October 5, 2008
- Rhythm Room All-Stars, Rhythm Room Concert Club, and KJZZ get Best Of Phoenix Awards! Once again, the Rhythm Room has won the New Times Best Of Phoenix editorial award for "Best Blues Club" (click here for the New Times' full description). The readers' poll also picked the Rhythm Room as the "Best Blues Club" and KJZZ for "Best Blues/Jazz Radio Station" (click here to view). In another category, The Rhythm Room All-Stars were named as the "Best Monthly Blues Jam" (click here for the New Times full description). Thank you to the New Times and its readers for their recognition and these wonderful awards.
- Watermelon Slim Harmonica Protégé Craig Lawler Passes: Watermelon Slim reports with sadness the passing of his friend and harmonica student, Craig Lawler, from Stillwater, Oklahoma. Though never recorded, Slim reports that Craig became an amazing player with a mastery of seven different positions (or musical keys) on any one harmonica. Craig passed at 5:30pm on September 6, 2008, after a courageous battle with inoperable kidney cancer. He was 33. For more information on Craig, stop by Watermelon Slim’s website by clicking here.
Earl Palmer Tribute featured on Bob's Radio Show this Sunday: Tune in to a tribute to Earl Palmer, one of the greatest drummers of all time. Bob will be playing sets each hour featuring Earl Palmer's drumming. Included in the tribute will be Earl's work with Professor Longhair, Little Richard, Smiley Lewis, Dave Bartholomew, Fats Domino, Etta James, Richard Berry, Johnny Otis, Shirley and Lee, Lloyd Price, Amos Milburn, Don and Dewey, Joe Turner, Johnny Fuller, and others. Listeners may hear Those Lowdown Blues, anywhere in the world (real time Sunday nights from 6pm-11pm Phoenix time) via web streaming by clicking here, or on KJZZ in Phoenix at 91.5 FM in Phoenix, Arizona, 89.5 in Cottonwood, 98.9 in Tucson, and 99.1 in Kingman.
- Jimmy Rogers with Big Walter on YouTube! Check out this wonderful 1970's film clip of two masters of Chicago Blues playing together. Jimmy Rogers sets it up for Big Walter Horton to really play. Check out Big Walter's characteristic amazing harmonica tone (click here to view).
- Blues Blast Music Award Ceremony announces lineup of performers: Blues Blast Magazine, an online publication that is an extension of Illinois Blues, will host the 2008 Blues Music Awards on Sunday, November 2, 2008 from 7pm to Midnight at Buddy Guy's Legends in Chicago. Tickets are $25, and are available online at www.illinoisblues.com starting October 7, 2008. The Blues Blast Music Award Ceremony will include confirmed appearances by nominees Magic Slim & The Teardrops, Lurrie Bell, Nick Moss, John Németh, The Kilborn Alley Blues Band, Dave Riley & Bob Corritore, Eden Brent, Sugar Ray Norcia, Teeny Tucker, Tim "Too Slim" Langford (from Too Slim and the Taildraggers), and Gina Sicilia. Bob Kieser of Blues Blast Magazine reports, "There may be a few surprise appearances by other nominees". Dave Riley and Bob Corritore were nominated for "Best Traditional Blues Recording" for Travelin' The Dirt Road on the Blue Witch Record Label.
- Germany recap: After a nice run of September shows including a weekend at the Rhythm Room, a wonderful show at Old Town Artisans in Tucson for Rhythm And Roots Concert Series, and the fantastic Bisbee Blues Festival, The Rhythm Room All-Stars continued their busy month with a festival appearance at the Lahnstein Blues Festival in Germany. Though Chris James, Patrick Rynn, and Brian Fahey had played Germany numerous times before, this was a first for Big Pete Pearson and myself. Lahnstein is a beautiful area of Germany, with surrounding forests, wonderful timeless architecture, cobblestone streets, and a spectacular view of the Rhine River. Volker Abold was the agent responsible for bringing us to this festival. He saw the band performing last year at the Lucerne Blues Festival. While in Lahnstein, I was able to connect with my longtime friend, Louisiana Red, who Chris James and I backed up for part of his set at the festival. It was great to see his wife Dora also, who presented me with Red’s CD Blues Classics, which reissues selections from various L+R releases by Louisiana Red. On the CD is the song “Arizona Blues”, which I previously had only on vinyl. “Arizona Blues” recalls Red’s stay in Phoenix during 1982, and Red sings my name in one of the verses. The festival was held at a beautiful auditorium called the Stadthalle Lahnstein. In addition to The Rhythm Room All-Stars and Louisiana Red, the bill included Rudy Rotta, The Lahnstein Blues All-Stars, and Lars Vegas and the Love Gloves. Also included in the festival was an award presentation to Siegfried Schmidt-Joos, for his book Rock Lexikon. Professor Günther Kieser, who also designed the classic guitar posters for the American Folk Blues Festival, designed the poster for the festival. To see this poster, click here. It was an honor to have the headlining slot of this festival, and to play to a full house of enthusiastic blues fans. After a warm introduction by moderator Thomas Breuer, I was presented with a birthday cake (the festival date was my actual birthday) before we rocked through our set, starting out with selections from Chris James and Patrick Rynn’s new album, Stop And Think About It. Then we were joined by Big Pete Pearson, whose natural showmanship and charisma filled up the auditorium. Towards the end of our set, we were joined by Louisiana Red who played some wicked slide guitar on “Possum Up A Tree”. Special thanks to all the staff and leadership of the festival: Volker Abold, Leo Gehl, Sonja Graf, Markus Graf, Walter Nourortne, Renzo Panciera, Christian Pfarr, Fritz Rau, Tom Schroeder, and Michael Stoll. We were treated with great hospitality, and the audience was just wonderful. Thanks for this great experience. To read Franz "Shen" Deckarm's review of the concert (in German), click here.
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