Search The Blues Historian Website With Google

Google
 

Send Me Your Blues News

Contact me at
tgary62@gmail.com


Link Exchange

If you have a website, and would like to exchange links just email me at the above address.

The Iowa Blues Showcase is on the AIR

Download the latest podcast on ITUNES

Friday, January 1, 2010

In Rememberence 2009

Many great blues, jazz, and important people who helped kept the blues alive have left us. In Iowa we mourned the death of Bob Cook, a legendary solo performer who opened a ton of doors for musicians of all types. Also Larry Fountain, Jimmy Pryor's right hand man joined Jimmy in the great beyond.

To read all of the obits follow this link here. You can also click on the obit 2009 tag at the bottom of the post.

Here is the list of those who have left us way to soon, but will not be forgotten.

Sam Taylor
David Fathead Newman
Leroy Cooper
Billy Powell
Hank Crawford
Al Harris
Snooks Eaglin
Piney Brown
Mark Sallings
John Cephas
Willie King
Bob Cook
Mel Brown
Eddie Bo
Lester Davenport
Ted Jarrett
Koko Taylor
Sam Butera
Nick Holt
Micheal Jackson
Welsley Junebug Jefferson
Billy Lee Riley
Betty Miller
Jim Dickinson
Marie Knight
Jessie Fortune
Sam Carr
Alex Easy Baby Randle
Abu Talib "Freddie Robinson"
Johnny Jones
Dennis Brooks
Larry Fountain
Norton Bufflo
Sarah Moore
Big John Evans
Alvin Short
Mac Walton AKA Daddy B Strong

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Central Iowa Blues Society Winter Blues Fest

PRESS RELEASE

Subject: Winter Blues Fest

Date: Saturday, January 30, 2010

Place: Downtown Marriott, Des Moines, IA

Starting Time: 7 PM

Presented By: The Central Iowa Blues Society

For Immediate Release

It may be cold outside, but the Downtown Marriott Ballrooms and Rock River Lounge will have temperatures rising Saturday, January 30th when the Central Iowa Blues Society welcomes 9 acts on 5 different stages. This multi-band event will culminate with an After Hours Jam in the Des Moines Ballroom in the Downtown Marriott.

Wristbands for the event are only $12.00 in advance and will give you admission to all of the Ballrooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors, as well as Rock River Lounge on the second level. Tickets are available at Blues on Grand or online at www.cibs.org now. Price will be $15 on January 30.

This year’s Winter Blues Fest has a little bit of everything to satisfy the soul; be it, Texas blues/rock, incredible Blues harmonica, fabulous guitar, zydeco (swamp rock), or howlin’-at the-moon blues!

Check out The Midnight Dogs, the 2009 Iowa Blues Societies Solo/Duo Challenge Winner, at Rock River Lounge from 7:00-10 p.m.

The sounds of The Avey Brothers, the 2009 IA Blues Challenge band winner, will fill the air in the Salon D Ballroom starting at 7:30 p.m., followed by Delta Highway, the 2009 nominee for the Blues Music Awards for Best New Debut Artist at 10:30 p.m.

The Salon E Ballroom will fire up with the 2009 Blues Society of Omaha’s Blues Challenge band winner, The Side Effects at 7:45 p.m., followed by the 2009 Kansas City Blues Society’s Blues Challenge winner, Levee Town at 10:45 p.m.

Jim Suhler & Monkey Beat, nominee for Best Blues/Rock Album in the 2010 Blues Music Awards, are sure to get things heated up in the Dubuque Ballroom at 8:00 p.m., followed by the 2009 Greater Twin Cities Blues Music Society’s Blues Challenge band winner, Brandon Scott Sellner Band at 11:00 p.m.

Everett Smithson Band will get things jumping in the Des Moines Ballroom starting at 8:30 p.m.

The After Hours Jam kicks off at midnight in the Des Moines Ballroom with a set from Trouble No More, who will be this year's host band, with the Jam starting at 1 a.m. The Jam, which will last well into the wee hours, has the potential for some interesting combinations of musicians. All musicians are welcome to sign up and join in.

Food will be served starting at 8:00 p.m. and continue during the Jam.

The Downtown Marriott is offering special Blues Fest rates for the night. You can make room reservations by calling 1-800-514-4681 or 515-245-5500. Be sure to mention that you are going to be there for the Blues Fest to receive your special rate.

Sponsors for this event are the Central Iowa Blues Society, Budweiser, 95KGGO/98.3, Cityview and Downtown Marriott.

For more information on the Winter BluesFest, you can call (515) 225-6638, (515) 830-4213. Listen to KGGO (94.9) and 98.3 WOW for wristband giveaways. Do not miss this sure-fire cure for cabin fever!

