own contribution, "Movin' and Groovin.'" Labelmate Tab Benoit joins Davies to pay homage to two legendary blues masters: John Lee Hooker on "Crawlin' King Snake" and Howlin' Wolf on "Howlin' for My Darlin.'"

The closer, "Sonoma Sunset," bakes slow and rich like the perfect high-calorie dessert for every blues lover. Davies and her three accomplices join together in this minor-key, slow-blues instrumental. The combination of Musselwhite's harp solo - an exquisite succession of one sonic innovation after another - and input from all three guitarists turn this track into a ten-minute workout. In the final coda, it's easy to feel the spirited enthusiasm in their teamwork.

"With tour schedules being what they are," says Davies, "it's nearly impossible to get four blues musicians in the same studio at the same time. So making this record was a rare joy, and a highly satisfying experience. All of us - Tab, Coco, Charlie and myself - are students of the old school, and there's a sense of history that ties us together. We all brought our 'A game,' and when we came together, we all spoke the same language. The exchange of ideas that took place in the making of this record had very little to do with talking and everything to do with music."

More than just a creative dialogue, Debbie Davies' latest is a Blues Blast.

Upcoming Mississippi State Blues Trail marker unveilings

2007-08-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

The Mississippi Blues Foundation will be unveiling two new blues markers in its series – Magic Sam and Howlin’ Wolf.

Creating the Mississippi Blues Trail is one of the Mississippi Blues Commission's primary projects. The Mississippi Blues Trail will be composed of scores of historical markers and interpretive sites, and will include locations throughout the state

A distinguished panel of historians and Blues scholars has developed an inventory of the most notable Blues sites. Each will be identified with a distinctive cast marker, featuring high resolution maps, photographs and text. These sites will eventually employ the latest technology to allow visitors to hear the sounds associated with each location. A detailed Blues Trail map will also be available that will provide driving directions, GPS coordinates and basic information for each site.

Calendar:

• Tues., 8/28, 10am - Guitar legend Magic Sam, Grenada, MS. MDA Tourism Heritage Trails Program, the Mississippi Blues Commission and the Grenada Convention and Visitors Bureau will unveil Grenada's first Mississippi Blues Trail marker
• Thurs., 8/30, 1:30pm - Howlin' Wolf, West Point, MS.

A Hurricane Relief Benefit - George Winston plays the blues

2007-08-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

George Winston, best known for his melodic rural folk piano style, has made no secret of the debt his playing owes to the musicians of New Orleans. Gulf Coast Blues & Impressions–A Hurricane Relief Benefit was inspired by Winston’s desire to support the Gulf Coast Region after the recent hurricane related devastation.

100% of artist’s proceeds will go towards the rebuilding effort in the Gulf Coast region. RCA Records will also be donating the bulk of its net profits to benefit musicians in the New Orleans area.

Gulf Coast Blues & Impressions features six Winston compositions inspired by the music of New Orleans as well as pieces written by or influenced by New Orleans pianists Henry Butler, James Booker, Professor Longhair, Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, and Jon Cleary. Winston interprets James Booker’s Pixie, Henry Butler’s complex composition The Breaks and Dr. John’s Creole Moon. Winston’s compositions run the gamut from up tempo to the melancholy.

New Orleans Shall Rise Again is an ode to The City and its music, Pixie #3 (Go•bajie) borrows its form from James Booker’s Pixie, and Stevenson is a moving eulogy for a lost friend.

The centerpiece of Gulf Coast Blues is Winston’s epic treatment of When The Saints Go Marching In. The arrangement starts at a deliberately ominous tempo inspired by Dr. John, before breaking into the song’s familiar celebratory melody and variations inspired by James Booker.

The festivities are interrupted when Winston’s left hand moves up an octave, inspired by Henry Butler, before returning to the melody. At the end of the tune he breaks into a stride piano section before ending with two hand rolls inspired by the South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim (aka Dollar Brand).

The album closes gently with Blues for Fess, Beloved, a eulogy for Professor Longhair that leaves each note hanging in the air reverberating, thoughts offered to fallen friends and a region and a city struggling to get back on its feet.

Jude Johnstone's new CD "Blue Light" on independent label BoJak Records

2007-08-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

Singer-songwriter Jude Johnstone's new CD "Blue Light" on independent label BoJak Records hits the streets August 21 following her two critically acclaimed CDs "Coming of Age," and "On a Good Day." CD is dedicated to legendary engineer/producer Henry Lewy, who produced Johnstone early in her career.

Los Angeles, CA (Billboard Publicity Wire) July 24, 2007 -- Singer-songwriter Jude Johnstone's new CD "Blue Light," released August 21 on BoJak Records with national distribution by Redeye, is a jazz/blues flavored project dedicated to legendary engineer/producer Henry Lewy, who produced Johnstone early in her career.

Jude Johnstone's new release "Blue Light" on BoJak Records is a rediscovery of a musical style rather than a departure from the flavor of her previous works in critically acclaimed cds "Coming of Age," and "On a Good Day." The music of Blue Light possesses the sensitive, soulful and poetic qualities found in the prior discs but returns Johnstone to the musical influences she grew up with in Ellsworth, Maine listening to Sarah Vaughn, Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney and Glen Miller from her father's record collection. "I thought it was just on in the background but, lo and behold, it had crept into my subconscious and my songwriting. After my father's death in 1987, I noticed that I couldn't hear Glen Miller's 'Moonlight Serenade' without getting all misty-eyed," said Johnstone.

The genesis for Blue Light, and the revisit to Johnstone's jazz/blues roots was the passing of legendary engineer/producer Henry Lewy (Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Van Morrison, Neil Young) in 2006. Johnstone and her longtime manager Bob Burton had worked with Lewy in 1983 when they recorded a project at A&M studios. During those sessions the song "Over and Done," was recorded with Chuck Damonico (Tom Waits) on standup bass and Mark Hatch (Ray Charles, Bette Midler) on trumpet. The song was a highlight from the sessions and when revisiting the recordings after Lewy's death it became a source of inspiration for Blue Light with a special tribute to him including a bonus track of his original recording of "Over and Done." Johnstone added, "Henry's death prompted me to finally put this project together and 'come home' as he beckoned me to do for so long…and this is the result. We did it live in the studio---the old fashioned way--over 3 days, then added the strings."

