The Bourbones

Just received an email from The Bourbones from Minneapolis. They are a pretty good band as you can see they played at the Ground Zero club in Mississippi. They have a Myspace page HERE, where you can listen to the band and check out some of their photographs. You know it is tough times out there playing the blues so why don't you give them some love and check out their website and blog! BTW, when checking out their myspace page listen to the song Bad To Be Me. I haven't heard tone like that on a guitar since the fabled Toneking back in the early 90s. I swear it sounds like a vintage Fender Twin Reverb with a telecaster:-)

Georgi And The Rough Week

I got an email tip about a great band in the California area that is doing some neat things. They appeared on Extreme Home Makeover, which is a pretty cool show that helps out people. In this case is was a show where both parents had died and that left 8 kids on their own. Georgi and The Rough Week performed for the show and here is a video of the performance.

Check out this video: ABCs Extreme Makeover - Home Edition - Cadigan-Scott Family



You can also check out their myspace page HERE, which has some great tunes on it. As always feel free to send anything blues my way. I am more than happy to help keep the blues alive by promoting local, regional, or national blues acts.

Wingnut Adams

I don't know who Wingnut Adams is. I have never heard of him, but he has an interesting name. I don't know if he realizes that "Wingnut" is slang for rightwing crazies! Perhaps he is, after all it takes all types. I certainly know a few republican blues performers, but they are few and far between:-) However, there is an interview in the Pine Tree net, which is an online news source for Calaveras County in California. there isnt a whole lot about the guy in the interview, so perhaps wingnut, is just a wingnut:-) If you would like to peruse his website CLICK HERE.

Central Illinois Blues Challenge

Just received this from the Illinois Blues List:

The Blues Blowtorch Society presents....

2007 Central Illinois Blues Challenge
& Central Illinois Wine, Rhythm & Blues Festival
Sunday, June 3

Mackinaw Valley Vineyard

33633 Illinois 9,
Mackinaw, IL 61755
(309) 359-9463
15 miles west of Bloomington on Route 9

* 8 Different Vineyards Represented
* Admission $12.00

Barb Hamilton will open the show at 12:30

Eight bands competing - 30 minute sets

Bridget & The Boogiemen 1:15

Knights Of Crisis 2:00

Rooster Alley 2:45

The Low Down Blues Band 3:30

Southside Cindy & The Sliptones 4:15

Trouble No More 5:00

Kim Massie Band 5:45

Melvin Taylor 6:30

Sounds like fun! If you are in or around Mackinaw Illinois on Sunday be sure to check it out. Also anyone from the the area please post the results in the comment section or email it to me. THANKS

Santa Cruz Blues Festival

Attention California readers! Big fest this weekend in Santa Cruz. I just found this out today, but this sounds like an incredible blues fest. here are the particulars from the Monterey Herold.

Lonely Boys, Indigenous, Jackie Greene, Sonny BLUES FESTIVAL ·What: 15th annual Santa Cruz Blues Festival featuring LosLandreth, Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings on Saturday; Etta James and the Roots Band, Little Feat, Robben Ford, Tommy Castro, Nina Storey and special guest Coco Montoya sitting in with Castro and Little Feat ·Where: Aptos Village Park, 100 Aptos Creek Road, Aptos; free shuttle buses start at 9 a.m. from Cabrillo College parking lots off Park Avenue. Parking lot opens at 8 a.m. ·When: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 26-27; gates open at 10 a.m. ·Tickets: $50 general each day or $90 for both; $100 each day for Gold Circle or $190 for both; $20 each day for children under 12 or $30 for both days; children 6 and under free in general admission area when accompanied by an adult; tickets available at Moe's Alley and Streetlight Records in Santa Cruz, online at www.santacruzbluesfestival.com, or by calling the blues hotline at 479-9814 ·Information: 479-9814 or online at www.santacruzbluesfestival.com ·Do's and Dont's: No dogs, food, alcohol, cans, bottles, containers, coolers, cameras with removable lenses, recording devices or digital video cameras. Low profile chairs up to 30 inches with a seat height of no more than 10 inches, one personal bottle of water and still camera (no video) are OK. DO's AND DONT's LAWN CHAIRS are allowed in the General Admission seating area only. COMMON SENSE RULES apply. Chairs must be no taller than 30 inches from the ground to the top of the chair and no taller than 10 inches from the ground to the bottom of the seat. This allows the person behind you to see and enjoy the concert also. There will be Blues Festival staff to assist in laying out your blanket and chairs. This is known as the art of Skooching. We want everyone to have enough room to be comfortable, so we ask that you place your blanket and chairs as far forward to the person in front of you as possible. PLEASE no dogs, food, alcohol, cans, bottles, containers, coolers, cameras with removable lenses, recording devices or digital video cameras. Low profile chairs up to 30 inches with a seat height of no more than 10 inches, one personal bottle of water and still camera (no video) are O.K. We reserve the right to not allow any cameras into the park whether they have removable lenses or not. Parking is at Cabrillo College with free luxury shuttle busses to Aptos Village Park. Gates open at 10 am, music starts at 11am. We reserve the right to refuse entry. No refunds no exchanges, rain or shine. Artist subject to change. COME EARLY! Direct additional questions to info@santacruzbluesfestival.com

