The Iceman Cometh!

Albert Collins performing I Ain't Drunk, I'm Just Drinking. A great rocking tune, and a hell of a band. Albert was the man.

Jimmy Witherspoon: Outskirts Of Town

Another one from the great spoon. Outskirts of Town, is a nice slow shuffle. Some bands play this like a slow blues, but as a shuffle, the song has a more jazzy feel to it. Makes me feel like KC:-) Btw, I love the line if we have any little spoons they better look like me! :-)

Draft Al Gore

A couple of months ago I endorsed John Edwards for president of the United States. While I still stand by Edwards, there is one person who I think could save us from the mess we are in. Al Gore, who really won the 2000 election is still sitting on the fence about running for president. This is a guy who can stand up to the right wing noise machine, and put an end to the constant bickering in Washington. American, and the world needs Gore. So how do we convince him to run??? Simple sign the petition at DRAFTGORE.COM . What I really like about Al Gore, is he lives in reality, not this pseudo scientific world that the majority of right wingers in this country live in. The average wingnut believes that the earth is 6000 years old, that big giant global corporations are not causing global warming, and that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction, was buddies with Osama, and his minions are still planing on attacking us today. Do we really need another righter winger more interested in myth, and spirits, or a man grounded in reality and science. Hmmmmmmmm, I think the choice is easy. Draftgore.com

Strange But True!

I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't saw it myself. One of the greatest Soul, Blues, and Rock & Roll sax players in the history of popular music King Curtis opening for the Beatles! As an old Beatle freak, I find it amazing and interesting. I know the Beatles knew who King Curtis was, but I wonder if they even had the time to talk to him. This was the big show at Shea Stadium in 1965 at the height of Beatlemania. I believe they flew the Beatles in by Helicopter, and drove them out in an armored car! In fact, in those days the Beatles were so big that they could only play for only about 20-30 minutes for their own safety! You also kinda of wonder if people even heard any of the show. The crowds were so freaking huge, and loud, and the Beatles were only using little Vox amps. Boy those were the days:-)

Louis Jordan: Jumpin' At The Jubilee

Another jumping blues tune from Louis Jordan. I don't know who the dancers are, but it is not the Nicholas brothers from movie Stormy Weather.

The Great Spoon!

The smooth vocals of Jimmy Witherspoon Singing Ain't Nobodies Business. Witherspoon sang with Jay McShane, and while not from Kansas City, he certainly carried on the KC Blues tradition.

Interview with Two Chicago Blues Pianists

Dueling pianists, which according to my sister is all the rage in Chi-Town, has a couple of blues cats that were interviewed in the South Bend Tribune. Barrelhouse Chuck, and Erwin Helfer will perform at the Tavern in Mishawaka. The interview is great, because it really explains how to learn to play blues piano. I learned pretty much the same way they did, by listening to recordings first, and then finding blues guys, and watching them play. I even got a chance to open for, and watch Pinetop Perkins play piano once, so I really know what Barrelhouse Chuck is talking about! Read all about it here.

Georgette Fry interview.

Canada's Georgette Fry has a new release out, Back In A Moment. There is a nice interview with her from Kingston This Week. Her previous release, Rites Of Passage, was a Juno nominated Cd. At the bottom of the interview is a nice listing of gigs in the Kingston area.

St Louis Blues

Not the hockey team, but a short article on the Playback StL website. It talks a little bit about the history, and then where to catch blues in St. Louis on a daily basis. Nice, short, sweet, and concise. Read it here.

James Cotton LIVE IN AMES IOWA!!! Rocket 88

This clip is from the Maintenance Shop on the campus of Iowa State University. I think this show was originally filmed in the 80s. The Maintenance Shop used to book a lot of great blues in the past, but not so much in the last few years. I think this video might also be available through Alligator Records. BTW, check out the cool Maintenance Shop T-Shirt that James is wearing.

