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The Iowa Blues Showcase is on the AIR
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Saturday Night Fish Fry: CF Radio Blues
Friday, June 22, 2007
Renee Austin: U-Haul
Porterdavis: Penny Candy
Ray Charles: America The Beautiful
God Bless Ray! We Miss You!
Ray Charles
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Cephas And Wiggins Interview

A medium length interview with Cephas and Wiggins from the Free Lance Star of Fredericksburg Virginia. They will be performing at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. The above link will lead to tons of more links and information about the festival, but the basic info about the festival, and Cephas and Wiggins comes from the Free Lance Star below:
What: Cephas and Wiggins will perform during the Smithsonian Folklife Festival Where: National Mall, Washington When: Wednesday, 1 p.m. Cost: Free Phone: 202/633-1000 Web: folklife.si.edu/festival/2007 FYI: The festival runs from June 27 to July 1 and from July 4 to July 8. It is open daily from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with evening events at 6 p.m.
Porterdavis Interview

Wow! Another cool find stumbling around the net. This is an acoustic blues trio called Porterdavis, originally from Boston, but now living in Austin(go figure:-) I like these guys! sometimes they remind me of John Paul, and sometimes me and Dennis. What I like about them is how they fill up space with such a limited combo. ( not limited in talent, but in numbers) It is a harp, acoustic guitar, and a drummer who plays mostly snare. It is a nice full sound ( which why it reminds me of my own music:-) Here is a great interview from the Houston Chronicle, and here is their myspace page.
Big George Brock

I ran across this on the Cat Head music production web site while searching the web about Big George Brock:
Born in Grenada, Mississippi on May 16, 1932, Big George spent his teenage yearsBig George is currently playing in England at the Sainsbury's Social Club in Basingstroke. For more info check out this article from the Gazette. It is nice to see Big George still playing in his mid 70s. What is so cool about the blues, is that the older you get the better you get. Unlike rock, or other forms of pop music. Blues respects its elders, and it is the wisdom of these old blues performers that makes them so great. There is so much life experience that these performers share with the audience that it is almost like going back in time. I know that the few years I was able to play with Jimmy Pryor made me a better person, both as a player and as a human being. So if you get the chance to see one of the elder statesmen of the blues do it! You won't be sorry.
near Clarksdale, Mississippi, before settling in St. Louis, Missouri, in the 1950s.
While living in the Clarkdale area, he did back-breaking fieldwork, boxed on weekends,
and played the blues. He remembers hanging out at house parties in the Delta where
folks like Memphis Minnie would show up. Even today, he still has relatives in the
Clarksdale area, including his blues-playing nephew James "Super Chikan" Johnson
and brother-in-law Big Jack Johnson. In St. Louis, Big George owned a series of blues
clubs in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, including Club Caravan (formerly the Early Bird Lounge)
– where his wife at the time was killed by stray bullets from a drunk's pistol – and
New Club Caravan. Later, Big George & the Houserockers was the house band at Climmie's
Western Inn for 12 years. During his career, Big George has played shows with blues
legends like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Reed and many others. Garrick
Feldman of the Arkansas Leader has said Big George is "about as good a harmonica
player as any of the blues greats, and he knew and played with most of them." At
various times, he's had fellow Mississippians Willie Foster, Big Bad Smitty, Terry
"Big T" Williams, Jimbo Mathus and Bill Abel back him at shows, but most often, you'll
find him with one of the best "unknown guitar players" in the biz: Mr. Riley Coatie.
Besides his 6-string skills, this native of the Arkansas Delta is also known for his
amazing family blues band. Coatie taught his children Tekora, Latasha and Riley Jr.
to play in the old classic style that Big George Brock loves.
Stevie Ray Vaughn: Superstition
BTW, this video is dedicated to Ulonda and Bobby:-)
Muddy Waters: You Can't Loose What You Aint Never Had
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Chris Cain Interview

a nice short interview with the wild man Chris Cain. It is mostly about his childhood, and I found it very interesting. Those of you who have had the opportunity to see Chris Cain live know that this guy is from another planet! I had the opportunity to play with him in Des Moines when his keyboard player quit, and while I had a lot of fun playing with the guy, I must admit that he is way, way, way, out there! He is one of those truly amazing guitar players so he is worth the ticket. He is playing this weekend in Wilits California. for more info and the interview read the article form the Wilits News Here.
Blind Pig Press Release
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| For more information visit www.blindpigrecords.com. | |
Gateway Blues Festival Des Moines Iowa

New press release from the Central Iowa Blues Society
Press Release
Gateway Blues Festival
Save the Date
The Central Iowa Blues Society is in the planning stages of their annual Summer Festival and just wanted to remind you to save this date:
September 2, 2007
A new site location has been finalized for this year’s event at the Western Gateway Park at 15th and Grand in Des Moines, IA. Bands will play on the stage set up at the west end of the park, starting at around 4 PM. The Finals for Solo/Duo Blues Challenge will take place at Blues On Grand later in the day and a jam will follow at 10:00 PM at Blues On Grand. Hotel rates will again be available – look for more details soon at www.cibs.org
Warren Haynes And Derek Trucks: Old Friend
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Rolling Stone Top 100 Guitarists
1. Jimi Hendrix
2 Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band
3 B.B. King
4 Eric Clapton
5 Robert Johnson
6Chuck Berry
7 Stevie Ray Vaughan
8 Ry Cooder
22 Mike Bloomfield
25 Freddy King
30 Buddy Guy
36 Steve Cropper of Booker T. and the MG's
37 Bo Diddley
38 Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac
47 T-Bone Walker
57 Roy Buchanan
58 Dickey Betts
61 Ike Turner
65 Hubert Sumlin
71 Lightnin' Hopkins
74 Johnny Winter
81 Derek Trucks
Anytime you make a list of the 100 best you are going to stir up a lot of anger. First should have been Stevie Ray Vaughn no if and or buts, Albert King should have been on the list. Jeff Healy, and Gary Moore should have been shoo ins. BB is way over rated, and I love BB dearly, but come on number 3?!?!?!?! number 91 was Robbie Krieger of the doors? Why is he even on the list? The best guitar solo on any doors album was on Roadhouse and that was played by Lonnie Mack Who should have been on the list. Then what about Albert Collins? I mean if you put in Lightnin Hopkins, could you perhaps of put in Son House, or Charlie Patton?? I could go on all night long, but thats the blues:-)
Derek Tucks And Susan Tedeschi Interview