Blues At The Beach

Hmmmmmmmm, sounds similar, but this show takes place in Hampton Roads Virgina. Sounds like a great show. Here is the lineup from the Natchel Blues Network.

FRIDAY, SEPT 14 • Gates open at 6:30p
7:00p-8:00p	RYLO
8:30p-10:15p	Mark Hummel's Blues Harmonica Blowout presented by Hohner featuring Greg "Fingers" Taylor, James Harman and Lil' Ronnie Owens
.
SATURDAY, JUNE 15 • Gates open at 1:30p
2:00p-3:00p	Bryan Dunn Blues Band
3:00p-3:30p	NBN Music Workshop
3:45p-5:00p	Mighty Lester
5:00p-5:30p	NBN Music Workshop
5:45p-6:45p	Maurice John Vaughan
7:15p-8:45p	Delmark's Chicago Blues Revue featuring Maurice John Vaughan, Shirley Johnson and Jimmy Burns
9:15p-10:15p	Michael Burks
.
SUNDAY, JUNE 16 • Gates open at 11:30a
12:00p-1:00p	The Michael Clark Band featuring Tracy Clark
1:00p-1:30p	NBN Music Workshop
1:45p-3:00p	Fiona Boyes & The Fortune Tellers
3:30p-5:00p	Janiva Magness & Debbie Davies

Looks like a great show with some great artists. The fest takes place soon, the second week of June, so people on the east coast be sure to catch the show.

Blues On The Beach Westerly Rhode Island

An interesting summer blues shows in Westerly Rhode Island called Blues On The Beach.

July 11 Duke Robillard
July 18 Jeff Pitchell Band
July 25 Al Copley and his band
August 1 Greg Piccolo
August 8 Roomful Of Blues
August 15 Sugar Ray Norcia and his Big Band
August 22 Johnny Nicholas and his Texas All Stars

For directions and more information check out the link above.

Matt Woods Wins!

Just received this press release from the Central Iowa Blues Society:

Press Release-2007 Iowa Blues Challenge Finals

Congratulations to Matt Woods and the Thunderbolts, winners of the 2007 Iowa Blues Challenge held May 18th at the Hilton Garden Inn. This Des Moines band received $500 cash plus $1,200 travel expenses to Memphis as our local representative at the International Blues Challenge in February 2008. Quad Cities representative Smokin’ Mojo Kings placed second, earning them $400 cash. Both of these bands also receive 8 hours of studio time as well as several paid gigs including the Mississippi Valley Blues Fest, Nitefall On The River in Des Moines. Rounding out the competition was Yetti Bluz Band, earning $300 cash.

The Iowa Blues Challenge features one of the finest prize packages, for a contest of this kind, in the country. Over $5,000 in prizes have been awarded to the top bands, including---cash, travel expenses, recording time, as well as spots in the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival in Davenport, IA; the Nightfall on the River in Des Moines, IA; Simply the Blues Fest in Fort Madison, IA and the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee.

The 2007 Iowa Blues Challenge has been proudly sponsored by Central Iowa Blues Society, Mississippi Blues Society, Lizard Creek Blues Society, Budweiser, Citadel Broadcasting/94.9KGGO & 98.3WOW, Junior's Motel, Wolfer Sound, Cityview and Rieman Music.

Check out www.cibs.org for more information.

