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| FREE Blues Internet Magazine | from IllinoisBlues.com | August 14, 2008 |
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| Hey Blues Fans, This weekend brings a couple great Blues events. First is the "Boxcar of Blues" August 15th and 16th presented by Knuckleheads Blues Bar in Kansas City, MO. Knuckleheads won the 2008 "Keeping The Blues Alive" award this year as the best Blues Club. See their great lineup in their ad below. Also, The Friends of the Blues in Watseka, Illinois is presenting Ana Popovic in an early show on Sunday. See the details in the Blues Society news below.
And speaking of great Blues events, we have another scoop for you! Last week we mentioned a few of the Blues artists scheduled to appear at the 2008 Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival. Now the Blues Blast is first to release their whole lineup. This event, formerly known as the King Biscuit Blues Festival is scheduled for October 9th to the 11th. To see their complete lineup CLICK HERE!
LAST WEEKS WINNERS! Congratulations to this past weeks lucky winners who won FREE Blues Blast T-shirts - Nanci Livermore, in Davenport, IA, Randy Hoffman in Normal, IL and Jay in Memphis, TN. The 2008 BBM Award voting continues until August 31st! But don't wait till the last day because once you have voted you become eligible for prize drawings every other day! We are giving away Blues Blast T-shirts, CD's and more every other day until voting ends on August 31st. If you have voted in the 2008 Blues Blast Music Awards, you can WIN! New winners will be drawn every other day until August 31st. We will notify winners by email. VOTE NOW! The sooner you vote, the better the chance you will be one of the lucky winners. CLICK HERE to vote! Blues Reviews and MORE! This week we continue our new series, "The Future of the Blues" with a look at another young man who was destined for Blues greatness at an early age, Derek Trucks. WARNING, the videos of this "kid" at 12 are SO GOOD that it could be discouraging to Blues guitar players! But WOW are they great! James Walker sends us a review of a new CD from Mississippi Heat. We also welcome three new Blues Blast music reviewers this week. Mike O'Cull a well known Chicago area music writer reviews a new CD by Liz Mandeville. Los Angeles Blues guitar woman Nikki O'Neill reviews a CD from Blind Willies Blues Club in Atlanta and John McCormick reviews a new CD by Lightnin Rod and the Thunderbolts. All this and MORE! SCROLL DOWN |
| Saturday-Sunday, August 15-16, 2008 August 15 |
| The Future of the Blues This week we feature a young Blues player, born in 1979, who is at the VERY top of the Blues genre, Derek Trucks. Derek is the nephew of long-time Allman Brothers' drummer Butch Trucks. He bought his first acoustic guitar at a yard sale at the age of nine. His natural ability quickly emerged and he began playing with other musicians around town. Within a year he joined a band and began touring. He became a "professional" musician with his first paying gig at age 11. He formed his own band at age 12. Soon he was sitting in with other guitarists four or more times his age like the Allman Brothers and Blues legend Buddy Guy. His first major CD release shown here was released when he was 18. Derek performed at Eric Clapton's Crossroads concert last summer which featured almost every one of the greatest guitar players on the planet. Anyone attending could plainly see that even though he was 28 years old, Derek stood out in the crowd at this historic guitar event which included guitar legends Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, John Mayer, Vince Gill, John McLaughlin, Robert Randolph, Sonny Landreth, Derek' s wife Susan Tedeschi, Johnny Winter, Albert Lee, Jeff Beck, Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton himself. He was as good or BETTER than any of them. So just how good was Derek at age 12? Again, we have got the answer for you! We found a video of Derek at the age of 12 playing with his band at the Cavern club in Atlanta. Beware if you are a Blues Guitar player and are over the age of 20! This kid was so good at 12 he just might want to make you give up and quit! If that doesn't convince you, check out the second video when he as 15! Click the links below to see the video on our website You can find out more about this artist at his website at www.derektrucks.com . There is a a great bio and complete discography of Derek on the All Music Guide website. CLICK HERE to check it out. NEXT WEEK - Yet another young Blues player who made his mark in his teen years! Stay Tuned! We have many more videos of Blues masters on our website. CLICK HERE to view them. |
Our Future of the Blues series looks young Blues artists who will be shaping this music called the Blues for the next generation. 
