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John 'blueshammer' Hammer
Blue Monday Monthly Magazine
www.bluemondaymonthly.com
Hammered By The Blues Weekly Radio
KOWZ 1170am/ 100.9fm
510 West McKinley
Owatonna, MN 55060
Sunday, September 25, 2011
John Hammer Blues News
John 'blueshammer' Hammer
Blue Monday Monthly Magazine
www.bluemondaymonthly.com
Hammered By The Blues Weekly Radio
KOWZ 1170am/ 100.9fm
510 West McKinley
Owatonna, MN 55060
Illinois Blues News
© 2011 josepharosen.com
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Past Issues
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In This Issue
Terry Mullins has our feature interview with
Gina Sicilia. Bob Kieser has a photo essay on the Old Capital Blues &
BBQ Festival.
We have six CD reviews for you this week!
Eric Steiner reviews a new CD from Watermelon Slim and Super Chikan. Rainey Wetnight
reviews a new CD from Paul Metsa & Sonny Earl. John Mitchell
reviews a new CD from The Soul Of John Black. Greg “Bluesdog” Szalony reviews a new CD from
Douglas Watson R&B Revue. Mark Thompson reviews a new
CD from Matt Schofield and Steve Jones reviews a new CD from Bobby
Jones. All this and MORE! SCROLL DOWN!!!
From The Editor's Desk
 Hey Blues Fans,
We sent out a note last Friday about the passing of another Blues giant
Willie "Big Eyes" Smith. He was 75. Here is the visitation & funeral
information.
Visitation 10 AM to 10 PM - Sunday, September 25, 2011 at Leaks & Sons
Funeral Home, 7838 South Cottage Grove, Chicago, IL 60619 773-846-6567.
Wake - Monday, Sept 26, 2011 10am until 11am and Funeral services 11am
until noon at South Park Baptist Church, 3720 S. King Drive, Chicago, IL
60653 773 548-6566.
In the last few months we have lost quite a few true legends,
Pinetop Perkins, David "Honeyboy" Edwards and now Willie Smith to name a
few. Our recent interview of Willie in the May 26th issue may be the
last one anywhere. To see that interview now
CLICK HERE.
In that interview Willie said:
"I plan to keep on using what I got for as long as the good man
upstairs will allow. There will be no slowing down or putting up my
drumsticks and harmonica in the near future. Nope, not until they do me
like Pinetop! I’m going to play right until the end. My intentions are
to keep doing what I’ve been doing for quite a few years and then just
lay down and go to sleep and don’t wake up.” And Willie did just
exactly that!
With all the legends we have lost recently, you know there must be one
hell of a Blues jam going on somewhere in the sky!
If you have the chance to see any of the Blues legends who are still
with us, you better take the opportunity. Life is short! Live it to the
fullest.
Good Blues To You!
Bob Kieser
|
 Blues
Blast Awards Room Rate Extended Again
For those coming to Chicago for the Blues Blast
Music Awards at Buddy Guy's Legends on October27, we have negotiated a block of rooms at a discount rate of only $139 at
the Essex Inn located just around the corner from Legends.
The Essex has
extended the deadline to book this block of discount priced rooms again until
September 30, 2011.
Rooms are available at this discount rate for stays from Tuesday October
27 through Sunday October 30th.
To book your rooms now
CLICK HERE or call 800 621-6909 and ask for the Blues Blast Magazine
discount rate.
Tickets for the awards are still available too. To get your tickets now
CLICK HERE.
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Featured Blues Interview -
Gina Sicilia
 In an era when it’s considered a “brisk pace” for an artist to release a
new album every five or six years, Philadelphia blues dynamo Gina
Sicilia should probably be considered a “trend-buster.”
While the golden-throated Sicilia may not exactly be on the same
timetable that a lot of acts back in the 1960s were, issuing two and
sometimes three albums worth of new material in a year’s time, she is
most definitely keeping a schedule that few of her peers dare to keep
nowadays.
Since graduating from Temple University and announcing her arrival to
the world of the blues with 2007’s Allow Me to Confess (Swing
nation Records), Sicilia has not slowed down one bit.
In March of this year, her third full-length offering, Can’t Control
Myself, hit stores shelves and radio airwaves, giving Sicilia a
pretty impressive resume in a fairly short amount of time.
And according to Sicilia, that’s just the way she likes it.
“Every year, my influences change and I’m always writing songs and my
song writing changes and I have all these new ideas, constantly,” she
said. “I’m very enthusiastic about what I do and I love writing new
songs and then recording them. I love putting out new, fresh songs. As
long as I stay inspired and stay hungry, I don’t see that changing. I’d
love to put out two albums a year, but I don’t know if that’s possible.”
From the looks of things, with the wave of momentum that Can’t
Control Myself is still riding, Sicilia’s fans should have plenty to
keep them satisfied until her next trip back into the recording studio.
