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2005-11-14T21:16:00.000-08:00

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Gabriel Gratzer: One man and his guitar

2005-11-10T20:28:00.000-08:00

Gabriel Gratzer: One man and his guitar

Tokyo (Nov. 10)—Argentine bluesman Gabriel Gratzer wraps up a 1-1/2-year world tour with a series of gigs in Tokyo starting Friday. The Daily Yomiuri spoke over the telephone with the gaucho of the blues earlier this week during Gratzer's visit to Taiwan, where he was playing a blues festival.

"It's amazing. I never knew the Taiwanese were so into the blues," Gratzer said. "[But] the blues is universal. It's the roots of everything...It appeals directly to the heart of people."

Not only does this universal appeal reach as far afield as Taiwan, it clearly made it to Buenos Aires, too. But hasn't tango historically expressed the blue side of Argentina?

Asked if he saw any connection between the blues and tango, beyond both being played in a minor key, Gratzer said: "Maybe the older blues of the late 1930s--when blues started moving into the cities--and tango have something in common. But tango is more sophisticated in its form and composition, even the lyrics. But the sense is perhaps the same. And indeed, both musics came from Africa."

Gratzer first fell in love with the blues when he heard the Beatles.

"'For You Blues,' 'Lady Madonna'...had a very strong blues influence," he said, "So I looked behind, to see where their music was coming from, and I started discovering what the blues was all about."

This search led Gratzer to British blues bands, such as John Mayall, Alexis Korner, and then American artists such as Albert King, B.B. King, and Buddy Guy.

But electric blues bands did not fit Gratzer's inner vision of the true blues--one man and his guitar.

"That's the image of the blues I had in my head--one man with his guitar--just that--his guitar and his singing," Gratzer said.

Gratzer found this image personified at a concert he attended in the 1980s by Cristina Aguayo, an Argentinian gospel and blues singer. This feeling was immediately reinforced by some Robert Johnson recordings Gratzer heard soon afterward.

"I knew I was on the road, it felt like being home," Gratzer said of this encounter with his ideal form of blues.

Since Gratzer started playing with Aguayo in 1989, the blues has been a road more traveled for Gratzer. Along the way, he has organized blues festivals, edited a blues newsletter, and cut four very impressive CDs. He has also opened for just about every international blues act that has performed in Buenos Aires: Billy Branch, Dave Myers and John Primer to name a few.

But for Gratzer, the truth in blues remains one man and his guitar.

"In blues, it's all about the beat and the feel. And the first beat is your heart. If your heart don't work, you die--same as the blues," Gratzer said.

Gabriel Gratzer will play:
Nov. 11, 8 p.m. at The Warrior Celt in Ueno, Tokyo, (03) 3836-8588;
Nov. 13, 7 p.m. at Club Wire in Shinjuku, Tokyo, (03) 3207-6953;
Nov. 14, 7 p.m. at Rossa Fiesta in Roppongi, Tokyo, (03) 3475-1322;
Nov. 16, 7 p.m at Rock Factory in Roppongi, Tokyo, (03) 5545-4242.

Source: Les Coles, The Daily Yomiuri

On the Web:
Gabriel Gratzer

Southern Comfort Katrina Aid-Vol. II

2005-11-10T20:24:00.000-08:00

Southern Comfort Katrina Aid-Vol. II

This in from Blues Brother Doug Allsop over at Buffalo Records.

This in from Blues Brother Doug Allsop over at Buffalo Records.

For the last 20 years or more, Shige Kinoshita (Chocolate Cream
Productions) has been promoting tours by various soul and funk
musicians. Among those have been many New Orleans brass and funk bands
(including last year's first visit to Japan by Papa Grows Funk, one of
our most popular artists).

He has organized two charity concerts, proceeds from which will go to
the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic, an organization that Buffalo Records
has known for several years now. A division of a New Orleans hospital,
they are dedicated to helping musicians in need. Normally, they
primarily provide medical care to musicians without insurance, but in
the aftermath of this year's hurricanes and floods, they are helping
musicians on all levels: rent, clothing, medicine, schoolbooks for
children, etc.

Friday, Nov. 11
Shibuya O-West (03-5784-7088)
Open/Start: 18:00

Tickets are ¥3,000 in advance, ¥3,500 at the door.

In addition to hours of great music, we will also be holding a raffle
for some great prizes, including 5 iPods and other items graciously
donated by PBI International (Tabasco Sauce).

Sugiya-san remembered

2005-11-10T20:16:00.000-08:00

Sugiya-san remembered

Further to my posting yesterday the sad news of the passing of Sugiya-san, the owner of B-Flat jazz club in Akasaka, Tokyo, jazz vocalist Pamela MacCarthy has posted some words of remembrance and tribute to Sugiya-san on her excellent blog,
Meladramas.

I personally shall allows owe Sugiya-san a debt of gratitude going back to the Keynote days in Harajuku (the predecessor of B-Flat), for it was there that I first met Pamela MacCarthy on assignment for The Daily Yomiuri.

Mr. Sugiya of B Flat, Akasaka passes

2005-11-10T01:59:00.000-08:00

Mr. Sugiya of B Flat, Akasaka passes

I have just heard from a colleague at work that Mr. Sugiya of B-Flat, akasaka has passed.

Sugiya-san was a great lover and supporter of jazz in Japan.

He was also a garsicous and genorous man, having donated the use of his club for a Katrina benefit concert last month.

the blues blog

2005-11-08T02:44:00.000-08:00

Southern Comfort Katrina Aid

2005-11-07T14:56:00.000-08:00

Southern Comfort Katrina Aid

This in from Blues Brother Doug Allsop over at Buffalp Records.

This in from Blues Brother Doug Allsop over at Buffalo Records.

For the last 20 years or more, Shige Kinoshita (Chocolate Cream
Productions) has been promoting tours by various soul and funk
musicians. Among those have been many New Orleans brass and funk bands
(including last year's first visit to Japan by Papa Grows Funk, one of
our most popular artists).

He has organized two charity concerts, proceeds from which will go to
the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic, an organization that Buffalo Records
has known for several years now. A division of a New Orleans hospital,
they are dedicated to helping musicians in need. Normally, they
primarily provide medical care to musicians without insurance, but in
the aftermath of this year's hurricanes and floods, they are helping
musicians on all levels: rent, clothing, medicine, schoolbooks for
children, etc.

THE SHOWS:

Wednesday, Nov. 9
Shibuya O-East (03-5458-4681)
Open/Start: 18:00

Artists will include:
MITCH's Funky Jam: Mitch lived in New Orleans for a while, and his
band is the real thing NOLA brass band sound!)
Bluestone: Former members of the Savoy Truffle -- Osaka's Allman
Bros. Band -- in a new trio)
Mari Kaneko: The Janis Joplin of Japan. Gotta see her.
Little Jive Boys: Headed by multi-instrumentalist Koichi Fujii, this
band is hot! Blues, swing, jive, lots more

Friday, Nov. 11
Shibuya O-West (03-5784-7088)
Open/Start: 18:00

I don't know most of Friday's bands personally, but I do know Steve
Gardner, blues guitarist and singer. He's originally from Mississippi,
another state that was hard hit by the hurricanes, so this cause is
extra close to him personally.

Tickets are \3000 in advance, \3500 at the door. See attached flyer
for full artist line-up.

In addition to hours of great music, we will also be holding a raffle
for some great prizes, including 5 iPods and other items graciously
donated by PBI International (Tabasco Sauce).

We hope to see you at one (or both!) of the shows. If you know anyone
who might be interested, please forward them this mail.

See you there!

Doug

Jammin' for the Big Easy

2005-10-24T14:59:00.000-07:00

Jammin' for the Big Easy

Don't forget, folks will be Jammin' for the Big Easy at B-Flat in AKASAKA tonight to raise money for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. (Click for map)

Lineup
I've polled this as the new "brains" behind the linup is playing favorites and promoting personal interests...

Here's a story on the gig from The Japan Times, which expressed more interest in the event than The Daily Yomiuri, my own newspaper.

Benefit for New Orleans

New Orleans isn't just the birthplace of jazz; it's also home to a huge number of working musicians. Many of the jazz, funk, blues and R&B musicians who made their homes in the Big Easy or along the Gulf Coast lost everything they had when Hurricane Katrina hit.

The loss of not only their homes, but also their instruments and equipment left many without any means to make a living. Most of the clubs where the music flourished have closed, leaving them without work of any kind. Now they need the help of music lovers to get back on their feet and return to the stage.

On Oct. 25 a benefit concert for these musicians will be held at Akasaka's jazz club B Flat. The charities for the event are Tipitina's and the Jazz Foundation of America. Tipitina's has long been a career-making club. With a bare-bones interior and a big dance floor to get down on, the club's hot lineups have been a mainstay of the music scene in New Orleans for 30 years. After the hurricane, they set out to locate and help musicians. The Jazz Foundation of America has been helping musicians for 16 years. They pay for insurance, offer loans in emergencies, provide legal assistance and generally assist jazz musicians in need.

In the best spirit of New Orleans, where even funerals are marching celebrations, the evening will be a party. Many local musicians will be donating their talent to the event. Trumpeter Mike Price, vocalists Pamela MacCarthy and Donna Burke, funk/rock pianist Kaleb James, New Orleans native Richard Newman and Japan's own Funky Beat Inc. will all take the stage, but expect plenty more friends and musicians to show up as well. Democrats Abroad Japan is helping organize this benefit, but they will keep none of the proceeds and have sworn to give no speeches of any kind.

The benefit is Oct. 25 from 7 p.m. Suggested donations are 5,000 yen at the door, but any donation will be accepted. There will be a cash bar. For more information, contact Pat Elleven at pat.elleven@gmail.com or Matt Kass at makass@att.net. A map and directions to B Flat can be found at www.bflat.jp, Tipitina's Web site is at www.tipitinas.com while The Jazz Foundation of America's is at www.jazzfoundation.org

The Japan Times: Oct. 14, 2005

B.B. King Among Blues Artists Inducted Into Delta Blues Hall of Fame

2005-10-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

B.B. King Among Blues Artists Inducted Into Delta Blues Hall of Fame

(Oct. 20)—Blues legend B.B. King is among four people being inducted tonight into the Mississippi Delta Blues Hall of Fame at Delta State University.

The others were guitar greats Eugene "Sonny Boy Nelson" Powell and Richard "Hacksaw" Harney. This year's special honoree is John Tefteller, a record collector and music historian.

The inductions are part of the annual Peavine Awards ceremony held at the museum.

The event will be held at Delta State's Bologna Performing Arts Center.
Source: WPMI 15

Musicians trickle back into the Big Easy

2005-10-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

Musicians trickle back into the Big Easy

NEW ORLEANS (Oct. 19)—Roland Guerin's standup bass helps break the silence that enveloped this city for weeks, offering evidence of New Orleans' renowned music scene coming back to life.
Yet the birthplace of jazz remains a shadow of its once vibrant self — where music poured from block after block of the French Quarter and beyond late into the night.

Since Hurricane Katrina, the crowds are smaller, the streets darker, the venues limited and pay for musicians often minimal. Guerin, who returned for his first gig since Hurricane Katrina, took a cut in pay to play and said some musicians are performing for tips alone.

