T-Bone Walker - Stormy Monday Blues

This is how you play Stormy Monday! From the Great T-Bone Walker. It is amazing that this guy played the Bilikin with Jimmy Pryor on Center Street. That would have been a heck of show. Too bad T-Bone spent most of the night shooting craps backstage:-)

New Review From All About Jazz

The All about Jazz website has a new review on Jimmy Hall and the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Collective. This sounds like an exciting release. Jimmy Hall sang with Wet Willie kind of a southern soul/Rock band that was popular in the late 70s, and early 80s. Hall recorded with the studio band at Muscle Shoals recording studio, which also backed Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and Wilson Pickett. Check out the review for more details.

New Bio Pic Ahmet Ertegun

Atlantic Records The Houes that Ahmet Built.
Wednesday night at 8pm on your local PBS station.

This sounds like a great show following the career of Ahmet Ertegun. The national Blues Hall of Fame is inducting this year, and if you watch this movie you will see why. Ertegun recorded many of the great blues, R&B, and Rock and Roll, artists of the 40s to nearly the present. Such starts as Ray Charles, Ruth Brown, Bobby Darin, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and up to the present with Kid Rock.

It sounds like a great show, so catch it if you can.


UPDATE

Here is a link to a great article about Ahmet, and the PBS special.

Blog Critic Reviews, Janvia Magness

Ouch! A bad review from Blogcritic on Janiva Magness's newest release Do I Move You? I guess the answer is no:-) It does sound like it wasn't her talent that failed, but the band and the arrangements. However, I have never been a big fan a music writers. Most have never played themselves, so their review is strictly "I know what I like." So if you like her stuff go out an buy it.

Kenny Wayne Shepard Prison Blues

I dont know who Kenny Wayne Shepard is playing with, but this is a pretty nice and simple video. Also this is my first attempt at posting a video from Grouper.com Hope it works out:-)

champion jack dupree with king curtis

One of my favorite Blues Piano performers. Plus King Curtis on Sax. You cant beat that!

Hit the road Jack!

Some Brother Ray. Having seen the movie version of the song it is nice to see the original in Black and White.

Anyone Up For A Summer Vacation!

Talk about a nice place to have a blues fest. What about Chesapeake Bay!! Got this info from Capitol Online from Annapolis Maryland.

Bay Blues Fest

After a year or two off, the Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival returns with one of their strongest lineups. This two-day festival is beloved by, not just blues lovers, but all music fans. And the location, at Sandy Point State Park, is stunningly beautiful.

The production is consistently first-class, and the music lineup is always well thought out. And this year's headliners are both legends.

Aretha Franklin is the Queen of American soul music, and Buddy Guy is one of the last true Chicago blues superstars. He's a man that can not only rip it up on his polka dotted guitar, but he also reaches out to his audience and touches everyone present with his music and his passion for this great American cultural tradition.

There are many other worthy acts at this year's Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival including Robert Randolph and the Family Band. Robert Randolph and his amazing band stole the show at the Grammy Awards and he might just do it again here at the CBBF! Mr. Randolph's "sacred steel" slide guitar playing is second to none and lauded by all the great rock guitarists in the world today. Don't miss this act!

Otis Taylor plays a lowdown blues boogie reminiscent of a young John Lee Hooker with shades of R.L. Burnside. San Francisco blues guitarist Tommy Castro will be joined on stage by our very own dynamo of the keys and sax, Deanna Bogart, and J. Geils Band harp attacker Magic Dick (coming off an amazing performance last year at Rams Head On Stage).

These blues, gospel and soul giants will be joined by classic rockers Steppenwolf, led by original vocalist John Kay ("Magic Carpet Ride" and "Born to Be Wild"), and Three Dog Night recreating their 40 top hits including the bluesy tunes "One" and Laura Nyro's "Eli's Coming."

It's going to be another Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival celebration at Sandy Point State Park on Aug. 4-5. Tickets are available now at www.bayblues.org.

Sounds like a great show, I am not sure about Steppenwolf, or Three Dog Night, and lets face it, I know for a fact that three dog night, is only really one dog now:-) Although Steppenwolfs song The Pusher was a decent blues song.

John Bigham Interview

This is an interesting interview of John Bigham. Jazz artists turned bluesman. What is fascinating about this guy is that he changes his persona when he plays the blues. I guess in away all performers are that way, but this is just way too strange. He takes on the persona of John Black.
From The Bulletin out of Bend Oregon:

One of those ideas was for The Soul of John Black to be a dark, mysterious kind of thing, thus the titular "alter-ego," Bigham said. With this band, Bigham isn't Bigham. He's John Black, and the concept - borrowed from the 1976 blaxploitation horror film "J.D.'s Revenge" - is that Black was a great Chicago soul singer who was killed coming out of a club and has now inhabited Bigham's body.

