Friday, December 5, 2008
Cadillac Records. WHERE IS IT PLAYING!
This is not good kids. I am wanting to see Cadillac records so I can give a good review, and just like the rest of the blues movies recently I CANT FIND IT IN IOWA! In fact, the Sony home website doesn't even list where it is playing around the US. I have a feeling that this film is not going to get a very wide release, and that is too bad. You think a movie with Beyoncee would be box office, but apparently not. This happened to John Sayles Film Honeydripper as well. I would have loved to have paid my hard earned money to see it, but apparently the fat cats in Hollywood think that us hicks in Iowa are not sophisticated enough to see such a film. Heaven to Betsy we might be offended by such rockus fare! My goodness, we might close the borders and remove ourselves from the Union if such a movie were to play in Iowa. Iowa is a blues state in more ways than one. Hollywood get your head out of your (#)* and send us some blues flicks! (and I am not talking about no blue movie, if ya catch my drift:-)
Stevie Ray Vaughn: The Things That I Used To Do
This is from 1984. Amazing how long Stevie has been gone. It just seems like yesterday.
Chico Banks
Here is a short guitar solo by Chico Banks. This guy is going to be missed a lot! I guess it is true that only the good die young.
Taylor Hicks: Living For The City
I haven't heard much from Taylor Hicks, or his fans. I need some new links kids:-) I don't have this one so here you go! Taylor Hicks singing some Stevie Wonder. Enjoy!
Illinois Blues Bash
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| Hey Blues Fans, We made it to a benefit show in downtown Galesburg, IL featuring harmonica virtuoso David (Bernie) Berntson, a Tulsa Oklahoma musician and educator. He returned to Galesburg, his hometown, to play a benefit to raise funds for the Mississippi Valley Blues Society. David is a founding member of the Pine Street Persuaders, a Galesburg blues band formed in the late 1970's. In 2006, David won a second, Keeping Blues Alive Award, in Education, from the Blues Foundation. Backing up David were local musicians Chuck Jones, Ian Johnson, Justin Mooney, and Curtis Hawkins. Other blues friends sat in with the David though out the night. This was as good as pure Blue fun for a good cause can possibly get! Blues Legends Pass We are saddened to hear of the sudden death of guitarist, singer and songwriter Vernon "Chico" Banks on December 3, 2008. Chico was hospitalized and declared brain dead on December 2 according to reports from Bob Corritore. He passed away the next day. No information is available regarding funeral services at this time.
(Photo by Bob Kieser)
From Bob Corritore - It is with great sadness that we write about the passing of Odetta Holmes. Known in the circles of blues, spirituals, and folk, as well as being a beacon for the civil rights movement, Odetta was one of the most memorable musical personalities to emerge from the 1960s. She died of a heart attack on December 2, 2008 after being hospitalized for kidney failure. She was 77. Odetta was born on December 31, 1930, and at age 3, she moved to Los Angeles with her mother where she started singing and playing guitar. She earned a music degree from Los Angeles City College, focusing on musicals and classical, but her real love was the expressiveness of folk songs and spirituals. While working in the West Coast theater circuit, she found her way to the then emerging San Francisco folk scene, where she felt right at home. She made her first record, Odetta Sings Ballads & Blues, of which Bob Dylan stated in a 1978 interview with Playboy, was "The first thing that turned me on to folk singing". She recorded several albums during the 1960s, and became perhaps the most prominent musical voice in the civil rights movement, highlighted by a famous performance of the song "Oh Freedom" at the August 1963 March On Washington. She married three times, with one of her husbands being Louisiana Red, whom she wed in 1977. In recent years, her career was revitalized by her recorded work with Mark Carpentieri's MC Records. She recorded three CDs for MC, which earned her a W.C. Handy Award nomination (now called Blues Music Awards) and two Grammy® nominations. In 1999, Odetta was awarded the National Medal of the Arts and Humanities by President Clinton. In 2003, the Library Of Congress presented her with a Living Legend Award. She was a great musician and a kind and insightful person with a purposefulness to all her actions. In her last days, Yeager said, she had been hoping to sing at the presidential inauguration for Barack Obama. 