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Friday, January 14, 2011

Bob Corritore Blues News

  • Janiva Magness appears Friday at the Rhythm Room in Phoenix. New photo page of Janiva's 1980s Phoenix years! Janiva Magness stops in Phoenix, Arizona this Friday, January 14th, for a night at the Rhythm Room, 1019 E. Indian School Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85014. Janiva Magness has become an internationally acclaimed blues singer who is at the top level of the contemporary blues world. She currently is signed to Alligator records and has won numerous Blues Music Awards including "B.B. King Entertainer of the Year" in 2009 and Best Contemporary Female Blues artist in 2008 and 2009. She is currently up for 4 2011 BMAs (to find out more about the BMAs click here).  We have recently posted some photos of Janiva Magness from the 1980s when she lived and performed in Phoenix, Arizona. Janiva and Bob Corritore collaborated on a number of musical projects during that early period in her career. To see these photos, click here.
  • Two new European Lazy Lester releases! Swamp blues harmonica legend Lazy Lester will have two CDs released on European labels this year. Producer Mike Vernon reports that the Cambaya label  from Spain has released Lazy Lester / One More Once, a live CD which finds Lester backed by British blues combo West Weston's Bluesonics. You can see the cover of One More Once on the Cambaya Records Myspace (click here to see). Producer/harmonicist Jostein Forsberg reports that his Bluestown label, based in Norway, has a forthcoming studio CD by Lazy Lester that will likely be called You Better Listen. This CD features backing by Spoonful Of Blues who are Lazy Lester's regular accompaniment when doing Scandinavian gigs. Jostein and guitarist Morten Omlid share the production credit for You Better Listen. Lazy Lester's Louisiana sounds are so rich and untamed, and his live performances so satisfying, that you can see why he has such a peak of interest in the European blues market.
  • Whistlin' Alex Moore on YouTube! Please enjoy this short clip of Texas blues piano master Whistlin' Alex Moore, living up to his name on a delightful boogie. Click here to see.

Ray Galloway RIP

From Bob Corritore

  • RIP Ray Galloway, October 6, 1941 - January 9, 2011. This sad new comes in from Jerry Pillow. Helena based blues promoter Ray Galloway passed away on January 9th of a heart attack. He was 69. Ray was instrumental in helping create and run the King Biscuit Blues Festival & Sonny Boy Blues Society for the last 25 years. He was well known to the many visitors of the festival for his warm hospitality and his down to business demeanor as a stage manager. He will be greatly missed by all of those that knew him. To see Ray's photo and an obit, click here. To read a beautiful article about Ray in American Blues News, click here

Bobby Robinson RIP

From Bob Corritore

"Producer, record label owner, and musical pioneer Bobby Robinson passed away on Friday, January 7, 2011 after a lengthy illness; Robinson was 93 years old. A musical institution in New York's Harlem community, Robinson was 125th Street's first African-American business owner, opening his legendary Bobby's Happy House record store in 1946 and running it until it closed in 2008 when the building was demolished to make way for new development.
Robinson is best-known to music fans as the visionary producer and label owner whose Fire, Fury, Enjoy, and Red Robin record labels produced a flurry of recordings during the 1950s and '60s that would shape and influence blues, R&B, early rock 'n' roll, and soul music for a generation to follow. Robinson's Fury imprint scored a #1 national hit in 1959 with Wilbert Harrison's R&B romp "Kansas City," and through the years Robinson produced and/or released essential recordings by artists as diverse as blues guitarist Elmore James, R&B shouter Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Lee Dorsey, King Curtis, and many others.
Always with his eye on the next big thing, Robinson was also one of the early pioneers in rap music, discovering young talent and producing early recordings by trailblazing artists like Grandmaster Flash, Doug E. Fresh, Spoonie Gee, and Kool Moe Dee during the late-1970s and early 1980s. An old-school record man with a talent for discovering artists, and coaxing their best performances in the studio, it's unlikely that we'll see another music entrepreneur like Bobby Robinson again.
Bobby Robinson was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Blues Hall Of Fame in 2006."