UPDATE CAB CALLOWAY VIDEOS

Not sure what happened but now their are different videos in the Google video bar than what was there when I originally posted. You might want to keep checking to see which videos pop up. Tonight is a video of the reefer man! Plus another cartoon. Strange, very strange!:-)

Charles Brown: Driftin' Blues

Charles Brown was one of the great blues piano players. I really like Charles Brown's style, and I certainly have tired to pick up some of his licks over the last few years. This is Driftin Blues which is one of more popular tunes.

Oscar Peterson and Count Basie: Slow Blues

Two great jazz pianists playing the blues. Oscar Peterson and Count Basie.

Oscar Peterson & Count Basie Slow Blues
Uploaded by madafonka2

Iowa Cubs Still In First

The I Cubs are still in first place in the PCL North. However, just like I predicted the big team is calling up and sending down guys left and right and their lead in the PCL North has fallen to a game and a 1/2 over the Nashville Sounds.

The big Cubs lost again last night in the late innings, and tonight they just went ahead in the top of the 9th. I am dreading the bottom of the inning and Dempster blowing another save:-) Will update when the game is done.

UPDATE

CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN! Dempster gets the save, three up three down! Amazingly the Cubs don't blow it in the 9th!:-)

Santa Cruz Blues Festival

Attention California readers! Big fest this weekend in Santa Cruz. I just found this out today, but this sounds like an incredible blues fest. here are the particulars from the Monterey Herold.

Lonely Boys, Indigenous, Jackie Greene, Sonny BLUES FESTIVAL ·What: 15th annual Santa Cruz Blues Festival featuring LosLandreth, Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings on Saturday; Etta James and the Roots Band, Little Feat, Robben Ford, Tommy Castro, Nina Storey and special guest Coco Montoya sitting in with Castro and Little Feat ·Where: Aptos Village Park, 100 Aptos Creek Road, Aptos; free shuttle buses start at 9 a.m. from Cabrillo College parking lots off Park Avenue. Parking lot opens at 8 a.m. ·When: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 26-27; gates open at 10 a.m. ·Tickets: $50 general each day or $90 for both; $100 each day for Gold Circle or $190 for both; $20 each day for children under 12 or $30 for both days; children 6 and under free in general admission area when accompanied by an adult; tickets available at Moe's Alley and Streetlight Records in Santa Cruz, online at www.santacruzbluesfestival.com, or by calling the blues hotline at 479-9814 ·Information: 479-9814 or online at www.santacruzbluesfestival.com ·Do's and Dont's: No dogs, food, alcohol, cans, bottles, containers, coolers, cameras with removable lenses, recording devices or digital video cameras. Low profile chairs up to 30 inches with a seat height of no more than 10 inches, one personal bottle of water and still camera (no video) are OK. DO's AND DONT's LAWN CHAIRS are allowed in the General Admission seating area only. COMMON SENSE RULES apply. Chairs must be no taller than 30 inches from the ground to the top of the chair and no taller than 10 inches from the ground to the bottom of the seat. This allows the person behind you to see and enjoy the concert also. There will be Blues Festival staff to assist in laying out your blanket and chairs. This is known as the art of Skooching. We want everyone to have enough room to be comfortable, so we ask that you place your blanket and chairs as far forward to the person in front of you as possible. PLEASE no dogs, food, alcohol, cans, bottles, containers, coolers, cameras with removable lenses, recording devices or digital video cameras. Low profile chairs up to 30 inches with a seat height of no more than 10 inches, one personal bottle of water and still camera (no video) are O.K. We reserve the right to not allow any cameras into the park whether they have removable lenses or not. Parking is at Cabrillo College with free luxury shuttle busses to Aptos Village Park. Gates open at 10 am, music starts at 11am. We reserve the right to refuse entry. No refunds no exchanges, rain or shine. Artist subject to change. COME EARLY! Direct additional questions to info@santacruzbluesfestival.com

Ain't No Blues At The House Of Blues Part 2

Last night the Cleveland House Of Blue had one of today's great blues diva Fergie! Well what did you expect from the House of Blues? I bet it was Fergielicious!

