Blind Pig Releases John Nemeth On 45rpm Record

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

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"

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

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

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

John Mayall's "Tough"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.