 “It’s been getting great reviews and they’re still coming in – almost
six months after its release,” Sicilia said. “People have just responded
so positively to the CD and I’m really proud of it. And recently, I shot
a music video for the song “Addicted” off the disc. I shot it with Tanya
Ryno, who is a producer, director and writer for Saturday Night Live.”
The video for “Addicted” can be viewed at
www.ginasicilia.com.
A common denominator to Sicilia’s first three discs is the multi hat
wearing abilities of Dave Gross. And from what Sicilia says, there’s not
much that goes on in the confines of a recording studio that Gross can’t
do.
“He’s an amazing producer and a multi-instrumentalist. On Can’t
Control Myself, he played like 15 instruments and he also engineered
it and produced it,” she said. “He’s really great to work with in the
studio. He’s tremendously talented and very open-minded. He has a lot of
really cool ideas - a very talented person who is just so passionate
about music.”
 As anyone who has even heard a brief sampling of Sicilia knows, she is
truly blessed with an amazing set of pipes. From a gritty guttural growl
to a silky-smooth purr, Sicilia simply lights up any track that she
sings on, or any room that she sings in, with her endless depth.
After all, it’s one thing to be gifted with a voice that is the sonic
equivalent of a hurricane, but it’s another matter altogether to have
the skills to channel that power in any direction desired – something
that Sicilia has no problems doing.
But what be a bit under the radar is Sicilia’s penchant for penning a
great song. Obviously confident in her song-writing skills, eight of the
11 tracks on her debut disc were written by Sicilia herself and the
majority of Can’t Control Myself was also self-written.
However, that’s really nothing new.
The 26-year-old Sicilia has been writing songs since she was a pre-teen.
 “I’ve always loved music and have always been singing since I was very,
very little. And I was about 12 when I started writing songs. Very
simple songs,” she laughed. “I guess it was just something that was
natural for me to do. I don’t really know how or why I started doing
that (song writing), but I had ideas that I wanted to incorporate into
songs. And I’ve been doing it ever since. I love writing songs as much
as I love singing and I love singing a lot.”
Like most authors, Sicilia is never really sure when the idea or thought
for a new song might present itself, or even where the subject matter
itself might originate from.
“Every song is different. Some are inspired by my own experiences,
through myself and my life, and some songs are inspired by people that I
know and some are just total fiction,” she said. “I’m a people watcher
and some songs are certainly inspired by that. And I like to think a lot
– I’m a big thinker, so every song is different. You never know when
you’re going to be inspired to write something. It happens in the
strangest places sometimes.”
 With the love of song already occupying a big spot in her heart since
her earliest days, it was through the power of the television that
Sicilia was first bitten by the blues bug.
“I’ve always loved soul and R&B and when I was about 14, I saw an
infomercial on TV for a CD called Solid Gold Soul and it had soul
and R&B artists on it from the 50s and 60s,” said Sicilia. “But it also
had B.B. King and Bobby “Blue” Bland on it, and that kind of got me into
the blues genre. And that’s about the time that I started writing it
(blues songs), also.”
An adoring respect for all kinds of music strongly comes through when
spinning one of Sicilia’s albums and one can pick up traces of
everything from gut-busting blues to soul to jazz to country and even a
bit of doo-wop from track-to-track.
That, too, is a natural occurrence says Sicilia.
“I guess it just happens. The more music you listen to and the wider
variety of music you listen to definitely has an influence on you,” she
said. “I’ve always kept an open mind and have always been open to
different styles, so I’ve always been influenced by everything I hear –
whether I know it or not. And that’s reflected in my signing. Everything
inspires me. I mean, my idol is Sam Cooke and I love Otis Rush and
gospel music … the list goes on. And I love country music, too.”
 The blues has never really grabbed the headlines or gotten the attention
that it deserves in Philadelphia, with sweet soul and smooth jazz being
a prominent part of the City of Brotherly Love’s musical fabric.
But that doesn’t mean that the blues are not alive and thriving in the
city.
“There is a really cool blues scene with some really cool musicians in
Philadelphia,” said Sicilia. “The whole music scene in Philly is really
cool. There’s some really cool venues here, like the World Café Live and
Warmdaddy’s. I started out going to blues jams in Philly when I was
still in college every week and I met my first band at Warmdaddy’s and
had my first gig there.”
And things have been on an uphill climb for Sicilia and her band (Dave
Gross (guitar); Tom Papadatos (drums); Scott Hornick (bass)) ever since,
culminating in what has been her busiest and most productive year to
date.
“It’s been a really great year for me – a lot better than 2010,” she
said. “A lot of things changed for me this year and I’ve done a lot of
fun and exciting things. I got my first manager this year – Cindy Da
Silva – and to start off the year, I got to go on the Legendary Rhythm
and Blues Cruise, which was an incredible experience. I would do that
again, anytime they ask me. It was so much fun and I was so honored they
asked me to do it.”
Sicilia and her crew have played all over the map this year and come
mid-September, they head to the west coast for a string of shows in
sunny California.