R L Burnside: Just Like A Woman

The late RL Burnside doing Just Like A Woman.

Whistler's Jug Band: Foldin Bed

lets go back in the time machine and see some really really old time music. The Whistler's Jug Band doing Foldin Bed.

Son House: Death Letter Blues

Probably one of Son's most recognized songs. This is some down home delta blues at its finest. It is obvious that Son taught Robert Johnson quite a bit about playing the blues by listening to this song.

Kansas City Blues Rhythm And Ribs

Big show in Kansas City coming up on June 15th and 16th. It is the Rhythm and Ribs Jazz and Blues festival. The fest takes place on hallowed blues ground in Kansas City located at 18th and Vine. The historic Vine Street was the legendary area that KC Blues and Jazz was born. I was lucky back in the 80s, that I taught at Attucks Elementary school, which at that time was located just a block east of 18th and vine. ( I assume it is gone now) Of course, most of the buildings that were down on Vine are long gone. Here is the line up courtesy of the Kansas City Star:

rhythm & ribs lineup
A few weeks ago we noted that the Rhythm & Ribs festival was going to announce its full lineup. Here it is now. Tickets are on sale through ticketmaster.com.

Friday, June 15

•Blue Cross Stage: 3 p.m., John Brewer Group; 4 p.m., John Paul Drum & the Hatchlings; 5:20 p.m., James Ward Band; 6:40 p.m., Millage Gilbert Blues Band; 8 p.m., Kansas City Jazz Orchestra; 9:20 p.m., Double Exposure.

•Main Stage: 5 p.m., Queen Bey & Friends; 6:30 p.m., Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin & James Cotton; 8:30 p.m., Pat Metheny Trio.

Saturday, June 16

•Blue Cross Stage: 11:30 a.m., Everette DeVan & Friends; 1 p.m., Wild Women of KC; 2:30 p.m., Heat Index featuring Al Pearson; 4 p.m., Charles Williams Quartet with Ron Gutierrez; 5:30 p.m., Bob Bowman and Bow Dog; 7 p.m., DC Bellamy; 8:30 p.m., Makusa; 10 p.m., Son Venezuela.

•Main Stage: Noon, Jazz Disciples with Deborah Brown; 2 p.m., Maurice Brown Quintet; 4:30 p.m., Javon Jackson Band with special guests Les McCann and Lonnie Smith; 7 p.m., George Benson and Al Jarreau; 10 p.m., Bobby “Blue” Bland.

Hopefully I can make this fest. John Paul Drum who I played with years ago is playing the Blue Cross stage on Friday night. It is also good to see Miliage Gilbert is still playing. Miliage is an institution in KC. He and Hatch ran legendary jams down at the Grand Emporium for years. It was always fun to play those jams but you needed to know someone. Usually John Paul would be my ticket to the stage, because I was never good enough to get up there on my own:-)

Blues At The Beach

Hmmmmmmmm, sounds similar, but this show takes place in Hampton Roads Virgina. Sounds like a great show. Here is the lineup from the Natchel Blues Network.

FRIDAY, SEPT 14 • Gates open at 6:30p
7:00p-8:00p	RYLO
8:30p-10:15p	Mark Hummel's Blues Harmonica Blowout presented by Hohner featuring Greg "Fingers" Taylor, James Harman and Lil' Ronnie Owens
.
SATURDAY, JUNE 15 • Gates open at 1:30p
2:00p-3:00p	Bryan Dunn Blues Band
3:00p-3:30p	NBN Music Workshop
3:45p-5:00p	Mighty Lester
5:00p-5:30p	NBN Music Workshop
5:45p-6:45p	Maurice John Vaughan
7:15p-8:45p	Delmark's Chicago Blues Revue featuring Maurice John Vaughan, Shirley Johnson and Jimmy Burns
9:15p-10:15p	Michael Burks
.
SUNDAY, JUNE 16 • Gates open at 11:30a
12:00p-1:00p	The Michael Clark Band featuring Tracy Clark
1:00p-1:30p	NBN Music Workshop
1:45p-3:00p	Fiona Boyes & The Fortune Tellers
3:30p-5:00p	Janiva Magness & Debbie Davies