"Folks are so happy just to see something familiar," he said. "That's what matters right now."

In the weeks after the Aug. 29 hurricane, New Orleans music could be heard just about everywhere but in New Orleans. The city's musicians have entertained with borrowed instruments in Louisville; reunited at a Manhattan TV studio; toured in Mexico; played a rousing rendition of "When the Saints Go Marching In" at a jazz festival in Detroit; even had crowds hopping to zydeco in Los Angeles.

But back in the Big Easy, club and bar owners have had a hard time getting in touch with musicians scattered across the country. Like most of the city's residents, they've been slow to come home.

"They're suffering like everyone else," said Dave Facer, a manager at Maple Leaf Bar in the city's Uptown neighborhood. "Many of them have lost their homes. Some are debating whether to come back."

Not until recently have they been seen or heard around here.

When Old Point Bar in Algiers Point reopened a month after the hurricane, musicians soon followed, "walking in off the street to play," said owner Warren Munster.

Maple Leaf Bar also had live music, "but sporadically," Facer said. Some nights there's only a musicians or two, some nights there are full bands, he said.

"It just depends who's around."

Blues guitarist-singer Jesse Moore is the only one of his five-member New Orleans-based band back in town.

"I could not wait to get back," Moore said. "I know I'm one of the lucky ones. My apartment was fine ... A lot of guys can't come back."

Guerin, commuting from Baton Rouge, appeared on a morning show at a New Orleans TV station, then performed Saturday night at Snug Harbor, his band reduced from a quintet to a trio. He greeted the few regulars strolling Frenchmen Street with big hugs and handshakes as he talked about how he longed to return and how important it is for other musicians do the same.

"There are components that make New Orleans what it is," he said. "Music is one of those components. Looking at the news, knowing so many musicians were gone, there was a sense the heart and soul of the city was gone."

For club owners, strict curfews have been a stumbling block. Under the current curfew, streets in the city's recovering neighborhoods remain off limits between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. Business owners say the curfew, while an improvement from the earlier 6 p.m. and midnight curfews, still puts a damper on the city's nightlife.

"We're trying to piece it back together," Facer said.

Source: AP

Don't forget the Katrina benefit at B-Flat, Akasaka on Tuesday, Oct. 25

See here for details:

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?fm20051014l1.htm

Inaugural Sweet Gum Bottom Blues Festival

2005-10-19T21:13:00.000-07:00

Inaugural Sweet Gum Bottom Blues Festival

Greenville, Miss. (Oct. 19 )—Greenville's inaugural Sweet Gum Bottom Blues Fest proved to be a weekend of laughter, music, dancing, good southern food and fellowship, set against the backdrop of a brilliant, cloudless blue sky and clear, cool night.

"Isn't this perfect weather? Could you ask for a nicer day?" Priscilla Davis of Greenville, a volunteer with the humane society booth, said with a smile.

It certainly proved a great day for music lovers and the musicians who proved victorious in Saturday evening's acoustic blues competition.

A musician from the "Great White North" won the hearts of the festival audience, taking home a check for $1,000 as winner of the competition.

Rick Fines of Peterborough, Ontario, won the top prize with his unique guitar styling, sly tongue-in-cheek humor and a distinctive voice, described by audience members as "a mix of Leon Redbone and Randy Newman."

Festival goers joined in on the fun during the afternoon as Fines performed his award-winning song, the amusing "Riley Wants His Life Back," just one of several original compositions the musician/songwriter shared with the audience.

The versatile musician transformed a song by fellow Canadian Gordon Lightfoot ("The greatest blues musician of Canada") into a blues number. He also performed blues standards from the 20s and 30s, "Lay Me Down a Pallet on the Floor" ("Here's one from way back in the 20s when I was just a young woman getting started myself").

Fines, who arrived in town early to perform in last Thursday's Concert in the Park, praised the city for its hospitality. "People have treated me so well, making sure I had plenty to eat and that I was happy," he told the audience.

"I'm so happy, in fact, I'm not sure I want to go homeŠbut if I do go home, I hope to come back very soon."

Junior Thomas, who hails from Stockton, pleased the audience with his harmonica playing. With the assistance of skilled blues guitarist Luther Warble, on loan from his band, Triple X, Thomas wowed the crowds with numbers by Jerry McCain, Johnny Winters and more to take second place honors.

Sam Pointer of Birmingham took home a $500 prize for the best interpretation of the music of Greenville's own bluesman, Ed Bell, a top blues performer of the 20s and 30s. Other competition performers included Jay Kirgis of Leland, Miss., Jeff Norwood of Camden, S.C. and Curly Cooke and Paul Green of Seattle.

A hotbed of blues
Ansel Strickland, who organized the musical acts and the sound system for the event, told the audience some 80 years ago Greenville was "a hotbed of blues music."

"The area known as Sweet Gum Bottom was the center of it. Ed Bell was a big part of that. He also toured and recorded around the country. Today, if you put together the top 20 blues recordings from the 20s and 30s, I guarantee you Ed Bell would have a few songs on that record," Strickland said.

"This is all part of Greenville's heritage we are celebrating here today."

Strickland also praised "the city and the citizens of Greenville" for supporting the event.

"We've tried to give you something completely different with each of these actsŠNancy (Idland) and I hope this is just the beginning of something great for the city of Greenville," he said.

Some of those who stayed through the acoustic blues competition and the high-energy plugged-in show featuring headliners Willie King and the Liberators and Little Jimmy Reed, echoed Strickland's words.

Several expressed hopes the smaller-than-hoped-for turnout wouldn't mean the end of the blues festival for Greenville.

Blues in the open air
"I enjoyed every minute of it. They were all great musicians and the sound was wonderful. I feel so fortunate to have been a part of Greenville's very first blues festival - and I certainly hope it won't be the last," Judy Messina of Greenville said.

"This was great," Mary Ann Hamilton of Greenville said late Saturday night as she held up her blues festival T-shirt, now covered with the signatures of the many musicians who had performed on Saturday. "To be able to hear all this live blues music and not be in some cramped, smoky space, but out in the open air on a beautiful night - how terrific is that?"

She watched a nattily-dressed gentleman known only as "Thomas" joyously dancing around to Reed's music and smiled.

"It's great to see people having a good time."

As for the criticism of some the $7 admission was too high, Sue Arnold of Greenville disagreed.

"Look at how many acts - seven, eight - we got to hear for seven dollars. Think about how much you'd spend to go to the fair in Montgomery, not to mention the gas it would takeŠthis was a bargain," she insisted.

Priscilla Davis thinks a $5 admission would have probably brought more people in, but agrees the evening was well worth it.

"Those who missed it really missed something. For an evening, everybody forgot their problems, Katrina, prejudices and so forth, and really enjoyed the festivities and the music. I found it strangely healing. Hats off to Nancy Idland and everybody who had a hand in putting on this event."

Both Davis and Messina expressed hopes the Sweet Gum Bottom Blues Festival can become a big draw for Greenville in the same way the Hank Williams Festival is for neighboring Georgiana.

"Look what has happened down thereŠthis could be a really good thing for Greenville," Messina said.

Family fun in the sun
While the festival ended with plenty of blues, it kicked off on Saturday morning with beignets, "bouncy castles" and craft vendors, magic shows and crafty hats created from newspapers. "Family Fun Day' lived up to its name.

Five-year-old Chapman Gregory enjoyed checking out a vintage John Deere tractor, while old and young alike admired the antique cars and trucks on display nearby. David Nordgren won the People's Choice award for his vintage vehicle.

Katherine Tillery, age five, of Greenville, enjoyed her pretty pink "mask,' courtesy of face painter Jacki Sport of Luverne, a perennial big draw at festivals.

Another popular stop was the booth of Bill Jackson the caricaturist, with lines of folks waiting to have a humorous portrait drawn on the spot. Kids could also dress up in variety of garments and pose for an instant portrait.

Vivian Killingsworth of Greenville was enjoying a weekend outing with her young grandson, John David Thomas, who happily downed a cotton candy-flavored shaved ice. "We're having a great time," Killingsworth said.

Food proved a big part of the festival. The volunteers from Greenville Elementary School ran out of their camp stew before the day was over, and the Miss Greater Greenville Scholarship Board's "Finger Lickin' Good" booth was doing great business with their fried green tomatoes, smoked turkey legs and other southern specialties.

Two ladies came away winners from the Pecan Cook Off sponsored by Just Julie's. Ann Miller of Greenville won best entrée and $100 with her sweet potato casserole, while Carolyn Black of Greenville took home best dessert honors and $100 with her recipe for pecan dainties.

Priscilla Davis got to sample several dishes, and said she loved "the cheese grits, boiled peanuts, sweet tea and barbecue."

Linda Horn of Greenville, who praised the fried green tomatoes and jambalaya, said she also "never passes up a funnel cake."

"Family fun day was just that - fun. I loved seeing all the kids engage in crafts, face-painting and outdoor activities. Kudos to all those creative volunteers," Horn added.

Some homeless pets also got a day out courtesy of the Butler County Humane Society volunteers. Volunteer Kandys Killough was thrilled when Baby, a puppy featured in a recent Lifestyles article in this paper, found a new home with Cathy and Leander Pickens of Greenville.

"We had to put our dog downŠand I think the best way to get over the pain is to get another puppy to love and enjoy," Pickens said.

Ramona Martin of Greenville, who helped man the cookbook booth for Saint Thomas Episcopal Church, said Saturday's festival "epitomized everything that is great about small-town life."

"There were plenty of activities for children, and they were able to roam around freely and safely. The weather was beautiful and everyone was in a fantastic mood and so happy to see each other."

"We hope everyone had a great time this weekend, and for those who missed it, I truly think they missed a treat," Greenville Main Street Executive Director Nancy Idland said. The Sweet Gum Bottom Blues Festival was sponsored by Main Street, the Alabama Council on the Arts, the Greenville Area Arts Council and a number of local sponsors.

Eddie "The Ed Man" Stauffer passes

2005-10-19T05:24:00.000-07:00

Eddie "The Ed Man" Stauffer passes

Sad news just in from Blues Brother Paul Buckingham

Apparently Eddie "The Ed Man" Stauffer passed away today.

The Ed Man was a cornerstone of the blues scene in Tokyo and brought many great acts over here.

He will be sadly missed.

Bye Ed

Katrina benefit at FCCJ, Tokyo, tonight

2005-10-07T16:24:00.000-07:00

Katrina benefit at FCCJ, Tokyo, tonight

Just a reminder that a benefit for victims of Hurricane Katrina is being hosted by The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ), tonight (October 8) from 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at The FCCJ Press Club in Yurakucho, Tokyo.

Admission will be ¥7,500, which will include a free first drink and a smogasbord of Cajun cuisine (The press release must have been written by a damn Yankee for the "c" in "Cajun" was down--and smogasbord sure as hell taint no Cajun or Creole word!).

There will also be prizes, including an around-trip ticket to New York, courtesy of Continental Airlines.

Before giving you details of the lineup, I'd like you to spare a thought for the entertainers, who aren't even getting travel expenses covered. It's not just an hour they are donating, they are giving up a complete Saturday night's earnings to play this gig. In addition, some of the musicians--the jazzers in particular--have had to schedule rehearsals, do arrangements and write charts, and in some case find substitute musicians as Yokohama Jazz Festival is on.