New Zealand Blues

Hey! A shout out to New Zealand blues lovers. I found a link and a movie you might enjoy. it is about the New Zealand blues band, The Windy City Strugglers. The movie is called, Struggle No More. Follow the link for more info. I kinda of wish the movie was playing here, but it is only on New Zealand TV.

BB King comes to Sioux City.

June 30th BB King headlines our local blues fest up here in wonderful Sioux City Iowa. Dicky Betts is also slated to attend. More when it becomes available. However, check out the website here.

25 Annual Topanga Blues Festival LA Cali

In California in June?? The 25 Annual Topanga Blues fest is going on. If you are going Kid Ramos is worth seeing. I saw Kid Ramos play with James Harmon over ten years ago, when I was lucky to open for Harmon. Ramos rocks, so show your face in the place. Link is here, some of the important text is below.

Topanga Blues Festival. The festival is a family-friendly event, featuring a variety of activities for the families and children, such as a harmonica workshop and face painting, plus a wide array of food options as well as a beer garden to quench your thirst in the sun. The doors open at 9am, and the entertainment kicks off at 10am with Donnie 'V-, a local to Southern California who has previously opened for such acts as Jimmy Vaughan, John Mayall and Canned Heat. He will be followed by the Teddy Lee Hooker Band, whose frontman, Teddy Lee, received his first guitar from the late blues legend John Lee Hooker. The lineup also includes the Ozzie Blues Band, followed by the Catherine Denise Band, leading up to this year's headlining act: none other than the internationally-renowned Mannish Boys Blues Revue. The current edition of The Mannish Boys features a veritable one-band blues festival of talent. Veteran front man Finis Tasby is recognized by music fans world-wide as one of the most soulful and dynamic blues singers working today. Tasby shares the vocal duties with Johnny Dyer, who is widely acclaimed as one of the last keepers of the old-school Chicago-style blues flame, with his deep, soulful vocals and full-toned blues harp. Kid Ramos, nominated for 2007 Blues Music Award for guitar instrumentalist of year, tears it up on lead guitar. Ramos, formerly with the James Harmon band and The Fabulous Thunderbirds, will be accompanied on guitar by blues veteran John Marx, who has previously played with many of the greats, including Lightning Hopkins and Floyd Dixon. Leon Blue, best known for his work with the 3 'Kings- of blues music, Albert King, Freddie King, and B.B.King, and veteran of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue in the 1960s and ‘70s, will be handling the piano. R&B veteran Tom Leavey lends a rock steady backbone to the band on bass, and is joined by legendary drummer, James Gadson, who has played with everyone from Paul McCartney to B.B. King. The latest addition to The Mannish Boys is singer Bobby Jones, a veteran of the Chicago blues circuit from the 1950s and ‘60s, who proves beyond any doubt that he's still one of the most powerful and vibrant blues singers in the country. Finally, impresario / emcee Randy Chortkoff is not only the man ‘behind the curtain', he's also a superb blues harmonica player and singer in his own right, who led his own bands for many years before masterminding the assembling of the extraordinary blues revue now known around the world as The Mannish Boys. So get ready for The Mannish Boys to pull the blues up from the ground by the roots and shake the earth! Tickets for the event will be available in advance on the Southern California Blues Society website, www.socalblues.org. Advance ticket at $20 and are available for pickup at ‘will call' the day of the event. Ticket will also be sold at the event for $25, cash only. Children 12 and under will be admitted free. No lawn chairs, coolers, outside alcohol or pets permitted. Handicap parking is available. For more information, please call (714) 229-0643, or email Amber Bollard at amber@deltagroovemusic.com or Kelly Davis at deltagroove3@earthlink.net. Official MySpace Page: www.myspace.com/tcbluesfest

Michael Hill's Blues Mob

Here is a very good bio about Michael Hill's Blues Mob from the Greensboro North Carolina Yes Weekly. Michael Hill calls his music New York blues, and the article does a good job talking about early blues, and the difference between delta, Piedmont, and city blues.

2007 Iowa Blues Challenge

Just received this email from the Central Iowa Blues Society. If you are in town for the finals you need to check it out!

Press Release-2007 Iowa Blues Challenge Finals

The Finals for the 2007 Iowa Blues Challenge are now set!

Come join the party at the Hilton Garden Inn at I-80 & 86^th Street in Des Moines, Iowa. On Fri., May 18^th, 2007, performances will start at 9:30 PM with Smokin’ Mojo Kings, followed by Yetti Bluz Band and Matt Woods and the Thunderbolts.