51st Annual Grammy Awards Nominations for Blues Announced The 51st Annual Grammy Awards will be held February 8 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Best Traditional Blues Album Elvin Bishop - The Blues Rolls On Best Contemporary Blues Album Marcia Ball - Peace, Love & BBQ Upcoming Blues If you are in the Midwest be sure to check out the new Wednesday Blues show series by our friends at the River City Blues Society in Pekin, IL. This Wednesday, December 10 they kick off their series with a show by Chicago Blues legend, Nick Moss. Check out the ad for the show below, SCROLL DOWN!!! Also be sure you get your hotel rooms and tickets for the upcoming 25th International Blues Challenge in February. There will be more than 180 Blues acts performing in the Challenge. To see a complete list of all the acts participating, CLICK HERE See their ad below and get them NOW as the closest hotels are selling out FAST. You do NOT want to miss this! Blues Review this week - James Walker reviews a CD from The Beat Daddys. |
Chico Banks 1961 - 2008
Odetta 1930 - 2008| Winter 2009 Chicago Blues Tour Saturday, January 17th, 2009 Visit 9 of Chicago’s famous Blues clubs featuring 12 live blues bands! For more Info CLICK HERE |
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! Blues Music Reviews wanted Blues Blast Magazine is looking for reviewers to review new Blues CD's. If you have a background and experience with Blues music and like to write we can provide new CD's for you to review. Person must be willing to write a minimum of one review every other week. Reviewer keeps the CD's for writing the review. If interested please send a sample of your writing and a short bio of your Blues background to info@illinoisblues.com Information on Guitar Player Willie Lee Johnson wanted Looking for info on Willie Lee Johnson and The Rolling Crew. Wolf's first Guitar Player Willie Lee Johnson, who was he who else did he work with, was he someone else using this name? Any discography or history info out there? Also The Rolling Crew, They Did Home on Alcatraz and Cryin' Emma on Aladdin records. Who were the group members, did they do any other records or perform as any other group(s)? Drummer seeks band Former Walter Trout Drummer-----Joey Pafumi formerly with Walter Trout for 6 years 2002-2007--looking for full time touring band. Contact Joey at joeypafumi@hotmail.com or 818-749-8856 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 |
Featured Blues Review
| Independent Release/Crippled Frog Music BMI 14 songs; 67:26; Suggested Style: Blues-rock/Southern blues-rock As I sat and pondered, weak and weary, the weather outside, bleak and bleary,
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December......Ok, that is enough of waxing POE- etic. But, the blowing snow propelled by a strong wind created layers of ice in the scene out my window. It is our first winter blast here in central Illinois, depressingly on an Autumn day, December 1. Pleasant memories of summer fun at blues festivals automatically flowed. More than memories were needed to warm the cowbells of my heart, however. That is what made this album by the Beat Daddys so perfect for the occasion. Recorded live at the Quincy IL Blues Festival in the summer of 2007, the upbeat fun just exploded from the speakers, warming the room. Featuring nine original songs of the fourteen presented, the CD opens, following the stage introduction, with Tommy Stillwell’s lead electric guitar sounding like he was fully warmed up, not playing the first song of a set. By a buck-thirty into “She’s All That,” lead singer Larry Grisham sings powerfully in a voice made to sing the blues while adding guitar licks of his own. As the applause wanes, Jeremy Clement’s drums establish a steady rhythm for Stillwell’s slide guitar to rip a new hole in the ozone layer. Here on “Train in the Distance,” and throughout the CD, Jon Rochner plays absolutely masterful bass. With about a minute left, Grisham whips out his harmonica to completely seal the deal – this is a summer blues party! (2008 Note: current drum duties are provided by Dave Sappington.) By the third song, Grisham doesn’t wait for the applause to end; he opens a cappella, “I met a f-i-i-n-n-e beautician; in very f-i-n-e condition....” The band jumps in, popping, on BB King’s “Beautician Blues” for a fun romp. Next, just to see if anyone was sober enough to pay attention, they played a mid tempo blues version of the theme song from the old Beverly Hillbillies television show! Intermingling with two ripping guitar solos in the middle sandwiched around a harp solo, Grisham pours out the original lyrics, verbatim. Who woulda thunk it? But, didn’t I say right up front this is a “fun CD”? Slow blues with a