Cover photo by Bob Kieser© 2012 Blues Blast Magazine
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In This Issue
We have the latest in Blues Society news
from around the globe. Terry Mullins has our feature interview with Lady
Bianca. Michael Kurgansky has a photo essay from the Gloucester Blues
Festival.
We have six music reviews for you! Greg “Bluesdog” Szalony reviews a new
release from Steve Strongman. Ian McKenzie reviews a new release from Hans
Theessink and Terry Evans. Rex Bartholomew reviews a new CD from The Bare
Bones Boogie Band. Rainey Wetnight reviews a new release from Julian
Sas.
Steve Jones reviews a new
album from Soulstack. John Mitchell reviews a new CD from Jeff
Pitchell. All this and MORE! SCROLL DOWN!!!
Blues Blast Music Award Voting
Ends August 31st
There is one day left
for all Blues Blast fans to vote in the
2012 Blues
Blast Music Awards. Voting ends at midnight on Friday August 31,
2012
Don't miss your chance to
support your favorite Blues performers.
To vote now
CLICK HERE. The voting results will
be announced in early September.
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Featured Blues Interview - Lady
Bianca
 One
would be hard-pressed to come up with a pair of more eccentric musicians
than Frank Zappa and Sly Stone.
Famous for creating, and then occupying, their very own sections of the
sonic universe, Zappa and Stone were a couple of cats cut from way
different fabric than most others.
Although it may be hard to decipher at times, their music was really
built on blues and R&B.
Both Zappa and Stone were highly-influenced by blues artists – artists
like Guitar Slim in Zappa’s case and Bobby Womack and Johnnie Taylor in
Stone’s.
Another bit of unified binding between Frank Zappa and Sly Stone –
besides their often misunderstood public images?
In the 1970s, both Zappa’s and Stone’s touring bands included the
magnificent Lady Bianca (Thornton) as pianist and backup singer.
While Lady Bianca’s background in gospel music may seem to be a strange
fit into the stage shows of such a flamboyant pair, the truth is, it
actually fits quite nicely.
“Sly’s from the gospel church – the sanctified church – and his music
always had that overtone to it. When he was young, him and his brother
and sisters used to play gospel music in the Church of God in Christ,”
Bianca said. “He might have been making funky, soulful rock music, but
there was always a lot of church in it, too. He was just really
creative. I may not have got to sing with him at the height of his
success, but I did get at least get to.”
Even though Bianca’s stint with Zappa in 1976 was a brief one (just a
month), she took with her several year’s worth of knowledge and
experience from her time with FZ (Editor’s note: A live recording titled
Philly ’76 highlight’s Bianca’s presence in the band and features some
impressive lead vocals from her on “Advance Romance” and “Over-Nite
Sensation”).
“Frank showed me how to get my business straight. He showed me how to go
about getting your own sound,” she said. “He also showed me the
importance of writing your own material. Zappa was always writing, all
the time. He was a very intense person. Frank was really into doo-wop
and all the old black music. I’m so thankful for my experience with him,
because it gave me some much-needed confidence; confidence to go out and
to just be able to sing and not hold anything back.”
That confidence is bursting at the seams – from the title to the songs
-on Servin’ Notice, Lady Bianca’s latest album.
On it, she doesn’t hold anything back and judging by the way that blues
fans have been responding to the disc since it hit the streets back in
January - notice has indeed been served.
 “The
reaction has been good – it’s really the best production we’ve ever
done,” she said. “And as a result of that, sales of our other CDs have
picked up, too. It’s helped put a renewed interest on all of our work.”
Bianca’s gospel roots are never too far away from headline status in her
tunes, but there’s also liberal amounts of funk and southern soul, along
with jazz and a hint of country and of course, the good ole’ blues. Good
luck to being able to just sit quietly and listen to Lady Bianca. Her
music requires one’s body to move along to it.
Instead of trying to fit her style into any particular box or mold it
into any kind of certain form, Bianca just opens up and what comes out
is … well … just what comes out.
“I think it’s natural, because it’s really in my fabric. From classical
to country music to gospel … to learning the blues and southern soul …
it’s all just part of who I am and what I do. It just all mixes together
naturally,” she said. “It’s just me.”
For those not familiar with the Bay Area Blues Society’s Hall of Famer’s
past works, Servin’ Notice should serve as an excellent vehicle to get
them up to speed.
That being the case, the CD is titled just right.
“My husband named it that. He said, ‘You’re here to stay and you’re
servin’ notice that you’re doin’ your own thing,” she said. “It’s like -
here I am.”
In addition to coming up with the name to her newest CD - and being
married to her - Lady Bianca’s husband, Stanley Lippitt, is also a noted
producer and prolific songwriter.
So when it comes time to get down to business and craft a new batch of
tunes, Bianca basically has to go no farther than her own living room in
order to get started.