| Have YOU Voted for your favorite artists yet? It is FREE for everyone to vote so CLICK HERE to vote for your favorite nominees. And you could win a free CD, or T-shirt and more! Not familiar with some of the 2008 nominees? Be an informed voter! Listen to the music of the nominees BEFORE you vote! CLICK HERE to hear some music by these great Blues artists NOW! When you get there, click on one of the nominees links to listen. Please visit our sponsors:
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Blues Want Ads
| Blues Musicians Place Your Want Ad here for FREE "workin Blues performers" ONLY can place Want Ads here for FREE. NO Commercial Ads! Booking Agent Wanted The Michael Packer Blues Band From New York City Is Currently Looking For A Booking Agent (Clubs,Festivals Etc). Their Cd Bleecker-Bowery On Random Chance Records Is In Stores Nationally Distributed By City Hall And Are Receiving Airplay On Over 300 Radio Stations. More Info @ www.michaelpackerbluesband.com or call Windmill Music @ 718-273-1095. Booking Agent/Manager needed MO'BLUES, High energy blues/rock band from Argentina with 3 cd's and passport and US Visa seeks representation. moblues@moblues.com.ar www.moblues.com.ar www.myspace.com/mobluesargentina All ads submitted will be used if space allows. If space is limited, ads will be randomly selected to appear in the Blues Blast. Ads may be edited. Send your ad submission to |
 Roamin' and Ramblin' 2008 Blues Blast Music Award Nominee To read the Blues Blast CD review - CLICK HERE
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Blues Society News
| Send your Blues Society's BIG news or Press Release to: Max of 125 words, Text or Word file ONLY. Cincy Blues Society - Cincinnati, OH The Cincy Blues Society wants to ask other Blues societies a question concerning our memberships. We are wondering if you would be favorable to accepting our Blues society members' i.d. Cards at your events should they have the opportunity to travel to where you are located...this would encourage them to try your festivals and events if they knew they could get in free or at a friendly price if they present their Cincy Blues membership card. If you feel this sounds favorable to you, please reply to me...Pat (inthehat) at native@fuse.net or check out our website at www.cincyblues.org. Let me know what events you have, also and when they are. Illinois Central Blues Club - Springfield, IL Downtown Springfield, Inc. and the Illinois Central Blues Club have announced The 5th Annual Old Capitol Blues & BBQs scheduled for Saturday, August 23, 2008. The festival is held on Fifth and Washington Streets in downtown Springfield, IL. Festivities get underway at noon with a baby-back rib cook-off and continue through the evening until midnight. Admission is $5 with children 12 and under free. The Blues lineup includes the gospel steel of Calvin Cooke, Howard and the White Boys, the Tarbox Ramblers and Dave Herrero featuring Felix Reyes. Also during this event the Illinois Central Blues Club will be conducting their Second Blues Challenge. Ten acts are competing for a chance to represent ICBC at the 2009 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. Lorrie Eden Blues Band, the Sofa Kings, Nothin But Trouble, Frank's Creation (Innercity Blues Band), Cabin Fever, Bobby Taylor, Nightlife, The Voodoo Blues Band, Pleasure Chest and Pike Station. Blue Mondays- Held at the Alamo 115 N 5th St, Springfield, IL (217) 523-1455 every Monday 8:30pm $2 cover - August 18 - Springfield Shaky, August 25 - Peter Karp, Sept 1 - Scott Ellison, Sept 8 - Bill Lupkin & the Chicago Blues Coalition, Sept 15 - Harmonica Wizards Dennis Gruenling & Steve Guyger, Sept 22 - Lil Dave Thompson, Sept 29 - The Blues Deacons, Oct 13 - The Rich Fabec Blues Band, Oct 20 - Too Slim & the Tail Draggers Friends of the Blues - Watseka IL The Friends of the Blues presents International star Ana Popovic, August 17, 6:30 PM , Watseka Theatre, 218 E. Walnut St , downtown Watseka IL 815-993-6585 Tickets: $15 www.watsekatheatre.com The Blues Blowtorch Society - Bloomington, IL Blues Blowtorch Society presents The Blues Blowtorch Society's Educational Fund Raiser, September 21, 2008 -1:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Tri Lakes Banquet Facilities, 2100 Bunn St., Bloomington, IL Featuring Black Magic Johnson 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM and Lil' Dave Thompson 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM. Food and Drink for sale by Tri-Lakes Membership. Events for Everyone - How to Start a Band Workshop, Auctions, more! For more Information - Deborah Mehlberg - Entertainment Director 309-662-0996 or E-mail Deborah464@aol.com Madison Blues Society - Madison, WI Madison Blues Society Presents "South Madison Blues Kids", a public performance by South Madison youths, ages 7-16, who have been learning to play Blues harmonica and write kid-based blues songs and lyrics. This performance is