sad story? Sure, the Beat Daddys next play an, “Pale White Circle” referring to the missing wedding ring on the protagonist’s finger. Requisite mournful guitar solos pour out, but Rochner’s bass lines steal the show. Ok, enough of that slow stuff; the up tempo track six, “Beg Borrow Steal” rips open with wailing harmonica underpinned by Rochner’s bass and Clement’s drums. After a Stillwell guitar solo, Grisham sings the lyrics, “Beg Borrow Steal” that is somewhat reminiscent of “Flip Flop Fly.” By mid-set, the boys throw down Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Sloppy Drunk,” followed by audibly obvious crowd pleasers by Hendrix, “Hey Joe” and “Little Wing” featuring Stillwell’s scorching guitar. Grisham and Stillwell played together near Evansville in southern Indiana in 1970. Stillwell's first lasting exposure to the blues came in 1972, as a 17-year-old at a music festival at Bull Island, near Griffin, IN. He became inspired watching blues legend Albert King. (Anyone remember Bull Island? My wife and I were there, too.) The Beat Daddys’ legend spread from Southern Indiana well into the deep South. They opened shows in the Mississippi Delta for such blues luminaries as Johnny Winter and B.B. King. They signed a recording contract with Waldoxy, a subsidiary of Malaco, a respected Jackson MS, blues and gospel label. The Beat Daddys' first two records for Waldoxy were 1992’s "No, We Ain’t From Clarksdale," and 1994’s "South to Mississippi." Their first independent album, however, "Houserocking Rhythm and Blues" in 1989, is much truer to their live sound. For blues-rockers, The Beat Daddys may not be doing anything new, but what they do is done incredibly and energetically well. This is a summer set that thankfully got recorded by the good folks of the Mid-Mississippi Muddy Waters Blues Society. Give their CD a try, and see if it doesn’t just melt away those winter doldrums for you, too. 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. |
The Beat Daddys - Live at the Quincy Blues Fest 2007| | The River City Blues Society presents Wednesday Blues Featuring Chicago Blues Legend December 10, 2008 - 7:00pm 2801 Court Street Pekin, IL 61554 (309) 346-1154 Map to Club CLICK HERE 8-time Blues Music Award Nominee Best Blues Song - 2008 Blues Blast Music Awards |
Blues Society News
Send your Blues Society's BIG news or Press Release to: Please submit a maximum of 125 words in a Text or Word format ONLY. The Blues, Jazz & Folk Music Society - Marietta, Ohio The Blues, Jazz & Folk Music Society of Marietta, Ohio announce their 17th annual River City Ohio Blues Competition for sponsorship to the International Blues Challenge ( IBC) in 2010. January 9, 2009 is the deadline for participants to register. The competition is to be held February 20 & 21, 2009, at Hotel Lafayette, 101 Front Street, Marietta OH. The first place winner of The River City Ohio Blues Competition will receive $1000 dollars in cash, second place winner will receive $200 in cash and the third place winner will receive $100 in cash. River City Blues Society- Peoria, IL In conjunction with the Concorde Inn and the Captains Wheel Lounge in Pekin, IL the River City Blues Society is pleased to announce their new series of weekly Blues Shows in Central, Illinois starting Wednesday, December 10th, 2008. These Early shows will run each Wednesday from 7:00pm to 11:00pm and feature the best traveling regional and National Blues musicians. The shows will feature a budget priced cover charge of $3. The kick off performance on December 10th features Nick Moss and the Flip Tops. Other shows scheduled are: December 17 - Russell Miller and 6V6, January 7th - Studebaker John, January14th - Scott Holt, January 21 - TBA, January 28 - James Armstrong Friends of the Blues - Watseka, IL Elks Country Club Blues Show - Tuesday, December 9, Kilborn Allay Blues Band, 7:00 PM, Elks Country Club Blues Show, Kankakee Elks Country Club, 2283 Bittersweet Drive, St. Anne IL. Please join us for one more show this Season. The Kankakee Elks have invited us out to their beautiful club house with its spacious dining room / concert room. Together, we are producing a wonderful dinner and show. For menu and more information call 815-937-1228. Mississippi Valley Blues Society - Davenport, IA The Mississippi Valley Blues Society presents Chicago bluesman Joe Moss at the Iron Wheel Pub—1211 W. 5th St. (Old Hwy. 6) in Wilton, Iowa—on Friday December 5. The show starts at 7:30; admission is $10, $8 for MVBS members. For more information contact the Blues Society at mvbs@mvbs.org or call (563) 322-5837 The Blues Society of Omaha - Omaha, Nebraska The Blues Society of Omaha, for the third consecutive