“That’s real cool. He was my (writing) partner at first and I grew into
the spouse thing a few years after that,” she said. “We have really
grown and gotten stronger as a (writing) team since we first started
working together. I’m from more of the West Coast blues thing, but my
husband is definitely a Stax man and into the Malaco sound. I’m a
Midwest girl from Kansas City and he’s from Georgia, so we call it a
caviar and cotton kind of blend. Although now, I’m more collard greens
and he’s more caviar, but that combination works real well for us. It’s
just like the difference of having a band that’s played together one
year as opposed to one that’s played together for 20 years. The longer
you’re together, the stronger and better you get.”
The first tune the pair created was one that was fittingly called
“Passion” – a song that actually moved them to tears during its
creation. And five albums and hundreds of songs later, just like a fine
wine, the husband and wife song-writing team of Lady Bianca and Stanley
Lippitt manages to keep getting better with age.
 “We’ve
both been through some things – just the trials of life –like raising
your children and then having grand-children and seeing other people
leave this world,” said Bianca. “Those things make you stronger as a
person and if you can channel those things the right way, they can make
you a stronger song-writer, also. I usually write most of my music in
the morning, but he writes all the time. He writes all the lyrics. He’s
just a fantastic writer.”
Over the years since she hit the stage as a 17-year-old backup singer
for San Francisco bluesman Quinn Harris (he gave her the “Lady Bianca”
name), Bianca has found out just what it takes to bring a song to life,
turning it from mere words on a piece of paper to something that sticks
in people’s heads days after their initial time of hearing it.
“It’s all about being truthful and being able to make things make sense.
These songs have to be truthful – they have to have a reason – and they
have to make sense, both to the writer and to the people listening to
them,” she said. “It has to be something that people can identify with.
Even if you’re just doing a dance song, it has to be something that
people can identify with.”
“I want you to feel the music. I don’t want you to just go and watch the
show and hear the songs; I want you to feel them. You can hear the
saddest song in the world, but yet still feel good about it. That’s the
power of music. I want that power to uplift and to have a positive
impact on the people that I play for.”
More than just an inspirational vocalist and talented song-writer,
Bianca, who was born in Kansas City and moved to San Francisco when she
was 4, is also a gifted pianist.
“Well, basically, I’ve been playing at the piano since I was about
4-years-old. And when I was about 8 or 9, I used to love to hear Aretha
Franklin play. She influenced me and Ray Charles influenced me on the
piano,” she said. “And I don’t know about myself, but other people tell
me that I have that kind of vibe on the piano. But I never really took
piano lessons; I always just played by ear.”
Like Franklin and Charles, Bianca discovered that she had the ability to
sing independently while playing the piano at the same time, something
that sounds easy, but can be very difficult to pull off.
“It seems like there’s a line from my mouth to my hands – it’s like just
one piece. Sometimes bass players have a hard time following me, because
I’ve developed my own left hand and I can hear in my mind where I want
the bass to go,” Bianca said. “The only one (bass player) that can
really match and keep up with me is my son. He’s on most of my albums.”
As a teen, Bianca earned a scholarship to the world-famous San Francisco
Conservatory of Music and attended for a couple of years, before
deciding that her best opportunity to create her own kind of music did
not fit in with the school’s curriculum.
Try as she might, Bianca just could not help but hear gospel music
coming out of works by classical composers like Bach.
Later on, that ability to hear music outside of its normal box might
have helped Bianca catch the ear of other like-minded artists, such as
Frank Zappa and Sly Stone.
But Zappa and Stone were not the only legendary musicians that Bianca
worked with before starting her own solo career.
She also recorded backup vocals for James Ingram and Taj Mahal and
toured with Van Morrison for several years.
“Van Morison. That’s my boy. He is so funny, but he doesn’t think he is.
He just never smiles, though,” she said. “But on stage, we had a really
good, silent report – just through eye contact,” she said. “And one of
the biggest compliments he ever gave was when he would say to me, ‘Hey,
go out there and sing something by yourself.’ That really meant a lot.
And one of the last things I did with him in 2009 was (Pink Floyd’s)
“Comfortably Numb” at Madison Square Garden and it was really powerful.
It was so powerful that I was asked not to sing it again.”
 While
she may not have been given total free reign to command the concert
spotlight while backing up luminaries like Zappa, Stone and Morrison,
when it came time to head out on her own, Bianca still had the
confidence to grab command of the proceedings, engaging her audience and
taking them along for the ride.
And as anyone who has been in one of Bianca’s audiences can bear witness
to, what happens up on stage is one powerfully, moving experience.
It’s no wonder what Bianca cites as her inspiration for her fiery
performances.