Looks like a great show with some great artists. The fest takes place soon, the second week of June, so people on the east coast be sure to catch the show.

Blues On The Beach Westerly Rhode Island

An interesting summer blues shows in Westerly Rhode Island called Blues On The Beach.

July 11 Duke Robillard
July 18 Jeff Pitchell Band
July 25 Al Copley and his band
August 1 Greg Piccolo
August 8 Roomful Of Blues
August 15 Sugar Ray Norcia and his Big Band
August 22 Johnny Nicholas and his Texas All Stars

For directions and more information check out the link above.

Billie Holiday: Fine And Mellow

This is an amazing TV performance from the 50s. It features Billie Holiday with some of the greatest jazz players of the day playing a nice melodic slow blues. Lester Young is playing the lead sax. Other performers featured on this video are, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Gerry Mulligan, Roy Eldridge, Doc Cheatham, Vic Dickenson, Danny Barker, Milt Hinton, and Mal Waldron.

Red Bank Jazz And Blues Festival

From the Independent in Holmdel New Jersey:

Produced by the Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Foundation, the festival has grown into one of the largest free music and food festivals on the East Coast.

The headliner for the opener, Friday, June 1, at 8:30 p.m., is local favorite Billy Hector.

Last September, Billy and his band shared billing with Bonnie Raitt at The Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame's "Tribute to Muddy Waters." Billy recently took home three Asbury Music awards for Best Guitarist, Best Blues Band and the Living Legend Award.

The headliner on Saturday, June 2, is Big Bill Morganfield, the son of legendary Blues guitarist Muddy Waters, who will perform at 8:30 p.m. His latest release, "Blues in the Blood," proves his musical pedigree is more than just words.

Joey DeFrancesco will close the festival Sunday, June 3, at 2:50 p.m. Known as the "Master of the Hammond B3 Organ," he is always a top choice in Downbeat's critics' and readers' polls.

This is the 21st year of this festival, and they are expecting over 150,000 people to attend this three day event.

Chicago Blues Tour For Your MP3 Player

Click Here for the new Chicago blues Tour. The tour is led by Buddy Guy. apparently you can download a version for you MP3 player. However, I just watched it on my computer. It is a very cool interactive website with plenty of music and Buddy talking about Chicago and the blues. It takes just under an hour to do the whole tour, but definitely take the time to follow along. Damn Cool!!!!!!!!

Brand New Austin Blues Society

Clifford Antone who died a year ago, single handly led the blue resurgence in Austin. Think of his great club Antone's and the record company of the same name you can see his importance. So the people in Austin Texas decided to keep up what he started by starting a blues society. You can read more at the KVUE website. For more info on Clifford Antone check out his official webpage.

Caldonia

Wow! This little kid is Frank "Sugerchile" Robinson. amazing little kid, and looks like the playing is legit. This is the first I have seen him, so now I am going to do some more research, and see what I can come up with.

UPDATE

From what I have found he was a piano player as a kid. However, there seems to be some controversy over his age. Some people have written that he was 17 or so when that film clip was made. Also there seems to be some confusion on whether he is still alive or not. One website says he died of a drug overdose, while some people posting on Youtube insist that he is playing at a local blues fest. I haven't found any information about the blues fest to figure out if it is him or not. I will update again when I get some more information.

Matt Woods Wins!