So come on down and suppport Katrina aid in the same way that the musicians are:

Running order
Schedule Main Dining Room
16:30--16:50 Brad Holmes (rock)
16:50--17:00 First raffle
17:00--17:20 Jimmy Angel (oldies)
17:20--17:30 Second raffle
17:30--17:50 Suzue Nitobe prayers (Shinto music)
17:30--17:40 Third raffle
17:40--18:00 Beautiful Losers (fusion)
17:50--18:00 Fourth raffle
18:00--18:20 Diane Witherspoon (jazz)
18:20--18:30 Fifth raffle
18:30--18:40 Yasushi Suzuki (rock)
18:40--18:50 Sixth raffle
18:50--19:10 Alex Easley (gospel)
19:10--19:20 Seventh raffle
19:20--20:00 Steve Gardner (blues)
20:00--20:10 Eighth raffle
20:10--20:30 Pamela McCarthy (jazz)
20:30--20:40 Ninth raffle
20:40--21:20 Jerry & the Hip Swingers (swing jazz)
21:20--21:30 Tenth raffle
21:30--22:10 Casey Rankin (rock)
22:10--22:20 Final song with everyone participating (We are the World)
22:20--22:30 Final drawing

Bar Side Performances
18:30--19:15 Cashell (pops)
19:30--20:15 Tom Holliday (rockabilly)
20:30--21:15 Anna Quinn (jazz)

On the Web:
FCCJ

(Click image above for larger map)

Pamela MacCarthy: "Digital Diary" opening party / live jazz & blues

2005-10-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

Pamela MacCarthy: "Digital Diary" opening party / live jazz & blues

The way I feel at present, there's not too many things that would enthuse me enough to drag my flu-racked body out of bed to blog about anything. But a performance by my favorite jazz vocalist, Pamela MacCarthy, would be enough to get Lazarus up and about.

In fact it's a double-whammy of an event, for Pamela's performance at Jazz Spot "J" in Shinjuku tonight is by way of being a jazz / blues opening party for her "Digital Diary" exhibition which is running through October.

This is Pamela's second exhibition of computer-generated art, following on from her successful "MELADRAMAS: On Stage At Last!" at CoCoLo Cafe in Shinjuku, which was held in February this year.

Words--even mine, the way I feel today--cannot adequately capture the vibrance of Pamela's work, so get on over to:

http://www2.gol.com/users/pamelot/digitaldiary/index.html

and take a look for yourself.

The show tonight kicks off at 7:15 p.m. I'm really looking forward to the gig, as Pamela has assembled an all-star band, comprising:

Keisaku Takahashi - piano
Motoaki "Moto" Makino - guitar
Kazuo Midorikawa - bass
Yosuke Hase- drums

The lineup represents a slight variation on her usual go-gang, and I'm looking forward to hearing what comes out the mix.

Click here for a printer-friendly flyer http://www2.gol.com/users/pamelot/J_10-05-2005_print.html

For information onother shows, including Saturday's Katrina benefit, access http://www2.gol.com/users/pamelot/calendar.html

Or visit Pamela's blog, Meladramas at http://meladramas.blogspot.com/

Aging rockers face health issues

2005-09-26T21:35:00.000-07:00

Aging rockers face health issues

Miami (Sep. 25)—It used to be that rock stars died young of living life to the rhythm of notorious excess in drugs, alcohol and the like. These days, they're more likely to die of heart failure.

"It's certainly a problem as some of these groups age," said Bernie Dillon, senior vice president of entertainment at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

"Can they maintain their tour schedule? Can they maintain their voices? Touring is a tough business."

In recent years, several tours have been affected by performers' health ailments.

In August 2004, then 57-year-old David Bowie was forced to halt his European tour and undergo emergency heart surgery for a blocked artery.

Also that month, The Kinks co-founder Dave Davies, also 57, collapsed of a stroke in London, causing an upcoming American tour to be canceled.

Last October, former Eagles bassist Randy Meisner, then 58, was hospitalized for chest pains in Los Angeles.

On the R&B-soul scene, Ronald Isley, of the Isley Brothers fame, suffered a minor stroke last year at age 63 while 56-year-old Rick James died. The funk legend, famed for 1981's Superfreak, had suffered a stroke while on stage in Denver in 1997 and had hip replacement surgery the following year.

"As long as these guys can work, they'll sell tickets," said Ray Waddell, senior editor touring of Billboard magazine. "But at some point, biology will take over."

Source: CHRISTINA HOAG, Miami Herald

Steve Gardner's October gig guide

2005-09-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

Steve Gardner's October gig guide

10/2(Sun) Ogikubo: Rooster (Band) \1600
http://www.rooster.jp/

10/4 (Tue) Roppongi: Bourbon Street (solo) free 9:00
http://www.bourbonstreet-tokyo.com/

10/8 (Sat) Yurakucho: Foreign Correspondent's Club
Harricane Charity Events ¥,7,000
Steve's stage 7:20-8:00
Tel:03-3211-3161

10/11 (Tue) Roppongi: Bourbon Street (solo) free 9:00
http://www.bourbonstreet-tokyo.com/

10/12 (Wed) Takadanobaba: The Fiddler
(duo: with Shinjiro Mori) Free 9:00
http://www.thefiddler.com/

10/15 (Sat) Yurakucho: Foreign Correspondent's Club
(duo:with Makoto Takahashi) Free 6:30
Tel:03-3211-3161

10/18 (Tue) Roppongi: Bourbon Street (solo) free 9:00
http://www.bourbonstreet-tokyo.com/

10/20 (Thur) Ebisu:What the Dickens (Band) Free 8:30
http://www.towncryer.jp/

10/25 (Tue) Bourbon Street (solo) free 9:00
http://www.bourbonstreet-tokyo.com/

10/28 (Fri) Takadanobaba:The Fiddler (Band) Free 9:00
http://www.thefiddler.com/

On the Web:
Read the Tokyo-Blues interview with Steve

Laumeier's New Music Festival -

2005-09-23T02:57:00.000-07:00

Laumeier's New Music Festival -

B.B. King, James Brown and Indigo Girls to headline premiere concert, Sept. 23,24,25

The reigning "King of Blues," B.B. King; and the "Godfather of Soul," James Brown, are among the headliners at Laumeier's premiere outdoor music festival on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Sept. 23, 24 and 25.

The three-day music festival, sponsored by Budweiser True Music, will also feature acclaimed Blues guitarist and soulful vocalist KennyWayne Shepherd, guitar prodigy Joe Bonamassa, enduring contemporary folk artists The Indigo Girls, former Sheryl Crow Musical Director R. Scott Bryan and more. A second stage will feature local artists that will perform before and throughout the festival's main stage performances.

With this festival, Laumeier Sculpture Park, the world-class open air museum, unveils LOMA (Laumeier Outdoor Music Amphitheatre) will provide audiences with a new way to enjoy concerts under the stars while marveling at outdoor works of art by internationally renowned artists. The festival will feature food and beverages in a relaxed atmosphere and nationally acclaimed talent. .

"The performances will showcase huge names and living legends of blues and pop music," explained Sam Foxman, senior partner of Contemporary Productions. Contemporary, producers and promoters at LOMA, which was responsible for booking last year's talent line-up at River Splash.

"Laumeier Sculpture Park merges art, nature and human experiences through its mission to initiate a lifelong process of cultural awareness," stated Glen Gentele, director of Laumeier Sculpture Park. "We are always looking for exciting ways to attract new patrons, and music just makes perfect sense" continued Gentele.

"With LOMA, we are creating a place where nationally recognized musicians perform in an intimate open air setting among some of the greatest outdoor contemporary art in the country," stated Laumeier Board Co-Chair Nancy Kranzberg.

Ticket holders can relax on blankets which can be purchased at the facility or can bring their own! Tickets start at under $30 for general seating, and include parking. Fifty cents from the sale of each ticket will be used to fund an arts scholarship program sponsored by the Laumeier Sculpture Park. For a nominal increase, reserved VIP seating can be purchased closer to the stage, complete with VIP food and beverage concession. Concession stands at LOMA will feature high quality food, upscale wine and beer selection and picnic baskets available for purchase.

"We wanted this to be a place where people come and enjoy a performance in a spectacular space and not be over-charged," remarked Steve Schankman, president of Contemporary Productions.

LOMA's decision to host the festival in late September will further enrich the music lovers experience by taking advantage of the favorable fall weather and beauty of the changing foliage on the spectacular 98-acre museum grounds.

LOMA is located in Laumeier Sculpture Park at the intersection of Interstate 44 and Interstate 270 at 12580 Rott Road. For directions and box office information, call 821-1209 or visit www.laumeier.com. All concerts rain or shine.

About the artists
B. B. King - For more than half a century, Riley B. King -- better known as B.B. King -- has defined the blues for a worldwide audience. Born in 1925, he started recording in the 1940s and has released over 50 classic albums. Classics includes as "Payin' The Cost To Be The Boss," "The Thrill Is Gone," "How Blue Can You Get," "Everyday I Have The Blues," and "Why I Sing The Blues." Over the years, the Grammy award winner has had two No. 1 R & B Hits, 1951s "Three O'Clock Blues," and 1952's "You don't Know Me;" and four No. 2 R & B hits. King's most popular crossover hit, 1970's "The Thrill Is Gone," went to No. 15 pop. At 80 years of age, the "King of the Blues" continues to tour.

James Brown - Born during the Depression in South Carolina, James Brown's career spans a half century. His music has influenced every genre of modern music from soul, to rock 'n roll to hip hop. The international superstar is roecognized worldwide as the Godfather of Soul." Over a 40-year period, Brown amassed 98 entries on Billboard's top 40 R&B singles charts, a record unsurpassed by any other artist. Seventeen on them reached number one, a feat topped only by Stevie Wonder and Louis Jordan, and equaled only by Aretha Franklin. Hits include "It's a New Day," "Brother Rapp," "Get Up (I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine," and "Super Bad)." "Make It Funky, Part 1," "Good Foot, Part 1," "My Thang," and "The Payback."

Indigo Girls - After over two decades and eight studio albums togerher, songwriter/singer/guitarists Amy Ray and Emily Saliers known as the Indogo Girls, have played thousands of shows. Some of the better-known covers include the Clash's "Clampdown," and "I Don't Wanna Talk About It"

CONCERT SCHEDULE
Doors Open 6 p.m. Concerts begin 7 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 23
The B.B. King Blues Festival featuring Blues legend B.B. King, the soulful Kenny Wayne Shepherd and guitar maverick Joe Bonamassas
Tickets, $35 advance, $40 day of show, $45 advance VIP

Sept. 24
The Indigo Girls with Ari Hest
Tickets, $25 advance, $30 day of show, $35 advance VIP

Sept. 25
The Godfather of Soul James Brown
Tickets, $30 advance, $35 day of show, $40 advance VIP

For tickets, visit the Web site, www.ticketmaster.com or to charge by phone call: 314-421-4400 or 618-222-2900

On the Web:
www.laumeier.com

Motown singer/songwriter Willie Hutch dies

2005-09-23T02:29:00.001-07:00

Motown singer/songwriter Willie Hutch dies

DALLAS (Sept. 21)—Veteran singer-songwriter-producer Willie Hutch, who helped compose several hits for the Jackson 5, died Monday of undisclosed causes in Dallas. He was 59.