year, will tie-in their Annual Holiday Party with Omaha Rockabilly guitarist Lash Larue's Toy Drive for the Children of the Pine Ridge Reservation. The event will take place from 5pm-9pm on Sunday, December 7, 2008 at BarFly (707 N. 114th St.) in Omaha, NE. Featuring The Dallas Blues stars with Mike Morgan and The Crawl, featuring Jim Suhler. The Side Effects will open the show followed by The Loose Brothers. Admission is $10, or a new unwrapped toy. Proceeds from the beverage sales will also benefit the Toy Drive. Details at: www.omahablues.com Illinois Central Blues Club - Springfield, IL ICBC BLUES GIVES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY WITH FREE MUSIC AND FOOD AT A BLUES CHRISTMAS PARTY - The Illinois Central Blues Club in conjunction with the Illinois Arts Council, announces a Blues Christmas Party Sunday, December 7, 2008 from 5:00pm – 8:00pm at Robbies, 4 Old State Capitol Plaza, Springfield, IL. The Blues Expressions will provide “postwar” blues music with choice selections from artists such as B.B. King, Albert King, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Sonny Boy Williamson and Muddy Waters. Blue Mondays- Held at the Alamo 115 N 5th St, Springfield, IL (217) 523-1455 every Monday 8:30pm $2 cover - December 8 - The Workers (Watermelon Slim's Band) with special Guest Bill Lupkin, December 15 - Studebaker John, December 22 - Scottie Miller and the Uptake Inhibitors, December 29 - Sally Weisenburg and the Famous Sidemen |
| New CD Mighty Mighty CLICK HERE to Purchase this CD
|
In case you are not familiar with this event, it is an international search for the best undiscovered Blues band on the planet. Each year the Blues Foundation's 160 affiliate Blues societies from all over the globe hold "local" or "regional" Blues challenges. They send the winners to compete in the semifinals in Memphis in February. There are categories for both bands and solo/duet acts. In 2008, 100 bands and 60 solo/duo acts filled the clubs up and down Beale Street for the semi-finals on Thursday and Friday. This is a Blues show you do not want to miss. It is literally the worlds largest gathering of Blues Bands! Beale Street is the legendary Blues Mecca in Memphis. Each club on Beale has 6 or 8 acts competing in the semi-finals. By the rules of the competition, each act plays exactly 30 minutes all using the same stage setup for a panel of judges and a packed crowd of Blues fans. They are judged on Blues content, vocal and/or instrumental talent, originality and stage presence by a different panels of judges each night (See scoring criteria HERE). The scores are averaged and the top scoring act from each club advances to the finals that are held at the Orpheum Theater on Saturday. (To see some photos of last years fun CLICK HERE) Tickets to this historical event are just $75 and include entrance to all the clubs on Beale Street both Thursday and Friday and the finals on Saturday. CLICK HERE to get yours now. Be sure to get your hotel reservations NOW too as some of the host hotels are already sold out! CLICK HERE for hotel info |
Live Blues Calendar
| YOU can submit your Blues performances for FREE at: http://www.illinoisblues.com/submitnews.htm
Performance dates were submitted by Musicians, Club Owners, Blues Societies and Blues festivals. IllinoisBlues.com is not responsible for errors or omissions.
or click a state to see Blues shows by State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware D.C. Florida Georgia Performance dates submitted by Musicians, Clubs, Blues Societies and Blues festivals. IllinoisBlues.com is not responsible for errors or omissions. |
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2009 Deep Blues Festival
The Deep Blues Festival has already announced their dates for this summer!
It is a great festival located in the upper Midwest. Check it out this summer if
you can.
Our dates and venue for the 2009 Deep Blues Festival have been set.
The fest will be Wednesday July 15th through Sunday July 19th. The Weds evening
show will be at the 331 Club in northeast Minneapolis and the rest of the events
will be at the Cabooze on the west bank.
Advance ticket sales are available now. Our budget for the bands is based on these
presales, so please support the fest and help us bring in as many bands as possible.
We'll announce the lineup in March.
Check our websites for additional information, paypal links to purchase tickets and
updates.
www.deepbluesfestival.com
www.myspace.com/deepbluesfestival
Hope you'll join us.
Chris
Hyena Records Holiday Sale
Hey Everyone--
With the holiday season upon us and all this talk of "economic crisis," we've put together a great little holiday sale for you all.