Blue Light conveys the emotional depth of Johnstone's songwriting delivered in her passionate voice supported by sophisticated, spacious arrangements. It was recorded at Mad Dog Studios in Burbank with musicians Danny Frankel (Rickie Lee Jones, Beck) on drums; David Piltch (k.d. Lang, Madeleine Peyroux) bass; Matt Margucci, trumpet; Marc Macisso, sax, and Freddy Koella (Bob Dylan, k.d. Lang) on guitar. Recording engineer was Ken Allardyce (Stevie Nicks, Green Day), Charles Duncan mixing engineer and mastering with Gavin Lurssen at Lurssen Mastering. Johnstone was the producer, played keyboards and wrote all the songs except a rare co-write on "Best Friend."

The 2002 BoJak Records release of Jude Johnstone's debut CD "Coming of Age," included her songs covered by Bonnie Raitt (Wounded Heart), Stevie Nicks (Cry Wolf), Johnny Cash (Unchained), Jennifer Warnes (The Nightingale), and Trisha Yearwood (Hearts in Armor). It was featured on NPR's Morning Edition and reached #6 on Amazon's Best Seller's List. In 2007 Jude's song "Wounded Heart" was featured in Lifetime television's hit series "Army Wives." Johnstone's 2005 release, "On a Good Day," generated impressive media buzz leading to Johnstone's national television debut where she performed the title track on CBS's The Early Show.

Robben Ford To Deliver Truth Next Week.

2007-08-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

The blues will never die is an axiom proven over and over again, but it does change shape. Robben Ford's latest Concord Records release, Truth presents blues as they are today: in a powerful setting only a master veteran like Ford could envision.

"The blues have always been socio-political," says Ford. In the opening song "Lateral Climb," he addresses the 9 to 5 grind, credit card debt, and the political frustrations we all experience. "Peace on My Mind" was inspired by Willie Dixon's "It Don't Make Sense, You Can't Make Peace," which Ford describes as an anti-war song without being too preachy. "If you're pointing the finger, no one wants to hear it. It's a portrait rather than a sermon. The truths I describe are self evident."

Widely recognized by peers and critics alike for his mastery of the guitar, Robben's impressive résumé includes performances with such heavyweights as Jimmy Witherspoon, Joni Mitchell, George Harrison and Miles Davis. Ford was named one of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of the 20th Century" by Musician magazine, and his superlative instrumentalism is particularly evident on this new release. His guitar solos have never been more expressive or exciting and the musical settings (largely a product of live studio performances) are full of surprises, drama and humor.

His abilities as a guitarist aside, Ford says it is songwriting that he has used to push himself to grow as a musician. "I love playing, but I want my music to be about something. It's the context- the song that gives the playing purpose."

Photography by George Wells

35th Annual San Francisco Blues Festival

2007-07-30T20:20:00.000-07:00

Celebrate the blues down by the San Francisco Bay at the world’s oldest blues festival, September 28-30. Held on the green at Fort Mason’s Great Meadow and framed by the stunning backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay, the Festival will celebrate its 35th year with an all-star lineup of some of the best blues performers in the world.

Featured performers are Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Billy Boy Arnold, Charlie Musselwhite Band, Joe Lewis Walker and John Hammond.

Blues singer Etta James hospitalized

2007-07-27T22:32:00.000-07:00

Atlanta, GA 7/26/2007 9:48 PM GMT (FINDITT)

Blues singer Etta James was hospitalized Thursday after experiencing complications from an abdominal surgery in June. She is in stable condition but her manager said she had to cancel tour dates with B.B. King and Al Green. The 69-year-old singer is “extremely disappointed” about the cancellations.

“If it had been left solely up to her, she would have checked herself out of the hospital and started the tour regardless of her delicate health. However, her doctor advised that where she to do so, it would put her at very great risk,” said her manager Lupe De Leon.

“We feel confident (that) by postponing her participation until Aug. 23, she will be in good shape to put on the kind of performance that Etta James’ fans know and love,” De Leon says.

Some of James’ hits include “At Last,” “Trust in Me” and “A Sunday Kind of Love.”

Johnny Winter plays benefit for Uncle John Turner

2007-07-25T22:42:00.000-07:00

Next Tuesday, July 31st, Johnny Winter and friends will gather at Texas Pride BBQ in Adkins, Texas to raise money for Winter's first drummer, Uncle John Turner. Turner, a Port Arthur, Texas native has been hospitalized in Austin with Hepatitis C. Tickets are $25 for general admission and $75 for VIP which includes a "meet and greet" with Johnny Winter.

Robert Cray...Keeping it Fresh

2007-07-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

Robert Cray and his band like to play their gigs on the edge - no set list and no safety net. In an interview with Des Moines Register writer, J. Sharpe Smith, Cray explains where 30 years of touring has taken him.

"I like to play on the edge," Cray said. "As long as we have been playing, you could get into a place where you just do it by rote. It is the idea of not knowing where you will go next that is a challenge for us. Being in front of a new audience every night ... not planning a set list (means) you are going out and baring your soul."

"Every day is a different day, and we try to make that day special," Cray said. "I try to put myself in the moment. That is the most challenging and exciting thing that anyone could ever have.

That's how we keep it fresh."

Eric Clapton Announces Crossroads Guitar Festival July 28, 2007 Chicago

2007-07-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

Day-Long Festival To Feature Legendary Music And Collaborations Including:
Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, BB King, Willie Nelson, Jeff Beck, Vince Gill, Sheryl Crow, Buddy Guy and John Mayer

Credited throughout his career with creating super sounds in super groups, the ultimate Clapton collaboration will take place July 28, 2007 when he gathers the past, present and future of guitar music onto one stage for an incredible full day musical event. Announced today, the second Crossroads Guitar Festival, scheduled for July 28, 2007 at Toyota Park in Chicago, will be a cornerstone of this year's summer music festival season. Profits from the Festival will benefit The Crossroads Centre in Antigua, a treatment and education facility founded by Clapton for chemically dependent persons.