Best known for his work at Motown, his association with the label began in 1970 when record producer Hal Davis asked Hutch to help complete a song for the Jackson 5. "I'll Be There" became a hit for the group as did Hutch's subsequent collaborations with the quintet: "Got to Be There" and "Never Can Say Goodbye."

Hired to work regularly with other Motown artists by label founder Berry Gordy, Hutch logged production credits on albums by the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, among others.

Branching into soundtracks, Hutch penned the music for the 1973 blaxploitation movie "The Mack." The critically acclaimed soundtrack spun off two of Hutch's biggest R&B hits, "Brother's Gonna Work It Out" and "Slick."

Hutch's other Motown solo albums during the 1970s include Fully Exposed, Foxy Brown and Concert in Blues, as well as his 1975 top 10 R&B hit, "Love Power."

His most recent work includes From the Heart (1994), The Mack Is Back (1996) and 2002's Sexalicious.

Born Willie McKinley Hutchinson in Los Angeles in 1946, Hutch was raised in Dallas where he began singing as a teenager. He released his first solo single in 1964, "Love Has Put Me Down." Before working at Motown, Hutch penned songs for the 5th Dimension.

Source: By Gail Mitchell , Reuters/Billboard

Voodoo Music Experience Moves To Memphis

2005-09-22T21:25:00.001-07:00

Voodoo Music Experience Moves To Memphis

(Sept. 22)—The VOODOO MUSIC EXPERIENCE will bring its quintessential New Orleans spirit to Memphis, the home of the blues and the birthplace of rock and roll. Memphis' Tom Lee Park will serve as this year's site for the two-day event, set to take place Halloween Weekend. This year's VOODOO MUSIC EXPERIENCE will benefit the New Orleans Restoration Fund (NORF), a donor-advised fund of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF).

"Since our home-base is New Orleans, it's been an especially difficult time for us, with staff losing homes and offices, and some of them losing everything," says Stephen Rehage, founder and independent producer of the annual VOODOO MUSIC EXPERIENCE, now in its seventh year. "Moving a festival of this magnitude has been no easy task and we are grateful to the City of Memphis for extending their hospitality, to Trent Reznor for voicing his advocacy of NORF and Voodoo, to all the artists dedicating their time and energy to support the cause and to our incredible group of people working on this project for their dedication and support over these last few weeks."

Originally set to take place in its home of New Orleans' City Park, the VOODOO MUSIC EXPERIENCE is known for its eclectic and intriguing mix of top-tier artists, iconic musicians, indie performers and local New Orleans favorites. As previously announced, NIN are confirmed to perform and the artist line-up will be updated in the weeks leading up to the event.

VH1, as the principal media partner, will support the VOODOO MUSIC EXPERIENCE through a multi-hour primetime showcase of performances, scheduled to air Saturday, November 5. Exclusive music performances from the festival will also be available on VH1's broadband entertainment network Vspot. Performances, artist interviews and festival highlights will be featured on the VH1 Radio Network and covered by the VH1 News division. VH1 and VH1.com will also help promote NORF as well as a fly-away sweepstakes for a winner and guest to attend the event in Memphis.

Proceeds from the Voodoo Music Experience will benefit the New Orleans Restoration Fund (NORF), a donor-advised fund of Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), to support organizations dedicated to the restoration of the people, community, and culture of New Orleans. A portion of the funds will be earmarked for Habitat for Humanity, Mercy Corps and other national organizations to provide basic humanitarian assistance to victims of the storm. The remainder of the funds will be distributed directly to local grass-roots organizations committed to restoring the vibrant cultural community of the greater New Orleans area, including WWOZ, 90.7, New Orleans Roots Radio; and YA/YA, Inc. (Young Aspirations/Young Artists), a local organization dedicated to empowering future generations of young artists and community leaders.

This year's VOODOO MUSIC EXPERIENCE is produced by Rehage Entertainment in association with the City of Memphis; Dr. Willie W. Herenton, The Mayor of Memphis; Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF); The Riverfront Development Corporation; Memphis and Shelby County Music Commission; The Memphis and Shelby County Film and Television Commission; Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission; Memphis Music Foundation; VH1; Citadel Radio. Sponsors include: PlayStation®, Miller Lite, RollingStone.com, Southern Comfort, MTV2, nine.com, SPIN, Windows XP, MySpace.com, STA Travel, KKND, Filter, Revista Sonika, WWOZ and Spencer's.

ABOUT NEW ORLEANS RESTORATION FUND (NORF):
NORF is a donor-advised fund of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF). EIF, as the philanthropic leader of the entertainment industry, has distributed hundreds of millions of dollars and provided countless volunteer hours to support charitable initiatives for critical social issues. Through this partnership, EIF will facilitate the distribution of funds raised through the event by drawing on its extensive philanthropic experience
Source: Filter Magazine

On the Web:
Voodoo music Experience official site
NIN official site

Preservation Hall Jazz Band Reassembles

2005-09-22T21:13:00.001-07:00

Preservation Hall Jazz Band Reassembles

NEW YORK(Sept. 21)—John Brunious flew in from an evacuation center in Arkansas, wearing donated clothes and carrying a borrowed trumpet, his voice shot from swallowing polluted floodwater.

The 64-year-old leader of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band went straight from the plane to a Manhattan TV studio for a reunion with the world's ambassadors of New Orleans jazz. The musicians could play only one tune that night. Everyone agreed it should be "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?"

"I was so happy to see that the others were OK, because I knew what I had just come from," said Brunious, 64, who was treated for dehydration at an Arkansas hospital after enduring days without food and water at the horrific New Orleans Convention Center.

"I was very emotional because I really wanted to sing that song to let the world know that we do know what it means to miss New Orleans."

For more than 40 years, the Preservation Hall musicians have spread their infectious, joyful rhythms from African villagers to British royalty, from the White House to the former Soviet Union.

Jazz lovers from around the world have made the pilgrimage to pass through Preservation Hall's wrought-iron gates at 726 St. Peter Street. Inside the dimly lit hall with no air conditioning, fans sat on benches or cushions spread on the rough wooden floor as they listened to pure, unadulterated, traditional New Orleans jazz.

Despite their worldwide renown, the Preservation Hall musicians remain deeply rooted in their local neighborhoods, where such legends as Buddy Bolden, King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong created jazz nearly a century ago.

"I think the band is one of the most honest reflections of New Orleans," said bassist Benjamin Jaffe, 34, Preservation Hall's director. "We don't live in an ivory tower. We live with our communities and care for our communities.

"We all feel that we were down and then we got kicked, and that's a terrible place to feel right now," he said during an interview at the Manhattan office of the distributor for the Preservation Hall Recordings label, where his staff is working until they can return home.

Four of the band's eight musicians had their homes destroyed in the deluge. Three of them — Brunious, pianist Rickie Monie and drummer Joseph Lastie, Jr. — also lost their prized instruments.

The worned out facade of the Jazz Preservation Hall, where some of the best classical jazz can be heard, French Quarter, New Orleans
Photo: terragalleria.com

Preservation Hall itself dates back to a private residence built in 1750, when New Orleans was still a French colony. Like most of the French Quarter, the building suffered only minimal damage from Katrina, its stone walls and thick wooden shutters holding firm against yet another hurricane.

The band last performed at Preservation Hall on Aug. 27, a Saturday night, one day before Katrina hit. They played for about 20 people, one of the smallest crowds since the hall was founded by Jaffe's parents in 1961 in a former art gallery. The performance ended early so the musicians could get out of town.

Jaffe arranged a car and nurse to evacuate 96-year-old retired banjo player Narvin Kimball, the last surviving member of the original Preservation Hall band. Jaffe fled the day after Katrina struck, leaving his bass behind and driving with his wife and two dogs to New York City.

In the ensuing days, Jaffe desperately tried to track down his fellow musicians. It was the first time he could remember that the band — most of whom lived within a few miles of each other — had been separated for so long.

Most of the group evacuated before the storm struck. The pianist, Monie, took refuge with his family for almost a week on the upper floor of an office building with their own stock of provisions. But it took almost 10 days for Jaffe to find Brunious.

A scion of one of the city's legendary musical families, the lifelong New Orleans resident watched from the window of his ground floor apartment on Elysian Fields Avenue as the waters surged over his truck and two Cadillacs. Then the water entered Brunious' home, engulfing his seven trumpets, his new stereo system, his suits and shirts and ties.

He retreated upstairs to his landlady's apartment, watching the water creep up the staircase step by step, until some neighbors drove by in a motorboat.

"They picked me and some other neighbors up and brought us to this school," Brunious said. "I had nothing besides what I was wearing, my wallet was soaking wet, and I had one thong shoe and one bare foot because the other shoe came off in the water."

Brunious ended up at the convention center. He slept on the floor for four days, hungry, thirsty and in constant fear of being attacked by marauding youths.

"I would say that the city, state and national government just turned their backs on us because we didn't get anything to eat or drink, there was no law and order, and no plan," Brunious said by telephone from a New Jersey hotel that was temporarily housing some of the band.

After the National Guard arrived, Brunious was bused to Houston, then Dallas, and eventually an evacuation center in Conway, Ark. Volunteers gave him some clothes and helped him contact Jaffe. A Little Rock music store owner loaned him a trumpet.

Brunious landed on Sept. 9, in the middle of a BET telethon that included a Preservation Hall performance at the end. Brunious normally would have sung the lyrics to "New Orleans" (made famous by Louis Armstrong), but a bad cough prevented him from performing. He yielded the lyrics to banjo player Carl Le Blanc.

"We're not going to let a hurricane stop our music. This music is too important to the musicians and people of New Orleans, and to the people of the world," Brunious said. "This music is our treasure and we want to share it."

Jaffe is now scrambling to prepare for a previously arranged international tour that begins in Thailand on Sept. 28 — securing new passports, outfitting the musicians and replacing missing instruments.

"I don't know when Preservation Hall will reopen, but all I know is that it will reopen," Jaffe said.

"What my real dream is that when we reopen that it will be without fanfare and like all the other nights that Preservation Hall has been open. Because then I'll know that New Orleans is back on its feet again, that everybody's safe, healthy and cared for, and that's when I'll feel like my job is done."

Source: By CHARLES J. GANS, Associated Press Writer

On the Web:
Preservation Hall

Related Blues Blog stories:
New Orleans' Preservation Hall Jazz Band (9/15/2005)
Preservation Hall suffers from Katrina aftermath (9/08/2005)

Japanese music industry rallies for Hurricane Katrina victims

2005-09-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

Japanese music industry rallies for Hurricane Katrina victims

TOKYO (Sept. 21)—Japanese music stars joined by New Orleans blues legend Dr. John launched an appeal Wednesday for Japanese artists and fans to donate to victims of Hurricane Katrina which ravaged America's jazz capital.

Some 20 music celebrities have enlisted so far in the newly formed group, Hurricane Aid Japan, which plans to raise funds for Katrina's victims through concerts and other events.

"Japan's music industry received an enormous number of gifts from the southern part of the United States, namely blues and jazz," said Reiko Yukawa, a music critic leading the movement.

"After I saw live footage of Hurricane Katrina's damage, I thought we needed to do something," she told a news conference.