Basically, pick up any four CDs from the entire Hyena Records' catalog for $20. What music fan in your life do you know who wouldn't be happy with CD/DVD sets from Thelonious Monk, Dr. John, Bobby Darin and Don McClean in their stocking? Buy Aaron Neville for your mom, Cannonball Adderley for your Dad, Dale Watson for your sister and Grayson Capps for yourself. I could go on, but I'll stop there. It's a pretty diverse selection we've got here, so take a look and give generously the gift of music!
Lots o' Love and Happiness this Holiday Season...
Hyena Records
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Gladys Knight, Johnny Mathis, And The Pips: Neither One Of Us
Not sure on the real date of this gem. The person who posted the video seemed to think it was in the 80s. I think it is closer to the 70s, Yet, it is tough to tell, because Dick Clark who introduces the song didn't age from the mid 50s until around 2000:-)
Bob Dorr And The Blue Band Update
The latest from lovable Bob Dorr
Every year I know it's comin' and I try to console myself with "well, it kills off all the bugs" kind of logic, but I just never seem ready for the the first 4" of snow followed by the cold (it was freakin' 2 degrees here last night!!) I'm a cold wimp. And now, apparently I'm a whiner. And winter doesn't officially get here for another 17 days. YIKES! Fortunately, it seems there is another store in the mall that's ready to compete with the Victoria's Secret store for hot deals! Warm it up, baby! but(t) first...Tonight (Thur) at 10pm, I'm hoping you can join me on Iowa Public Televison for the debut HD airing of the classic PBS concert: Roy Orbison & Friends, A Black And White Night. (some of Roy's friends include Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, T-Bone Burnett, K.D. Lang, all in their prime when this was shot in 1987) This will be a fundraising event for IPTV, so wear your black and white outfit and bring your check book, this is gonna be fun! Then on my Saturday night Iowa Public Radio show, the third hour (9-10p) will be a behind the scenes look at the making of that special. I'm tickled to be part of some of these new cross-promotion ideas between the public broadcasting facilities in Iowa. Just remember, none of this works without listener support. Find out more at www.iptv.org or www.iowapublicradio.org...
Friday (12/5) is December's First Friday early evening show at The Hub, 4th and Main, in the heart of my hometown, Sparkle City USA. Because of "budgetary constraints" we'll be a 5 piece band that evening, with Bunky joining us on sax. We'll be selling merchandise for ridiculously low prices (did I mention budgetary cash flow problems?) so you can take care of your Christmas shopping right there! We play 6-9pm, pizza by the slice available at the club. Stop by after work, boogie yer scruples away while we play ya some of our Christmas songs, (presents optional) (Ho, Ho, Ho) and be home for the 10 o'clock news! Saturday we play the HyVee Xmas party in Des Moines, sorry you need an invitation for that one...
Next week we have just one gig, The ReMax Christmas party in NW Iowa (yes, you need an invitation for that one too) so there probably won't be a Blue Note...
I always hold my breath and don't "really" commit to doing another year with the band until we are offered our Iowa State Fair dates. I'm breathing easier and looking forward to the new blue year because Santa delivered what I was wishing for early this year: We'll be back at The Fair, the final weekend, Aug. 21 & 22 2009!!...
OK, I admit it, I'm a cold wimp. So walking inside the mall is where I get my exercise. This is where I spotted the Panty Party at Victoria's Secret that I was telling you about last week. Well, there's obviously a price war going on between Victoria (call her Vicki) and another women's store, way on the other end of the mall, called Christopher & Banks. Last week, the sign outside of C & B said: BOTTOMS-$19.99! Imagine the possibilities of having a Panty Party at the cheap BOTTOMS store!! But wait, there's more. Monday at C & B, the sign said TOPS 50% off (you can see that this is quickly degenerating into Bevis and Butthead type humor can't you?) but today, it said TOPS AND BOTTOMS 50% off. Now this leads me to the age old question, does the optimist say that the top is half off or half on? And when the price of those bottoms goes back to $19.99 does that mean that bottoms are up?...