So let's get this straight: Bigham is a career sideman ... who finally decided to head up his own band ... only to take on a fictional persona. If it seems like he's not quite comfortable with that role, it's probably because he isn't.

"I never stepped out like this before," Bigham said. "When I played with Fishbone and anyone else ... I liked to hang in the back and just play. When I step out in front, I'm more the shy guy, or more the reserved guy."

He is, however, getting used to being at the front of the stage. Or John Black is. One of the two.

"If you're going to be a frontman, you have to engage people," Bigham said. "If I'm going to do it, I want to do it all the way. I want to be engaging and step out there and let the full personality of The Soul of John Black come out."

You can catch the whole interview at the link above which will send you to The Bulletin website.

SAVE INTERNET RADIO

Here is the lastest Email making the rounds. Big thanks to everyone who signed the petition to save internet radio. Thanks to the letters and petitions the house has acted.

Thank you for your support of the SaveNetRadio campaign. As you know, the future of internet radio is in serious jeopardy. Your letter to your Congressional representatives has led Congress to take action, and a bill that could save Net radio has been introduced.

The “Internet Radio Equality Act ", H.R. 2060, is being considered by Congress right now, and we ask that you take a moment to call your Congressperson to ask them to co-sponsor this legislation.

To find the phone number for your Congressional representative, visit http://capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/home/ and enter your zip code.

Your opinion matters to your representatives, and it matters to us. Without your support this bill could not have been introduced and without your continued support it cannot be passed.

Visit SaveNetRadio.org to continue following the fight to Save Internet Radio.

Thank you,

The SaveNetRadio Coalition

Please contact your congressperson and tell them to support The Internet Equality Act, HR 2060. This will keep small independnets on the air, and if our actions are sucessfull, then I will launch an Iowa Blues internet radio station of just Iowa Blues artists.


Keep up the good work!!!!!



Tom

bessie smith - st. louis blues

The great Bessie Smith. I think this is the most complete version of St. Louis blues I have seen. What is amazing is that this was shot live. she is really singing over the top of the band and choir.

Uppity Blues Women In New Documentary

Saffire the Uppity Blues Women have a documentary coming out. For a nice bio and more info on the flick check out the article from Fredericksburg.com.

You Got To Be Kidding Department.

Ok, so let me get this right. I always thought that Austin Texas was home of the blues in Texas. The blues certainly played a big part in making Austin the capital of live music, and as I recall Austin City Limits was mostly a blues show in the old days. I also think that perhaps Dallas at one time could claim the title as home of the blues in Texas, but this?????

Two years ago, the Texas Legislature designated Navasota as the Blues Capital of Texas.

HUH?????????? This comes from the Eagle.com.

The rest of the story from Eagle.com follows:

The Grimes County town hosts the annual Navasota Blues Festival, but will now have a year-round presence with the opening of the Navasota Blues Alley.

Established by Navasota Blues Fest Inc., the Blues Alley's museum and shop will provide a central location for the city's blues music scene.

Organizers and founders will host a grand-opening celebration at 4 p.m. Friday at its new home, 129 E. Washington St. in Navasota. Visitors can tour the building, which includes information about Navasota blues legend Mance Lipscomb.

The nonprofit group also plans to collect artifacts for the museum and will put together a monthly musician showcase.

The first of those shows will be at 6 p.m. Saturday, when The Blues Masters play at the Filling Station Diner, 310 E. Washington St.

Blues Fest merchandise, including T-shirts, caps, Lipscomb CDs and other collectibles, will be for sale at Blues Alley.

Navasota Blues Alley will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays.

Organizers for the Navasota Blues Festival also have released the musical entertainment for this year's event, which takes place Aug. 10-11. Artists include Navasota native Randy Pavlock, Blind Orange Jefferson and the Seeing Eye Band, Tubie & the Touchtones, Leannasaurus Rex, Brad Absher and Rob Roy Parnell.

For more information, visit www.navasotabluesfest.org.

From doing a little googling it seems like it is a local fest, but at least two of the acts sound good. anyone with anymore info on the show please shoot me an email. (an if you are from Texas dont shoot:-)

Jimmie Rodgers - Blue Yodel No 1 (T For Texas)

blues with a yodel! I knew you would have to see it to believe it. enjoy the singing brakeman Jimmie Rogers. BTW, listen to the lyrics he cribs at least three different blues songs. I recognized CC Rider, and KC Blues. Nice:-)

Historical Marker For The Singing Brakeman

One of the founding fathers of country music is getting a plaque in Meridian Mississippi marking the influence of the Blues on Jimmie Rogers. What many people don't realize is that country music has roots in both the appalachian hill country, mostly from Irish reels, and white gospel, but also has roots in the blues. Jimmie Rogers would take a blues song and then in the middle of it he would break into a yodel. These two forms of country rarely intersected in the early days. Jimmie Rogers influenced Hank Williams SR, Bob Willis and the Playboys, while they influenced later generations like Hank Williams JR. Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and many others. While the other side of country music was represented by the Carter family, and by the 1950s Bluegrass, which is an Americanization of Irish reels and rounds. What is interesting is the Johnny Cash played with and later married June Carter, which brings the whole thing full circle:-) For more info Click here.

