Smokin Aces Update

Hello to you all...The Smokin' Aces are playing....Every Thursday Nite at the Brew pub, Windham, N.Y. 8pm and then open mic. Friday 10/9 8:30pm The Point, Catskill, N.Y. Saturday 10/10 2:30pm Main Stage for The Atumn Affair St. Festival, Windham, N.Y. Sat. Nite 9pm White Star, Tannersville, N.Y. Sunday 10/11 2:30pm Main Stage Windham, St. Festival. 10/11 8pm Fuller Rd. House Albany, N.Y. Hope to see you all soon. Thanks for all your support. Sonny

Scotty And The Wingtips Celebrate 20 Years!!!!! October 9th

My good pal Scott Hartung has had one of Des Moines most legendary blues bands, Scotty And The Wingtips, for 20 years!! Truly amazing when you consider that the average band is lucky to last a couple of gigs! When you have been around of 20 years people will come and go. In fact, I was in the Wingtips back in the early 90s. Scott and the boys will be playing on October 9th at Porkys Pub And Garage, in Des Moines Iowa. The gig starts at 8pm here is a brief note from Scott

I am having my 20 year anniversary party for Scotty and the Wingtips.
Come down and help me celebrate and sit in for some tunes.D.M.s longest running
blues band.20 only comes once.
Scotty

Jimmy Hendrix: All Along The Watchtower

Hendrix singing a Bob Dylan song. Jimi was a big Dylan fan and his lyrics really reflect that. This is a more laid back version of the song from the Ise of Wright concert with the Band Of Gypsys. At this point in his career Hendrix was getting tired of playing behind his back and with his teeth. He was playing more blues and playing them straight. Needless to say the audience was disappointed with him and later in the concert they boo him.

Alex "Easy Baby" Randle RIP

From Bob Corritore

RIP Alex "Easy Baby" Randle 8/3/1934 - 9/25/2009 : This sad news from Chicago area bassist and record producer Karl Meyer about the passing of Chicago blues harmonica great Easy Baby: Alex Randle, known to the world as "Easy Baby", passed away Friday, September 25, 2009 after suffering from pneumonia. He was 75 years old. Alex "Easy Baby" Randle was born 1934 in Memphis, Tennessee. For the first seven years of his life, he lived in Michigan City, Mississippi, with his grandmother and uncle, before moving back to Memphis to attend school. His grandmother and uncle were harmonica players; so, it was natural for Easy Baby to pick up the harmonica. In the early 1950's, when Easy Baby was still a teenager, he began playing professionally around Memphis while working a variety of odd jobs, including installing floors and shining shoes. While playing in the juke joints and gambling houses in Memphis, he befriended Howlin' Wolf, James Cotton, and Joe Hill Louis, among others. In 1956, Easy Baby moved to Chicago. Throughout the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's Easy Baby sang and played all over Chicago, while working as a mechanic. He worked a long stint at the Rat Trap Inn in Chicago during the 1970s and made appearances at the Chicago Blues Festival in 1998, 2000, and 2003. Easy Baby released 2 records under his own name: Sweet Home Chicago Blues on the Barrelhouse label and If It Aint One Thing It's Another on the Wolf record label. Additionally he had cuts on 3 harmonica anthologies: Bring Me Another Half-A-Pint on Barrelhouse, Low Blows on Rooster, and Blues Harmonica Orgy on Random Chance. Unreleased sides exist recorded for Steve Wisner during the 1970s which will someday see the light of day. Easy Baby had a beautiful high register voice and a sparse harmonica style (specializing in Chromatic and third position). He was a kind and gentle man and was one of a dwindling number of the old school Chicago blues harmonica masters. Click here to see Karl Meyer's tribute page to Easy Baby.

Andy Coats Update King Biscuit Blues Festival!!!

Hey folks,

I just got back from a lovely experience at the Carolina Downhome Blues Festival, where John Dee, Melvin, and I had a great couple of shows. Thanks to all the good folks in Camden for having us! We look forward to coming back soon.

Now, another big week has arrived: I will be going down to the Delta to do my solo set at one of the largest and most prestigious blues festivals in the country.

It’s a huge honor to be able to participate, and share the bill with all these blues legends!

Friday, Oct. 9
Lockwood-Stackhouse Stage, 4 pm
Andy Coats, solo
Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival (aka "King Biscuit Blues Festival")
Helena, AR
www.bluesandheritagefest.com

I’ll be attending all 3 days of the festival, so if you’re planning to go, let me know; and we can plan to meet up sometime during the festival.

All the best,

Andy

www.andycoats.com
www.myspace.com/andycoats
www.myspace.com/andycoatsandthebankwalkers

Blues Historian Reviews

I saw something coming up though our friendly federal government in regards to promotions on the internet. As you know there are a lot of unfriendly blogs that are purely set up to promote products. They try to convince you that they are ordinary people who have stumbled on to these great products. They are easy to spot, I call them spam blogs. The only thing that the blogger writes about is how great this wonderful product is that they are using. So the feds are wanting people to be honest that they are getting free product and not paying for it, so their endorsement is honest.
I am not sure how that effects me, but just so you know. I do get CDs, and DVDs to review from different record companies, and promotion staffs. Those of you who have read my reviews know that I am honest. I love music, and I love the variety of CDs that come my way. However, from now on I will let you know if I bought the CD, or it was sent to me for review. Hopefully this will meet whatever requirements that are coming down the line from the government.