The musicians were joined by Dr. John, the blues and boogie pianist who has played in New Orleans since the 1950s.

"There are a lot of forgotten people," Dr. John said. "People who got no money, no food, no medical treatment."

He said the U.S. government could have taken measures against the natural disaster. "This could have been done 50 years ago. I got angry," he said.

Among the Japanese musicians taking part in the movement are veteran pop singer Akiko Wada and jazz trumpeter Terumasa Hino.

Hino has already raised ¥2.5 million ($22,700) on his own for hurricane victims by calling for donations at nine concerts in Japan in September.

Source: AFP

On the Web:
Hurricane Aid Japan (Nihongo)
Hurricane Aid Japan (English)

Japan Proves Truly "A Friend Indeed" After Hurricane Katrina

Washington (Sept. 16) —If the saying "a friend in need is a friend indeed" is true, Japan is one of the best friends the United States ever could have to provide support while so many Americans are suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Japanese private citizens and the government alike have sent a virtual tsunami of assistance to the victims of Katrina, which devastated 90,000 square miles along the U.S. Gulf Coast in August. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their homes and hundreds lost their lives.

Japan has pledged more than $1.5 million in private donations. The government of Japan has donated $200,000 in cash to the American Red Cross and some $800,000 in relief supplies -- from blankets to generators -- already are arriving to aid the most needy. Japanese firms with operations in the United States have donated some $12 million in total, including Honda Motor Corporation ($5 million), Hitachi ($1 million) and Nissan (more than $750,000).

The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo was overwhelmed by the generosity of one Japanese individual -- Takashi Endo -- who donated $1 million from his personal funds to Katrina relief efforts. Endo said he was moved when, during a business trip to London, he saw a televised report about a mother separated from her children in the chaos of the flooding in New Orleans. The story so disturbed him he could not sleep that night; the next morning he resolved to do something to help.

Yuji Takahashi, president and chief executive officer of the Japan Petroleum Exploration Company Ltd., which has operations off the coast of Louisiana, donated $100,000 to U.S. federal government hurricane relief efforts. Takahashi said that when he learned of the destruction caused by the hurricane, he felt as if his own family had been affected.

In a note accompanying the donation, Takahashi said: "I have no doubt that your people will stand in the face of difficulties and rebuild their lives in the near future."

Private citizens have sent the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo more than $2,000, and the embassy's Web site and telephone operators have directed hundreds of inquirers to the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund Web site as well as the American Red Cross, the Japanese Red Cross Society and Peace Winds donation sites.

Mayors from cities all over Japan have donated tens of thousands of dollars. Governor Hirohiko Izumida of Niigata Prefecture, for example, provided a donation of roughly $9,000 while stressing the ties of mutual friendship and gratitude that link the people of Niigata and the United States. Niigata suffered a devastating earthquake in December 2004 and received substantial U.S. aid, including logistical and material assistance from the American military.

The Korean Residents' Union in Japan, known as Mindan, donated more than $50,000. Mindan's president, Jae Sook Kim, said upon presenting the check to Ambassador Thomas Schieffer that Koreans felt a deep sense of appreciation to the United States, which "has fought by Korea's side for 60 years of freedom and democracy."

Kim noted that the United States has accepted millions of Korean immigrants. When America hurts, Kim said, "Koreans feel the same pain."

The Youth for Understanding Japan Foundation has pledged $45,000, and the Chiba Lotte Marines professional baseball team has started what will be an ongoing campaign to raise funds from fans to help victims of Katrina as well as the recent Typhoon No. 14 in Japan.

NHK-TV, Japan's leading national broadcaster, has partnered with the Japanese Red Cross for a nationwide fundraising drive. NHK is running regular public service announcements instructing viewers how to donate via bank transfer or in person at any NHK or Red Cross office throughout the country. The campaign will run for one month, from September 6 to October 6. Fuji TV network is running a similar campaign.

A number of Japanese jazz greats and other leaders of the music and entertainment industries have banded together for a major "Hurricane Aid Japan" campaign running through December. Donations will be solicited at numerous concerts nationwide. Record companies and others will put banners on their Web sites and individual artists will collect donations. There is already a Japanese-language Web site up and running, with an English version to follow soon.

One of Japan's leading nationwide retailers, the AEON group, has started to collect donations for the victims of Hurricane Katrina at some 700 stores throughout Japan. The campaign will run September 3-20. During this same period, the chain also will donate 1 percent of all sales proceeds for customers using the popular members' discount cards.

The Japanese Red Cross Society, in addition to acting as a major conduit for individual and corporate donations to Katrina relief, announced it would donate $200,000 of its own funds to support hurricane relief activities of its sister organization, the American Red Cross.

All three Japanese international air carriers (ANA, JAL, NCA) have offered free use of empty cargo capacity to transport relief supplies to the United States.

J. Thomas Schieffer, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, has been kept very busy acknowledging all of Japan's generous donors; many have and will receive his personal thanks.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed her "heartfelt thanks" September 2 for the "warm and passionate response" from the international community.

And President Bush, in a September 14 address to more than 160 leaders attending the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York, observed that the "awesome power of nature" has unleashed "the greater power of human compassion."

Addressing Japan and the more than 115 countries that have come to the aid of Hurricane Katrina's victims, Bush said: "I offer the thanks of my nation…. (T)he world is more compassionate and hopeful when we act together."

Source: Washington File

Basin Street Records' Weekly Enewsletter--Sept. 22

2005-09-21T08:36:00.000-07:00

Basin Street Records' Weekly Enewsletter--Sept. 22

This just in from Blues Brother Mark Samuels, president of Basin Street Records:

ANOTHER PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM MARK SAMUELS, PRESIDENT, BASIN STREET RECORDS

It has been an unusual week for us of ups and downs. First the ups...Irvin Mayfield performing America the Beautiful on Monday Night Football, Kermit Ruffins participating at Madison Square Garden on a bill with Elton John, Simon and Garfunkel, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, Rebirth, Dirty Dozen and more. I also got to see Theresa Andersson and Dr. White perform live in Austin this week. It definitely lifted my spirits, and I know it did them good too.

And now some downs... I am writing this update from Metairie, LA where I am staying for a few days while removing all of the walls and floors and appliances from the first floor of my home in New Orleans (it had 5 feet of water), so that mold doesn't spread to the rest of the house. It has been exhausting, but I am lucky that my home is so close to the Parish line so that I can "sneak" into New Orleans to get the work done.

I also came back here to recover some of our inventory from the office. We suffered about 2 feet of water in our office of wall to wall carpet and it is a mess, but we have recovered some of the CDs that were stored on the higher shelves. When I return to Austin we will finish sending out the mail orders that we received this month. Beginning next week we should be back to being able to send mail orders out within 24 hours of the order.

Many of you have contacted us and many of you have posted your messages on the "forums" on our website. Thank you for your well wishes.

Basin Street Records will continue to operate from Austin for at least the next few months.

ARTIST UPDATES: All of our artists and their sidemen are accounted for. The only BSR "extended family member" that is still missing is Irvin Mayfield's father.

We hope we have homes and businesses to return to and that we can return soon to help rebuild the greatest city that I know: New Orleans.

Please use our message board at
www. BasinStreetRecords.com to send your well wishes to our artists and let them know how they are loved. We can really use your love and support right now. We also invite you to use the forum to keep others informed of New Orleans musicians in the diaspora.

MAKE IT FUNKY! ALSO, If you are in NYC or Los Angeles PLEASE GO SEE Make it Funky! a few times this week for an amazing view of why New Orleans is great. The movie includes BSR artists' Jon Cleary, Irvin Mayfield and Kermit Ruffins. It also includes the Neville Brothers, Allen Toussaint, Bonnie Raitt, Keith Richards, Earl Palmer, Walter Wolfman Washington and many many more. If successful on the coasts, then the rest of the country can see it in theaters too.
[See Musical New Orleans lost more than buildings (9/04/2005) --Les]

The DVD comes out on September 27th. The movie premieres in NYC and Los Angeles on September 9th. VIEW THE TRAILER and more: http://www.sonypictures.com/makeitfunky/flash/

===================================
HOT SHOWS THIS WEEK
As Fantastic As Their CDs Are...The Live Shows Are BETTER!
Don't miss...
KERMIT RUFFINS and the BARBECUE SWINGERS
Performing at Austin City Limits Festival on Sunday, September 25th.

LOS HOMBRES CALIENTES on Saturday, Sept 24th at Vanderbilt University

THERESA ANDERSSON is in the Southeast

DR.MICHAEL WHITE IS IN KNOXVILLE (we think)

===================================

HOT NEWS
MAKE IT FUNKY!
MAKE IT FUNKY! ALSO, If you are in NYC or Los Angeles PLEASE GO SEE Make it Funky! a few times this week for an amazing view of why New Orleans is great. The movie includes BSR artists' Jon Cleary, Irvin Mayfield and Kermit Ruffins. If successful on the coasts, then the rest of the country can see it in theaters too.

The DVD comes out on September 27th. The movie premieres in NYC and Los Angeles on September 9th. VIEW THE TRAILER and more: http://www.sonypictures.com/makeitfunky/flash/

MSN, RED CROSS and BASIN STREET RECORDS
To download tracks from your favorite Basin Street Records artists, help the American Red Cross, help Basin Street Records, and help our artists please visit
http://music.msn.c o m/give
We can really use your help! Thanks.

Basin Street Artists on tour:
Tourdates added daily...click on www.BasinStreetRecords.com for updates.

Gambit Weekly Big Easy Award Winner and offBEAT Best of the Beat Winner
THERESA ANDERSSON
9/20 Sticky Fingerz, Little Rock, AR
9/23 & 9/24 Snapper O'Malley's Auburn, AL
10/1 Earthlink Live, Atlanta, GA A rockboat Katrina fundraiser
10/6 Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, LA Theresa Andersson Group
10/7 Phil Brady's, Baton Rouge, LA Theresa Andersson Group
Theresa Andersson Web Site

Grammy Nominee and Billboard Latin Music Award Winner
LOS HOMBRES CALIENTES: IRVIN MAYFIELD & BILL SUMMERS
9/24/05 Nashville, TN Vanderbilt University
10/7/05 Hartford, CT Asylum Church
10/8/05 Charlotte, MI Charlotte, MI Performing Arts Center
3/23/06 Nacodoches, TX Austin State University
5/3/06 Salt Lake City, UT Kingsbury Hall
5/5/06 Medford, OR Ginger Rogers Hall

OffBEAT Best of the Beat Winner and Gambit Weekly Big Easy Award Winner
JON CLEARY and The Absolute Monster Gentlemen
DON'T MISS JON CLEARY on keyboards with Bonnie Raitt this Fall!
Visit www.bonnieraitt. com for a complete list of her tourdates

5 time W.C. Handy nominee
HENRY BUTLER
9/19/05 Seattle, WA Jazz Alley (Henry solo Benefit)
9/22/05 San Francisco Slim's (Henry solo Benefit)
9/23 & 24/05 Syracuse, NY Jaz and Caz Festival
9/28/05 Somerville, MA Johnny D's (Henry Butler w/ Amadee Castenell Katrina Benefit)
9/30/05 Grand Central Station, NYC Henry Butler solo Katrina Habitats for Humanity Benefit
11/4/05-11/11/05 Athens, Greece Half Note Club
1/20/06 New York, NY Metropolitan Museum of Art
5/23/06 New York, NY Carnegie Hall, Zankel Concert Hall (an evening of solo and duo piano with Henry Butler and Allen Toussaint)