The Commitments-Mustang Sally Dedicated to Jeff Wagner:-)

okay, I finally understand why Doc hates Mustang Sally. I just spent a ton of time looking, and looking for Wilson Pickets original version, and this is the best I could do, which is not bad its the commintments. However, there has to be hundreds of versions from every freaking band on the planet doing Mustang Sally, and doing it very poorly. ARGH!!! My EARS!!!

Alligator Records and Overdrive sign distribution deal

Alligator records the beloved blues label run by Bruce Iglauer has signed a distribution deal with Overdrive for online acess to the Aligator cataloge. For more on the deal you can read a press release here. For acess to overdrive click here.

Lost Cinemas of Des Moines

This is too cool. talk about shock and awe. I even went to some of those drive inns when I was a kid. some nice memories.

WOW! CHECK OUT THIS SITE NOW!!!!

WOW! If you love Des Moines history then you need to look at this site. This is the coolest place I have found on the net. Tons of old photos and a film that will soon come out about the old theaters in Des Moines. I hope that they find something on the old Bilikin from Center Street. It was originally a movie theater know as the Lincoln before it became one of the hottest nightclubs in the Midwest. They also have a linked site to a recreation of the roller coaster at River View Park. It will bring back fond memories to the over 40 set:-)

I will post a preview of the upcoming movie shortly.

Stevie Ray Vaughan - IN DES MOINES IOWA!!!!

Does Anyone know where this was filmed????? I dont think it was from Easy Street, because I think that show was from early 80s, maybe 83??? This is 87, and it is not the trio, so the Val Air Maybe??? Freakin Hot guitar work and the crowd is going insane! Damn I wish I had been there:-(

Celinda Pink

I have never heard of Celinda Pink, but here is an interesting article about her life and career. I think it goes without saying, that to sing the blues you have to live the blues. I also think that the life of a musician is hard. paydays are never dependable, band mates even less dependable. Bar owners screwing you over. Argh. It ain't fun. What is great about Celinda is that she has fought her demons and is trying to make a comeback.

Tampa Bay Blues Fest

If you are lucky to be heading to Florida next weekend, then don't miss the Tampa Bay Blues Fest. May 4-6. This looks like a great show here are the particulars from Google wire.

Friday, May 4

12:30 p.m. - Debbie Davies Band

2:30 p.m. - Michael Burks

4:30 p.m. - Sugar Ray and the Bluetones

6:30 p.m. – Dave Mason

8:30 p.m. – George Thorogood and The Destroyers

Saturday, May 5

11:00 a.m. - EG Kight

12:30 p.m. - Watermelon Slim

2:30 p.m. - Eric Lindell

4:30 p.m. - Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials

6:30 p.m. – Koko Taylor and her Blues Machine

8:30 p.m. – Dickey Betts and Great Southern

Sunday, May 6

1:00 p.m. - Walker Smith Group

2:30 p.m. - Nora Jean Bruso

4:30 p.m. - Guitar Shorty

6:30 p.m. – Percy Sledge

8:30 p.m. – Jerry Lee Lewis

General admission tickets are $25 a day or $60 for a three-day pass. Children under age 12 admitted free with an adult. Re-entry is allowed via front gate. Obtain a hand stamp for re-entry. An ATM is on premises.

Limited quantities of backstage pass packages are available for $150 a day or $350 for three days. Backstage passes include general admission ticket, laminated pass allowing access to front and side stage seating, use of backstage portable restrooms and shade canopy.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.tampabaybluesfest.com. Tickets will be held at the “will call” window for pick up on the day of the show. Online ticket sales end at midnight, May 1.

It looks like a great show. $350 for a three day pass with access to backstage sounds like a pretty good deal!

The Black Keys

You know I don't wander off looking for unknown blues bands, but sometimes while searching the net you come across some funny stuff. I found an article about this band in Ohio called the Black Keys, and I really don't know if they are any good. There are no links to a homepage, or a myspace page. However, the article was so well written. almost novel like that I just had to link it here. It is from Filter magazine, and this is the first time I have read anything from Filter. I must say it was a very nice story, it follows the history of the blues from the passion of playing real authentic music. not the fake MTV style pop that is currently the style. If I find some samples of the band I will update for you.