“I think it’s from church. It’s from being in choir. You have to be able
to get up on stage and say, ‘Let me hear an Amen!’ A lot of the gospel
artists back in the day, the only way they could really get you into
their show was if they made you part of the story,” she said. “They
would say, ‘You know I went down to the river the other day to get
baptized … Amen, Amen. How did it make you feel? Did you feel good? …
Amen, Amen. I don’t know about you, but when I was down there, something
got a hold of me … Amen, Amen.’ And when I would watch them, I would get
chill-bumps. They would enlist you into their show; they would put their
audiences at the forefront of what they were doing. And that’s what I
try to do. And hopefully, (at the end of the show) we all go away joyful
and happy.”
Despite the fact that a number of her albums have been self-released, Bianca has still managed to grab the attention of the record industry, something that at time can be akin to pulling a rabbit out of a hat.
That attention has resulted in three Grammy nominations for Best
Contemporary Blues Album.
Even though she has yet to take home one of those golden statues, Bianca
isn’t about to dwell on that.
Matter of fact, she really doesn’t even waste much time thinking about
it.
“I don’t really worry about that. I would love to have a Grammy, but I
may not ever get one. And that’s OK,” she said. “My thing is about
loving music and loving what I’m doing and trying to keep it going and
growing. That’s what it’s all about. I want this music to never die.”
Visit Lady Bianca's website at
www.ladybianca.com
Photos by Bob Kieser © 2012 Blues Blast Magazine.
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 Staples 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, Miss., 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
 Steve
Strongman - A Natural Fact
Self
Release
On this,
Canadian Steve Strongman’s first acoustic release, there are elements of
the blues throughout, mostly in his use of instrumentation. There are no
what you could really call blues songs here. He’s a singer-songwriter
much like Keb Mo’, who does the occasional blues song perhaps to give
him street “cred”. That is not to say everything here isn’t well done
and highly listenable. He is a very nimble-fingered acoustic guitarist
and in possession of a strong, clear and pleasant voice. He gets
occasional assistance from piano, upright bass and drums, but this is
basically an acoustic project. All the songs are original with help from
producer Rob Szabo or drummer Dave King at times.
Steve gets
things off to a toe-tapping start with the upbeat and infectious guitar
groove he applies to “Haven’t Seen It Yet”. “The Mood” includes the
first appearance of piano man extraordinaire Jesse O’Brien. Things you
said that you wish you could take back is the subject of “Can’t Go
Back”, which showcases Steve’s fluid slide guitar technique. “Secret”
would be well suited to Lindsey Buckingham. The duet with Suzie Vinnick
on “Leaving” reveals her to have a fine tough-girl voice similar to
Bonnie Bramlett. The tune also treats the listener to more boogie-woogie
piano. Much of the material skirts the styles of Lyle Lovett, Jonathan
Edwards, Chris Smither, David Bromberg and others of that ilk. Lovett
comes to mine in the jaunty goodtime “I Forgot” which has some nice
melodic slide as well as harmonica. “Pop-blues” ala James Taylor shows
up in “Rockin’ Chair Blues”. A finger-picking-slide feast is provided on
“You Do It To Yourself”. “The skip-along quality of “Full Of You” shows
the Jonathan Edwards influence, complete with “Gonna Lay Around The
Shanty And Put A Good Buzz On” harmonica. Harmonica and handclaps are
the sole accompaniment of the gospel-infused closing song “Just One
Thing”.
This all
adds up to one great listen. The combination of great vocals and guitar
technique along with fine arrangements and production values make this a
prime contender for the blues-inflected singer-songwriter arena. With
the right promotion his songs would make a fine addition to any
like-minded radio station’s playlist. Steve’s guitar playing, whether
finger-picking or slide propels the songs along giving a bluesy-feel
throughout. The piano skills of Jesse O’Brien are an extra bonus,
although he only makes an appearance on less than half of the tracks.
The rhythm section always provides a good foundation. Give this record a
try and you’ll find much to like here.
Reviewer Greg “Bluesdog” Szalony hails from the New Jersey Delta.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
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Live Blues Review -
2012 Gloucester Blues Festival
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The first
annual (hopefully) Gloucester, Massachusetts Blues Festival was held on
August 11, 2012 at Stage Fort Park, a beautiful location by the
waterfront.
Paul
Benjamin and Bob Hastings, who also produce the the North Atlantic Blues
festival in Rockland, Maine, gathered a variety of musicians from
Massachusetts, Chicago, New Orleans and Houston to entertain at the one
day inaugural event.
Starting
off the show was local favorite and former New Orleans resident, Henry
Smith. Displaced by Hurricane Katrina, Smith's New Orleans flavored
repertoire included blues, jazz, cajun-zydeco, funk, Caribbean and
swing. Henry and his band lit a spark in the audience and had people
dancing despite the hot and steamy day.
 
Dikki Du
(Troy Carrier) and the Zydeco Krewe kept the New Orleans groove going
with a set of funky and hard driving Zydeco music, which kept the
audience dancing.