the culmination of a music education program taught by Joe Nosek, whose band, local blues stars the Cash Box Kings, will accompany and follow the “Blues Kids.” The performance will take place at Penn Park, 2101 Fisher Street, Madison, WI at 3:30 PM Saturday, August 16, 2008. Organizers of this summer night out in Penn Park are encouraging audiences to bring their lawn chairs to come and enjoy an afternoon of free blues music, with some of Madison's newest Blues Artists. The "Blues Kids" will perform the first set with the band, followed by a full set of Chicago-style Blues by The Cash Box Kings. The West Virginia Blues Society - Charleston, W.V. The West Virginia Blues Society will hold its Second Annual Blues Competition on October 4, 2008 at Christopher's Banquet Center in Fairmont, WV. Blues bands and solo/duo blues acts will compete for cash prizes and WVBS sponsorship to the Blues Foundation's International Blues Challenge held every year in Memphis, Tennessee. The West Virginia Blues Society will have 18 competition slots filled by regional blues acts from all over West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and other states. The first-place winner of Blues Competition will receive $750 dollars in cash and WVBS sponsorship to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in early 2009. The second place winner will receive $200 in cash and third-place winner will receive $100 in cash. CONTACT PERSON FOR COMPETITION PARTICIPANTS: Complete information, application & rules are available online at www.wvbluessociety.org . Deadline for application submission is September 1, 2008. For more information contact Competition Director, Jack Rice at 304-389-1438 or e-mail: bkravenhawk@hotmail.com |
| Saturday, September 6, 2008
Cliff Fredricksen Laura England & the Mud Angels Bobby Bryan & the Uptown Allstars Bobby Evans & the Alimony Blues Band Rev Raven & the Chain Smoking Altar Boys Paul Cebar
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 New Sounds from Kansas City 2008 Blues Blast Music Award Nominee To read the Blues Blast CD review - CLICK HERE
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| Festival Website: www.graftonblues.org/id36.html Sue DaBaco & Wise Fools - Zac Harmon - CTA - California Transit Authority - Fruteland Jackson -David "Honeyboy" Edwards - Sharrie Williams - Bryan Lee - Watermelon Slim & the Workers - Tab Benoit - Elvin Bishop |
Featured Blues Review (1 of 4)
| 13 songs; 63:00 minutes; Suggested Styles: Chicago Blues (with some Latin twists) “I need quality assurance! In these recessionary times, money is tight. I am not going to buy a CD on a whim; I want assurance of quality first.” Does this sound like anyone you know? For fans of Chicago Blues, Mississippi Heat’s Hattiesburg Blues provides confidence of a sound investment (no pun intended) for hard earned dollars. Start with the record label, Delmark. Founded by Bob Koester 55 years ago, Delmark does not publish light weights. This is Mississippi Heat’s second release on Delmark (8th album overall); that alone should guarantee no duds. Next, check the length of the CD; at 63 minutes, a buyer is definitely getting his money’s worth. Finally, consider the musicians involved; it is practically an all-star line up. To name a few, the man who founded the band in 1991, Pierre Lacocque, is a fantastic harp player, songwriter, bandleader, composer and arranger. He wrote or co-wrote all but two numbers. Lead vocalist Inetta Visor is a Chicago native with a powerful and expressive voice. Guests on guitar Lurrie Bell and Carl Weathersby have established their playing prominence long ago. The Chicago Horns, led by Kenny Anderson with Willie Henderson, Hank Ford, and Bill McFarland, and Latin percussionist Ruben Alvarez add significantly to this disc. The band has always had an ensemble sound: all musicians are featured. The music is traditional because it is steeped in Chicago's golden sounds of the 1950s. On the other hand, Pierre's blues is unique because he dislikes treading on old beaten paths. He always writes new material, and this album is a combination of Chicago Blues and Latin rhythms. From the first, bouncing real-deal blues notes of track one, “Tiger Man,” you’ll know you have made the right purchase. Then, when the lyrics sung sexily by Inetta sink in, broad smiles break out. “When he comes home from work, few words will do. At the blink of an eye, we’re doing the cootchie coo....When our business is done, we lay speechless in bed. Our minds can’t think ‘cause we’re halfway dead. We’re sweaty and wasted; our breathing is in synch. We enjoy it so much, we never need a drink. He’s my Tiger Man; I don’t care if his lovin’ kills me.” Pierre seals the deal with a nice harmonica solo in the middle. Next up, Chris “Hambone” Cameron’s mid-tempo double tracked piano and organ open just ahead of some tasty single picked guitar notes. At 27 seconds in, a man’s formidable blues voice sings “Chicago Is My Home (the title), and I don’t care where the weather goes...I love this city any which way the wind blows.” It is Lurrie Bell guesting on lead guitar and vocals with Spurling Banks on bass, Kenny Smith on drums, Giles Corey on second guitar, and Pierre on harp. Authentic Chicago Blues are on this song like grease on a bacon cheeseburger. The Latin-Blues can be heard starting on track 4, “How Much Worse Can It Be” with Ruben Alvarez’s bopping conga drums. When the title track, cut 6, opened and before the lyrics started, my wife started singing, “Hernando’s Hideaway” reflecting a distinct musical similarity. Track 9, “Calypso In Blue” is an up tempo instrumental that will have dancers doing the mambo if not the funky monkey. Other treats include a slow, gospel tinged “Foolish Man” with Devin Thompson guesting on vocals. Here the Chicago Horns perform some innovative scores. Carl Weathersby’s stinging notes perfectly complement the message in Denise LaSalle’s “Soft Hearted Woman” sung with conviction by Inetta. The set closes with a funky, wah pedal song with an environmental and social conscience. Dedicated to Al Gore, “Nature Is Cryin’” is a welcome addition to efforts to make the world a better place. “Life must be revered; it cannot be kept in a zoo. Peace within ourselves means peace with nature too. Human greed is a strong magnet stronger than compassion. Few of us are seeking the light. If you are not a part of the solution, you’re definitely part of the problem.” So, plop down those hard earned bucks with confidence; this album is a winner! And, remember, the high cost of living hasn't affected its popularity. Reviewer James “Skyy Dobro” Walker is a noted Blues writer, DJ and Blues Blast contributor. His weekly radio show “Friends of the Blues” can be heard each Thursday from 4:30 – 6:00pm on WKCC 91.1 FM in Kankakee, IL For other reviews and interviews on our website CLICK HERE. |
Mississippi Heat - Hattiesburg Blues|
Fortune Teller
2008 Blues Blast Music Award Nominee for "Best Contemporary Blues Recording" CLICK HERE to Vote for Us NOW To purchase this CD now CLICK HERE
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| Eden Brent 2008 Blues Blast Music Award Nominee "Sean Costello Rising Star Award" To read a review of this CD, CLICK HERE CLICK HERE to Purchase this CD now! |
Featured Blues Review (2 of 4)
| Earwig Records Chicago blues singer and guitar slinger Liz Mandeville shows an impressive array of songs and styles on her fourth CD release on the Earwig imprint. The disc is called Red Top and features 15 original tunes that range from straight-up blues to swing to deeply soulful ballads. Mandeville has logged countless miles on the road in the pursuit of her music and has obviously learned what it takes to keep an audience, be it live or listening to a record, committed and listening. She is backed on the new disc by a combination of session players, her own touring band, and one honest-to-gosh blues legend, tenor sax great Eddie Shaw, who guests on two cuts. The best thing about Red Top is that the record is as much about great songwriting as great playing. There are no covers here, no standards, no stories you have heard before. Mandeville trusts her own creative instinct completely and the confidence she has shows in the songs, especially in the lyrics. From the playful “Spanky Butt” to the double-entendre of “Scratch The Kitty,” Mandeville puts her own songwriting voice out there to get the party started. Other standout tracks include the deep “National Guard Blues,” “Guilty Of Rockin’ All Night,” and the title cut “Red Top.” Mandeville has made quite a name for herself on the blues scene with her previous three releases and countless gigs around the world. She also writes short stories and paints, which only adds to her artistry and knowing that, it is easy to see why she chooses to write her own tunes rather than record re-done covers, as so many acts do. Hopefully, she will sell enough copies of this record to make another one and continue the creative cycle. Lord knows we can sure use some new blues songs. Reviewed by Mike O'Cull For other reviews and interviews on our website CLICK HERE. |
Liz Mandeville - Red Top 
Featured Blues Review (3 of 4)