Just received this press release from the Central Iowa Blues Society:

Press Release-2007 Iowa Blues Challenge Finals

Congratulations to Matt Woods and the Thunderbolts, winners of the 2007 Iowa Blues Challenge held May 18th at the Hilton Garden Inn. This Des Moines band received $500 cash plus $1,200 travel expenses to Memphis as our local representative at the International Blues Challenge in February 2008. Quad Cities representative Smokin’ Mojo Kings placed second, earning them $400 cash. Both of these bands also receive 8 hours of studio time as well as several paid gigs including the Mississippi Valley Blues Fest, Nitefall On The River in Des Moines. Rounding out the competition was Yetti Bluz Band, earning $300 cash.

The Iowa Blues Challenge features one of the finest prize packages, for a contest of this kind, in the country. Over $5,000 in prizes have been awarded to the top bands, including---cash, travel expenses, recording time, as well as spots in the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival in Davenport, IA; the Nightfall on the River in Des Moines, IA; Simply the Blues Fest in Fort Madison, IA and the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee.

The 2007 Iowa Blues Challenge has been proudly sponsored by Central Iowa Blues Society, Mississippi Blues Society, Lizard Creek Blues Society, Budweiser, Citadel Broadcasting/94.9KGGO & 98.3WOW, Junior's Motel, Wolfer Sound, Cityview and Rieman Music.

Check out www.cibs.org for more information.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Up Above My Head

Be amazed at Sister Rosetta Tharpe playing some amazing guitar work with a full Baptist Choir. The solo happens at the 1:25 mark. BTW, Tharpe is being inducted into the national Blues Hall of Fame this year.

Pee Wee Crayton: After Hours

Finally paydirt! I have been looking for a Pee Wee Crayton video, and here it is. It is short and sweet, but it is him. Pee Wee played for Mel Harper down on Center Street, at the Bilikin. When Pee Wee left for California, Mel called up Detroit Booking agents Rogers and Rogers looking for a new bluesman. Rogers and Rogers recommended a guitar player by the name of Jimmy Pryor, and they told Jimmy that it was a two week engagement. Jimmy left for Des Moines in 1960, and stayed and played in Des Moines for the next 46 years!

Here is the guy who left Des Moines, so Jimmy could come to Center Street. Pee Wee Crayton playing After Hours.

More On The New Fees From The LA Times

I don't often print full articles on my blog since I believe you should check out the website yourself. However, the LA Times is membership only. So you might have a tough time reading the article. You can get a free membership to the LA Times, and I would advise you to do it. It is a good paper regardless what Rush Limbaugh, et al, think.

Aparently another new fee is being contemplated by the copyright board. This fee will be charged against radio stations for performers and record companies, in addition to their BMI, and ASCAP fees. If this happens expect a lot of small radio, and NPR stations to go out of business.

Artists and labels seek royalties from radio

By Jim Puzzanghera, Times Staff Writer
May 21, 2007

WASHINGTON — With CD sales tumbling, record companies and musicians are looking at a new potential pot of money: royalties from broadcast radio stations.

For years, stations have paid royalties to composers and publishers when they played their songs. But they enjoy a federal exemption when paying the performers and record labels because, they argue, the airplay sells music.

Now, the Recording Industry Assn. of America and several artists' groups are getting ready to push Congress to repeal the exemption, a move that could generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually in new royalties.

Mary Wilson, who with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard formed the original Supremes, said the exemption was unfair and forced older musicians to continue touring to pay their bills.

"After so many years of not being compensated, it would be nice now at this late date to at least start," the 63-year-old Las Vegas resident said in Milwaukee, where she was performing at the Potawatomi Bingo Casino. "They've gotten 50-some years of free play. Now maybe it's time to pay up."

The decision to take on the volatile performance royalty issue again highlights the rough times the music industry is facing as listeners abandon compact discs for digital downloads, often listening to music shared with friends or obtained from file-sharing sites.