 
Next up was
Chicago blues master, Eddie Shaw and his Wolf Gang. Backed up by his
son, Eddie Vaan Shaw, Jr. on his three neck guitar, long time bass
player Lafyette "Shorty" Gilbert and Tim Taylor on drums, Eddie
presented a driving set of traditional Chicago blues and original songs.
Eddie, Jr. proved that he is one of today's best Chicago blues
guitarists. And, of course Eddie with his blazing sax, harmonica and
vocals showed New England why he's one of Chicago's blues legends.
 
Lucky
Peterson, a child blues prodigy, has grown into a blues veteran and
master on guitar and keyboard. His enthusiasm was particularly evident
as he walked through the audience for a long stretch, playing guitar and
interacting with his fans. Then he introduced his beautiful and talented
wife (and saviour) Tamara, and ceded the vocals to her, as she belted
out some soulful, funky R & B, and blues. It's a match made in heaven.
 
The
multi-talented Kenny Neal brought the audience back to Louisiana, with
his Crescent City tinged flavor of blues. Kenny, with his infectious,
constant smile, and talents on guitar, vocals, harmonica, lap guitar and
song writing has to be one of the most gifted artists on the blues
scene. His enthusiasm for the music brought Eddie Shaw on sax and Dikki
Du on accordion back to the stage towards the end of his set and they
all had the audience on their feet.
  
Shemekia
Copeland closed the day at the Festival. This young lady knows how to
belt out the blues with much soul and feeling, but also has spread her
wings in other musical directions with the same intensity and passion.
   
This was a
small, "good vibe", relaxed festival in a beautiful location with
excellent local food vendors. Musicians browsed the vendors and mingled
with the audience. Eddie Shaw sat in the audience throughout the show
enjoying Lucky, Kenny and Shemekia, as well as a delicious looking ice
cream sundae his son brought him.
Hopefully
the town of Gloucester will invite Paul Benjamin and Bob Hastings back
to host the second annual Gloucester Blues Festival in 2013.
Reviewer Michael Kurgansky is a Blues fan and
professional photographer. Visit his website at:
www.kurgansky.com.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
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Featured Blues Review 2 of 6
 Hans
Theessink and Terry Evans – Delta Time
Blue
Groove - Also on Vinyl: BG2210
Ten
Tracks 56:29
The making
of Delta Time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO7B6TPWLZk&feature=youtube
This is the
second album to feature the combined talents of Theessink and Evans (the
first was Visions:2008). Hans Theessink who hails from Holland, tours
relentlessly throughout Europe, there, bringing into his audiences his
consummate acoustic guitar playing and his stunning voice. Terry Evans
comes from Vicksburg, Mississippi. He comes from a gospel heritage but
his singing and guitar player in are infused with blues. Unlike Mr.
Thessinck, who has a deep bass baritone voice, Mr Evans, despite his
wide range, tends to stick in the tenor register and the result is a
beautiful fusion of two complimentary human voices producing the sounds
of musical magic.
As if
that’s not enough, on this CD the music is enhanced by contributions
from Ry Cooder who offers some phenomenal trademark guitar sounds while
Terry’s singing colleagues, Willie Greene Jr. and Arnold McCuller add
some gospel-blues drenched vocals. The latter inclusion is on an
excellent version Mississippi, and the title track Delta Time (as well
as a couple of other tracks) with some fabulous close harmony sounds. On
the CD too, is a new version of The Birds And The Bees, a jolly little
song, on the original recording of which, made 50 years ago, Terry was a
principal vocalist.
In a
fascinating aside, Theessink describes the gear brought to the studio by
Ry Cooder and looking as though it had just come from a garage sale –
nothing under 40 years old!
Delta time
was recorded in Los Angeles and simply beautifully recorded with
exemplary musicianship. It is an audiophile recording, and has a beauty
that is impossible to convey in words. Unless you are ‘nothing but
blues-rock, person, this is one you should give a listen to. If you are
an acoustic guitar and close harmony person, it is a MUST!
Reviewer Ian McKenzie is English and is the editor of Blues In The
South, [http://www.bluesinthesouth.com]
a monthly blues information publication. He is the producer/ host of two
blues radio shows Blues Before Midnight on KCOR (Kansas City Online
Radio: www.kconlineradio.com)
Fridays; and Wednesday's Even Worse on Phonic FM (www.phonic.fm)
alternate Wednesdays.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
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Featured Blues Review 3 of 6
 Bare
Bones Boogie Band – “Blue CD”
Self Release
10 tracks / 48:46
I have the good fortune to listen to blues CDs from all over the world,
and this week I had the pleasure of hearing the latest release from
London’s Bare Bones Boogie Band. And true to their name, this foursome
plays a stripped-down no-nonsense power blues that is held together by
their prodigious talent. Vocalist Helen Turner has worked with guitarist
(and fellow Scot) Iain Black since 1990, and Trev Turley from Birmingham
joined them on bass in 2003. The Bare Bones Boogie Band came together as
a whole in 2008 when Andy Jones, a drummer from Manchester, came into
the fold. In 2010 they gave us their well-reviewed eponymous debut CD
and supported it with endless touring.