| www.BlindWilliesBlues.com One of America’s finest blues venues, Blind Willie’s in Atlanta, has decided to release its first volume in a series of live CD recordings of their most frequent artists. In an era where too much of our musical experience gets decompressed into MP3 audio quality; edited to death in Pro-Tools systems, and presented by singers on one coast recording to tracks created on another coast, this album shows what music is all about: real emotion and interplay between human beings. Doing a fine job in capturing the subtleties of a live show on record, “Live at Blind Willie’s, Volume 1” lets us in on the interactions of three outstanding female blues singers, a backup band in top form, and an audience giving the energy back with all of their collective enthusiasm. The Atlanta-native vocalists Sweet Betty, Sandra Hall, and Chicago-based Francine Reed treat us to four songs each, mostly backed up in a good old, heavy riffin’ blues style with trusty old standard blues forms. But so much life is injected into these songs, it almost feels like you’re hearing the blues for the first time, and that’s a rare sensation. The 4-piece band features stellar performances especially by drummer Mark Yarbrough and guitarist Kenny Kilgore, who is expectedly able to play your down and dirty slide guitar at times, but really surprises you with beautifully tasty jazz blues fills in standards like “All Of Me” (with Sweet Betty) and “Since I Fell For You” (Francine Reed.) The latter song is my personal favorite of the album, as Reed’s vocal phrasing, sheer emotion, and captivating bluesy grit molded with a true command of jazz melody really hit a soft spot. But all three of these singers possess serious chops and a gift for emoting through their deep altos that’ll send most wanna-be blues singers home to keep practicing. Highly recommended. Reviewer Nikki O’Neill is a singer, songwriter and guitar player in Los Angeles. She fronts the Nikki O’Neill Band – a soul, r&b and rock band. She's included in Sue Foley’s upcoming book “Guitar Woman,” featuring a who’s-who list of great players like Bonnie Raitt, Ana Popovic, Me’shell Ndegeocello, Jennifer Batten, and more. www.nikkioneill.com |
Blind Willie’s - “Live at Blind Willie’s, Volume 1” (Big Bender Records)|
New CD Born In Arkansas CLICK HERE to Purchase this CD |
Featured Blues Review (4 of 4)
| The influx of post-Katrina independent music has been pervasive, to say the least. As we approach the third anniversary of the storm, the emotions elicited by the event remain palpable, and many testaments to the tragedy have surfaced over the past three years. The title track of Lightnin’ Rod & The Thunderbolts’ After The Storm is noteworthy among these, though only because it feels exceptionally out of place in the playful vibe of an otherwise solid, non-Katrina-influenced album. The track and its successor, “Writing on the Wall” form a suite of sorts - a heart-on-the-sleeve smooth rocker, and a minor-key airing of grievances and doubts – neither of which come close to their mark. The need to give voice to the maelstrom of emotion is certainly understandable, but lines like “the future ain’t what it used to be / because freedom’s never free” are inexcusable. In addition, the vow to “fight for my rights and my freedoms” in the midst of a song that presents itself as a Katrina memorial seems vaguely hypocritical coming from a white blues musician from Michigan. Sadly, the songs cast an ideological pall over the album that Rod & The ‘Bolts have to work hard to redeem. This is not to say that After The Storm is devoid of merit- the band seem to have no trouble working hard, and the back half of the album shines as a result. When messages don’t supersede the music, After The Storm has no trouble rocking. The musicianship is first rate, and “Lightnin’” Rod Wilson’s vocals are a sandpapered delight. Songwriting of the ilk found in tracks “Rosalee” belie no small songwriting talent, and the good-time swing of “Crawling Back Home” makes the listener wish that Wilson would spend less time baring his soul and more time finishing his beer. However, the best songs on the album are the surprises; “I Guess I’ll Just Sing You The Blues,” sung by backup vocalist Danielle Gross, simply smolders; “John The Revelator” works as an understated doppelganger for “Writing on the Wall” (though it also underscores the futility of a three-year-old Katrina tribute), and “Alligator Woman” rocks far harder than the funkless take on a bayou opening lets on. Despite these diamonds, the album is, on the whole, rough. Given the level of technical mastery of the band, one would expect something slightly more adventurous. After The Storm is obviously a labor of love, but one hopes that the band’s next release will tread some new territory. The bottom line is that Wilson and company aren’t reinventing the wheel and their by-the-numbers modern blues rock can get tiresome, but there’s enough to listen to on the album to make it worthwhile. Take the album for what it is – finely crafted, but nothing new – and you’ll even be able to forgive the fact that you’ve heard the hook from “Narcissistic Fool” several times before. Review by John McCormick |
Lightnin’ Rod & The Thunderbolts - After The Storm| The Code Blue Band Tight at Midnight Intensely energetic R&B, funk, and rockin' Blues CLICK HERE to buy the CD
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| Riot and his Rhythm Devils Latest CD Tough Times is available now! Get ready for THE ORIGINAL DEVIL'S MUSIC! www.riotdevils.com To Purchase this CD CLICK HERE |
Live Blues Calendar
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