My head is 's'plodin' with the off and on possibilities. Perhaps I should have a glass of warm milk and CAKE and get some sleep. I'll be talkin' to yas on IPTV later tonight, see ya in Sparkle Town on Friday, watch out for those icy Blue Highways, rub yer zydeco tie for heat, go ahead and have CAKE, even tho' the doctor says that's a no-no, (calories don't count during the holiday season, do they?) and always know that we love you...Bob Dorr & The Blue Band
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Chico Banks RIP
From Bob Corritore Blues News
- RIP Chico Banks: Word just came to us from Michael Freeman of Coachouse Industries that the young Chicago blues guitarist Vernon "Chico" Banks passed on December 2, 2008. He was 47. He was the son of legendary guitarist Jesse Banks (of The Mighty Clouds Of Joy), and he represented a younger generation in the Chicago Blues scene that mixed elements of rock and funk into the blues. He has performed and/or recorded with Willie Kent, James Cotton, Mavis and Pops Staples, Little Milton, Magic Slim, Big Time Sarah, Buddy Guy, Melvin Taylor, Freddie Roulette, Otis Clay, and others, as well as being a star in his own right. A popular hometown attraction with an international reputation, Chico will be greatly missed. There was no additional information available at the time of this writing.
UPDATE
from Bob Corritore comes an update. ChicoBanks died today. It is unfortunate in this day of the internet that sometimes news travels faster than reality. I am sorry that I jumped the gun on this. Here is what Bob wrote today:
- More Info on Chico Banks: News has come in Chico Banks apparently died just today Word from Katherine Davis via Chris James is that Chico was pronounced brain dead yesterday and died this afternoon. Apparently yesterday's word around Chicago of Chico's passing was premature, but was nonetheless circulating throughout the city. After receiving Michael Freeman's notification, we did a web search and found other listings of Chico's passing before we published our newsletter notification. We apologize for our part in spreading inaccurate news on such a hurtful subject. We just pass on what information comes to us and we always list our sources. Let's hope that Chico is at peace now, and that those of us who cared about him can heal and focus on celebrating his life's contributions. Rest in peace, Chico Banks.
Odetta Holmes RIP
More sad news from Bob Corritore
December 3, 2008
- RIP Odetta 12/31/1930-12/2/2008: It is with great sadness that we write about the passing of Odetta Holmes. Known in the circles of blues, spirituals, and folk, as well as being a beacon for the civil rights movement, Odetta was one of the most memorable musical personalities to emerge from the 1960s. She died of a heart attack on December 2, 2008 after being hospitalized for kidney failure. She was 77. Odetta was born on December 31, 1930, and at age 3, she moved to Los Angeles with her mother where she started singing and playing guitar. She earned a music degree from Los Angeles City College, focusing on musicals and classical, but her real love was the expressiveness of folk songs and spirituals. While working in the West Coast theater circuit, she found her way to the then emerging San Francisco folk scene, where she felt right at home. She made her first record, Odetta Sings Ballads & Blues, of which Bob Dylan stated in a 1978 interview with Playboy, was "The first thing that turned me on to folk singing". She recorded several albums during the 1960s, and became perhaps the most prominent musical voice in the civil rights movement, highlighted by a famous performance of the song "Oh Freedom" at the August 1963 March On Washington. She married three times, with one of her husbands being Louisiana Red, whom she wed in 1977. In recent years, her career was revitalized by her recorded work with Mark Carpentieri's MC Records. She recorded three CDs for MC, which earned her a W.C. Handy Award nomination (now called Blues Music Awards) and two Grammy® nominations. In 1999, Odetta was awarded the National Medal of the Arts and Humanities by President Clinton. In 2003, the Library Of Congress presented her with a Living Legend Award. She was a great musician and a kind and insightful person with a purposefulness to all her actions. God bless Odetta. To see a brief clip of her performing at Newport during the 1960s, click here, and to see a beautiful gospel duet with Tennessee Ernie Ford performing "What A Friend We Have In Jesus", click here.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Cadillac Records
It has been a good year for blues movies, and a great one is coming up Friday! Cadillac Records is a movie about Chess Records. I haven't seen it, or I hate to say this, but I really hadn't heard anything about it. So much for being a blues historian I really missed this one:-) However, I am planning on trying to find it this weekend to let you know how good it is. I have a feeling it is probably more myth than reality, but it sure looks and sounds great! Check out the preview. THE PREVIEW IS BLANK FOR THE FIRST 20 SECONDS JUST STAY WITH IT!!!