Serena James

Marketing Coordinator

Central Iowa Blues Society

Bob Dorr's Big New Years Eve Blast!!!!!


well, not the LAST last Blue Note, the last Blue Note of 2009, the last Blue Note as an employee of the University of Northern Iowa, the last Blue Note as a bachelor and probably the last Blue Note that I'll be making a comment about the sign outside of Vickie's Place (Victoria's Secret). OK, I'm not givin' up Vickie's Place, but all the rest of those "lasts" are true! This one could really start to ramble, so let's get to the good stuff first...

Ticket sales for the BIG New Year's Eve/Wedding party have really started to pick up (we're over the 225 mark now) and as of Monday, there were only 7 rooms left in the Hilton and 40 rooms still available in the Extended Stay hotel across the parking lot. We've still got a chance at a sell out (400) which would be just about the best wedding present we could get. A spectacular party, with music from all over the state, great food buffet open for hours, champagne toast at midnight, followed by a marriage ceremony in front of 400 of our best friends, The Blue Band playing our first dance, and (the best of all) wedding CAKE after the ceremony! This is gonna be the party of a lifetime! And get this, there will be TWO Mr. & Mrs. Bob Dorr there! My friend from Colorado Springs, Bob Dorr, (we met when he did a Google search of "Bob Dorr" and saw an entry for "Bob Dorr & The Blue Band" playing in Denver and Keystone on our annual trip to the high country, so he drove to the club and walked up to me and said, "Hi, I'm Bob Dorr!") Anyway, Bob Dorr and his wife Carol (not to be confused with my soon to be wife Carolyn!) (this is starting to get weird, isn't it?) are making the trip all the way from Colorado Springs so that Bob Dorr can witness Bob Dorr getting married! But wait, this gets weirder. It's a Blue Moon (2nd full moon in a month) and we're getting married at 10 minutes and 10 seconds after midnight on the first day of 2010, which in Greenwich Time, is 00:10:10, 01/01/10. You've gotta be there for that numerology synchronicity! The only ticket outlet is the Hilton Garden Hotel, come on out tonight (Wednesday, 12/30, the Eve of New Year's Eve) and catch our annual pre-party with 2 Bobs and (this year) A Bunky. That's a free show, 9-midnight in the ballroom that will host the Blue Year party. Our funny friend Pink Stuff says she's got some "roast" material to try out before she does her comedy on NYE, so stop out, get a couple tickets to the Blue Year show, have a few laughs and catch some cool tunes. As always, the drummer is playing for tips! More info on this two day extravaganza, a complete schedule of the 3 stages, and a link to hotel info: www.theblueband.com/newyear.htm

I have figured out a way to DJ my own wedding reception! Well, kind of. This week's Backtracks show on Iowa Public Radio (my first as an "independent radio producer") is a collection of Love, Romance, Marriage, and Wedding songs. It took me a long time to come up with enough songs to cover the whole 3 hours, but it turned out great (not near as wimpy as I had feared) (except for Dinah Shore and that insidious melody "Love & Marriage, Love & Marriage, Go together like a horse and carriage") (hey, it's more campy than wimpy) It airs this Saturday (1/2), 7-10pm, find the frequency in your area or listen anywhere on the planet at www.iowapublicradio.org

In my last two days before my "retirement" from UNI, here's a quick public acknowledgment of how wonderful the University of Northern Iowa has been to me and how it has had a major hand in any successes that I have experienced in the last 40 years of my life. As a student, starting in 1970, I got a great education for a very reasonable price. As a sophomore, UNI allowed me to be part of the management team at the student radio station (KYTC) As a junior, UNI hired me to be an announcer on their public radio station (KHKE/KUNI). Before I graduated, I was working full-time at that radio station, becoming the Music Director after I graduated. For some reason, I thought I needed to play in a road band, so I left the University, only to come back begging for a job after starving as a road musician for 19 months. UNI took me back. And for the last 30 years has allowed me the freedom of artistic expression on their radio station that very few human beings EVER get to experience. And now UNI is giving me the opportunity to be worry free of health care coverage for the next 5 years! (no matter where you stand on Health Care changes, you have to admit that Health Care is the indentured servitude of the 21st century) I cannot thank UNI enough for the lifetime of opportunities I have gotten from that institution. It's scary leaving the security of knowing that I work for such a fabulous place. Thank you UNI students, faculty, staff, and management for such an exhilarating and encouraging ride...

After 57 very independent years (let's face it, my entire LIFE has been one very long bachelor party!) it's also a little scary getting married. Probably more scary for my bride! I am fortunate to be starting this new phase of my life with someone who has loved me thru the thick and thin of 22 years of "courtship" and STILL wants to marry me! As I become more and more like the Ozzie Osbourne of local blues players, I'm lucky to have someone like Carolyn voluntarily help look after me! If the marriage lasts as long as the courtship, I'm sure it will be "til death do us part"!...