Since its inception, Clapton's vision for the Crossroads Guitar Festival has been to create an event where his friends and contemporaries can have fun and jam together for the benefit of a good cause. This year's Festival will feature a full day of musical performances with once-in-a-lifetime guitar collaborations. Known as pioneers in their field, the roster of artists spans old and new, from BB King to John Mayer (anticipated guest list below). The audience can expect unrivaled entertainment, brilliant guitar work, surprise guests and impromptu jams that are the hallmarks of these performers.

The first Crossroads Guitar Festival, in June 2004 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, was an unprecedented collection of guitar icons from blues, rock and contemporary music. The sold-out show was chronicled in a 2-disc DVD that has since gone on to become one of the world's top-selling music DVD's, recently achieving the 8x platinum mark in the United States alone.

"The Crossroads Festival is the realization of a dream for me, to gather a group of amazingly talented musicians to perform on one stage," said Clapton. "The Crossroads performers are all musicians I admire and respect."

Additional Festival artists and elements to be announced shortly.

Jeff Beck
Doyle Bramhall II
Eric Clapton
Robert Cray
Sheryl Crow
Vince Gill
Buddy Guy
BB King
Alison Krauss and Union Station
Sonny Landreth
Albert Lee
Los Lobos
John Mayer
John McLaughlin
Willie Nelson
Robert Randolph
Hubert Sumlin
Derek Trucks
Jimmie Vaughan
Steve Winwood

Buddy Guy on the joy of playing live

2007-07-11T20:03:00.000-07:00

"If you live in this life and never had a problem, you're the luckiest man on the planet. I think when people come out to hear somebody play, you see 'em clapping their hands and patting their feet and smiling and jumping, whatever problem you had, whether it was yesterday, last year or year before last, I made you forget it for an hour or so. So that's the joy I get out of it and I'm just enjoying every minute of it."

-Buddy Guy

From an interview with Matt Kelley on Radio Iowa

Come by and say hi!

2007-07-11T10:19:00.000-07:00

I'm busy constructing a sister Bluesbelt site on Squidoo. Come on over and comment and let me know what you think should be on the site. Help me spread the word about Bluesbelt Magazine!

Bluesbelt on Squidoo

Arc Angels Resurrected

2007-07-09T22:25:00.000-07:00

Sweet words indeed. And it looks like they are true. One of the truly great blues rock bands of the 1990s landed on stage Saturday at the House of Blues in Dallas and struck hope in the hearts of fans who have waited patiently for many years for this to happen.

The band collapsed under the weight of some personal problems experienced by Doyle Bramhall in 1993 not long after the death of band friend and inspiration, Stevie Ray Vaughan. Arc Angels drummer, Chris Layton and bassist, Tommy Shannon had both been the foundation of Double Trouble--Stevie Ray's band.

Together with Doyle Bramhall and Charlie Sexton the group put together perhaps one of the true super groups of blues music, only to have it all end barely three years after forming.

The concert Saturday night was filmed for an upcoming DVD and one would guess that a CD would soon follow.

Jonny Lang: Soul Man

2007-07-07T21:31:00.000-07:00

Tony Cummings reports on the critically acclaimed blues & soul man Jonny Lang and his amazing conversion to Christianity

Jonny Lang

The release of 'Turn Around' by 26 year old Jonny Lang belatedly alerted the Christian scene to one of the most prodigious talents on the whole blues and rock arena. Although singer/guitarist Jonny had toured with the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith and Sting, appeared in the Blues Brothers movie and released some critically acclaimed albums it was only his surprise appearance on the Stephen Curtis Chapman 'All Things New' in 2004 which first alerted the CCM world to the fact that Jonny was a believer. His subsequent 'Turn Around' album was not only bristling with songs of faith it turned out to be one of the finest albums on 2006, his soulful vocals and dazzling guitar work coupled to autobiographic songs of faith making for a breathtaking musical concoction. On its US release in September 2006, Jonny told Christian Retailing magazine how the album came about through a chance conversation with A&M Records. "It was their idea for me to do a gospel records, which is crazy, I guess. I was in the studio with the president of A&M, Ron Fair. . . I had mentioned a couple of times, 'I'm going to church tomorrow.' It was pretty light. . . He said, 'Dude, you need to make a gospel record.' And I said, 'Yes, I do; you're exactly right.'" [continued]

Freddie King Video

2007-07-05T16:14:00.000-07:00

Freddie King was "the man" back in his day, in my humble opinion. I saw him several times over the years. He was unbelievable in person and no one will ever replace him.

The Rough Guide To The Blues-Nigel Williamson

2007-07-01T22:13:00.001-07:00

The Rough Guide to Blues gives you the complete lowdown on all the grittiest singers, bottleneck guitarists, belt-it-out divas and wailing harmonica players that made the most influential music of the last century. From music legend B.B. King to folk hero Robert Johnson, the guide includes detailed profiles of hundreds of artists and critical reviews of their best albums. The fascinating story is told in full – how the blues crawled from the Mississippi Delta, went electric in the big cities, and spread across the world – with feature boxes on topics like boogie woogie, gospel and the best blues record labels. Check out the ten greatest slide-guitar tracks – or the ten most miserable “woke up this mornin”s. with the handy playlists that help you to pick’n’choose quick “best ofs” to download to your iPod or MP3 player.

Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival - Portland, Oregon

2007-06-28T15:53:00.001-07:00

Photo by Valerie K. Davis

Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival
Portland, Oregon
July 4-8, 2007

20 years of blues, community
and fighting hunger

The Neville Brothers * Koko Taylor * Joan Armatrading * The Blind Boys of Alabama * Pinetop Perkins * Marcia Ball* James Cotton Band with special guest Hubert Sumlin * Mavis Staples * The Dirty Dozen Brass Band * Voice of the Wetlands Allstars (Tab Benoit, Cyril Neville, Anders Osborne, Johnny Sansone) * Eric Burdon and the Animals * Savoy Brown * Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums * JJ Grey and Mofro * Watermelon Slim ... Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks ... and much more!