"The creation of music is suffering because of declining sales," said RIAA Chief Executive Mitch Bainwol. "We clearly have a more difficult time tolerating gaps in revenues that should be there."

It's not the first attempt to kill the exemption. In the past, politically powerful broadcasters beat back those efforts.

But with satellite and Internet radio forced to pay "public performance royalties" and Web broadcasters up in arms about a recent federal decision to boost their performance royalty rate, the record companies and musicians have a strong hand.

Broadcasters are already girding for the fight, expected to last more than a year. In a letter to lawmakers this month, the National Assn. of Broadcasters dubbed the royalties a "performance tax" that would upend the 70-year "mutually beneficial relationship" between radio stations and the recording industry.

"The existing system actually provides the epitome of fairness for all parties: free music for free promotion," wrote NAB President David Rehr.

Performance royalties are collected from traditional radio stations in nearly all major industrialized countries, but U.S. musicians and record companies can't because there is no similar royalty on the books here.

"The time comes that we really have to do this," said John Simson, executive director of SoundExchange, a group created by the recording industry to collect and distribute Internet and satellite music royalties.

For record labels and musicians, addressing the issue now is crucial because digital radio, now being rolled out, allows broadcasters to split a signal into several digital channels and play even more music exempt from performance royalties.

Groups preparing to push Congress to change the law include the RIAA, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the American Federation of Musicians and other organizations. The U.S. Copyright Office has long supported removing the exemption.

The groups have a major ally in Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Valley Village), who now chairs the House subcommittee dealing with intellectual property law. Berman is "actively contemplating" leading a legislative push to end the exemption.

"Given the many different ways to promote music now that didn't exist as effectively when this original exemption was made," he said, "the logic of that I think is more dubious."

Congress granted composers and publishers of music copyright protection in 1909. But the recording and radio industries were in their infancy, and the actual musical recordings were not covered. Congress extended limited copyright protection to musical performances in the 1970s to guard against an earlier form of piracy: the copying of records and tapes.

But by then, broadcasters were influential enough to snuff out any talk of making them pay musicians and recording companies for playing their music.

"The old saying is the reason broadcasters don't pay a performance royalty is there's a radio station in every congressional district and a record company in three," said Chris Castle, a music industry lawyer.

Broadcasters even successfully fought a group of singers and musicians led by Frank Sinatra in the late 1980s who tried to pressure Congress into changing the law. Broadcasters also prevailed in 1995, when Congress exempted them from new fees for digital recordings that everyone else had to pay.

"Congress has always recognized that broadcasters generate enormous sums of revenue to record companies and artists in terms of airplay," said NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton. Radio stations also have public-interest obligations that satellite and Internet broadcasters don't have to worry about, he said.

Satellite radio, Internet broadcasters and cable television companies offering digital music channels now pay performance royalties. The recording industry and musician groups say it's time for traditional radio stations to pony up.

"Most of the artists in the world are kind of middle-class cats, trying to piece together a living," said Jonatha Brooke, a singer-songwriter who is part of the Recording Artists Coalition advocacy group. "It's important to be recognized and paid for our work."

Another Target For The Copyright Board

I found this article from the consumerist website and it looks like the copyright board is also going after radio stations. Radio Stations have paid BMI and ASCAP, the rights to broadcast song on the air. Those fees went to pay the song writer, but not the performer or the record company. So now the copyright board is going to force radio stations to pay performance fees to the artists and record companies as well. The rational from the record companies is that they need to generate more revenue since music sales are down. Also some artists complain that they don't receive any money from their hit performances since they didn't write the songs.

However, the bottom line is that independent, and small NPR stations would find themselves out of business due to these high fees. So while I feel for these artists who sang other peoples songs, they will end up killing off the one thing that keeps their name out in public. Many of the smaller radio stations, and especially NPR stations play an eclectic mix of music from artists who would never make it onto mainstream radio. The only radio stations left ( and it is getting pretty close to that now thanks, to fiscal conservative deregulation of radio, which allow big corporations to own as many radio stations as they please) will be the big corporate radio.

