Ike Turner: I Want To Take You Higher

Here is some Ike from more recent years.

Ike And Tina Turner: Medley

This is what made Ike Turner so good. Great arrangements, cool dance moves, and great vocals. Many people underestimate the talent that Ike had in putting together great bands. Having played for years myself I can certainly understand the hard work it takes to put together a show band like Ike did.

Fred Litwin Interview

Click Here, for an interesting article about the music business from the perspective of a label owner. Fred Litwin owns Northern Blues Music. This is the company that has put out the last two Watermelon Slim CDS. This is an interesting article published by the Ottawa Citizen.

Janiva Magness Interview

The Union Tribune in San Diego has an interview with blues diva Janiva Magness. Click here to read a really great article.

Ike Turner RIP

Ike Turner died yesterday in San Diego, he was 76 years old. Turner certainly was a person who personal life made it hard to like him, but his musical, writing, and arranging talents were beyond question. To read an obit from the Chicago Tribune Click Here.

Michael Coleman: You Can't Lose What You Never Had

Here is some great Chicago blues that I stumbled upon on Youtube this is a classic Muddy Waters tune called Can't Lose What you Never Had.

Taylor Hicks: Dust My Broom, Big Legged Woman

An interesting soulful version of Dust My Broom/ Big Legged Woman by Taylor Hicks. I have never heard either song played like that before. Very interesting indeed!

Andy Coats Update

Andy Coats & the Bank Walkers
Thurs., Dec. 13, 8 pm - mid.
The Blue Martini
116 N West St # 100
Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 899-6464
http://www.bluemartiniraleigh.com

Andy

www.andycoats.com

www.myspace.com/andycoats

Murali Coryell Update

Some of these dates were on the last update, however Murali has added some opening dates with Leon Russell, and BB King!

Friday, December 14th, 2007
Bull's Head Inn - http://www.bullsheadinn.com/
solo acoustic - 9:00pm
120 Sarah Wells Trail
Campell Hall, NY
845 496-6758

Saturday, December 15th, 2007
Bearsville Theater - http://www.bearsvilletheater.com/
solo acoustic - 8:00pm
291 Tinker St.
Woodstock, NY 12498
USA
(845) 679-4406
Price: $40 and $30

opening for Leon Russell

Tuesday, December 18th, 2007
Buddy Guys Legends - http://buddyguys.com
9:30pm
754 S. Wabash
CHICAGO, IL 60605
USA
312-427-0333
Price: $10

Friday, December 21st, 2007
Manhattan's - http://www.manhattanstoledo.com/
9:00pm
1516 Adams St.
Toledo, OH 43624
USA
419 243-6675

an evening of blues/soul/rock w/special guests!

Saturday, December 22nd, 2007
Manhattan's - http://www.manhattanstoledo.com/
9:00pm
1516 Adams St.
Toledo, OH 43624
USA
419 243-6675
Price: TBA

an evening of blues/soul/rock w/special guests!

Friday, December 28th, 2007
Benji and Jakes - http://myspace.com/benjiandjakes
10:00pm
5 Horseshoe Lake Rd
Kauneonga Lake, NY
USA

Saturday, December 29th, 2007
Scully's
solo acoustic - 8:00pm
1735 Little Britain Rd
Rock Tavern, NY 12575
USA
(845) 496-9807

Friday, January 4th, 2008
Keegan Ales - http://www.keeganales.com/
solo acoustic - 8:30pm
20 St. James Street
Kingston, NY 12401
USA
(845) 331-2739

Friday, January 11th, 2008
Fat Fish Blue - http://www.fatfishblue.com/
9:00pm
21 Prospect Avenue
Cleveland, OH
USA
216-875-6000

Cleveland's best live music bar & restaurant

Saturday, January 12th, 2008
Fat Fish Blue - http://www.fatfishblue.com/
9:00pm
21 Prospect Avenue
Cleveland, OH
USA
216-875-6000

Sunday, January 13th, 2008
Your Place Lounge - http://www.myspace.com/yourplacelounge
10:00pm
17326 East Warren Ave.
Detroit, MI 48224
USA
(313) 881-4850

with special guests

Saturday, January 19th, 2008
JJ's Blues - http://www.jjsblues.net/
7:00pm
3439 Stevens Creek Blvd
San Jose, CA 95117
USA
408-243-6441
Price: TBA

Saturday, February 23rd, 2008
w/Larry Coryell
Cleveland, OH College

Friday, March 7th, 2008
Mid-Hudson Civic Center - http://www.midhudsonciviccenter.com/
8:00pm
14 Civic Center Plaza
Poughkeespie, NY 12601
USA
(845) 454-5800

opening for B.B. King

Saturday, March 15th, 2008
Shea's Performing Arts Center - http://www.sheas.org/
8:00pm
646 Main Street
Buffalo, NY 14202
USA
(716) 847-1410

opening for B.B. King

Friday, April 18th, 2008
Columbia-Greene Community College - http://www.sunycgcc.edu/
The Coryell's featuring Larry Coryell & Murali Coryell - 7:00pm
4400 Route 23
Hudson, NY 12534
USA
518 828-4181
Price: TBA

an evening of jazz/blues/rock & soul

Chicago Winter Blues Tour

Another great tip from Illinois blues

Chicago Winter Blues Tour
January 18-21, 2008

Say goodbye to the winter blues & hello to your weekend adventure in the Blues Capital of the world!

What's Included:

• 3 nights hotel accommodation at the Hilton Palmer House Hotel - a Four Star hotel www.palmerhouse.hilton.com

• Friday Night January 18th, 2007 - transportation and admission to two fabulous blues clubs - dinner & entertainment included (Kingston Mines & Rosa's) http://www.kingstonmines.com/flash/main.html

• Saturday Afternoon January 13, 2007- 2 hour Gangster Tour - See where Capone & Dillinger had their adventures in the 20's and 30's!