Celebrate 20 glorious years of blues, community and fighting hunger at the 2007 Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, presented by First Tech Credit Union. The five-day festival will kick off with a special, 20th anniversary, pre-festival DME Blues Cruise on Tuesday, July 3. The festival opens at noon Wednesday, July 4, and run through Sunday, July 8, 2007, at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on the grassy banks of the Willamette River in downtown Portland.

Since its modest beginnings in 1988, the award-winning festival has grown to be the largest blues festival west of the Mississippi, annually attracting more than 120,000 blues fans from throughout the world.

The musical feast includes four stages and 125 stellar artist performances from throughout the world, including The Neville Brothers, Koko Taylor, Joan Armatrading, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Mavis Staples, Marcia Ball, Pinetop Perkins, Watermelon Slim, James Cotton Band with special guest Hubert Sumlin, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Eric Burdon and the Animals, Voice of the Wetlands Allstars (Tab Benoit, Cyril Neville, Anders Osborne, Johnny Sansone), Savoy Brown, Lurrie Bell, Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums, J.J. Grey and Mofro, J.W. Jones, Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks and more.

For even more info, visit the official website: www.waterfrontbluesfest.com

Watermelon Slim - The Wheel Man

2007-06-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

A lot of blues musicians are called legends. I think if anyone should be called a legend, or a legend-in-the-making, Watermelon Slim would be my choice. This man is the real deal. As far as I can tell, this guy was born for the blues. He’s got the look, the voice and the talent. In fact, Watermelon Slim brings hope to a suffering and bland blues world in my humble opinion. Check out this latest release and see for yourself if the blues just got real all of a sudden instead of some rehashed, blues wannabe.

Willie Dixon gets his day in Vicksburg

2007-06-26T16:40:00.000-07:00

It’s been a long time coming, but Willie Dixon gets his day in his hometown of Vicksburg, Mississippi on Thursday of this week with a jam session in his honor, a marker and a mural…all celebrating his life and music. The festivities begin at 3:00pm when the Mississippi Blues Commission will unveil the Willie Dixon Mississippi Blues Trail Marker. The trail is a collection of more than 100 historical markers and interpretive sites throughout the state to recognize Mississippi's blues heritage. The celebration will finish up with a Willie Dixon tribute jam session.

John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers

2007-06-22T22:19:00.000-07:00

In The Palace of the King

I saw John Mayall perform at La Zona Rosa in Austin, Texas a few years back. Funny, what sticks out in my memory is the site of Mayall packing up his own equipment and acting as his own roadie. Pretty cool. I like a legend who knows how to be a legend and pack up his own gear at the same time.

Freddie King, "The Texas Cannonball" was a big influence on Mayall and his latest release, In The Palace of the King is a tribute to King.

Jon Sobel at BC Magazine has written a review of the new release. Check it out here.

Orange Pop: Walter Trout follows the blues muse

2007-06-21T21:59:00.000-07:00

It's not often that an artist releases an album so strong that it fuels a worldwide tour that lasts more than a year.

But for Walter Trout, the release of "Full Circle" a year ago has resulted in the well-deserved ascension of the celebrated singer-songwriter-guitarist into a major concert draw across the U.S. and Canada. The 56-year-old musician suddenly finds himself headlining at blues festivals across North America, including at the ninth annual Irvine Lake Blues Festival in Silverado on Sunday. [read more]

Photo by Reinhard Naekel

Carey Bell dead at 70 of heart failure

2007-06-20T14:31:00.000-07:00

Blues harmonica master Carey Bell died on May 6, 2007 of heart failure in his hometown of Chicago, IL. He was 70. Bell - the 1998 winner of the Blues Music Award for Traditional Male Artist Of The Year - was a veteran of both Muddy Waters' and Willie Dixon's bands as well as an award-winning solo artist, and a guest artist on countless blues recordings. Bell's classic, funky and deeply soulful blues place him firmly on the short list of blues harmonica superstars.

MUSIC REVIEW: White Stripes back to hard-rocking blues

2007-06-19T16:10:00.001-07:00

Maybe it's too much to say that the White Stripes saved rock 'n' roll, but the Detroit duo certainly energized it with their daring, blues-drenched sound.

Since their 1999 straight-from-the-garage debut, Jack and Meg White have upped the intensity and creativity on each of their five albums. The pseudo-siblings deliver again on the sixth, "Icky Thump" - a raucous, foot-stomping record that makes a satisfying follow-up to 2005's folk-tinged "Get Behind Me Satan."

Where "Satan" was subdued, "Thump" stands up and demands attention. [more]

Guitar Center Crowns the Next 'King of The Blues'

2007-06-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA. (Top40 Charts/ Guitar Center 'King of The Blues') - Guitar Center, the nation's leading music instrument retailer, today announced the winner of "King of The Blues" '07, the world's largest guitar competition. Last night's grand finale encompassed artists who personify the blues beginning with a rare special performance by Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Hubert Sumlin, and closed with an explosive set by The Black Crowes. Geared towards promoting players with deep passion and commitment to the craft, "King of The Blues" is an annual celebration of a genre that is the root of today's music. ...more

New Orleans Blues Guitarist Bryan Lee Creates Classic with New CD Due June 26

2007-06-15T22:23:00.000-07:00

A bona fide New Orleans blues guitar hero and longtime staple on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, Bryan Lee is a natural born houserocker with a whole lot of soul that he brings to the bandstand night after night. Coming off a highly successful whirlwind tour with Kenny Wayne Shepherd's blues revue, Lee is primed and ready to unleash his own intensely passionate brand of blues power on tour this summer in the wake of his recent Justin Time release, Katrina Was Her Name. Read more...

"Have the blues done left this town?"

2007-06-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

"Have the blues done left this town?"

Check out the link above for a link to the history of St. Louis blues music in multimedia format.