Cover will be $7 for Central Iowa Blues Society members and $8 for non-members. Call 515-270-8890 or 877-782-9444 to book your rooms.

The competition will be stiff as these three great bands square off to determine who is the best Blues band in Iowa and play for the opportunity to advance to the International Blues Challenge held in Memphis, among other prizes, so come out and support your favorite band!

For the 14th year, the Central Iowa Blues Society, in cooperation with the Mississippi Valley Blues Society and Lizard Creek Blues Society, presents the 2007 Iowa Blues Challenge, an all-Iowa Blues band contest.

The Iowa Blues Challenge features one of the finest prize packages, for a contest of this kind, in the country. Over $5,000 in prizes are awarded to the top bands, including---cash, travel expenses, recording time, as well as spots in the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival in Davenport, IA; the Nightfall on the River in Des Moines, IA; 2007 Simply the Blues Fest in Fort Madison, IA and the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee.

The 2007 Iowa Blues Challenge is proudly sponsored by Central Iowa Blues Society, Mississippi Blues Society, Lizard Creek Blues Society, Budweiser, Citadel Broadcasting/94.9KGGO & 98.3WOW, Junior's Motel, Wolfer Sound, Cityview and Rieman Music.

Check out www.cibs.org for more information.

Anyone Up For A Summer Vacation!

Talk about a nice place to have a blues fest. What about Chesapeake Bay!! Got this info from Capitol Online from Annapolis Maryland.

Bay Blues Fest

After a year or two off, the Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival returns with one of their strongest lineups. This two-day festival is beloved by, not just blues lovers, but all music fans. And the location, at Sandy Point State Park, is stunningly beautiful.

The production is consistently first-class, and the music lineup is always well thought out. And this year's headliners are both legends.

Aretha Franklin is the Queen of American soul music, and Buddy Guy is one of the last true Chicago blues superstars. He's a man that can not only rip it up on his polka dotted guitar, but he also reaches out to his audience and touches everyone present with his music and his passion for this great American cultural tradition.

There are many other worthy acts at this year's Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival including Robert Randolph and the Family Band. Robert Randolph and his amazing band stole the show at the Grammy Awards and he might just do it again here at the CBBF! Mr. Randolph's "sacred steel" slide guitar playing is second to none and lauded by all the great rock guitarists in the world today. Don't miss this act!

Otis Taylor plays a lowdown blues boogie reminiscent of a young John Lee Hooker with shades of R.L. Burnside. San Francisco blues guitarist Tommy Castro will be joined on stage by our very own dynamo of the keys and sax, Deanna Bogart, and J. Geils Band harp attacker Magic Dick (coming off an amazing performance last year at Rams Head On Stage).

These blues, gospel and soul giants will be joined by classic rockers Steppenwolf, led by original vocalist John Kay ("Magic Carpet Ride" and "Born to Be Wild"), and Three Dog Night recreating their 40 top hits including the bluesy tunes "One" and Laura Nyro's "Eli's Coming."

It's going to be another Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival celebration at Sandy Point State Park on Aug. 4-5. Tickets are available now at www.bayblues.org.

Sounds like a great show, I am not sure about Steppenwolf, or Three Dog Night, and lets face it, I know for a fact that three dog night, is only really one dog now:-) Although Steppenwolfs song The Pusher was a decent blues song.

Uppity Blues Women In New Documentary

Saffire the Uppity Blues Women have a documentary coming out. For a nice bio and more info on the flick check out the article from Fredericksburg.com.

Tampa Bay Blues Fest

If you are lucky to be heading to Florida next weekend, then don't miss the Tampa Bay Blues Fest. May 4-6. This looks like a great show here are the particulars from Google wire.

Friday, May 4

12:30 p.m. - Debbie Davies Band

2:30 p.m. - Michael Burks

4:30 p.m. - Sugar Ray and the Bluetones

6:30 p.m. – Dave Mason

8:30 p.m. – George Thorogood and The Destroyers

Saturday, May 5

11:00 a.m. - EG Kight

12:30 p.m. - Watermelon Slim

2:30 p.m. - Eric Lindell

4:30 p.m. - Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials

6:30 p.m. – Koko Taylor and her Blues Machine

8:30 p.m. – Dickey Betts and Great Southern

Sunday, May 6

1:00 p.m. - Walker Smith Group

2:30 p.m. - Nora Jean Bruso

4:30 p.m. - Guitar Shorty

6:30 p.m. – Percy Sledge

8:30 p.m. – Jerry Lee Lewis

General admission tickets are $25 a day or $60 for a three-day pass. Children under age 12 admitted free with an adult. Re-entry is allowed via front gate. Obtain a hand stamp for re-entry. An ATM is on premises.