This is a review of their second CD, which is also self-titled, but it
is being called the Blue CD because the logo is blue, differentiating it
from their first release that had a red logo. In their catalog they
refer to it as “BBBBCD2.” The Blue CD sounds a bit better, doesn’t it?
This album includes ten tracks: eight of which were written by Black,
one from Andy Jones, and a touching cover of Robert Johnson's "Love In
Vain.” You will find that all of the touring they did has been put to
good use, as all four members of the band are in top form for this
project.
“Fallin’ for Foolin’” is the first track on this release, and the
listener will find that although these four folks came from different
parts of the UK, there is no Scottish or English accent or tone to the
music, it is just the blues. This is a long and slow song for an opener
(almost seven minutes), but it is cleverly-written and well-produced
with up front guitar, drums and bass and of course Helen Turner’s
vocals. Everybody has a chance to show what they can do on this track,
and Helen really stands out: her vocal style is brilliant and shows that
she has learned a lot about her craft over the past few decades.
The next two tracks “Midnight O2” and “Sittin’ Here Sewin’” evoke a
1970s blues/rock mood with round and lively bass lines and fat guitar
over the tight drumming of Jones. But there is plenty of variety to be
found on this album as it segues into a lovely ballad, “Mean Old Man,”
which is not a conventional love story. This song shows tremendous
restraint on the part of all that were involved, and there is just
enough of a contribution from everybody to assemble a really good song,
which is a sign of how this band has matured.
One of my favorite tracks on this release is “Wings” which is a fabulous
showcase of Helen Turner’s vocal range and the soul she puts into the
music. These same qualities carry over to “Love in Vain” which was
written by Robert Johnson, but made famous for us mainstream folks by
the Rolling Stones. Her sweet voice helps the Bare Bones Boogie Band
make this version their own. It appears that there is no shortage of
soulful blues ballads on this album, which is a good thing in my book.
After a couple of more blues rock tunes (“A Little Bit More” and
“Travellin’ Light”), the band chose to close out the album with the end
of the album with “My Man Loves my Van.” This is a fun beer joint 8-bar
blues song that shows that the band does not feel like they have to take
themselves too seriously. This is a fabulous quality in any band, if you
ask me.
The Bare Bones Boogie Band have avoided the sophomore jinx with this CD,
and I have to say that I think this work outshines their debut album in
every way (by the way, I really like the Red CD). The whole production
sounds more full and rich, and each of the artists have grown and
improved on their performances since we last heard from them. This is
helped along by the fact that the songwriting is much more consistent
throughout this release. This is a great CD, and I highly recommend that
you check it out when you get a chance.
Reviewer Rex Bartholomew is a Los Angeles-based writer and musician; his
blog can be found at
rexbass.blogspot.com.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
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Blues Society News
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Send your Blues Society's BIG news or Press
Release
about your
not-for-profit event with
the subject line "Blues Society News" to:
Maximum of 175 words in a Text or MS Word document
format.
DC Blues Society - Washington,
D.C.
The 24th Annual DC Blues Festival, is Saturday, September 1, Noon -
7:30 pm Carter Barron Amphitheatre, 16th St. & Colorado Ave. NW,
Washington, DC 20011. ADMISSION IS FREE!
Lineup: Sista Monica Parker, Sugar Ray & the Bluetones, Lionel Young
Band, Clarence "The Blues Man" Turner, DC Blues Society Band with
Ayaba Bey. Family-friendly fun with music workshops, instrument
petting zoo & ample free parking.
Also the After-Party features Lionel Young Band, 8:30 PM - Midnight
American Legion Post 41, 905 Sligo Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910.
(Entrance on Fenton St. near parking lot). Advance Tickets: Members
$12, Non-Members $15 Door: Members $15, Non-Members $17. Purchase
on-line: www.dcblues.org
or call 301-322-4808
Need More Blues? Come to the FREE First Sunday of the month Blues
Jam Sunday, September 2, 4:00 - 8:00 pm. American Legion Post 41,
905 Sligo Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910 Blues fans, dancers &
musicians of all skill levels are welcomed for a guaranteed great
time! DC Blues Society: Celebrating the Blues for 25 years in
DC-MD-VA! Info: www.dcblues.org
Mississippi Valley Blues Society -
Davenport, IA
The Mississippi Valley Blues Society will be presenting blues
guitarist/singer/songwriter Debbie Davies at The Muddy Waters, 1708
State Street, Bettendorf, IA, on Friday, September 7 at 9:00 p.m.