Blues legend Koko Taylor finds perfect fit in new album

2007-06-11T23:23:00.000-07:00

By Regis Behe as excerpted from the Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Koko Taylor thinks she was 22 the night she stepped on stage and sang a few songs at a little Chicago blues club where bluesman Willie Dixon was present.

Afterwards, Dixon came up to Taylor and said "Girl, I like the way you sing them blues. Who are you?"

"I said 'Who are you?" says Taylor, now 71 and performing Saturday at the Three Rivers Arts Festival. "I'm thinking he's somebody who wants to talk, have a little conversation like most guys do in taverns." read more...

Canned Heat - Live At Montreux 1973

2007-06-07T14:31:00.000-07:00

Review by Scott Homewood

Let me preface this review by reminding faithful readers (and informing new ones) that for about a decade I listened to blues music almost exclusively. During that time I considered myself a blues purist and, unfortunately, it made me a music racist. For many years I believed white musicians had no business trying to exploit blues' popularity and musically empathize with the plight of the black musicians and yet usurp their music. Now, in retrospect it sounds as ridiculous now as it must have sounded to my peers and other casual musical acquaintances when I would try to explain to them how much I thought Johnny Winter and Stevie Ray Vaughn sucked and how could Vaughn and Winter even try to pretend they were blues artists and etc. etc. I have since realized blues does not belong to a particular culture, but is a feeling all human beings go through at one point or another due to life's circumstances. I will say I still love the same blues artists I loved then and still do not feel too much kinship with Vaughn and Winter's music, but I have learned to respect their talents and achievements. I will also say I am surprised at how many blues fans feel the way I used to and will not except other forms of blues and artists into the genre. I am saddened by that and hope it changes so the music can grow.

Well, confession over. This ain't Christmas or Easter anyway.

On to the music. read more...

Music Review: Various Artists The Rough Guide To African Blues

2007-06-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

There's no longer anyway anybody can dispute the influence African Americans have had on North American popular music. Blues, Jazz, Pop, Rock & Roll, and even Country music have all been touched by the influence of those who were stolen from their homes to build the Western Hemisphere.
Read the rest of this great interview by Richard Marcus on blogcritics

Music Review: Gary Moore - Close As You Get

2007-05-20T23:11:00.001-07:00

Blues guitarists seem to come about a dime a dozen these days, and by saying that I'm even talking about the really good ones. Seems for every Kenny Wayne Shepherd you've got here, there's another Jonny Lang over there. That said, it's still good to see guys like Lang, Shepherd, and Gary Moore out there doing their thing to keep the blues alive and well. [more]

B.B. King is out of the hospital and doing fine

2007-01-29T14:20:00.000-08:00

B.B. King is out of the hospital and is ready to start gigging again. The 81-year-old was said to be "be back to his old self" according to Tina France, vice president of Liberman Management in New York. King is scheduled to play in Ft. Worth on Tuesday, January 24th. The rest of his Texas tour will go on as scheduled.

Someone shout Hallelujah!

Blues legend B.B. King hospitalized

2007-01-26T08:33:00.000-08:00

GALVESTON, Texas (AP) -- B.B. King was hospitalized for undisclosed reasons but was in good condition early Friday, a hospital official said. More...

Historical marker placed on Mississippi Blues Trail

2007-01-24T21:49:00.000-08:00

Thursday, January 25, 2007

The Associated Press

CLARKSDALE, Miss. -- A historical marker has been added to the Mississippi Blues Trail, which will ultimately highlight more than 100 locations in the state that have played roles in the development of blues music.

Three markers were placed by the Mississippi Blues Commission in December. The fourth marker, unveiled Jan. 18, will be located at the Riverside Hotel in Clarksdale. The hotel has been home to many blues musicians through the years and is still in operation. More

Music Review: Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Otis Rush, and Little Walter - Chicago Blues Festival

2007-01-10T11:00:00.000-08:00

Over the years there have been lots of blues recordings that have been released and then forgotten. Some of them may have been eminently forgettable and so have been lost for all time without any harm being done. On the other hand there are other recordings and sides from the sixties when the blues was starting to head towards obscurity that would be a shame to lose just because of who was playing on them....(read the rest of the review by Richard Marcus)

Last of the Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen

2007-01-03T22:28:00.000-08:00

Back in 2004, the Blue Shoe Project, a local non-profit with "the mission of educating the coming generations on the importance of Blues and American roots music," brought together four of the country's top blues artists, Robert Lockwood, Jr., Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins, David "Honeyboy" Edwards, and Henry James Townsend, for one night. The following is a short description of this historic performance from the Blue Shoe Project: (read more)

B.B. King - The King of the Blues is honored

2006-12-18T09:18:00.000-08:00

The King of Blues, B.B. King, has been given the highest civilian honour in the U.S. — the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

In a ceremony at the White House on Friday, U.S. President George W. Bush described King and other honourees as "exceptional individuals who have gained great admiration and respect."

Robert Cray - Live From Across The Pond

2006-12-15T08:51:00.000-08:00

The Dean Martin of the blues has finally put out an album with some grit.

Read the review by Scott Homewood...click here

Music Review: Junior Wells - Live at Theresa's 1975.

2006-12-07T16:36:00.000-08:00

Electric blues in this day and age is, I think we can all agree, about ritual rather than absolute novelty. A good night in a blues bar in Chicago or for that matter in Kiev is about going to the familiar source, reconnecting with the trinity of I-IV-V, with the familiar language of the twelve bars, the bent note, the repeated phrase, and the sweet release of finding company in blackest misery. The blues structure is as well known, as dear and familiar to its devotees, as the Mass is to lifelong Catholics. Sure, okay, all the songs sound alike - it's the ritual that counts.

Read the rest of this great review by John Owen of Blogcritics Magazine...

Music Review: The Radiators - Dreaming Out Loud

2006-12-05T16:53:00.000-08:00

There are moments in life when you are confronted by something so blindingly obvious, that it is almost painful to have to admit that it has never occurred to you before.