UPDATE

Found a myspace page here. DANGER The video to My Touch is very strange and starts with the band getting shot and killed. Personally, I am not a fan. I can hear the blues, but they are closer to rock. You certainly get the distorted Chicago blues guitar tone, but not so much the blues sound. The article makes it sound like these guys are dripping with the delta, but I say they are dripping with Akron Ohio:-)

The Midnight Hour Live Wilson Pickett

Wicked Wilson Pickett!

Cubs Curse, Do I Dare Post During the Game!

Okay, after a heartbreaker yesterday where the Cubs came back in the 9th only to loose in extra innings, and two previous pitching gems. I believe I am tempting fate by publishing anything about the Cubs DURING A GAME!!! It is 4-2 in the 6th. BTW, the Cubs are in Last in the National League Central Division. Lets see what happens:-)


UPDATE

The Cubs blow it in the 8th and then lose the game in extra innings for the second day in a row! AAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel like Charlie Brown getting ready to kick the football and Lucy pulls it away again!!!!! AAAAARRRRRGGGHHH! Okay, I am going to listen to the request of a dying cub fan again, and perhaps all will be better.

Eddie

They Call me Mr. Cleanhead! Eddie Cleanhead Vinson from some sort of TV appearance. Since that earlier review of his Delmark re-issue got me excited for some Mr. Cleanhead then here it is! People in Des Moines will fondly remember John Woody Wood singing that song. this is a nice classic slow blues with a jazz feel.

Eddie Cleanhead Vinson

A nice Delmark re-release of Eddie Cleanhead Vinson's Kidney Stew is Fine is reviewed here. This sounds like a great disk. It features Eddie Cleanhead Vinson on vocals and sax, plus T-Bone Walker on guitar, and Jay McShann on piano. This is one disk I will be on the look out for.

The Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues fest gets bigger with the addition of Susan Tedeschi. DerekTrucks was already scheduled along with Robert Cray. Of course, to show how out of touch I am with contemporary blues artists, I didn't even know that Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks were married. Anyway it sound like a great show. It takes place July 20-21 in Yankton Trail Park, in Sioux Falls SD and is free to the public.

Artist of the Week Jimmy Rushing

Artist of the Week is Jimmy Rushing. Jimmy's fame came from singing with the legendary Count Basie. Of the videos below it looks like the second one is from the Newport jazz festival. I have been trying to post it for three weeks. You need to watch the first few minutes before Jimmy comes up to sing Going to Chicago, which is a song the our own Jimmy Pryor used to love to sing. Of course the first few minutes of the Newport footage is that of the mellow blues singer Big Joe Williams. (not to be confused with the guitar player Big Joe Williams) I have also noticed that Google is slowly taking over the video duties from Youtube, so the small videos from the sidebar may come from either Google, or youtube.

Photo of the Week

The Photo of the week is one of Jimmy with his first Kazoo. He had two the one that he played with originally was held together with duct tape! It looked like a cross between some plumbing and a trumpet. He found it in his kids toy box years ago. It was part of a Fisher Price set. During the first year or so of the jam Jimmy tried different kazoos, but none of them were as loud or had the tone of the original. Then someone found an identical Kazoo in mint condition and Jimmy retired the old horn. He donated it to the State Historical Society of Iowa.

Amos Milburn - Bad Bad Whiskey

This one of the few movies of Amos Milburn. He loved to sing songs about booze. Like One Burbon, One Scotch, One Beer, and Pink Champaign.

Internet Radio in Danger

This is why I haven't started an Internet radio station to promote the old Iowa Blues Showcase shows. typical corporate BS. The little guy who is innovative, the small Ma and Pa businesses that made this country great is once again pushed out of the music business so the big guys can take over and program crappy music. This is also going to effect podcasts as well. Bob Dorr told me that KUNI will probably stop its live streaming of its shows on the Internet due to the high fees.

If you want save Internet radio then go here to Savenetradio.org. It is important that you sign the petition saving Internet radio. I really want to add Internet radio to my small little multimedia presence on the web. However, I don't want to invest my time and money in buildings a station that will be off the air in less than a month. So do the right thing and help keep the small guy on the air.

Blues Podcast

Here is a link to a very cool Blues podcast. I found this while looking for history podcasts. It is called the uncensored history of the blues. It is heavy on music and features mostly pre-war blues. Living up here miles, and miles from civilization, I have missed shows live Blues Before Sunrise. So finding this podcast filled a needed void. It looks like he is kinda of hit and miss on producing new shows. It looks like about every other month, and then sometimes twice a month. I suppose it is typical of a podcast, that you make them when you have the time.