“These guys have been playing with me for quite a while now and we’re a
happy little band. We have a lot of fun,” she said. “We love traveling
and playing music.”
Armed with a degree in journalism from Temple University, Sicilia might
not have thought that less than a half-decade later, she’d be rubbing
shoulders with Bob Margolin, Debbie Davies, Tommy Castro and Taj Mahal
and others over the crystal-blue waters of the Caribbean.
“If you’d asked me five years ago where I’d be now, I’d probably have
had no idea,” she said.
And as for five years on down the road?
“I see myself still touring and putting out albums and hopefully, doing
some fun and exciting things. Hopefully, I can become a better singer
and a better songwriter and play in some really great venues. That’s
what I’m hoping for.”
Interviewer Terry Mullins is a journalist and former record store
owner whose personal taste in music is the sonic equivalent of Attention
Deficit Disorder. Works by the Bee Gees, Captain Beefheart, Black
Sabbath, Earth, Wind & Fire and Willie Nelson share equal space with
Muddy Waters, The Staple Singers and R.L. Burnside in his compact disc
collection. He's also been known to spend time hanging out on the street
corners of Clarksdale, Mississippi, eating copious amounts of barbecued
delicacies while listening to the wonderful sounds of the blues.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
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Featured Blues Review 1 of 6
 Watermelon
Slim and Super Chikan - Okiesippi Blues
Northern Blues
Okiesippi Blues is an imaginative pairing that brings together
two Clarksdale, Mississippi bluesmen in a sparse, stripped-down,
rough-hewn sound. While field hollers, rambling stories, and songs
evoking truckers’ slang on citizens band radio may not be for everyone,
these facets of the blues work with Watermelon Slim and Super Chikan at
the helm. “Trucking Blues” features a spirited discussion of Chikan’s
Peterbuilt trying to keep up with Slim’s freight-shaker, and there’s the
usual nod warning about “smokey” and a reference to a certain set of
“blonde seat covers.” Each has spent hours and days behind the wheel of
big rigs as longhaul truckers, and “Trucking Blues” is a highlight of
this CD based on their prior careers.
The CD’s title recognizes each bluesman’s home: Slim has spent decades
in Oklahoma while Chikan has been a lifelong Mississipian. “Northwest
Regional Medical Center Blues” will not endear Mississippi tourism
officials to one of their newest neighbors, but this rambling story
tells the sad story of a one-way ticket out of town after being mugged.
Before Okiesippi Blues, I didn’t think of Slim as a Gospel singer, but
“Thou Art With Me” is a spiritual song regardless of your religious
affiliation.
The duo’s a cappella take on Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “Keep Your Lamp
Trimmed and Burning” may stumble, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank
the guys for a heartfelt rendering using only hand-claps and stomps in
accompaniment. The CD closes with “Moonshine,” with Slim’s harp
following Chikan’s deceptively simple lead guitar parts. I didn’t expect
that “I’m a Little Fish” would firmly plant itself in my brain, but this
silliness just shy of four minutes is memorable, partly for Super
Chikan’s background vocals and partly the expert, uptempo guitar parts.
Reviewer Eric Steiner is President of the Washington Blues Society
in Seattle, Washington. The Society was the recipient of the 2009
Keeping the Blues Alive Award in the blues organization category. Please
visit www.wablues.org for more
information on the Washington Blues Society.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
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Featured Blues Review 2 of 6
 Paul
Metsa & Sonny Earl - No Money Down (EP CD and DVD package)
Maximum Folk
6 songs; 24:34 minutes on EP CD, 2 songs; 08:44 minutes on DVD
Styles: Folk; Folk Rock; Electric and Acoustic Blues; Country
Blues Blast Magazine, ostensibly, has one chief purpose: keeping the
blues alive. One might wonder, then, why an album produced by
MaximumFolk would find its way here. Paul Metsa and Sonny Earl's third
release, No Money Down, is primarily a Folk album (best example,
Goebel Reeves’s “Hobo’s Lullaby”). Three original tracks are
interspersed with three covers (“Who Do You Love,” River Hip Mama,” and
Hobo’s Lullaby”). All six songs exude a soggy and half-finished air.
There is a bonus DVD included of this duo performing “No Money Down” and
“Whiskey or the Rain.” However, this reviewer does not find either music
video much of a “bonus.” Metsa and Earl are Minneapolis music veterans
who have been a duo over ten years.
To his credit, Sonny Earl plays decent harmonica. Metsa performs
enthusiastically, to his own credit, but is missing something. He talks,
rather than sings, and his vocals occasionally lapse into growling sound
effects. In order to understand the mind-boggling mystery that is “No
Money Down,” let's take a look at the effort put forth into the bonus
DVD. As the old saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” This
reviewer was left breathless, speechless, and incredulous!