Admission is $12 for members of the Mississippi Valley Blues Society
or $15 for non-members. Coupons for $5 off the cost of admission
will be available at the East West Riverfest Opening Ceremony held
from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the RiverCenter, 136 East 3rd
Street, Davenport, IA.
Also as part of the East West Riverfest, the Mississippi Valley
presents Studebaker John and the Hawks on Sunday, September 16, at
5:30 at Martinis on the Rock ((34th Street and Blackhawk Road, Rock
Island).Admission is $5 for members of the Mississippi Valley Blues
Society or $8 for non-members (membership applications will be
available at the door), or FREE for all participants in the
September 16 Bikes and Blues Fun Run.
September 16 is the last chance to participate in the 2012 Bikes and
Blues Fun Run presented by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society. The
Fun Run will start at Ducky's Lagoon (Andalusia, IL) and wrap up at
Martini's on the Rock (Rock Island, IL) with stops at Buelahs (New
Boston, IL), The Pub (Oquawka, IL), and Beer Belly's (Aledo, IL) in
between. Cost is $5 per rider entry and will include admission to
see Studebaker John and the Hawks at Martinis. Entry to Fun Run
starts with check-in between 10:30 am - noon (last bike out at noon)
at Ducky's Lagoon in Andalusia, IL. Last bike must be in at 5:00
p.m. at Martini's on the Rock in Rock Island, IL to be eligible for
card drawings and door prizes. All vehicles welcome! For more
information on events presented by the The Mississippi Valley Blues
Society visit: www.mvbs.org ; or
email mvbs@mvbs.org .
West Virginia Blues Society
- Charleston, W.V.
The West Virginia Blues Society will hold its Sixth Annual Blues
Competition on October 13, 2012 at The Sound Factory, 812 Kanawha
Blvd. Charleston, WV 25301. Blues bands, solo/duo and a Youth
Division blues acts will compete for cash prizes and WVBS
sponsorship to the Blues Foundation‟s International Blues Challenge
held in Memphis, Tennessee. Jan. 29 - Feb 2 - Jan 2013.
CONTACT PERSON FOR COMPETITION PARTICIPANTS: Complete information, application & rules are available online at www.wvbluessociety.org . Deadline for application submission is September 21, 2012. For more information contact Competition Director, Mike Price at 304-389-5535 or e-mail: utauka@hotmail.com or Jack Rice at bkravenhawk@gmail.com.
Decatur Blues Society -
Decatur, IL
Decatur Blues Society will hold their annual "Road to Memphis" blues
challenge on Sept 22, 2012. Open to both band and solo/duo. Winning
band and winning solo/duo will represent the Decatur Blues Society
in the International Blues Challenge held in Memphis in Jan 2013.
Entry forms and complete info can be found at
www.decaturblues.org.
Minnesota Blues Society - St.
Paul, MN
The Minnesota Blues Society presents 2012 Minnesota Hall of Fame
inductees. MnBS
would like to congratulate this years' honorees: Big Walter Smith,
"Blues Performer"; James Samuel "Cornbread" Harris, Sr., "Blues
Legend"; Dan Schwalbe, "Blues Sideman"; Electric Fetus, "Supportive
of the Blues (non-performer)"; Cyn Collins, "West Bank Boogie",
"Blues Art and Literature"; Lamont Cranston, "Tiger in your Tank",
"Blues Recording"; Will Donicht, "Blues on the Bank", "Blues
Song".
2012 Minnesota Hall of Fame event will be held, Sun, Oct 14,
Wilebski's Blues Saloon, St. Paul. Mn details to follow @
www.mnbs.org
Long Island Blues Society -
Centereach, NY
9/16/12 Long Island Blues Talent Competition (LIBTC) to select a
representative for IBC. $10 donation to help defray winners expenses
in Memphis. Location TBA. Now accepting applications for Band,
Solo/Duo categories. Requirements on website
www.liblues.org
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 8:00pm $3
cover. • 8/27/2012 -
Dennis Gruenling • 9/3/2012
- Eric Guitar Davis • 9/24/2012 - The 44s • 10/1/2012 - Levee Town •
10/8/2012 - Rich Fabec 10/15/2012 -
Jason Elmore. Other ICBC
sponsored events at the K of C Hall, Casey’s Pub, 2200 Meadowbrook
Rd., Springfield, IL from 7:30pm - Midnight - Jun 30 – Matt Hill . icbluesclub.org
The Friends Of The Blues - Watseka,
IL
Friends of the Blues present 2012 shows:
Thur, Sept 6, Ivas John Band, 7 pm, Kankakee River North Restaurant Tues, Sept 18, Smilin’ Bobby, 7 pm, Moose Lodge, Bradley IL Thur, Sept 27, Jerry Lee & Juju Kings, 7 pm, Kankakee River North Restaurant Tentative Tues, Oct 9, Too Slim & Taildraggers, 7 pm, Kankakee Valley Boat Club Thurs, Oct 18, Morry Sochat & The Special 20s, 7 pm, Kankakee Valley Boat Club Thur, Nov 1, Steve “The Harp” Blues Band, 7 pm, venue TBA Thur, Nov 8, Eddie Turner, 7 pm, Bradley Bourbonnais Sportsmen’s Club