Which finally brings me to Vickie's Place. The weather has been so challenging the last few weeks that the nightly walk has been four fast paced laps around College Square Mall. That's four times past Victoria's Secret. This week it's "buy one bra, get one half off" (well, it says 50% off , but that's half, isn't it?) So I was wondering if a half off bra is two breasts almost uncovered or one breast totally uncovered and the other in the bra cup? My bride kind of harrumphed when I posed that question, but rumor has it that her wedding gown reveals some cleavage and I've got know this stuff! Which brings me to an age old Blue Band rule: FOLLOW THE CLEAVAGE!!...

Next week, (1/8) our honeymoon will consist of a tour of greater downtown Sparkle City USA when the Blue Band does our monthly Friday night "geezer gig", 6-9p at The Hub (4th and Main, Cedar Falls) and a Saturday night (1/9) dinner in the original Capitol City of Iowa, Iowa City, when The Blue Band plays The Mill. Hopefully we can make this into a triumphant celebration of the Hawkeyes winning the Orange Bowl 4 days prior to our show!...

It's 4:45 in the morning the day before I'm supposed to produce a 7 act, 3 stage, New Year's Eve extravaganza, retire from a job I've been doing 30+ years and get married. What, me worry? All I've got to do now is FOLLOW THE CLEAVAGE! (one cup or two?) See yas on the New Blue Highway, rub yer washboard to the tune of I Knew The Bride When She Used To Rock 'n' Roll, get a ticket to the big show before they sell out, as we'd love to have you witness our wedding (will the REAL Bob Dorr please stand up?!) and always remember we love you. Happy BLUE Year! Bob Dorr & The Blue Band

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Sonny Terry And Brownie McGee: I'm A Burnt Child

Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee on Live TV in the early 70s

Howling Wolf: Smokestack Lighting

The amazing Wolf, with Willie Dixon and Hubert Sumlin.

Sonny Boy Williamson: Nine Below Zero

Sonny Boy Williamson with Otis Spann on piano and introduced by Memphis Slim!

Soul Searchers Update


the soul searchers
click here for our website
click here for our myspace page
click here to buy the CD


wednesday, december 30, 8pm
greenwood lounge
3707 ingersoll ave, des moines

thursday, december 31, 9pm
tally's (formerly the B&B)
2712 beaver ave, des moines

. . . . and, if you're interested, soul searchers bassist erich gaukel will be doing a reunion performance with his college band, the steam boars, tonight (tues., dec ,29) at the vaudeville mews. click here for more info.

"the soul searchers lay down authentic west coast blues from their des moines, iowa surroundings" -BLUES REVUE magazine "the soul searchers are a veteran group of players who roll along slickly and confidently" -BLUESWAX "this band puts down energetic jump-blues with a vintage vibe that harks back to early fabulous thunderbirds" -OMAHA READER

Monday, December 28, 2009

Smokin Aces Update

Happy New Year! We're doing a live recording at The New World in Saugeties N.Y. We would like your help for crowd noise! CYA there Sonny

Big Gigs From Bluz Newz Entertainment

Bluz Newz Entertainment Banner

Happy Holidays from

Bluz Newz Entertainment

Laughing

Thursday, December 31st, 2009
L. J. Echols - 8:00 pm
Turning Point Blues Lounge, 28th Street, Gulfport, Mississippi. New Years Eve Throw Down

Thursday, December 31st, 2009
"New Year Eve Bash Starring MiLaJa Records Recording Artist - 8:00 pm
Falisa Janaye'
"New Year Eve Bash Starring MiLaJa Records Recording Artist Falisa JaNaye'" on Thursday, December 31 at 8:00pm. The Bone Shaker Club, 614 Ladino St., W. Helena, AR



Thursday, December 31st, 2009

Event: New Year's Eve Bash with Zakiya Hooker
"Party, New Year's, Blues"
What: Holiday Party
Start Time: Thursday, December 31 at 9:00pm
End Time: Friday, January 1 at 12:30am
Where: Kingfish, 201 South B Street, San Mateo, California. 650-343-1226.

Zakiya says, "We hope you can come celebrate with us at Kingfish to ring in the New Year! Start it off right by supporting live music. Be sure and call for your
reservations now. Wishing you and yours Happy Holidays!".



Thursday, December 31st, 2009
Mel Waiters

Price: General Admission $28.50

Showtime: Dec 31, 2009 9:30 PM

The Monarch Event Center

Austin,TX



Thursday, December 31st, 2009
Sweet Angel - Doors Open at 9:00 pm
Vicksburg City Auditorium
901 Monroe Street
Vicksburg, MS 39180
Sweet Angel will be performing on New Year's Eve at the Vicksburg City Auditorium.

Bring in the New Year right!

Sweet Angel in Vicksburg MS




Featured Artist: "The Platinum-Haired Singer and Saxophonist" Sweet Angel www.sweetangel.org

Many have wanted to see the ‘platinum-haired’ recording artist, saxophonist and downright sensational entertainer Sweet Angel in action. Just released and posted on www.youtube.com, Sweet Angel performing ‘Purple Rain’ at a concert in September of 2009 in Memphis, TN where her she packed the house single-handedly.

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=batpeuaoT4c