“No Money Down” is a meditation on moolah and the harsh state of the
economy these days. At least, that's what it's meant to be. Instead, as
viewers watch the video of this song, they'll be treated to some
perplexing sights: a little girl pouring a jar of change into Metsa's
suitcase, signs exhorting “SAY NO TO WAR!” and “STOP,” and, most
shockingly, Sonny Earl soliciting a modestly-dressed prostitute. As the
two musicians stroll along PhotoShopped boulevards and invite random
people to be featured on the chorus, they don't even look like they're
playing their respective instruments, and their lips do not synchronize
with the audible vocals. “You can wish for the world if you want it, but
no money down!” Metsa sneers as a spinning globe appears on the screen
with the subtitle “WISH” on the bottom.
The second DVD entry, the Countrified “Whiskey or the Rain,” features
dancer Jeanie Pebbles in an unsettling avant-garde interpretation of the
relaxing song. Our friend PhotoShop again features prominently,
combining with Pebbles' flowing red dress and half-strip-teasing style.
(Honestly, this video is exactly as described!) The song’s highlight:
there is a tasty Dobro solo mid-song courtesy of Al Oikari who also adds
piano.
In the songs, the boys do an electric tribute to Bo Diddley with “Who Do
You Love” featuring San Francisco blues guitarist Ron Thompson on
electric guitar. A lively original string band number, “Dirty Dishes,”
is performed in the tradition of the Mississippi Sheiks and features
Minneapolis folk godfather Bill Hinkley on fiddle and mandolin. Charlie
Musslewhite and Junior Boy Jones’ tune “River Hip Mama” finds Metsa and
Earl nodding to Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, whom Paul and Sonny
credit as their inspiration.
While this EP/CD and DVD will appeal to their fans, I believe I was too
distracted to fully appreciate their talent. Just in case one wants more
of Metsa and Earl, they have other offerings: Live at Famous Dave's
BBQ and Blues Festival 2006” and White Boys Lost in the Blues.
Reviewer Rainey Wetnight is a 31-year-old female Blues fan. She
brings the perspective of a younger blues fan to reviews. A child of
1980s music, she was strongly influenced by her father’s blues music
collection.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
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Featured Live Review
- Old Capitol Blues & BBQ Fest
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Old
Capitol Blues & BBQ Fest
August 26-27, 2011 - Springfield, IL
I headed to
Springfield, Illinois on Friday August for the Old Capitol Blues & BBQ
Fest. I am not sure how many year in a row this fest has been going but
I have made it to this fest most years for the last 5 years and it
is always a great event.
On Friday
things kicked off with a band from Springfield called Black Magic
Johnson. Led by drummer and harp player Reggie Johnson, this is one of
the best bands from the Springfield area in my opinion. They did a great
job of starting off a great night of music.
Next up was
one of my favorite Chicago area bands, Eric
"Guitar" Davis & The Troublemakers. As usual, Eric played and
intense set of real Chicago Blues including tunes for his newly released
CD, Trouble Makin' Man. Look for a review of the CD and a feature
interview of Eric in an upcoming issues of this magazine.
 
The final
act of the evening was called Treble Clef
Palette. They played a lively set of mostly jazz with an occasional
Blues tinge. Enjoyable set!
 
On Saturday
the show started off with a solo performer named Brian
Curran. Brian treated the crowd to a nice set of folk and delta style
blues and some great slide playing.
Next up was
an unusual duet called Hooten Hallers. There was quite a bit of
hootin' and hollering as drummer Andy Rehm and guitar player and singer
John Randall worked through a set of material which reminded this
reviewer of our friends Reverend Payton's Big Damn Band. The set
included some hillbilly rock, country blues and delta hill country
blues.
As the sun
went down The 44's
with Kid Ramos took the stage. The band includes harmonica player
Tex Nakamura (Formerly of war), singer guitarist Johnny Main, upright
bassist Mike Turturro (Formerly Lynwood Slim/Candye Kane), drummer J.R.
Lozano plus guitar sensation Kid Ramos. If you have not had the pleasure
of seeing these guys, you want to, believe me! They were spectacular.
   
 
The
headliner of the whole festival was Jimmy
Vaughan with special guest Lou Ann Barton. Jimmy showed off his
legendary guitar playing and Lou Ann came out toward the end with a
great vocal showcase of Blues. A great band fronted by two real pros. It
was a wonderful ending to the fest.
 
  
 
The Old
Capitol Blues and BBQ Fest is usually the last weekend in August and in
addition to some great music on the main stage our friends at the
Illinois Central Blues Club always hold their Blues Challenge on
Saturday afternoon before the main stage music gets started. (We will
post some photos of the Challenge soon!) The event also includes a
sanctioned BBQ contest so there is always great food to go with the
great Blues. And admission was only $5 each day! Be sure to put this one
on your festival schedule for next year!
