Offline for a few days

I will be offline for a few days due to the tragedy at work. Please keep the families of Schaller-Crestland Schools in your Prayers.


Thank you


Tom Gary

Alabama Delta Blues Festival

April 14 and 15 is the Alabama Delta Blues Festival. Okay, Alabama delta???? Alabama is nowhere near Mississippi, so what river delta is it???

oh well, here's who's there.

On Saturday, legendary Richard Johnston takes the stage for a free show. Johnston placed first at the 2001 International Blues Challenge and earned the Albert King Award for most promising blues guitarist. The PBS documentary "Richard Johnston: Hill Country Troubadour" will be shown in the days prior to the festival at the 90-seat, state-of-the-art Tensaw Theater at 5 Rivers.

Sunday brings two superb artists. Shemekia Copeland broke out when she was only 18 years old with the release of "Turn up the Heat" which led to a Grammy nomination in 2000 for "Wicked."

Also performing Sunday will be Tab Benoit. Benoit won the 2006 Blues Music Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album for his release on Telarc "Brother to the Blues." There is also an Imax documentary on Benoit in the works called "Hurricane on the Bayou 2007," which presents his life as an up and coming blues legend.

I think this show is in mobile, so if you are heading down south it might be worth checking out. tickects are 15$ so not a bad price.

CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN! CUBS LOSE! CUBS LOSE!

So after I post about the Cubs they win two games in a row, and I think good! Bad post about the cubs equals wins! NOPE! just when I thought it was safe to watch the cubs, they lose two more in a row! Ouch! Now I got them cubbie blues again. It is too soon to say wait till next year right:-)

Boogie Woogie Dream

Boogie you behind off. Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson playing dueling pianos. This is how its done:-)

Even India Has The Blues

Oh, Boy! After last night reading comments about the death of the blues, I stumble upon the blues in INDIA! A blues band from India traveled to Memphis to compete in the blues challenge. It sounds like they had a good time in Memphis, and I am glad that we didn't come across as ugly Americans. Anyway, it is good to know that the blues is still growing and spreading. The Blues is not dying it's just been taking a break:-)

National Blues Hall of Fame

Just got this of the Google wire. The following artists Will be going into the Blues Hall of Fame. Dr. John, Guitar Slim, Rossetta Tharpe, and Dave Bartholomew. Here is the official press release.

Memphis, TN. (Top40 Charts/ Blue Note Records) - On Wednesday, May 9, in Memphis, Tennessee, The Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame committee will honor Blue Note/EMI recording artist and Blues legend Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack Jr., famously known as Dr. John, as an inductee into the Blues Hall of Fame. Other 2007 Inductees include Dave Bartholomew and late artists, Eddie "Guitar Slim" Jones and Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Non-performer inductees are Ahmet Ertegun and Art Rupe.

Ahmet Ertegun truly belongs. He was behind a large number of great recordings at Atlantic Records. All of these people are very worthy soon to be hall of fame members. I haven't heard anything in regards to the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame. As soon as I hear, I will post it here.

50 Years of Soul

Memphis will celebrate 50 years of soul music this year. They have a cool website filled with some great places to go the next time you are visiting Memphis. The website also has a music player that you can listen to some great tunes from the past. An a list of coming events celebrating 50 years of soul.

Photo of the Week

The photo of the week is one of my best photos of Jimmy Pryor. I took this at the Hull Ave Tap. It has his kazoo, and a glass of his favorite drink of Cranberry juice, and gin. Jimmy always had a great time at the Hull, and because he was there and running the jam it brought out other older players who knew that they would get a fair shake at playing. George Davis, Harlan Thomas, Big Mike, and a host of other players started to show up and perform. Each week was like another great surprise. Perhaps the biggest surprise was when Big Mike Showed up. For years I had heard Billy Birch (someone who has now disappeared) talk about this Big Mike who was a great singer. However, no one seemed to know anything about what had happened to him. It was like he had fallen off the face of the earth. Then one night at the jam he walks in and magic happened. He sang four songs with us and blew the doors off. It was an amazing night.

Jimmy always had that magic. He would start the show for us, and get the crowd up and going, and then our guest would get up and keep the crowd rolling till closing time. Jimmy taught all of us young guys how to run a show. he would say get that guy up, or that kid over there wants to play, and I would do it, and it would always turn out good. Jimmy had the touch and the ear to see the greatness in everyone, and it always paid off.

Artist of the Week BB King

The Artist of the week is BB King. When I think of the two most important icons of the blues during the last 30 years I think of Muddy Waters, and BB King. BB was important to the blues since he kept it alive during the dead years of the mid to late 70s. BB was lucky that he had crossed over to the white audiences, and he had perhaps his biggest hit in the 70s, The Thrill is Gone. BB played over 300 dates a years for many years until the last few years when he has started to cut down due to his diabetes. To watch BB's youtube videos just look for the sidebar and click on any of the four pictures. then a movie will play at the top of the blog!! you don't have to leave this site.

Robert Lockwood, Jr. - Sweet Home Chicago

Robert Lockwood Jr. Step son of the Great Robert Johnson. Playing one of Roberts great songs. Of course, Sweet Home Chicago, is probably a remake of Sweet Home Kokomo, by Kokomo Arnold, but Hey, where did Kokomo Arnold get it. I will post more later about propriety of blues songs. Also if you click through the video you will see a lot of comment by people lamenting the death of the blues! WTF?????? Why didnt someone tell me the blues was dying It didnt know it was sick!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bobby Darin Feb 1973 medley

Bobby Darin a man who could do it all. blues, rock, country, swing, you name it. This is a medley of songs performed on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1973. about two months before Bobby passed from heart failure.