Limited quantities of backstage pass packages are available for $150 a day or $350 for three days. Backstage passes include general admission ticket, laminated pass allowing access to front and side stage seating, use of backstage portable restrooms and shade canopy.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.tampabaybluesfest.com. Tickets will be held at the “will call” window for pick up on the day of the show. Online ticket sales end at midnight, May 1.

It looks like a great show. $350 for a three day pass with access to backstage sounds like a pretty good deal!

The Black Keys

You know I don't wander off looking for unknown blues bands, but sometimes while searching the net you come across some funny stuff. I found an article about this band in Ohio called the Black Keys, and I really don't know if they are any good. There are no links to a homepage, or a myspace page. However, the article was so well written. almost novel like that I just had to link it here. It is from Filter magazine, and this is the first time I have read anything from Filter. I must say it was a very nice story, it follows the history of the blues from the passion of playing real authentic music. not the fake MTV style pop that is currently the style. If I find some samples of the band I will update for you.

UPDATE

Found a myspace page here. DANGER The video to My Touch is very strange and starts with the band getting shot and killed. Personally, I am not a fan. I can hear the blues, but they are closer to rock. You certainly get the distorted Chicago blues guitar tone, but not so much the blues sound. The article makes it sound like these guys are dripping with the delta, but I say they are dripping with Akron Ohio:-)

The Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues fest gets bigger with the addition of Susan Tedeschi. DerekTrucks was already scheduled along with Robert Cray. Of course, to show how out of touch I am with contemporary blues artists, I didn't even know that Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks were married. Anyway it sound like a great show. It takes place July 20-21 in Yankton Trail Park, in Sioux Falls SD and is free to the public.

Ponderosa Stomp New Orleans

Here is a music fest that I hadn't heard about. It is going on in New Orleans. Here is the info from Infozine

New Orleans, LA - infoZine - The sixth annual Stomp extravaganza is set to roll on Wednesday, May 2, at New Orleans' House of Blues, encompassing three separate stages with non-stop music from 5:30 p.m. til 2 a.m. Tickets for the Stomp are now on sale through Ticketmaster outlets and at ponderosastomp.com. Wednesday, May 2 rests comfortably between the two weekends of JazzFest in new New Orleans, and many Fest-goers stay late or come early to experience Ponderosa Stomp.

This year's Stomp promises to bend ears with the inclusion of many legends of blues, rR&bB, soul, garage rock, New Orleans music, traditional country, rockabilly and swamp pop. Among the featured artists are garage rock legend Roky Erickson, rockabilly wild man Dale Hawkins, legendary Muscle Shoals singer/songwriter/producer Dan Penn, R&B soprano Little Jimmy Scott, New Orleans songwriting legend Dave Bartholomew, master arranger Wardell Quezergue, Texas Tornado Augie Meyers, Texas shouter Roy Head, keyboardist extraordinaire Willie Tee, Houston blueswoman Barbara Lynn, Mississippi Hill Country bluesman Kenny Brown, chitlin' circuit kingpin Bobby Rush, Detroit guitar monster Dennis Coffey, and "Mr. Big Stuff" soul songstress Jean Knight, among dozens of others. Stanley "Buckwheat Zydeco" Dural will play the Hammond B3 organ behind many of the artists.

This sounds like a great show. If you are heading down to New Orleans you might want to catch it.

What You Can Do With Local Blues

Many people disregard the local blues band, but the reality is that the locals can be just as good as the national acts. I found that out in KC when on Saturdays Blues reigned supreme from about noon to 3am. There were jams running all day into the early evening, when the national acts took the stage around ten. Then after 3am the part moved over to Graces Barbecue where her famous all night blues jam continued in probably the worst neighborhood in KCK. It was a jam that you had to know someone to get on stage. No newbies allowed:-) Sundays continued with two to three jam sessions going to midnight or later.

Here is a article about how some local blues bands in Niagara Falls are kicking up some heat.