The Radiators are a d@mn-fine rock band from New Orleans, Louisiana. How is it possible, then, that I’d never heard of them until recently? It certainly isn’t because they haven’t been out there trying to get their music across to people; they’ve been together since a 1978 jam session in keyboardist Ed Volker’s garage.
Read this review by Michael Jones…

Ruf Records: Keeping the Blues Alive

2006-12-01T09:14:00.000-08:00

Back in the early 1960's, something peculiar happened in the world of popular music. The seemingly impregnable wall that had divided two worlds separated by the barrier of race began to develop cracks and fissures. Punching those holes was the music of poor Black sharecroppers from the Mississippi Delta and the electric sound of urban poverty from Chicago.

Read more of this article by Richard Marcus

Blues Bash Music Review: Canned Heat - Instrumentals 1967 - 1996

2006-11-23T21:35:00.000-08:00

I've always found it rather strange that genres of music so conducive to soloing, like blues based rock and roll and the blues themselves, haven't encouraged more instrumental compositions. Maybe it's because of everyone's limited expectations regarding the music, especially those within the industry who control what is released to the public. They think it should always be accompanied by vocals. more of Richard Marcus' review

Pioneer blues singer, Ruth Brown, Has Died

2006-11-20T22:20:00.000-08:00

Ruth Brown, the pioneering singer whose 1950s hits including "Teardrops From My Eyes" and "(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean" helped establish both the rhythm-and-blues form and Atlantic Records as the genre's preeminent label, died Friday in a Las Vegas area hospital from complications after a heart attack and stroke earlier in the week. She was 78...read more

Delbert McClinton and the blues

2006-11-17T13:36:00.000-08:00

For blues legend, the song never ends

McClinton still enjoys telling 'stories'; concert is hot ticket among peers

Sunday, November 12, 2006

By CHRIS WELCH

Times Entertainment Writer, chris.welch@htimes.com

In 1962, during a concert tour of England, Delbert McClinton showed some of his harp licks to an unknown rhythm guitarist in a young band that was opening the show.

A year or so later, John Lennon bought a harmonica and used it for the Beatles hit "Love Me Do."

In the mid-'70s, McClinton appeared on "Saturday Night Live" in its heyday and performed with the Blues Brothers - Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi - who idolized McClinton, and performed one of his songs in their "Blues Brothers" movie. More

NABJ, R&B Foundation Remember Ed Bradley: Organizations pay respect to late newsman

2006-11-15T17:29:00.000-08:00

*The National Association of Black Journalists has released a statement mourning the loss of journalism pioneer and CBS “60 Minutes” correspondent Ed Bradley, who died on Nov. 9 of leukemia at the age of 65.

“Ed Bradley was a consummate professional who defined investigative journalism for a generation," said NABJ President Bryan Monroe, vice president and editorial director for Ebony and Jet magazines in Chicago. "His interviewing skills were second to none. As a member and a friend, we will miss him greatly."

In addition to the 2005 NABJ Lifetime Achievement Award, Bradley also received two NABJ Salute to Excellence Awards for his story on the life of Ray Charles and his expose, "The Murder of Emmett Till". At the 2006 Salute to Excellence Awards, he was recognized for his report "Bridge to Gretna".

"Ed was style and substance," said Barbara Ciara, NABJ Vice President for Broadcast. "He helped shatter the color barrier at CBS, but he defined cool when he decided to sport an earring on the hallowed airwaves of 60 Minutes."

It was with his freelance coverage of the 1965 Philadelphia riots that Bradley landed his first job as a radio reporter at WDAS-FM. He would later move on to join WCBS Radio in New York City.

"It doesn't seem like it was a lifetime ago when we held the first meetings in New York---just a small band of brothers and sisters new to this business of journalism," Bradley shared during his acceptance speech of the 2005 NABJ Lifetime Achievement Award. "There weren't many of us then but we knew we needed to be together. It gives me great pleasure to know that I was there at the gestation of one of the early black journalists association."

The Rhythm and Blues Foundation has also expressed sadness over the passing of Ed Bradley. In a statement, the organization salutes the late journalist for his life-long love of R&B and jazz music.

“Ed Bradley held a great love of the traditions of Rhythm and Blues music and an abiding respect for the genre’s artists,” read the statement. “He demonstrated that love and respect as a long-time member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors and through his support for the Foundation’s programs.”

Robert Randolph & The Family Band - Colorblind

2006-11-14T22:51:00.000-08:00

Robert Randolph & The Family Band
Colorblind (Warner)
Released September 2006
By Randy Hill for Bluesbelt Magazine

Robert Randolph is the master of the pedal steel. Just check out one of his live performances and I think you’ll agree. On his new release Colorblind, Randolph goes for a tighter, and a little more heavily produced sound this time around. Listening to this album, I couldn’t help but think that you really have to see this guy play live to fully appreciate the excitement he and his band generate when they play. It's always a challenge to translate an exciting live persona to CD and on Colorblind Randolph gets pretty close.

The much anticipated new album features performances by Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews, and LeRoi Moore. Eric Clapton and Randolph team up on the Doobie Brothers classic, “Jesus Is Just Alright.” The band had the potential to really explore this song in a new way, but instead it’s just, well, alright. Not spectacular.

By the time the band gets to track 10, “Thankful and Thoughtful” the heat is finally turned up and the band starts cooking. If only they would have made it to the stove a little quicker.

New Release from Erja Lyytinen "Dreamland Blues"

2006-11-05T22:05:00.001-08:00

With her international solo debut at Ruf Records "Dreamland Blues", young singer/guitarist Erja Lyytinen proves she's a force to be reckoned with in the predominantly male bastion of the blues.

No doubt about it: Erja Lyytinen has the talent and looks to put Finland on the international blues map. Born into a musical family in the small town of Kuopio, she integrates jazz, folk and even pop elements into her bluesy mix. Lyytinen's outstanding slide guitar playing has earned her the nickname "the Bonnie Raitt of Finland" and led to festival appearances alongside Koko Taylor, Marcia Ball and Bonnie Raitt herself. Now, this impressive young lady is poised to break out to an even bigger audience.