Gambit Weekly Big Easy Award and offBEAT Best of the Beat Winner
KERMIT RUFFINS and the Barbecue Swingers
9/25/05 Austin, TX Austin City Limits Festival, 7p
10/14/05 Houston, TX Private Event

Grammy nominee and DownBeat Critic's Poll Winner
IRVIN MAYFIELD
10/16/05 New Orleans, LA Irvin plays National Anthem at Saints game
10/18/05 Storm Lake, IA Buena Vista University, Schaller Memorial Chapel, (w/ NOJO), 8pm
10/19/05 Iowa City, IA Englert Theater, (w/ NOJO),8pm
10/20/05 Brookfield, WI Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, (w/ NOJO), 8pm
10/21-22/05 Green Bay, WI The Weidner Center, (w/ NOJO)
10/24/05 Grand Rapids, MI Reif Arts Center, (W/ NOJO)
11/1/05 Concord, NH TBA, (w/ NOJO),8pm
11/2/05 Worcester MA Mechanics Hall, (w/ NOJO) 8pm
12/17/05 TBA NOJO Christmas Concert, TBA
12/18/05 TBA NOJO Christmas Concert, TBA
4/1/06 Bellingham, WA Mt. Baker Theater, (w/ NOJO) 8pm
4/2/06 Seattle, WA Benaroya Hall, (w/ NOJO)
4/3/06 Victoria, BC University Center Auditorium, (w/ NOJO)
4/4/06 Vancouver, BC Center for the Performing Arts, (w/ NOJO), 8pm
4/7/06 La Jolla, CA Sherwood Auditorium, (w/ NOJO), 8pm
4/9/06 Scottsdale, AZ Scottsdale Center for the Arts, (w/ NOJO)
4/11/06 Tucson, AZ Centennial Hall, (w/ NOJO)

FOR NEW TOURDATES ADDED DAILY

ABOUT US
Basin Street Records Enewsletter is sent only once each week. We appreciate you spreading the word about our great artists and hope you check them out when they are in your area. Please add news@basinstreetrecords.com to your address book so that you are more likely to continue receiving our newsletter (spam filters may keep it from you otherwise).

We are not sure whether we are still located at:
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PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT: www.BasinStreetRecords.com
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info@basinstreetrecords.com and we are still in business!
email: news@basinstreetrecords.com
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Releases for September 20

2005-09-21T03:56:00.000-07:00

Releases for September 20

James Brown "Gettin' Down to It" (1969 album; remastered) Verve
Ray Charles "Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1952-1959) [box set]" (7 CDs, plus a DVD featuring his 1960 Newport Jazz Festival Performance), "Genius & Friends" (1998 duets) Rhino/Atlantic
Coal Chamber "Coal Chamber" (1997 album; with bonus tracks) Roadrunner
Sam Cooke "The Best of Sam Cooke" (1962 album; with bonus tracks), "Nightbeat" (1963 album), "One Night Stand: Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963" (recorded at the Harlem Square Club in North Miami, Fla., on Jan. 12, 1963) RCA/Legacy
Tupac Shakur "Live at the House of Blues" Red Distribution
Carter Family, The "The Carter Family: Will the Circle Be Unbroken? [DVD]" PBS/Paramount
Bob Dylan "No Direction Home: Bob Dylan [DVD]" (2005 PBS biopic by Martin Scorsese; 2 discs) Paramount
Traffic "The Last Great Traffic Jam [DVD]" (captures the band's 1994 reunion tour, including Jerry Garcia guesting on guitar during "Dear Mr. Fantasy," shot in July 1994 at Chicago's Soldier Field; Read here) Epic
Bob Dylan "Chronicles: Volume One [Paperback]" Simon & Schuster

Blogger is down

2005-09-20T22:42:00.000-07:00

Blogger is down--I have posts up and waiting to be published, so drop back in a beer or three

R&B legends singing again for new label

2005-09-20T21:52:00.000-07:00

R&B legends singing again for new label

The musician who produced soul legend Solomon Burke's Grammy-winning 2002 album Don't Give Up on Me has started a label devoted to new work by veteran R&B performers.

The first release from Joe Henry's Work Song label will reach stores on October 4. I Believe to My Soul will feature newly recorded performances by Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, Mavis Staples, Ann Peebles and Billy Preston.

The album will be released in partnership with Warner Music Group's archival label Rhino Records and Starbucks Entertainment's Hear Music unit. The album will be available nonexclusively at Starbucks and sold by conventional music retailers.

Singer-songwriter Henry, who also produced the recent album I've Got My Own Hell to Raise by soul veteran Bettye LaVette, had nursed the idea of a label dedicated to fresh recordings by classic R&B performers for three years.

"I thought most of the great soul artists were either relegated to the oldies circuit or being stuffed into what R&B has become," Henry said. "I had in mind this idea of a long, continuing series of records."

I Believe to My Soul was recorded in one week of June sessions at Capitol Studios in Hollywood. The writers among the featured performers brought in new tunes, while the interpreters selected songs they had not recorded before.

Toussaint, as well known as a producer and arranger as a singer, songwriter and keyboardist, was featured on four tracks and anchored the house band as well. "He's just a heavy number," Henry said.

Thomas said of the finished product: "It goes to show you that those of us who've been around for a while still have it. Maturity comes as you grow older."

In recognition of Toussaint and Thomas' deep roots in the New Orleans music community, Work Song, Rhino and Starbucks will contribute $10 of the Starbucks purchase price to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts; $3 of every copy purchased at music retail stores, where the package is listed at $18.98, also will be donated. The contributions to the American and Canadian Red Cross will continue for the lifetime of the album.

Thomas, who was in Austin when Katrina hit, will appear at a hurricane benefit Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden in New York. She said: "This is a project I would be on board with, even if I wasn't on the record and even if I wasn't one of the evacuees. ... When you're blessed, you're supposed to pass it on."

Source: Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Dylan: Talkin' blues and a lot more

2005-09-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

Dylan: Talkin' blues and a lot more

New York (Seot. 20)—
BOB Dylan is both well known and little known.

Notoriously reclusive - always letting only his music speak for him - Dylan began to lift the veil of privacy last year with his best-selling memoir, "Chronicles: Volume One." Now, the unmasking continues with the Martin Scorsese-directed "No Direction Home," a documentary for PBS' "American Masters" series, out today on DVD. A memorabilia-packed companion volume, "The Bob Dylan Scrapbook," is out today as well.

And Dylan speaks!

Culled from some 10 hours of interviews conducted by his manager/archivist Jeff Rosen - a producer of the film - we hear Dylan chuckle about a couple of high school girlfriends back in his Minnesota hometown. Gloria Story was the first, and he laughs about her name. The other was named Echo and, he says, "I serenaded her under her window." The elusive Dylan is seen cracking a smile. "Both these girls brought out the poet in me."

The music, too, is amazing. Dylan's electric performances - including his legendary appearance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, where fans reacted with cries of "Judas" for "betraying" the folk movement - are explosive and piercing.

All the Dylan interview segments are shown in a tight-frame close-up, offering a good look at his wisp of a mustache, his creased face, his deep blue eyes.

At one point, he says that he thought about going to military school, but couldn't get into West Point, "the one I envisioned going to." And he insists he wasn't a "topical songwriter." Talking about "Blowing in the Wind," Dylan says, "I didn't really know it had any anthemic qualities or anything."

"I wrote the songs to perform the songs," he says.

"No Direction Home" producer Susan Lacy says Dylan "is mesmerizing. You can't take your eyes off him."

With the singer/songwriter at the top of her "wish list," Lacy says she'd been calling Dylan's management for 10 years, asking if he'd cooperate with a bio-film. It was well-known, Lacy says, that Rosen had been conducting interviews with many of Dylan's musical colleagues and friends over the years.

They're all part of the film - Joan Baez ("Bob looked like a ragamuffin"), Allen Ginsberg, Peter Yarrow, Al Kooper, Pete Seeger, Maria Muldaur - the people who were there during the time "No Direction Home" focuses on: from 1961 (when Dylan arrived in New York looking for Woody Guthrie) to 1966, when, after a motorcycle accident, he vanished from the public eye for eight years.

Together with Rosen and another producer, Nigel Sinclair, who worked on Dylan's film "Masked & Anonymous," they approached Martin Scorsese, who directed "The Last Waltz," the concert film on The Band, in which Dylan played.

Lacy, who has not met Dylan, says Scorsese didn't get together with his film's subject, either. But he did winnow and assemble thousands of hours of interviews and archival footage into a compelling 3 1/2-hour narrative.

As to why Dylan, after all these years of staying out of the limelight, agreed to talk, Lacy says she wouldn't presume to speak for Dylan.

"He's a private guy, but he's also part of history and sometimes that sense of history must kick in."

Source:By BILLY HELLER, New York Post

Buy it NOW!:

Japanese Impresario Forms World-Class Swing Band

2005-09-20T21:33:00.000-07:00

Japanese Impresario Forms World-Class Swing Band

Veteran Japanese producer and band leader Jimmy Ashida has a dream -- to bring back the authentic sound of Big Band Swing music by creating a brand-new orchestra. To do that he is now soliciting auditions from musicians throughout the world but especially in the United States.

Backed by the likes of Pat Boone, entertainment attorney Donald K. Wilson, Jr., and producer David Diggs of Spoone Music Corp., Ashida is inviting musicians to send him a solo tape or CD of their music based on guidelines he provides. The roughly 20 who pass his audition will be invited to a one-to-two-month training camp during which they will perform at various venues. Then he plans a concert tour including Los Angeles, Japan, and the rest of Asia. His goal -- to create a world-class swing jazz orchestra to rival those of Duke Ellington, Tommy Dorsey, Stan Kenton and Les Brown.

A measure of his seriousness is his creation of a non-profit Swing Foundation under California law. He is already soliciting contributions from major U.S. companies.

For more information, e-mail Ashida at j-ashida@wk9.so-net.ne.jp.

Source: Jazz News

Vandross Tributes Pave Way for New Album

2005-09-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

Vandross Tributes Pave Way for New Album

Music icon Patti LaBelle and multi-platinum recording artist Usher performed on Tuesday’s Oprah Winfrey Show in a tribute to the late R&B legend, Luther Vandross.

LaBelle gave Oprah’s audience a soul-stirring performance of "Here and Now" while Usher sang an electrifying rendition of "Superstar," songs which also appear on the J Records' release, 'So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross,' which is in stores now.

Entertainment Tonight and The Insider also honored the late singer with six days of heart-warming interviews leading up to the album's release. Mrs. Vandross, Aretha Franklin, Jamie Foxx, Beyonce, Clive Davis and footage of Celine Dion's recording studio session of "Dance With My Father" were part of the week-long tribute.