For more info check out
www.facebook.com/friendsoftheblues or contact
jawalker4@yahoo.com
|
Featured
Blues Review 4 of 6
 Julian
Sas - Bound to Roll
Cavalier
Recordings
13
songs; 53:15 minutes
Styles:
Southern Rock and Blues Rock
Southern
and blues rocker Julian Sas sends greetings from his native Netherlands,
along with his eighth studio album, “Bound to Roll”! Although relatively
unknown in the U.S., he, bassist Tenny Tahamata, and drummer Rob Heijne
have gained a fanatical following. One of Julian’s finest feats was
headlining the Fehmarn Festival in Germany, a Woodstock equivalent
dedicated to Jimi Hendrix. He also earned top billing at the annual Rory
Gallagher Tribute Festival in Ireland. For American rock and blues fans,
“Bound to Roll” offers nine Sas(sy) originals and three rip-roaring
covers. The most discriminating genre connoisseurs may say this album
brings Lynyrd Skynyrd far more to mind than Willie Dixon or Robert
Johnson. However, here are three selections that are guaranteed to
attract the notice of even the most zealous blues zealots:
Tracks 01
and 13: “Life on the Line” and its “Radio Edit”-- Essentially, these two
songs are one, so they shall be mentioned as such. “Life on the Line” is
the purest blues track on “Bound to Roll,” not just in tone and rhythm,
but lyrically as well. “Someday the world gonna see everything I did for
you,” Julian warns. “I laid my life on the line--was it good enough for
you? NO!” His fiery electric solo in the middle, backed by Tahamata’s
down-and-dirty bass, will make listeners lay their attention on the line
for sure!
Track 06:
“Swamplands”-- The title of this gritty stomp refers to the present
abode of a fugitive: “Way back down in the swamplands, I keep on running
from the law. I’m crying out for mercy--you don’t know what I saw! Take
my ride across that river, and please, mama, let me hide. I’m crying out
for mercy--nobody knows what I feel inside….” “Swamplands” is the
perfect counterpoint to movies and songs which glamorize fleeing
justice, because as this ballad’s narrator knows all too well, “it’s a
long way home” for him!
Track 11:
“Ain’t Backing Down”-- Small-town life can be cozy, but in this
magnificent acoustic ballad, Julian Sas proves that it’s not for
everyone. “Don’t try to lie about me,” he admonishes his fellow
residents, “because in your heart, you know I ain’t one to blame. You
live behind these walls so safely, and for me it just ain’t the same.”
The melancholy expressed here is not due to loneliness per se, but
wanderlust--loneliness for the open road.
In the
liner notes to this album, Julian states: “For me this is a very
personal album, and almost every song is about something that happened
in my life.” Whether this album is pure blues or not, it’s “Bound to
Roll” into the CD collections of Southern rock and blues lovers!
Reviewer Rainey Wetnight is a 32 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
|
Featured Blues Review 5 of
6
 Soulstack
- Big Red
Self Released
13 tracks (12 songs)
This is the first release of Soulstack, a Toronto -based band with a
bayou-based sound. Front man Jon Knight sings, plays guitar and co-wrote
all but one song with keyboard player and vocalist Mark Wessenger.
Knight is a great vocalist and holds his own on the guitar, but what
also really impressed me is Wessner on the Wurlitzer and Hammond organs.
Back line mates Tom Bona (vocals and drums) and Josh Knight (vocals and
bass) are also solid throughout. This is a pretty cool band with a
really good sound.
"In My Time of Dyin'" is the only cover, a traditional where Knight
moans and the organ sparkles. Soulful and expressive, with a nice touch
of guitar. They take you to church here, with a really good and
bluesy/gospel sound. The other 11 songs are all brand new and I have no
complaints with any of them- really well done stuff here.
"Stone Cold Man" opens the set and gets the juices flowing nicely with a
driving beat and big sound. More of a rocking funky tune, this is a
great intro to their album and shows us what they can do. "Desperate
Times" takes us down to New Orleans with the big organ, piano and
overall swamp pop sound. "Since You Came Around" is upbeat and more of
the same; "I used to live my life in a minor key" is a cool analogy for
what his love has done for him. "Just A Natural Thing" gives us some
good uptempo music and impressive instrumentals. The closing cut "Miss
Me" is somewhat up beat as it changes gears and uses a gospel influence
sound to drive the song to the end.