More informations about her on Blues Caravan 2006:

The Legendary Robert Johnson

2006-11-03T08:26:00.000-08:00

A young man walks slowly down a lonely dirt road in the delta region of Mississippi. Without a soul for miles around, and near midnight, it’s an eerie place - A place where the imagination runs wild and anything is possible. "Damn," he curses to himself, ashamed of his fear for starting at the hoot of an owl nearby, "ain’t nothin’ here, it’s just a damn old wives tale, is all."...read the full article by Blues Bash's Donnie Marlor...

technorati

2006-11-01T22:33:00.000-08:00

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The Rounders Sign With Blind Pig Records

2006-11-01T22:09:00.000-08:00

Blind Pig Records has announced the signing of The Rounders, a young alternative roots band from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band burst on the scene right out of high school, immediately gaining critical acclaim from local media, which praised their refreshing originality and natural ability to capture and enhance the traditions of American roots music while keeping it stripped down, raw, and honest. By tinkering with familiar forms of music in new and unique ways, the band soon became one of the hottest acts in the area before most of them were of drinking age.The group has fashioned a unique sound by mining a variety of traditional music forms and adeptly fusing them with elements of modern music. As guitarist Ryan Taylor put it, "We like to make old music sound new and new music sound old."

By piecing together layers of acoustic and electric blues, Southern folk, backporch country, and ragtime melody, The Rounders have created a true tapestry of American roots music for a new generation.The band has released two CDs on their own label, "Little Bitty Can Of Worms" and "Now-A-Days Songs," the latter becoming a staple on college rock radio and XM satellite radio. They were voted the "Best Unsigned Band" by the Oklahoma Blues Society and sponsored to compete in the Blues Foundation's International Blues Challenge in Memphis in 2002. They also won the "Underground Talent Search" contest sponsored by a local commercial rock station, competing against a number of alternative rock bands. On signing with Blind Pig, the band said, "We are very much looking forward to our first national release with a label. This is a goal we've been working towards since we first formed the band. The prospect of putting out our record on a label like Blind Pig is both exciting and humbling in a way.

There have been a lot of great artists on the label, and we hope to add something new to the body of recordings they have. The folks at Blind Pig seem to understand and appreciate what we are trying to do with our music which, as an artist, is all you can really ask for."Label president Edward Chmelewski said, "Signing these guys was a bit of a departure for us, but we were so taken by the creativity and freshness of their music. We immediately heard something new and distinctive here, imbued with an infectious energy and enthusiasm that puts a smile on your face."The band line-up consists of guitarist Michael Stone, guitarist Ryan Taylor, who also pens most of the group's songs, singer Brian Whitten, drummer Stu Williamson, and bassist Dave Spindle. The first CD for Blind Pig, entitled, Wish I Had You, will be released in late January.

Michael Burks Wins Sonny Payne Award

2006-10-31T22:43:00.000-08:00

The Delta Cultural Center announced that blues guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Michael Burks received the coveted Sonny Payne Award For Blues Excellence. Commonly known as the "Sonny Award," it is presented each year to an individual or individuals who have strongly influenced blues music in Arkansas. Burks, a Little Rock native, has released two critically acclaimed CDs on Alligator Records (2001’s MAKE IT RAIN and 2003’s I SMELL SMOKE), and has toured almost non-stop. http://www.michaelburks.com/

Gary Primach

2006-10-26T22:49:00.000-07:00

Yeah, they say you have to suffer if you want to sing the blues. And yes, blues singer, harmonica master and songwriter Gary Primich wasn't raised in a shotgun shack in the Mississippi Delta or a tenement on the South Side of Chicago. Nor does he try to sound like he was. Yet his blues music still brims with the stamp of authenticity, albeit an authenticity to what constitutes blues music here in the 21st Century. And as CD Review once pointed out, "If you're a newcomer to Primich's work and are expecting another boring white guy doing either blues Nazi rehashes of Little Walter's "Juke" or some Blues Traveler ooodles of noodles fest, forget it."

Rather, with Gary Primich what you get is "one foot in the old school and the other in modern blues," says Jazz Times, along with "songwriting [that] has some fresh melodic twists and modulations that take that tradition to some other places." And then there's his harp playing, filled with fat, rich and sassy tones, marked by tricky melodic twists, and as powerful as a locomotive barreling along at full steam. As well, notes Down Beat, "Primich is that rare harmonica player who actually knows how to sing." And do so damned well to boot.

Primich's talent and feel for the blues has won him praise from the likes of blues harmonica legend Charlie Musselwhite, who notes, "He's not just playing the same old stuff we've all heard way too much of." Instead, Primich stretches and enhances the blues with the touch of a modern master. Jazziz says he is "easily the most syncretic [harmonica] player on the scene today," while Spotlight magazine hails Primich as "one of the best harp players alive." Chicago's New City declared his album Mr. Freeze as one of the 20 best blues albums of the 1990s.

Gary Primich was in fact born in the capital city of the blues, Chicago, and raised in an industrial suburb of Gary, IN. Yes, his family was middle class, but the milieu he grew up in could certainly give anyone the blues. "My high school was in the business of cranking out people to go work at U.S. Steel, Bethlehem Steel and Inland Steel. Nobody went to college, for God's sake," he says. His first exposure to blues music was when he heard the Dave Edmunds version of "I Hear You Knocking" on the radio. At the same time, Chuck Berry's last big hit "My Ding A Ling" led Primich into the rock'n'roll pioneer's catalog and the legacy of Chess Records.

And even though he wasn't weaned on the masters, once Primich picked up the harmonica in his teens, he went straight to the sources to master his craft. He studied and absorbed the styles of Sonny Boy Williamson I and II as well as Little Walter and Big Walter. He started hitting the clubs on the West and South Sides of Chicago, and was soon playing in bands along Maxwell Street, the main drag of urban blues, while getting his college degree from the University of Indiana.

It took one visit to Austin for him to decide to move there after finishing college. "I went to Antone's nightclub and heard the house band backing Otis Rush, who I'd heard a lot of times in Chicago, but he never sounded as good as he did that night." In the late 1980s, he started The Mannish Boys with former Mothers of Invention drummer Jimmy Carl Black. After two albums with the band for Amazing Records, Primich struck out on his own. Over two albums on his own for Amazing, another two for Flying Fish Records, and then two more for Black Top Records, he has consistently racked up critical kudos for his mastery of the tricky and elusive mix of tradition and innovation. As Blues Revue notes, "A new disc by Gary Primich has always been something to look forward to."