Reviewer and photographer Bob Kieser is the publisher of Blues Blast Magazine.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
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Thursday
October 27th, 2011 Buddy
Guy's Legends, Chicago, IL
Trampled Under Foot,
Reverend Raven
And The Chain Smokin' Altar Boys, Karen
Lovely Band,
Eddie Turner,
Bob Corritore,
Rich Del Grosso
& John Richardson,
Peter Parcek
The
Sugar Prophets,
Teeny Tucker,
Reba Russell Band,
Gina Sicilia, Matt Hill,
Chris
O'Leary Band,
Vincent Hayes
Project, Tony Rogers,
Rob Blaine's Big
Otis Blues
plus a few surprise guests!
Advance tickets are $30 plus $3 handling. To get YOUR
tickets now
CLICK HEREPLEASE NOTE: *Tickets are General Admission. Doors open at 5:00pm.
Seating is "first come first served". Show sold to SRO (Standing room Only) Get there EARLY for a seat! NO REFUNDS!
Want guaranteed seating right in front of the stage?
Buddy Guy's Legends has limited seating. With our
Mini Sponsorship packages you
can be sitting right in front of the stage to hear performances by
the 2011 Nominees!
Our Mini Sponsor packages begin as low as $250
for two people and include
guaranteed seating, Blues memorabilia "Goodie Bag", limited edition
event poster, limited edition Blues Blast Awards T-shirts and sponsor's name listed in
the souvenir awards program.
Limited number of sponsorships available, first
come first served! For more information
CLICK HERE
Featured Blues Review 3 of
6
 The
Soul Of John Black – Good Thang
10 tracks; 39.53 minutes
John “JB” Bigham is The Soul Of John Black and apart from some support
on backing vocals from Jonell Kennedy and Nikki Costa, keys from Adam
McDougall and drums by Oliver Charles, this is entirely John’s own work.
He wrote all the material (with assistance from Chris Thomas on two
tracks), played all guitar parts and lead vocals and produced the CD. He
even did the CD cover artwork! This is his third CD, the previous one
“Black John” produced something of a ‘hit’ record in “Betty Jean”.
The music is mainly soul and funk with all bass parts being synthesised.
To my personal taste this gives a rather repetitive feel to the music
with tracks such as “Oh That Feeling” outstaying their welcome. John has
a good voice and I preferred a straight soul song like “How Can I”, with
its 70s feel (think Earth, Wind And Fire) to some of the funkier pieces
such as the title track.
There are some traces of the blues in this material. “My Brother” starts
with some nice acoustic guitar in a country blues vein but the track is
overtaken by synthesised bass sounds. “Strawberry Lady” has some well
played acoustic slide and a catchy chorus but the song is quite
repetitive.
I was interested to listen to “New York To LA” as it is subtitled
“inspired by Duke Ellington and I have always been a fan of the Duke.
However, I could not detect the link here on a track with a less
convincing vocal from John who tries to find a higher register for the
song.
I must admit that this is not my sort of music so I am probably not the
best person to review this CD but, for me, the material was not strong
enough and the music too limited to sustain my interest. I am sure that
others will disagree and enjoy The Soul Of John Black.
Reviewer John Mitchell is a blues enthusiast based in the UK. He also
travels to the States most years to see live blues music and is
currently planning his trip to the Blues Blast Awards in October.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
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Blues Society News
|
Send your Blues Society's BIG news or Press Release
to:
You can submit a maximum of 175 words or less in a Text or MS Word document
format.
Triangle Blues Society -
Raleigh, NC
Triangle Blues Society is proud to announce that the 2011 TBS Blues
Challenge will be held on Saturday, October 1, 2011 in downtown
Raleigh, NC at Volume 11 Tavern 658 Maywood Ave. Raleigh, NC. This
is a qualifying event for the Blues Foundation's International Blues
Challenge (IBC)) in Memphis, TN. Winners in the band and solo/duo
categories will be eligible to compete in the IBC (Feb. 1-4, 2012).
The TBS Blues Challenge is a professionally judged competition open
to North Carolina blues acts. For more information and tio download
an application, visit our website at
www.triangleblues.com
Blues Society of Western PA -
Pittsburgh, PA
On October 22 at the Clarion Hotel, 401 Holiday Drive,
Pittsburgh, PA The Blues Society of Western PA presents Blues Goes
Pink- Divas Return Show from 1 pm – 9 pm. $12 to public, $10 to all
blues members from any society. All proceeds to benefit Adagio
Health to provide breast cancer and cervical cancer screenings for
underinsured women in Western PA. For more information visit Blues
Society of Western PA at
www.bswpa.org or call 724-378-8926
The Windy City Blues Society
- Chicago, IL
The Windy City Blues Society is proud to announce the 2011 Chicago
Blues Challenge (CBC). The CBC is a series of musical competitions
that will determine which blues band will represent Chicago and The
Windy City Blues Society at the Blues Foundation’s 2012
International Blues Challenge (IBC) in Memphis, Tennessee. Once
again we will be holding three distinct competitions: Band
Competition, Solo/Duo Competition, and the Youth Showcase. Proceeds
from the CBC events will be used to underwrite the expenses incurred
by the musicians that win the final round of competition and move on
to Beale Street in Memphis, TN.