17th Annual River City Ohio Blues Competition
The Blues, Jazz & Folk Music Society of Marietta, Ohio announce their 17th annual
River City Ohio Blues Competition, the oldest and largest blues talent competition
in the state of Ohio. Last year's competition saw 18 great blues acts from all over
Ohio, West Virginia, Michigan and Pennsylvania compete for sponsorship to the
International Blues Challenge ( IBC), and this year we are expecting to showcase
an increasing amount of quality regional blues talent. A full roster of 18 blues
acts competed last year with a close finish. Last year's first place winner is Mojo
Theory from Columbus Ohio. Austin "Walkin' Cane" also placed and so will represent
BJFM in Memphis in 2009.
The first place winner of The River City Ohio Blues Competition will receive $1000
dollars in cash and BJFM sponsorship to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis
early in 2010 where they can gain valuable exposure to record label A&R
representatives and Blues industry professionals and festival promoters capable of
providing real career advancement for a serious blues musician. The second place
winner will receive $200 in cash and the third place winner will receive $100 in
cash. This year, again there will be 18 slots in competition. The big winners,
however, are the blues fans who enjoy a weekend of great blues entertainment rarely
available in Southeast Ohio at a bargain price.
Marietta, being the oldest Blues competition in Ohio has,you might say, set the
stage for the half dozen or so competitions that now exist in the state. One of the
things that makes the Marietta competition unique is that it has no geographic
restrictions and is open to serious Blues acts from anywhere. That is why The River
City Ohio Blues Competition pulls talent from a four, five or six state area and
even from overseas all hoping to win in Marietta and get their ticket punched to
Memphis. The Blues is an attitude and state of mind, not an address -- not confined
to any geographical area. Our Ohio affiliate blues societies have been
well-represented at The International Blues Challenge(s) (IBC) in Memphis. In just
the last few years, there have been several top-ten finishers and winners from the
state of Ohio. The level of talent in the IBC has risen to incredible heights from
the blues acts from all over the country (and the world) and so has the level of
talent from Ohio. Good Blues music seems to be coming from everywhere and
Ohio is no exception. Blues acts from Ohio have been top winners in both the
Solo/Duo Blues category (2006/2nd) and the Band Category (2007/1st) in recent years.
FOR BANDS WHO WANT TO PARTICIPATE: Go to
http://www.bjfm.org/Templates/competition.htm. There is a link on this page to the
rules and the application.
WHERE & WHEN: February 20 & 21, 2009, Hotel Lafayette, 101 Front Street,
Marietta OH. Show is presented by the Blues, Jazz & Folk Music Society, Inc. Smoke
free venue/cash bar.
Friday Night: 8 pm - 11 pm 1st PRELIMINARY; Feb 20, 2009 - 6 Blues Acts Compete -
2 Finalists Chosen.
Saturday Afternoon: 12 noon - 6 pm 2nd PRELIMINARY; Feb 21, 2009 - 12 Blues Acts
Compete - 4 Finalists Chosen.
Saturday Night: 8 pm - 11:30 pm THE FINALS; Feb. 21, 2009 - 6 Finalists Compete -
1st PLACE WINNER, 2nd & 3rd Chosen.
TICKETS & INFORMATION:
Tickets available after December 1, 2008
$10/$15 m/nm Friday Night 8-11pm
$10/$15 m/nm Saturday afternoon 12 noon - 6 pm
$10/$15 m/nm Saturday Night 8 pm - 11:30 pm
$25/$40 m/nm Weekend Pass
Doors open 1 hour before showtime
Information: call Steve Wells (anytime) 304- 295 - 4323 or bluesphotog@yahoo.com
Tickets/passes/info call Peg Bolen (evenings) 740- 376 - 0222 or bolen@bjfm.org
Visa/MasterCard Accepted
Bob Corritore Blues News
December 1, 2008 · Rhythm Room All-Stars Perform at their Home Base this Weekend: This weekend, The Rhythm Room All-Stars (Big Pete Pearson, Bob Corritore, Chris James, Patrick Rynn, and Brian Fahey) play the blues at their home base. This world renown blues band will perform their special brand of houserockin’, Chicago Blues on Friday and Saturday, Dec 5 and 6, 2008 at the Rhythm Room, 1019 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85014. Doors open at 8pm, cover is $7, and Rack Shack Barbeque will be for sale. · Cadillac Records Opens in Theatres this Friday! New Clips from the film: Cadillac Records is a star studded, major motion picture portraying the rise of the famed Chess Records. This movie will be out in theatres this Friday, December 5, 2008. Here is a glimpse of