Like Paul Butterfield, another white harmonica player who honed his chops on the Chicago scene and left his indelible imprint on the music's progression, Primich filters his blues roots through his own consciousness to create something that's true to himself and his own vision. "I really see myself more like playing music like the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, which was hearing what they loved and doing their own version of it as opposed to trying to reproduce the wheel."

Even if Primich isn't about to parlay himself as a down and dirty bluesman who's seen hard times and troubles all his days, make no mistake about his devotion to the music and the fact that he plays it from deep inside his soul. "It's important that people understand that I started playing this music when I started playing music because I love this music. It wasn't because I heard Stevie Ray Vaughan or saw something groovy on TV. I play this music because I fell in love with it. And I play blues harmonica because I fell in love with the sound of it. I started playing blues when it was the most uncool thing to do, and itÍs never been the 'cool' thing to do, but that doesnÍt matter to me."

And in the great blues tradition, Primich is a working musician who plays upwards of 200 dates a year across North America and throughout Europe. "When I was 18 years old, if you told me that when I was 43 years old that I would have my white Ford van, and my own band, and I would be going out and playing gigs all over the country, I would have said, dream come true. I am doing what IÍve always wanted to do, which is to go on the road and play my own music the way I like to play it wherever it is that it takes me. And I love doing that."

In the process, Primich has established himself as one of the modern masters of the blues. And for proof of that, just slip Dog House Music into the CD player, and see if you don't heartily agree.

Thredbo Blues Festival 2007 – Australia

2006-10-19T16:35:00.000-07:00

The 13th Thredbo Blues Festival, held in Australia at the Threadbo resort. The resort is celebrating its 50th anniversary and is staging a 3 day celebration featuring some of Australia’s finest blues artists. The line up for 2007 includes: Andy Cowan, Sugarcane Collins, Steve Tallis, Mighty Reapers, Andrea Marr, Kaya, The Others, Jimi Hocking, Ross Ward, Ray Beadle Band, Kevin Borich, Mal Eastick, Dallas Trasca, CW Stoneking, The Hands, and Nick Charles. A weekend festival pass is $110 and includes access to all venues and unlimited scenic chairlift rides. Day passes are available and children under 14 are free! Festival goers are required to dine at the restaurant venues and bookings are necessary. For more information visit www.thredbo.com.au

(above) Sugarcane Collins

Miss Lavelle White - Into The Mystic

2006-10-18T21:55:00.000-07:00

As the Los Angeles New Times notes, “Like they once said about Coca Cola, Lavelle White is the real thing.” From her hits in the 1950s and ‘60s on Houston’s Duke Records through her later residency as the house vocalist at Chicago’s legendary Kingston Mines to her comeback over the last decade on Antone’s Records, Miss Lavelle has always been an avatar of “true blues and a class act.” (Portland Oregonian)

And Lavelle White has never been truer nor classier than on Into The Mystic, her third release for the Antone’s label. Produced by blues master Derek O’Brien, it’s an album that draws from the past, present and future of the blues to create one of the most compelling listening experiences of this new century. Running from full band and choir gospel to stripped-down acoustic cool to uptown rocking blues, it’s a work rich with both incredible variety and undeniable charm.

On it, Miss Lavelle stamps her trademark on classics like Van Morrison’s title tune, Stevie Wonder’s “Livin’ For The City,” The Box Tops’ “Soul Deep” and the pop-gospel landmark “Oh Happy Day.” And even though she has her feet firmly grounded in the true blues of her past, Lavelle lets us know she’s right here with us in 2003 on her own “Computer Blues.” So slip Into The Mystic into your CD player and let Miss Lavelle take you on an amazing journey to magical places you’ll want to revisit again and again.

Eric "Slowhand" Clapton on Getting Older...and Slower

2006-10-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

In an Associated Press article by Jeff Baene, legendary lead guitarist Eric Clapton sings the blues about getting older.

"I think I'm definitely on the decline," the 61-year-old said a few hours before kicking off the North American leg of his world tour. He recently watched video of his 1997 blues tour and says he was "shocked by how much more proficient I was then than I am now."

"It was a good thing, in a way, because I get the reality of what my life is like," Clapton said. "I can't do what I used to be able to do, with my hands or my voice or anything."
"Most people would probably say, 'Oh, he sounds OK,' but we know, you know, that it will be a little bit lumpy," Clapton said, before he and his band blazed through a two-hour set heavy on such hits as "I Shot the Sheriff," "Wonderful Tonight" and "Layla."
He also spoke about his glorified status in rock -- which Clapton says he takes "with a pinch of salt.

"At the end of the day, it doesn't add up to much. It's just media backslapping. But if I can be friends and get admiration from the people that I admire -- musicians and artists alike -- that's how I kind of gauge my well-being, in that arena," Clapton said.

Read the entire article here.

Marcia ball appears in three national television programs

2006-10-13T15:13:00.000-07:00

Boogie-woogie blues pianist/vocalist/songwriter Marcia Ball can be seen in three national television programs currently airing. On October 14, 2006, Austin City Limits debuts The New Orleans Social Club. Featuring The Neville Brothers, Willie Tee and others, Ball sings Red Beans, and joins her close friend Irma Thomas on Look Up and Yield Not To Temptation.

She appears in Robert Mugge’s film, New Orleans Music In Exile, airing on the Starz cable television network. The film follows many New Orleans musicians after the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Ball is seen delivering a new keyboard to piano legend Eddie Bo, and performing two songs, including Randy Newman’s Louisiana 1927. The show originally aired in May 2006 and is still airing regularly on the network.

And, in a show filmed for PBS earlier this year, Ball joins the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in Cincinnati Pops: A Musical Celebration of America’s Rivers. She performs Way Down Yonder In New Orleans and Louisiana 1927. The program first aired on September 28, 2006.