The Chicago Blues Challenge will be held on Sundays in September and
October culminating in the Finals in November. Venues will be
announced shortly. Applications for performers that wish to
participate in the Chicago Blues Challenge can be found on the Windy
City Blues Society Website -
www.windycityblues.org.
Band Application Deadlines - For September dates applications must
be postmarked by September 19th For October & November dates only,
applications must be postmarked by October 3rd. Solo/Duo & Youth
Showcase Application Deadlines - Applications must be postmarked by
September 30. The Chicago Blues Challenge Finals will be held
Sunday, November 13.
For more information about the Windy City Blues Society and the
Chicago Blues Challenge please visit www.windycityblues.org or visit
our Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter Sites.
San Luis Obispo Blues Society
- San Luis Obispo, CA
Upcoming Events - Ana Popovic headlines the season opener for the
San Luis Obispo Blues Society on Saturday, September 24 at 8:00pm at
the SLO Vets Hall (801 Grand Avenue). The Cadillac Angels open the
show. Tickets are $17 for Blues Society members and $20 for the
general public. All tickets are sold at the door. SLO Dance offers
free dance lessons at 7:30pm. 21 and over, please. For more
information, call 805/541-7930 or visit our website at
www.sloblues.org. The San Luis
Obispo Blues Society presents seven dance concerts a year. Other
upcoming concerts include Sista Monica on October 29 and Kim
Wilson’s Blues All-Stars on December 3.
The Decatur Blues Society
- Decatur, IL
The Decatur Blues Society will hold their annual Blues Challenge on
Sept 24 at the Bourbon Barrel, 1355 N Route 48 in Decatur IL. A band
and a solo/duo acted will be selected to represent Decatur Blues
Society at the International Blues Festival in Memphis Jan 31-Feb 4.
Entry information and entry forms are available at
www.decaturblues.org.
Entries must be postmarked by Sept 10. Contact us at
decaturilblues@yahoo.com
with any questions.
The Prairie
Crossroads Blues Society - Champaign, IL
The Prairie Crossroads Blues Society will be holding its Blues Band
Challenge on Saturday, October 22, 2011. This event will take place
at Memphis on Main, 55 E. Main St., in downtown Champaign. Our
winner will be heading down to Memphis, Tennessee to compete in The
International Blues Challenge in January. If you think your band is
up to the challenge, then you need to enter today! For more
information about this exciting event, please visit our website at
www.prairiecrossroadsblues.org.
The deadline for all bands to enter The Prairie Crossroads Blues
Society Blues Band Challenge is September 20, 2011.
Colorado Blues Society -
Boulder, CO
The Colorado Blues Society’s IBC Finals are coming up.On September 25,
CBS is holding our IBC Band Finals at the Buffalo Rose, in Golden,
CO. Show starts at 2 PM and will include the 8 winners from our
preliminary rounds. On Oct 23 we will hold our Youth Showcase
auditions at the Dickens Opera House in Longmont, CO. Last year our
S/D winners, Big Jim Adam and John Stilwagen made the Finals in
Memphis while our Band entry, the Lionel Young Band, WON the Band
Finals in Memphis. The CBS' entry was the Solo Duo Memphis winner in
2008, and winning BSPCD in 2010, so you can be sure there will be
plenty of talent at all of these great events!
www.coblues.com
Illinois Central Blues Club -
Springfield, IL
The Illinois Central Blues Club presents "Blue Monday" every Monday
night for the last 25 years - BLUE MONDAY SHOWS - Held at the Alamo
115 N 5th St, Springfield, IL (217) 523-1455 every Monday 8:30pm $3
cover. Sept 26 – The Sugar
Prophets, Oct. 3 – Blues Deacons, Oct. 10 – Too Slim & The
Taildraggers, Oct. 17 – Southside Jonny & Kicked to the Curb, Oct 24
– Bruce Katz, Oct. 31 – Studebaker John and the Hawks. icbluesclub.org
The Friends Of The Blues - Watseka, IL
2011 Friends of the Blues shows - September 29, Vincent Hayes Project,
7 pm, Bradley Bourbonnais Sportsmen’s Club, October 11, Too Slim &
the Taildraggers, 7 pm, Kankakee Valley Boat Club, Friday, October
28, The Reba Russell Band, 8 pm, Kankakee Valley Boat Club,November
10, Ivas John Band, 7 pm, Venue TBA, December 1, Dave Herrero, 7 pm,
Kankakee Valley Boat Club. For more info see:
http://www.wazfest.com/JW.html
West Virginia Blues Society
- Charleston, WV
The West Virginia Blues Society will be holding it's 5th. Annual
Appalachian Blues Competition Oct. 22, 2011. The Blues Society will
be sending two acts to Memphis, Tn. for the International Blues
Challenge, Band Div. and Solo/Duo Div. If, you think your Act is
ready to take the next step, then, this IS the competition to enter
! For Application and Rules contact Competition Director Jack Rice
at, bkravenhawk@hotmail.com
or 304-389-1439.