Bob Dorr And The Blue Band Update

How do we get it right? PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!! I have now celebrated my 28th birthday over 30 times. Christ, there used to be T-SHIRTS for this event! With people standing outside of Connie's Lounge in Des Moines waiting to get in. These days, the only people who stand outside in the freezing temperatures are the nicotine freaks. The Blue Band helps celebrate my 28th birthday (again) tonight, FRIDAY, Jan. 14, at the Hub, right across the street from the building that used to house notorious hippie and bohemian "after parties" (there's that practice, practice, practice thing again) at 4th & Main in beautiful Sparkle City USA (Cedar Falls) There are actually only a few people on this email list who are OLD enough to remember the notorious behavior at "4th & Main". On the other hand, it's one of those cases where if you can remember what went on in those apartments, you probably weren't really there! And it's GEEEEZER GIG hours!! We play 6-9:30p, stop in after work (TGIF) have a couple slices of pizza, some adult beverages, dance with your girl/boyfriend or your wife/husband, (probably shouldn't dance with both of them at the same time) and, if you're like me, you'll probably bitch about the weather to other people who are already tired of this winter. Misery does love company. An added treat for us is that saxman Tom Barry, on loan from Checker & The Bluetones, will join Al in the horn section. Those two guys were original, founding members of The Salsa Band for nearly 20 years. I'm really looking forward to hearing what that will sound like. Tom played quite a few gigs with us in the 80s and was the recording engineer/producer of some those live recordings on the early vinyl releases. It's going to be fun having him with us. During this 30th anniversary year, I'm hoping to have many Blue Alumni be able to do some gigs with us. And how could I forget??? There will be CAKE!! OK, this is how "fiscally responsible" I've gotten in my "old" age. There was A LOT of left over anniversary cake on New Year's Eve. We put it in the freezer. It'll be at the Hub. I think we're going to try and smear the word ANNIVERSARY into looking like it "might" be BIRTHDAY. Hey, CAKE is CAKE, wish me a happy birthday and my wife a happy anniversary and have some CAKE!...
And speaking of my birthday, the annual "It's My Party And I'll Play What I Want To" radio show happens on Backtracks this Saturday night, 7-10pm on your favorite Iowa Public Radio station (or via streamed audio at www.iowapublicradio.org) It was really fun putting the show together. It's all from the original vinyl and comes complete with stories about playing in my Jr. High School band Tortoise & The Hair and seeing The Association play the Dubuque Blues live at the RKO theatre in downtown Davenport and other personal stories, most of which are true...
And speaking of birthdays (practice, practice, practice) we have been requested by two, soon to be 50 year old, patrons of the 503 Nightclub in Iowa Falls to play at THERE birthday party at the 503, Saturday Jan. 22. We play 9-mid. It's open to the public. How can you turn down the possibility of birthday CAKE, two weeks in a row?...
Probably the best birthday present I could have gotten came in the form of an invitation to return to the Iowa State Fair in August! We play the AE/TV8 stage on the final Fri/Sat Aug. 19 and 20. We also added a return to the Park Farm Winery Grape Stomp over Labor Day weekend and the annual riverboat cruise in Dubuque is scheduled for Fri. June 3. We've still got lots of open weekend dates in the summer and would love to add your local festival, party, or nightclub to the 30th anniversary tour. Need more info? Start here: http://www.theblueband.com/contactBob.htm
This is the greatest weekend for professional football in the entire season. Four playoff games involving the best eight teams on the planet. And, now that #4 is no longer playing, I can go back to being a Packer Backer. I grew up a fan of the Pack, dating back to the days of Bart Starr, Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor, Jerry Kramer, Boyd Dowler, Max McGhee, Forrest Gregg, Willie Davis, Willie Wood, Zeke Bratkowski (I had to throw that one in, just for REAL longtime Packer fans) I was pissed at The Packers for not showing more respect to OLD #4, so I've been boycotting the green and gold. It REALLY pained me to root for The Purple. The world will be right again rooting for The Packers against the Falcons on Saturday night!...
Please join with me in sending condolences and best wishes to Dennis MacRunnel (our stage/road manager) and family. Dennis' dad passed away on Thursday...
It's late, I've still got to practice blowing out all those candles that'll be on the CAKE tomorrow (somebody better stand ready with the fire extinguisher) See yas on the Blue Highway, rub yer washboard tie to the tune of the Happy Birthday Blues, wear your Bob's 28th Birthday T-shirt to The Hub (I like the one that says Help! I'm 28 and I Can't Grow Up!) and always know that we love you. Bob Dorr & The Blue Band

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

John Hammer Blues News

INFORMATION
 
'Lulu's House'

'Love You From The Top'

'That's The Way You Do'

'A Part of Me'



Important Links
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
How We Do on the Radio
 Every once in a while ya needs a primer on what we are about. January 16th on Hammered By The Blues  (every Sunday on KOWZ 1170AM at 10pm) we will school ya in the way of brand new blues and leave yer head filled with nothin' but the best. We will grab you by the ears with J. Edwards velvet gravel voice as he sets the subject list off 'Lulu's House'. For a Chi-Town history lesson, we start on the west side as James Kinds imparts his wisdom off 'Love You From The Top'. Not to be outdone we hear the Maxwell St. side of the windy city story as we call on Studebaker John & The Maxwell Street Kings to regale from their latest 'That's The Way You Do'. To cement this new found knowledge in yer mellon, Tom Principato hypnotizes you with elegance off 'A Part Of Me'. That just about covers it. Questions?!
 Class don't start 'til you get here; 
 Knowledge is power, don't you fear;
The blues will make you strong and set you free;
At Hammered By The Blues we don't charge a fee!
Hammer-time! 
Fresh Stuff Ya Wanna Know
January Blue Monday
NOW On Line

'Convertin' Bluesers one ear at a time at Hammered By the Blues'
Listen On Line Now: Click Here <-
Episode #245 featuring
: Better Off Dead, Boo Boo Davis, Home made Jamz Blues Band, and Travis 'Moonchild' Haddix


Be sur
e to check out brand new blues on the Juke Box Page, vote for your favorite song and enter to win a 2010 Limited Edition Blue Monday Lapel Pin
 
'Hammered By The Blues' now on
 ROCKIN U RADIO on LIVE365 11pm to 1am Monday, Wednesday and Friday!
Give a listen - > CLICK HERE for LINK
Print Out The 'OPPORTUNITIES LIVE' section at Blue Monday OnLine offering somethin' to do in LIVE MUSIC in Minnesota, Iowa, St. Louis, Omaha, Lincoln, Clarksdale, and Memphis at: bluemondaymonthly.com
Just click on the link above -or- type the name into your browser; right click on the Calendar page you want, save and print. Yes, it is just that easy!

John 'blueshammer' Hammer
Blue Monday Monthly Magazine
www.bluemondaymonthly.com
Hammered By The Blues Weekly Radio
KOWZ 1170am/ 100.9fm
510 West McKinley
Owatonna, MN 55060