"So Amazing" is a collection of the most memorable hits from Vandross' musical legacy. Artists and songs featured on the album thus far include Mary J. Blige ("Never Too Much"), Aretha Franklin ("A House Is Not A Home"), Usher ("Superstar"), Beyonce & Stevie Wonder ("So Amazing"), Alicia Keys ("If This World Was Mine" -- duet with Jermaine Paul), Donna Summer ("Power of Love"), Celine Dion ("Dance With My Father"), Patti LaBelle ("Here and Now"), Jamie Foxx ("Creepin"), Elton John ("Anyone Who Had A Heart" -- duet with Luther's original vocals), Fantasia ("Till My Baby Comes Home"), John Legend ("Love Won't Let Me Wait"), Babyface ("If Only For One Night"), Angie Stone ("Since I Lost my baby") and Wyclef Jean ("Always and Forever").

Vandross died on July 1, 2005 from complications from the stroke he suffered in 2003. He was 54.

Jazz fest honors Oscar Brown Jr.

2005-09-19T21:42:00.001-07:00

Jazz fest honors Oscar Brown Jr.

GARY, Ind. (Sept. 19)—The Greater Gary American Jazz Association kicked off their "Third Sundays Jazz Series" with a tribute to jazz artist and poet, the late Oscar Brown Jr.

Nearly 100 music lovers attended the season-opener. Tony Acoff and the All-Stars, featuring Ralph Kinsey on drums, Eric Randell on bass and Ronnie Rancifer on keyboards, paid homage to Brown, who died May 29.

Brown's final appearance in Gary was Feb. 13 at Indiana University Northwest. Acoff, a flutist, is also a member of the reggae band, White Dove, along with Randell. The tribute to Brown was Acoff's idea.

Acoff performed with Brown and his son, Oscar Brown III, in the '70s and '80s. As a pre-teen, Acoff participated in a citywide project, 'Dancin' In The Streets Theater," under former Gary Mayor Richard Hatcher.

Brown was director of the summer program.

"Oscar was doing the musical to draw talent from the youth in Gary. He was a great man and his passing was a great loss," Acoff said. "Oscar Brown Jr. was the original rapper of the streets."

During the Sunday performance, the ensemble played a mixture of jazz, reggae and soul compositions.

Acoff and the All-Stars performed compositions by Brown, including "All Blues," a composition written by Brown and Miles Davis. They also performed "Afro Blue" by Brown, Davis and John Coltrane.

Ralph Kinsey of the legendary blues band, The Kinsey Report, said he and Acoff have known each other for years.

"Tony performed with Big Daddy Kinsey growing up. We are always doing something together," Kinsey said.

Kinsey said a benefit concert to aid Hurricane Katrina evacuees in Northwest Indiana will take place at the Lake County Fairgrounds on Oct. 9.

"We will have some of the best musicians in the region perform to raise money to help these families out," Kinsey said.

Dorothy Dillon of Gary took time out of her work schedule to listen to the live music.

"This is my first time coming to this event. I am usually working on Sundays, but I had the day off. I was going to sit in front of my computer and do some extra work, but I decided I needed a time out," Dillon said.

Source: Post-Tribune

San Francisco Blues Festival

2005-09-19T21:24:00.000-07:00

San Francisco Blues Festival

Free Waterfront Blues Concert
West Coast Harmonica Jump. Featuring Lynwood Slim, R.J. Mischo, Birdlegg and John Nemeth.

September 23, Noon - 1:30 PM
Justin Herman Plaza, Embarcadero 4

Saturday September 24, 2005
Mark St. Mary Louisiana Blues & Zydeco 11:00 AM
Café R&B 11:40 AM
Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King 12:20 PM
James Harman Band 1:10 PM
Jimmy Dawkins Band
Nora Jean Bruso 2:00 PM
Angela Strehli 2:55 PM
Howard Tate 3:50 PM
Huey Lewis & the News 4:45 PM

Sunday September 25, 2005
Kenny Blue Ray 11:00 AM
Delmark Blues Revue. Featuring Dave Specter, Steve Freund, Shirley Johnson and Ken Saydak 11:50 AM
Campbell Brothers with special guest Sonny Landreth 12:50 PM
North Mississippi Allstars 1:50 PM
Mavis Staples 2:45 PM
Fabulous Thunderbirds 3:45 PM
James Cotton, Hubert Sumlin, Special Guest: Elvin Bishop, Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith, Henry Gray, Bob Stroger: The Legends of Chicago Blues 4:45 PM

On the Web:
San Francisco Blues Festival

San Francisco Blues Festival--Jimmy Dawkins

2005-09-19T21:08:00.001-07:00

San Francisco Blues Festival--Jimmy Dawkins

San Franciso (Sept. 18)—San Francisco's Blues Festival, now in its fourth decade, can always be counted on to feature a few stellar musicians whose careers have escaped wider notice. One such performer on this year's roster is Chicagoan Jimmy Dawkins, 68, perhaps the best guitar slinger most of us have never heard of.

"He only happens to be one of the greatest guitar players in blues," says festival producer Tom Mazzolini of the guitarist, songwriter and entrepreneur, whose career dates back to Chicago's blues heyday of the '50s. "He's technically perfect, the quintessential, no-frills Chicago player."

"He's been around a long time," agrees record producer Chris Millar. "He's a very intense player, not for everybody, definitely a red-meat, very aggressive type of player. He almost sounds like heavy metal."

Dawkins is of the West Side school of players, Millar explains. Indebted to B.B. King, it's a more modern style than that associated with such South Side players as Muddy Waters, whose sound is more rooted in the country blues of the Mississippi Delta.

Dawkins' playing features a fierce, rich guitar tone interspersed with moody lyrics on his compositions such as "Shee Leff Me," "Wess Cide Rock," "So Wurrid" and "U Made Me Luv U" off his 2002 Fedora release "West Side Guitar Hero." Previous albums include B Phur Real and Kant Sheck Dees Bluze.

Jimmy Dawkins

"I'm my own man," Dawkins says by phone from Chicago. "I'm Jimmy Dawkins and that's what I am and that's what I play.

"I see it my way," he explains of his choice of spellings. "I'm not necessarily the most educated person, but I don't feel I have to conform a million percent."

Dawkins says he's relaxing over a glass of whiskey after busily attending to the damage Hurricane Katrina inflicted on his Mississippi property. He speaks of learning what he could from Freddie King, a willing enough, if perhaps cantankerous, teacher, and also cites Smiley Lewis ("great sound, time and rhythm"), Eddie Jones (a.k.a. Guitar Slim, "one of the greatest guitar players"), Fats Domino, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Otis Rush and Big Joe Williams as musicians he's admired.

"There've been so many, and I learned from all of them," he says. "There's always some influence, but I've never been into that copycat stuff."

After a 15-year apprenticeship in Chicago, Dawkins made his first recording when his friend Magic Sam, armed with a six-pack of tall Budweisers, took him to meet Bob Koester of Delmark Records. The fruits of that meeting, Dawkins' 1969 debut album, Fast Fingers, earned him honors from Downbeat magazine and a citation from the Hot Club of France for best album of the year.

Since then, he has helped found Living Blues Magazine with Bruce Iglauer before the latter went on to found Alligator Records. The name Living Blues, he says, was born of his insistence on covering not only deceased greats of the past, but those still plying the trade. He also owns Leric Music, a record label and publishing company, and works to ensure that composers' royalty payments catch up to them.

"A lot of times they took advantage," Dawkins says of the record business. "They knew the artists didn't have other means -- 'Just play your boxes (guitars), eat your chicken, we'll buy you some Old Crow.' I always had my own money. If the job didn't pay, I'd pay the band from my own pocket.

"I didn't want to just play guitar, blow harp, tap my foot," Dawkins says. "I wanted to be in the business of things."

Dawkins is scheduled to take the blues festival stage at 2 p.m. Saturday. He'll split his time between his own set and backing up singer Nora Jean Bruso, with whom he worked for many years when she was known as Nora Jean Wallace. Bruso stepped out of the limelight to raise her family in the '80s and '90s before returning to the studio and stage with "Nora Jean Bruso Sings the Blues" in 2002 and last year's "Going Back to Mississippi."

The rest of the band is Billy Flynn on guitar, Jimmy Schutte on drums and Rob Waters on bass, all players with whom Dawkins has had a long association. "I didn't never switch musicians much. All of us was like family."

"I worked at a factory a minute or two, back in the '50s," he says, but "I mostly left all that for music. Yeah, it's been rough out there, I've had some rough times, it's been a struggle, but it's been good. It's been and is what I wanted, what I love."

He'll expound on racial injustice but also acknowledges that white artists such as the Blues Brothers, Michael Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield and the Vaughan brothers, Jimmy and Stevie Ray, "brought attention to us."

And though some have described Dawkins as angry, he insists, "I'm one of the smilingest guys around. When I step on the stage, I step out there to play. I'm really appreciative that someone left home to come out and see us."

Source: Mark Hedin, San Franciso Chronicle

On the Web:
San Francisco Blues Festival

Evacuated New Orleans musicians bring new sounds to Memphis

2005-09-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

Evacuated New Orleans musicians bring new sounds to Memphis

Smokey sings the blues as he works late at the Memphis Music shop on Beale Street, before Katrina hit the area
AFP/Getty Images/File Carlo Allegri

MEMPHIS (Sept. 19)—Jazz and zydeco now wafts amid the neon garden of Memphis, Tennessee's Beale Street, where rock and roll was born and the blues lives on.

It comes courtesy of scores of musicians who fled New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina and are struggling to make a living now that the streets and bars of the French Quarter lie empty.

"Memphis is a great town, man," New Orleans guitarist Charles Moore said as he played a donated guitar on a Beale Street sidewalk. "There's a great musical community here. I'm trying to fit in."

His rhythm and blues riffs aren't exactly what tourists expect to hear in downtown's Handy Park, typically dominated by B.B. King-styled blues bands. But that doesn't mean they're not welcome.

Much of the city's musical landscape is changing, as nightclubs everywhere fill holes in weekly schedules or shuffle evening lineups to accommodate the surge of downriver artists.

"I've got some very good talent here eager for work," said Carson Lamm with the Beale Street Music Association. "I've got guys who can do classical guitar for weddings, guys who can do piano, blues acts, straight-ahead jazz. That's a pretty good range as far as live music goes."

Music fans looking for a silver lining in Katrina's clouds are focusing on what some are calling Memphorleans, the evolving barbecue gumbo music scene in Memphis, where free benefit concerts blending Memphis and New Orleans acts are routine.

"It's inspiring something good can come from something so horrible," said Scott Bomar, a local National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences board member and leader of the retro-soul instrumental Bo-Keys.

"New Orleans is more than just jazz and Memphis is a lot more than just the blues," said Bomar, whose group includes session musicians from famed soul label Stax Records.

"There hasn't been this much different music in town for a long time. And it's already becoming an influence."

An annual R and B festival has shifted to focus on New Orleans rappers like Baby, off the Cash Money Millionaires label, in town and willing to perform.

And jazzmen like Rasheed Akbar, who's been staying with relatives in Memphis since the hurricane, have brought jazz to blues bastions like Beale, mingling his alto-sax serenades with the sinewy slide guitar riffs emanating from most clubs.

"I came straight to Beale Street," Akbar said. "It's a release. The devastation is overwhelming sometimes, so I cry and I play for all the people, the dead, the living, and for the city."

Despite plans by the mayor of New Orleans to reopen the French Quarter in a matter of days, most displaced musicians here don't expect to return to New Orleans anytime soon. Some, like Supagroup's Chris Lee, hope that does not mean never.