Competition will be held at: The Sound Factory 812 Kanawha Blvd E,
Charleston, WV 25301-2807 · 1 (304) 342-8001 Stay tuned for
more info at,
www.wvbluessociety.org
Cascade Blues Association
- Portland, Oregon
The Cascade Blues Association, in celebration of their 25th
anniversary, have released a compilation CD titled Puddletown
Blues, Vol.1 that features selections from a dozen blues artists
from the state of Oregon, or with ties to the state.
Most of the tracks are from live performances and only one has
previously been released before. Artists included in this collection
are Billy D & The Hoodoos, Boogie Bone, Duffy Bishop, Fiona Boyes,
Hawkeye Herman, Kevin Selfe & The Tornadoes, Lisa Mann & Her Really
Good Band, Paul deLay, Robbie Laws, The Strange Tones, Terry Robb,
Ty Curtis Band and Woodbrain. This CD can be purchased on-line at
www.cascadeblues.org.
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Featured Blues Review 4 of
6
 Douglas
Watson R&B Revue - Broken Hearted Man
WILT
Music
Time-25:52
Wow! The
first thing you notice is that big booming textured VOICE. Think a
bigger-voiced and bluesy Lou Rawls. Being raised in Chicago by blues
pianist “Lovie Lee” Watson and wife has paid off big time for prodigal
son Douglas Watson. He grew up listening to his father practice with
Muddy Waters at their house. At different times the elder Watson also
accompanied Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker and B.B. King. Douglas himself
played sessions with Koko Taylor, Albert Collins, Lonnie Brooks and
others, as well as being a member of A.C. Reed And the Sparkplugs. Now
working out of Canada, Douglas and band do themselves proud on this
mini-cd.
I guess
quality beats quantity, but being so talented I’m sure they could have
rustled up four more tunes. Well for now, I’m happy just being
introduced to this talented singer and his crack band. Douglas also
doubles as a serviceable bass player. Producer Pat Temple supplies a
tasty harmonica and Chris Latta is an all-around guitar player. Maciej
Lukasiewicz energizes the songs with his powerhouse drumming. Special
guests flesh out the sound with organ, sax and background vocals.
The title
track kicks in with harmonica and the sax of John MacMurchy in tandem,
negotiating through every tight turn. Then hear comes that voice,
followed by a ripping guitar solo courtesy of Chris Latta. Harmonica
takes the horn part on a riveting version of “Ain’t Nothing You Can Do”,
here called “When You Got a Heartache”, usually associated with Bobby
“Blue” Bland and Van Morrison. Douglas’ voice goes from a rasp to the
deep bottom in the course of the song like a soulful dive-bomber. Watson
original “The Best Way I Can” is funky all over with swagger in his
“proud peacock’ vocal. Some sexy sax cements the deal. Cool slow soul
territory is explored in “Let’s Straighten It Out” replete with organ,
sax and harp and another biting guitar solo.
Do we need
another cover of Z.Z. Hill’s blues standard “Down Home Blues”? The
answer would be yes in this case, if you are partial to spot-on vocals,
guitar and the harp-sax section revisited. The short journey winds up
with another slow soul-burner. “Please Don’t Let Our Good Thing End”
gets uplifted by churchy organ and a John MacMurchy sax solo and
over-dubbed sax section.
The band
readily handles blues, R&B and soul music with professional ease on this
satisfying effort. I think Oliver Twist would back me up in saying:
“Please, sir, I want some more”.
Reviewer Greg
“Bluesdog” Szalony hails from the New Jersey Delta. He is the proprietor
of Bluesdog’s Doghouse at
http://bluesdog61.multiply.com.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
|
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Hey Blues Fans,
For those of you who are planning to come to Chicago for the Blues Blast
Music Awards at Buddy Guy's Legends in October, we have some good news.
We have negotiated a block of 50 rooms at a discount rate of only $139.
Our official hotel for the awards is the Essex Inn located just around
the corner from Legends. This block is available until September 30th,
2011.
It is a nice hotel within walking distance.
Hurry though because there are only 50 rooms guaranteed at this rate. Get your
reservation before they are gone.
To book your rooms now
CLICK HERE or call 800 621-6909
and ask for the Blues Blast Magazine discount rate.
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Featured Blues Review 5 of
6
 Matt
Schofield - Anything But Time
Nugene Records
10 tracks/49:59
Some months ago, a good friend of mine was raving about an exciting new
guitar player that he had discovered. This friend loaned me a couple of
cds to listen to so that I too could be enthralled by this latest
discovery. After listening to a live recording from 2007, I wrote off
Matt Schofield as another in a long line of guitar players who need to
fill up every inch of space with the sound of their guitar. Schofield
and organist Johnny Henderson took lengthy solos throughout the disc and
while they are great players, they failed to hold my interest.