So even if Internet radio gets spared from the July 15th deadline, this new fee will wipe it out anyway. Just remember keep up the fight and contact your congress person today to save Internet radio.

Artisit Of The Week: Cab Calloway

I thought I would go back to the Swing Era, and focus on Cab Calloway as our Google video bar artist of the week. Cab's jumping music, and jive talking made him famous throughout the US. Perhaps he could be considered the first rap artists. His jive talking, or talking in rhyme was not invented by him, but he certainly popularized its use in the African American Community. Also his wonderful Zoot suits continue to reappear in popular culture every 20 years almost if on cue. Of the four videos there are 3 different versions of Minnie The Moocher. One is of the band, the other is from a Betty Boop cartoon and the third is from the Blues Brothers.

Photo Of The Week: Jimmy Pryor Plays Piano

This weeks picture was taken back in 1999 when me and Jimmy were running the jam at the Hull Ave Lounge. Sometimes between sets Jimmy would go up and play piano and sing. Mostly he did simple chords and sang older country tunes. We had a lot of fun at the Hull Ave, and thanks to Jimmy a lot of the older blues cats came out of retirement to play with him. I remember Willis Dobbins showing up at the Hull Ave one night. Willis was a brilliant man. He had previously worked for the State Of Iowa setting up GED exams. Unfortunately when I first met him he was just starting to go downhill with the ravages of Alzheimer's. However, Jimmy had seen him come into the Hull, and encouraged us to get him on stage. Willis who at that time was rather shy, and quite sang a couple of beautiful blues ballads and brought down the house. Willis performed with us a few times over the next year, and was inducted in the first class of the Iowa Hall of Fame. However, his health has declined over the years.

Delta Rhythm Boys: Come Softly

rare color film of the Delta Rhythm Boys doing Come Softly.

Craig Erickson: She's So Sweet

Iowa's own Craig Erickson apperring on a radio program in France. Craig will be inducted into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame this summer. Here he is playing She's So Sweet.

Gary Moore: Still Have The Blues

Pretty song, monster guitar licks, marginal blues, but ya got to love it.

Gary Moore - Still got the blues
Uploaded by Pierrot68

Blog Critic Review: Gary Moore, Close As You Get

Blogcritc has a review on Gary Moore's Close As You Get Blog critic reviews can sometimes be uneven, but this is a very fair review of an artist that sometime strays away from the blues. Moore for you younger blues fans out their used to play guitar for the 70s rock band Thin Lizzy. Moore probably doesn't get his dues since there are a large number of loud, screeching, guitar players out there right now, but I have liked Moore's passion. Perhaps he strays from the blues, but he usually makes it up with some truly smoking guitar licks.

Grand Rapids Michigan Blues On The Mall

From the Grand Rapids Press:

June 13: Blues on the Mall is a free concert series at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Aug. 9 or Aug. 16, Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids. Sponsored by WLAV-FM. 456-5461, wlav.com

Of course, if you only read the Grand Rapids Press online, you probably think this is only local blues acts, but here is the list of performers from the WLAV FM website.

2007 Blues on the Mall
Begins Wednesday June 13th at 6:30pm at Rosa Parks Circle in Downtown Grand Rapids

This year's line-up includes:

Laith Al-Saadi
Jason Ricci
Ana Popovic
Jimmy Dillion
Tab Benoit
Anthony Gomes'
Walter Trout

That is an heck of a lineup of national acts. Summers in Grand Rapids sound pretty good.

Corkey Siegel At 60.

The South Bend Tribune has an article about CorkeySiegel, who at 60 is busier than ever. Siegel came to prominence as part of the Chicago blues duo, Siegel, and Schwall. He is currently working on blues chamber music, with classical instrumentation. The interview covers what he is doing now, but also touches on what he has done over the past 50 years.