Snohomish County News (yes, I spelled it right:-) (Actually it is part of the Seattle Times) Has an interview with Derek Tucks, and Susan Tedeschi. I don't read Rolling Stone, so I didn't know that Derek Tucks was named one of the top 100 guitar players in Rolling Stone. I am going to have to hunt down that list and see how many blues players are on it. Anyway, if you are in the Seattle area Thursday night you might want to seek out this show. It is a combined show with Derek and his wife Susan Tedeschi. Just seeing one of them is worth the price of admission, but two for the price of one is a bargain at any price.
Otis Taylor Interview

From the Broward Palm Beach New Times comes an interview with Otis Taylor. Once again an interviewer who thinks the blues is dying! Ack! who hires these hacks! Otis does make a few good points about white artists co-opting African American art forms. Certainly through out history white American has accepted African American music, even when they didn't accept blacks as equals. However, when you compare the popular music of the day it is easy to see why African American music became popular. Also by this time blues, jazz, R&B, Rock & Roll, Soul, and Rap, are now music for everyone. You can find Hispanic, Asian, and Native American musicians who play the music, so in my mind African American music was, and is the greatest gift to world. All over the world you can hear blues, and all of its children, and that is truly a gift that keeps on giving.
Iowa Blues Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony
PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EVENT: Iowa Blues Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
WHEN: Sunday, July 1st, 2007
TIME: 5 p.m.
WHERE: Blues On Grand, 15th & Grand, Des Moines, IA
ADMISSION: $12 for Blues Society members, $15 for non-members
We couldn’t think of a more appropriate time to honor the Class of 2006 Iowa Blues Hall of Fame inductees than the Sunday following all of the festivities surrounding the high-profile Des Moines Arts Festival.
That’s right, on Sunday, July 1st, just as the Arts Fest is shutting things down on another great year, the doors will be opening at Blues On Grand at 5 p.m. for the IBHOF Induction Ceremony!
Yes, the IBHOF Class of 2006 finally gets introduced to the public with what will be another memorable night of music, food and fellowship. The Class of 2006 includes Rick Cicalo, Craig Erickson, Steve Hayes, and Bo Ramsey. The Iowa Blues Hall of Fame is a program of the Central Iowa Blues Society.
There will be music beginning at 6 p.m. by the same IBHOF Band that will have performed at the Arts Fest that previous Friday night with the Blues In The Schools students. The IBHOF band will feature IBHOF members Dartanyan Brown, Sam Salomone and George Davis.
You will also be offered a full dinner with your paid admission. This year, Tia-Juana’s will be serving up a selection of tasty foods, which will include fried fish and chicken, green beans with new potatoes and ham, spicy cheesy potatoes, macaroni & cheese, corn cobbettes, cornbread and rolls, plus cookies for dessert.
At around 7 p.m., we will begin honoring the new inductees, each of which will receive an IBHOF plaque. The inductees will then have the opportunity to perform with the house band and with each other. It should be a very interesting and memorable night for the Blues in Iowa!
Admission for this historic event is $12 for any Blues Society member, and $15 for non-members. $5 of every cover charge will go back to the new IBHOF inductees.
Craig Erickson has recorded several strong albums of his own, as well as being part of the band on the Glenn Hughes Blues album, forging a worldwide reputation as an ultra-talented guitarist with a powerful fusion of Rock and Blues.
“Rico” Cicalo and Steve “The Chief” Hayes have been a rhythm section team for many, many years performing with numerous other top Iowa artists including Greg Brown, Dave Zollo, Dave Moore and fellow IBHOF members Patrick Hazell, Joe Price, and Bo Ramsey, including playing on Ramsey’s recent Stranger Blues album.
Bo Ramsey, renowned for his songwriting skills and his unique style of guitar playing, has reached worldwide acclaim for his own work, in addition for his work with many of the aforementioned artists, as well as his touring and recording stint with Lucinda Williams.
Please come and be a part of this night where we will honor these great Iowa musicians!
Proud sponsors for the IBHOF Induction Ceremony include the Central Iowa Blues Society, the Linn County Blues Society, Blues On Grand, Cityview, KFMG-LP 99.1 FM, VividPix & Design, Tia-Juana’s, Ron McClain, A Sensation Mobile Music Productions, Barber’s Piano Service, Fishlips3 Beads & Blues, KeanInsight, American Awards, Andy Lyons Cameraworks, Chef’s Kitchen, Chris Miner, Hiland Park Hardware, Music Circuit Presentations, Southside Music Studio, Winstons Restaurant, A Mold Detective, and Classic Hats For Men. Please support these fine folks that are supporting the Blues in Iowa!
For more info you can log onto www.cibs.org or www.bluesongrand.com/ibhof.
CONTACT: Don “T-Bone” Erickson, Co-chair – IBHOF Committee
515-255-4762