What a difference a few years make!! Schofield’s latest studio recording
finds his musical vision honed to a laser-sharp edge, undoubtedly helped
by having Grammy Award winning John Porter on board as the producer.
There is still plenty of Schofield’s fine guitar work, which earned him
the awards for Guitarist of the Year and Album of the Year for his
Heads Tails & Aces release at the 2010 British Blues Awards. His
crack band – Henderson on Hammond B-3 organ, bass keys and electric
piano with Kevin Hayes on drums – provides all the support that the
leader needs. The project was recorded at the Music Shed studio in New
Orleans and features the great Jon Cleary on keyboards for three tunes.
The title track opens the disc with Schofield musing on how when all
things are considered, time is the only thing of real value in life. It
is one of eight songs Schofield composed with his writing partner,
Dorothy Whittick. “Shipwrecked” sports a bouncy rhythm behind the
leader’s ardent vocal and fiery guitar work. Schofield pays homage to
the Jimi Hendrix guitar style on the ballad “Dreaming of You”. The band
slips into a funky groove on “One Look (And I’m Hooked)”, with Cleary on
clavinet and Schofield dropping his voice down into the baritone range.
Cleary switches to piano on the shuffle “Don’t Know What I’d Do”,
plunking away while Schofield turns in another blazing solo. “Share Our
Smile Again” is a contemporary love song that hits home due to
Schofield’s convincing vocal and ringing guitar chords.
The band builds a smoldering layer of tension on “See Me Through” until
Schofield cuts through it with a burst of fleet-fingered playing. He is
equally convincing on another slow blues, “Where Do I Have To Stand”
with his spirited singing and fluid guitar lines a high point on the
disc. Schofield covers “At Times We Do Forgot”, a Steve Winwood tune
that makes it clear that he is equally adept in a rock music vein. On
“Wrapped Up In Love”, Schofield bends and squeezes taut phrases out of
his guitar strings in tribute to Albert King.
This very impressive project should garner Schofield a wider audience
both in the US and around the world. It is a masterful effort that
highlights Schofield’s many talents and the impressive contributions of
his road-tested band. It also shows that Schofield may have what it
takes to appeal to listeners beyond the blues genre. This one is highly
recommended!
Reviewer
Mark
Thompson is president of the
Crossroads Blues
Society in Rockford. IL. He has been listening to music of all kinds
for fifty years. The first concert he attended was in Chicago with The
Mothers of Invention and Cream. Life has never been the same.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
|
Featured Blues Review 6 of
6
 Bobby
Jones - You Ain’t Got No Proof
Desest Sounds Records
12 tracks
Most of you have lately heard Bobby Jones and his great work with the
Mannish Boys over at Delta Groove. What we have here is the Southern
soul singer returning to his roots. This is a smooth and suave set of
tunes, done in a sort of sexy, juiced up, R-rated way. Bobby gets it on,
wants to, or talks about how he used get in on in most of these cuts
that get into relationships, both good and bad. There is a South meets
North sound to the CD, with a lot of retro Philly and Detroit R&B and
soul sound to it. It is not the blues he’s released with Delta Groove
here- this is soul music done by a guy who has his funk, feeling and
groove on.
The lyrics range from getting a restraining order from his sister who
ran away with his wife, being conned by a hooker whom he thought just
had the hots for him, and the title track where he boldly states his
woman ain’t got know proof that he’s been cheatin’ on her. These are
deep, soulful, fun songs, done up by a man who seems to have been there
and done that.
The title track opens the CD and it is a funky an grooving song that
also gets reprised as an instrumental (with only female background
vocals on the response lines). It’s a great cut; the instrumental could
have been left out, but the title track really sets the table for a fine
soul CD. He sings and coos about how “This Is Your Night” where it’s his
woman’s birthday and how he’s gonna treat her right. “Little Sally
Walker” is the track about his “friend” that costs him $200; even though
he was conned he seemed to think she was worth it. He gets down and
bemoans the end of a relationship in “Stick a Fork in Me”; every track
here drips collard greens, corn bread and Southern soul done up with a
little bit of that Nawthun and brassy sound. “Wife and Sister” closes
the CD, and one has to wonder what the source for this one was. His
sister and wife are lovers who run off to Georgia, get a restraining
order against him.
From top to bottom this is not a CD for the family, but it is grown up,
cool, fun and interesting. Bobby’s a great artist- he lays down track
after track of original tunes that were sometimes sad, sometimes a
little funny, and sometimes both. His singing is smooth and he makes you
believe and feel what he feels. Blues fans who are soul music lovers
will eat this CD up. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Reviewer
Steve Jones is secretary of the
Crossroads Blues
Society and is a long standing blues lover. He is a retired Navy
commander who served his entire career in nuclear submarines. In
addition to working in his civilian career, he writes for and publishes
the bi-monthly newsletter for Crossroads, chairs their music festival
and work with their Blues In The Schools program.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
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Live Blues Calendar
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