• Saturday Night - on your own to shop the Magnificent Mile (just steps from your hotel) or get recommendations for dinner & blues music that night from your Tour Director

• Sunday January 20, 2007- and this is the big event! Included in your adventure are tickets to see Buddy Guy at his Legends Club! He only plays his club in January and we scored very big to get these hard to come by tickets! It WILL be sold out! www.buddyguys.com

• Monday Morning January 21, 2007 - Farewell breakfast - say goodbye and exchange contact info with your new friends!

Cost: Only $475.00 per person!

This is going to be a fantastic trip at a great price! Singles welcome! Couples welcome! It's a great Christmas present to yourself or someone else. We'll do our best to find you a room share if you need one. Space is limited so check out the details and get signed up for a fabulous weekend of blues & fun, Chicago style!

Chi-Town is one of the most architecturally interesting cities you have ever seen. The people are friendly and it's very easy to get around. Take the "L" from either Midway or O'Hare to your hotel, it's quick and easy! We provide all the details and the fun. Ya'll come and enjoy! For more information, visit our website at

: www.bluesadventures.com

Sign up today! Call Leslie at 512-627-4790 or email info@bluesadventures.com

2007 Grammy Awards Nominations For Blues

Got this from Illinois blues. It is an announcement of nominations for the 2007 Grammys for blues.

2007 Grammy Awards Nominations for Blues Music

Best Traditional Blues Album (Vocal or Instrumental)

• Pinetop Perkins On The 88's - Live In Chicago - Pinetop Perkins

• Live...And In Concert From San Francisco - Otis Rush

• 10 Days Out: Blues From The Backroads - Kenny Wayne Shepherd Featuring Various Artists

• Old School - Koko Taylor

• Last Of The Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live In Dallas - Henry James Townsend, Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins, Robert Lockwood, Jr. & David "Honeyboy" Edwards

Best Contemporary Blues Album (Vocal or Instrumental.)

• Into The Blues - Joan Armatrading

• Is It News - Doyle Bramhall

• The Road To Escondido - JJ Cale & Eric Clapton

• Truth - Robben Ford

• The Scene Of The Crime - Bettye LaVette

"Philadelphia Jerry Ricks" RIP

Jerry Ricks has passed away. Ricks had been ill for awhile and many people on the blues E lists were trying to help him with expenses since he suffered a stroke in Croatia. Ricks learned and played guitar from such greats as Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee, as well as Lighting Hopkins. I will update this post once I get more information. To read a short bio/obit Click here for the story from AP.

Blues Historian Review: Back Door Slam, Roll Away

I suppose the cover of the CD should have clued me into what I was going to hear, but after watching these guys on Youtube I thought I was going to get some scorching hot Stevie Ray/Jimi Hendrix styled blues. However, what I got was some old fashioned blues rock, Circa 1969-72. Even the cover looks like it came from the late 60s or 70s. The first song, Come Home, has a bit of the Stevie Ray/Hendrix sound I was looking for especially the ending. Outside Woman Blues, sounds very Claptonish from his days with Cream, although the drums and bass are much more straight ahead than anything Cream ever did. (which is a good thing) Gotta Leave is a nice slow blues with a touch of soul. Stay, And Too Late, are folk, While Takes A Real Man and It'll All Come Around return to the blues rock/classic rock genre. The album then has two more English folk songs and finishes with a bonus cut of Real Man, which is another version of Takes A Real Man. I think this disc if it had been released in the early 70s would have been one of the albums that would have enjoyed a long life on the old AOR (Album Oriented Radio) format. I just wonder if it is going to find an audience here in the states given that corporate radio dislikes anything that isn't edgy, Rap, or Pop infused pablum. These kids have got some chops and Davey Knowles can really scream on guitar. It also helps that unlike Clapton, and Hendrix, in the 60s, who were saddled with rhythm sections who over played, Knowles rhythm section of Ross Doyle and Adam Jones keep a driving rhythm that doesn't deflect from Knowles fiery guitar playing.

If you are interesting in reliving some great sounds from the blues/classic rock era of the late 60s and early 70s then get this disc. I know that blues purists will be disappointed with the disk, but those of us who like good tunes will enjoy this CD.

Quinn Sullivan

Got an email about this 8 year old kid who plays blues guitar. As you know I don't get too excited about kids who play the blues. But, if you would like to check out his myspace page Click HERE. Here is a video of an original song written by little Quinn. I think little Quinn also likes the Beatles, since this has a Beatles feel to it. The kids got talent, but, then Mozart was writing complete piano works at the age of five, and we all know how that worked out:-)





Here is a three year old drummer from Denmark!



Here is an 8 year old playing Purple Haze




Finally, here is Quinn again jamming with Buddy Guy. What is wrong with the youth of today! Nothing but slackers if you ask me:-D (BTW, for the humor impaired, it is just a joke, these kids are good:-)

Artist Of The Week: Guy Forsyth

Artist of the week is Guy Forsyth. You will find quite a few videos of Guy on this site and most of them were taken by our good friend Jan shot down in Austin. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if some of her videos pop up in the video box on the left side of the blog. I suppose in a way we have two artists of the week Guy and Jan:-) Enjoy the videos!

Photo Of The Week: The Tom Gary Blues Band

Thanks to the good people of Cherokee Iowa I have a new photo of the band! The latest installment of the Tom Gary Blues Band features, Paul Sleezer on Drums, Jim Davis on Guitar, Myself on Piano, and playing the Doghouse, Don Demers. These guys have a ton of talent and like my other bands they can really sing! It has been a lot of fun working with these guys and putting together a show band. Check out the top of the blog for the blue print which should let you know when the next show is coming up!