"Desperate Times" is a big and more down beat track as is "Skinny Girl";
"In Your Mind" gets even more down and dirty, with more down home slow
blues like in the cover cut. Wessenger does the vocals here and on
another track- he's up to the task, too! He gets way down and dirty.
It''s time for church again with "River of Love ," where organ, slide
and guitar along with Knight's vocals just make you want to get on your
knees and be taken down to the river of love. In "Holy Roller" we find
hear how they will be "your holy roller" and make you "lay your Bible
down;" I don't think he's talking about church services, ladies. A
thoughtful and building instrumental accompanies this on piano, guitar
and organ to take us out to the end of the cut. "Your Only Man" is
another funky one, good licks and the soulful organ again fills this
love song out so well. Acoustic guitar backed by the organ give "Let Me
Be Your Fool" a minimalistic sound; the rest of the band is there, but
their restraint is a nice touch.
These guys are the real deal. This debut recording is a well above
average effort; the guys are soulful, funky and have a great and
together sound. I enjoyed listening to this CD and anyone who likes a
funky blues sound with a really good mix of organ and keyboards on top
of guitar and effective vocals will really get hooked on this CD!
Reviewer
Steve Jones is president 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 since 1996, he writes for and publishes the bi-monthly
newsletter for Crossroads, chairs their music festival and work with
their Blues In The Schools program. He resides in Byron, IL.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
|
Featured Blues Review 6 of
6
 Jeff
Pitchell – American Girl
Vizztone
14 tracks; 49.44 minutes
Jeff Pitchell’s new CD is a mixture of recordings. Some songs were
written for an upcoming movie by James Woods entitled “American Girl”
and find Jeff writing with Jeff Silbar (Wind Beneath My Wings) and Gary
Nicholson (Delbert McClinton); these songs were recorded in Nashville
with David Z producing. Four cuts come from more recent sessions in
Massachussets with Jay Geils producing. The musicians on board for the
recordings is an impressive list: Reese Wynans and Bruce Bears play
keyboards, David Smith and Jesse Williams share bass duties, Marty
Richards and Lynn Williams share the drum stool. A horn section includes
Rich Lataille on alto and tenor, Jim Hogan on baritone, Scott Aruda and
Scott Heff on trumpet and backing vocals come from Bekka Bramlett, Etta
Britt, Nakita Walker and Linda Casey Ransom. Additional rhythm guitar is
by Mike Durham and Jay Geils plays on the four tracks he produced as
well as bringing regular collaborator Gerry Beaudoin along to add a
third lead guitar to an excellent version of “T Bone Shuffle”.
Jeff has a light, clear voice which works well with the material. Opener
“Every Day” sets the standard with catchy refrain, fine guitar and
superb, subtle support from the horns and backing vocalists. “T Bone
Shuffle” always works for me and the Jay Geils produced version here is
a winner. Jeff takes the first solo, Gerry Beaudoin the second in
jazzier vein and Jay takes the third, the horns and the entire band
swinging like mad throughout. “Saturday Night” has a riff that recalls
“I Got Loaded” and the band again swings hard against Jeff’s tough solo.
“Out In The Cold” is a bit rockier with some distorted guitar that
worked less well for me. “I Found Me” is a nice contrast, Jeff’s voice
right up front in a touching love ballad in which Jeff tells us that
when he found his girl he found himself.
The other three Jay Geils tracks then follow, starting with a fine
version of “Homework”. Swirling organ and deep baritone sax underpin the
familiar vocal which Jeff handles excellently and I liked his guitar
solo here which is followed by Jay Geils’. “Hard Drivin’ Man” is a Jay
Geils/Peter Wolf tune and here represents one of the hardest rocking
tunes on the CD. Jeff’s own “Prisoner Of Love” holds its own with these
songs, another rocker with Jay Geils’ slide and powerful backing vocals
propelling the song.
The rest of the album features songs that are presumably intended for
the movie soundtrack. “Step Up” is a great track with impressive horns
and a strong guitar solo. Title track “American Girl” has a strong
chorus over a wah-wah rhythm. “My Jesus” is a slow, moody track while
“Seriously” is quite fun and ‘folky’ with banjo and what sounds like a
kazoo in the mix! Strangely this is the second CD I have reviewed
recently with a song called “Beautifully Broken” – and neither is the
Warren Haynes song! This one is beautiful indeed, a collaboration
between the Jeffs Pitchell and Silbar. Jeff’s voice is set against some
lovely piano, melodic bass and subtle drums. Finally there is a bonus
track entitled “It Comes To Me Naturally” which is terrific, a real ear
worm of a rocker with a catchy chorus, barrelhouse piano solo and a
great band performance. The song is written by Keith Ainsley and tells
us amusingly about being a ‘ladies’ man’!
Overall an impressive CD with plenty to enjoy. Recommended.
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 enjoyed the Tampa Bay Blues Festival in April.
For other reviews and interviews on our website
CLICK HERE
|
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