what we can expect from the movie: this clip depicts Muddy Waters (played by Jeffrey Wright) and Little Walter (Columbus Short) recording “Forty Days And Forty Nights” with Leonard Chess (Adrien Brody) in the control booth of the studio. To see this scene, click here. Here is another scene portraying Etta James in the session that created the song "All I Could Do Is Cry", referred to as "Church Bells" in this video title (click here to see). Here is a sizzle preview of the movie complete with interviews (click here to see). · A Second Film about Chess Records Forthcoming: It is hard to believe, but apparently a second film on the famed Chess Records is in production. It is called Who Do You Love, and it apparently focuses on Leonard Chess, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, and Willie Dixon. To read a short summary on this movie click here. · Dave Riley and Bob Corritore to Perform in Spain Next Week! Dave and Bob bring their rowdy brand of Delta-meets-Chicago blues to Spain next week. They will appear on Friday, December 12, 2008 at a venue called Aula de Cultura de Collblanc in Barcelona, and on Saturday, December 13, 2008 at Jazz Cava de Terrassa, Terrassa, Spain. Special thanks to promoter/harmonica player/blues radio show host Vicente "Harmonica" Zumel for setting up these shows. To see the ad for Friday's show click here, and for Saturday's show, click here. · Bob Corritore Interview with Spain's La Taberna del Blues: Check out Bob Corritore's interview just posted on La Taberna del Blues. La Taberna del Blues is Spain's top blues website, and is run by Chema Nuñez, Alejandro Pulido, and Mabel G. Bolaño (AKA LadyBlues). To see the La Taberna del Blues website, click here, and to see this interview, click here. Thanks, La Taberna del Blues! · 2009 Ponderosa Stomp Partial Lineup Announced: Dr. Ike reports that "The 2009 Ponderosa Stomp will take place on April 28 and 29, 2009 at the House Of Blues in New Orleans. Details of the stomp lineup, and conference are taking shape. Here's a partial list of who will be playing the Stomp: Otis Clay and the Hi Rhythm Section, Lazy Lester, Jerry McCain, Long John Hunter, L.C. Ulmer, James Blood Ulmer, Texas Johnny Brown, Ray Sharpe, Little Joe Washington, Lil Greenwood, Classie Ballou, Lil' Buck Sinegal & the Top Cats, and Little Willie Littlefield". This gathering always lovingly gathers the legends of American roots music, and presents them in a sympathetic way to bring out the vintage sound that made them famous. Though Ike just mentioned the lineup's blues performers, the Ponderosa Stomp will also feature other roots music, including early rock and roll and rockabilly. To see the Ponderosa Stomp website, click here. · New Reviews of Broadcasting The Blues, Chris and Patrick, Tomcat, Dave and Bob CDs! Broadcasting The Blues, a compilation of on air radio performances celebrating the forthcoming 25 year anniversary of Bob Corritore's radio show has received its first review courtesy of Rob Lehrian and Rob's Blues Blog on MySpace! This CD will be released in January of 2009. To see this review, click here. Nine new reviews of the Chris James and Patrick Rynn’s new release Stop And Think About It on Earwig Music have just come in, and are posted on the Blue Four website. Click here to see them. Also, Tomcat Courtney/Downsville Blues, and Dave Riley and Bob Corritore/Travelin' The Dirt Road, both on Blue Witch Records, have each recently received new reviews. To see Tomcat's new review in Albany, New York's Times Union, click here, and to view Dave and Bob's new review in Juke Joint Soul, click here. Thanks to all the reviewers for covering these great releases. · The Blue Shoe Project Launches a Campaign to have Honeyboy Edwards and Pinetop Perkins Play the Presidential Inauguration: The Blue Shoe Project, headed by the father/son team of Jeffry and Mike Dyson, is an educational organization dedicated to bringing the elder tradition of blues into the lives of school-aged children. Though many other noble organizations also work in unison for this cause, it could be said that nobody has done it with a higher profile than Blue Shoe. Their latest effort is aimed at getting the two oldest surviving bluesmen, Honeyboy Edwards and Pinetop Perkins, the chance to perform at Obama’s inaugural ball. They have created a very entertaining video to promote this cause. To see the clip, click here. To read more about the Blue Shoe Project and to see their website, click here.
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