"New Orleans was a musician's paradise," Lee said in the Memphis motel room that has been his home for the last couple weeks. "But if we all leave, that music scene could be gone."

Source: AFP

AMA names Sonny Landreth 'Instrumentalist of The Year'

2005-09-19T03:42:00.000-07:00

AMA names Sonny Landreth 'Instrumentalist of The Year'

Sonny Landreth was named the Instrumentalist of the Year by the Americana Music Association at their fourth annual awards show. GAC will televise the event, which took place on Friday, September 9 at the historic Ryman Auditorium, in a two-hour special on September 26 at 8 PM Eastern.

Sonny Landreth, actually born in Canton, Miss., but now accepted as a Creole Stater, was nominated and awarded by voting members of the AMA alongside Alison Brown, Jerry Douglas and Gurf Morlix. Landreth was not available to accept the award due to his participation in a benefit concert for neighbors in Southern Louisiana.

His latest offeringon Sugar Hill, Grant Street -- a live album recorded in his his adopted home of Lafayette—was released early this year to critical acclaim.

Currently Landreth has been recording with Jimmy Buffett in his Key West studio, and will be appearing with Buffett on Tuesday the 19th at Madison Square Gardens for the "From The Big Apple To The Big Easy"- a benefit for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Also featured will be Diana Krall, Bette Midler, Lenny Kravitz, Elvis Costello, and many more.

More information is available at www.fromthebigappletothebigeasy.com

Send a Sonny Landreth e-card

Fender Custom Shop Recreates the 1955 Strat

2005-09-19T03:32:00.000-07:00

Fender Custom Shop Recreates the 1955 Strat

2005 marks the 50th anniversary of one of the finest guitars ever made--the Stratocaster.

To celebrate the occoasion, the Fender Custom Shop has recreated the 1955 version of the Strat in a limited edition run, exactly fifty years on from the original.

Vintage features have been retained, such as:

*A tone-colour sunbust finish over a Comfort Contoured Premium Ash Body
*Soft "V"-shaped neck
*1-Ply Parchment (8 Hole) pickguard
*Maple fingerboard with a 9.5” (241 mm) Radius
*Chrome-plated "ashtray" bridge cover
*Bone nut

On the Web:
Fender Guitars
Full specs

Releases for September 19

2005-09-19T03:28:00.000-07:00

Releases for September 19

(Well,if you want to be pedantic about it, "Release for September 19")
Jimmy Cliff "The Harder They Come: The Definitive Collection" (2 CDs) U.K. - Trojan/Sanctuary

Two reasons I love New Orleans

2005-09-18T21:42:00.000-07:00

Two reasons I love New Orleans

Check out these two days from last month's gig guide;

Aug. 2
Kermit Ruffins -- Blue Nile Club
Lee Benoit -- Mulate`s
Maurice Brown -- Snug Harbor
Joe Bennett -- Margaritaville
Jhelisa - Nina Simone Tribute -- Hookah Cafe
ReBirth Brass Band -- Maple Leaf
Walter "Wolfman" Washington -- Bank St. Bar

Aug. 5
Joe Krown -- Le Bon Temps Roule
Addavoy -- HOB
Tordown -- Carrollton Station
Need New Body w/ Pit Er Pat -- TwiRoPa
Irving Bannister`s All-Stars -- Margaritaville
Jonathan Batiste -- Sweet Lorraine`s
Banu Gibson -- Ray`s Over the River
Ellis Marsalis -- Snug Harbor
The Boogie Men -- Southport Hall
Rock for Cancer -- Howlin Wolf
Snooks Eaglin, George Porter, Jr & More -- Mid-City Lanes Rock`n Bowl
Tattood Santa -- The Bengal Lounge
Robert Walter Trio -- d.b.a.
Treme Brass Band -- Donna`s
Shannon Mcnally CD Release Party -- Tipitina`s
Rudy & the Caribbean Funk -- Bank St. Bar

For the complete month, go to:
http://calendar.neworleans.com/print_calendar.php?type=month&calendar=2&style=&day=05&month=08&year=2005

What's big, black and smells like cardboard?

2005-09-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

What's big, black and smells like cardboard?

Thee Shams Sign the Line available on LP

Order NOW and it will ship on 9/20!

Limited pressing, these will sell out, so get yours while you still can!

Sign the Line - CD available > here

Tour Dates
September
16th - @ The Outland :: Springfield, MO
17th - w/ Local H @ The Billiken Club :: St. Louis, MO
19th - @ Sticky Fingerz :: Little Rock, AR
20th - w/ The Rounders @ Conservatory :: Oklahoma City, OK
21st - w/ The Crackpipes @ Emo's :: Austin, TX
22nd - @ The Double Wide :: Dallas, TX
24th - BAM Festival @ Club Congress :: Tucson, AZ
25th - @ The Trunk Space :: Phoenix, AZ
26th - @ The Casbah :: San Diego, CA
27th - @ Spaceland :: Los Angeles, CA
28th - w/ The Cuts @ Thee Parkside :: San Francisco, CA
29th - w/ The Neins @ Sabala's at Mt Tabor Theater:: Portland, OR
30th - w/ The Cops @ Sunset Tavern :: Seattle, WA

October
1st - @ Lamplighter:: Vancouver, BC
4th - @ Sidetrack Cafe :: Edmonton, AB
5th - @ Ship & Anchor Pub :: Calgary, AB
6th - @ Venture Theater :: Billings, MT
7th - @ Benders Tavern:: Denver, CO
8th - w/ Healthy White Baby @ Reverb :: Cedar Falls, IA
13th - @ Elbo's :: Dayton, OH *
14th - @ Beachland Ballroom :: Cleveland, OH *
15th - @ Mad Hatter :: Covington, KY *
17th - @ Second Story :: Bloomington, IN *
18th - @ The Patio :: Indianapolis, IN *
19th - @ Empty Bottle :: Chicago, IL *
20th - @ Main Stage :: Green Bay, WI *
21st - @ High Noon Saloon :: Madison, WI *
22nd - @ Triple Rock Social Club :: Minneapolis, MN *
28th - @ Busted Lift :: Dubuque, IA

November
11th - @ Mercury Lounge :: NYC, NY **

* - with Immortal Lee County Killers & Black Diamond Heavies
** - with Immortal Lee County Killers

=========== Previous Release ===========

PLEASE YOURSELF

Thee Sham

Tracks
1) On My Mind
2) If You Gotta Go
3) Come Down Again - (listen)
4) Love Me All The Time - (listen)
5) Want You So Bad
6) Never Did Nothing
7) In The City
8) Can't Fight It
9) You Want It
10) She's Been Around
11) You're So Cold
12) Please Yourself

OnThe Web
www.TheeShams.com
On the Web:

Releases for September 13

2005-09-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

Releases for September 13

Blue Rodeo "Are You Ready" Rounder
Blues Traveler "¡Bastardos!" (producer: ex-Wilco member Jay Bennett) Vanguard
B.B. King & Friends "80" (guests: U2, Sting, Elton John, Van Morrison, David Gilmour) Geffen
Maceo Parker "School's In!" BHM
Bonnie Raitt "Souls Alike" (producer: Raitt; first single: "I Will Not Be Broken") Capitol
Charlie Sexton "Cruel and Gentle Things" (enhanced; first solo album in 10 years) Back Porch
Four Tops, The "20th Century Masters: The Best of The Four Tops - The Christmas Collection" Motown/UME
Jimi Hendrix "20th Century Masters: The Best of Jimi Hendrix - The Millennium Collection" MCA/UME
B.B. King "Original Greatest Hits" (2 CDs) Virgin
Manfred Mann's Earth Band "Criminal Tango" (1986 album), "2006" (2004 album) Friday Music
Jimmy Smith "The Sounds of Jimmy Smith" (1957 album; remastered) Blue Note
Dan Aykroyd "Doctor Detroit [DVD]" (1983 film; theme song by Devo) Universal
Ray Charles "The Dick Cavett Show: Ray Charles Collection [DVD]" (2 discs; featuring three complete episodes) Shout! Factory
Matt Dillon "Rumble Fish: Special Edition [DVD]" (1983 film) Universal
Jimi Hendrix "Live at Woodstock [DVD]" Universal
Led Zeppelin "Inside Led Zeppelin 1968-1980: An Independent Review [DVD]" (2 discs, with book) Classic Rock Legends
Various artists "SCTV Volume 4 [DVD]" (6-disc box set; includes John Mellencamp, Joe Walsh and Crystal Gayle; Read here) Shout! Factory

Tokyo fundraisers for Katrina victims

2005-09-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

Tokyo fundraisers for Katrina victims

TOKYO (Sept. 19)—There are two Tokyo fundraisers planned for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The first is being organized by The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ), being held Saturday, October 8.,from 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at The FCCJ Press Club in Yurakucho, Tokyo.

Admission will be ¥7,500, which will include a free first drink and a smogasbord of Cajun cuisine (The press release must have been written by a damn Yankee for the "c" in "Cajun" was down--and smogasbord sure as hell taint no Cajun or Creole word!).

There will also be prizes, including an around-trip ticket to New York, courtesy of Continental Airlines.

Entertainers:
Jimmy Angel; Pamela MacCarthy; Steve Gardner; Anna Quinn; Casey Rankin; Jerry & the Hip Swingers; Yasushi Suzuki; Cashell; The Beautiful Losers; Alex Easley; Brad Holmes; Jim Butler; J.J. Vicars; Tom Holliday; Latonya Standifer;
Suzue Nitobe, Alexander L. Padron, Cecil Lopez, Diane Witherspoon and many more.

The second event is being put on by Democrats Abroad Japan on October 17 at The Ruby Room in Shibuya.

Originally, the event was to be held on September 24, but was rescheduled for a variety of reasons.

"Faced with too many unpredictable factors such as securing talent, reserving a quality venue and adequate promotions for another successful benefit event in a short timeframe, DAJ has decided it is best to postpone the 9/24 event," said Matt Kass, who was VJ at the first event.

"[It] was a moderate success, especially given the short timeline to pull everything together. In the end, we had excellent performances, about 40 attendees and raised ¥ 200,000--100 percent of which will go to charities such as Red Cross, Oxfam and others," Kass said of the September fundraiser.

Updates as I get them--Les

On the Web:
FCCJ

DAJ

Bad Moon Rising

2005-09-18T05:20:00.000-07:00

Bad Moon Rising

The full moon of Saturday, Sept. 17, also carries the title of the Harvest Moon for those living in the Northern Hemisphere. The moon officially turns full when it reaches that spot in the sky opposite (180 degrees) to the sun in the sky.

This moment will occur on Saturday at 6:01 p.m.

The Harvest Moon is the full moon that comes the closest to the fall equinox, so this year it falls in September, although in one out of three years this title can be bestowed upon the October full moon.

Bad Moon Rising
Creedence Clearwater Revival

I see the bad moon arising.
I see trouble on the way.
I see earthquakes and lightnin'.
I see bad times today.

Chorus:
Don't go around tonight,
Well, it's bound to take your life,
There's a bad moon on the rise.

I hear hurricanes ablowing.
I know the end is coming soon.
I fear rivers over flowing.
I hear the voice of rage and ruin.

Chorus
All right!

Hope you got your things together.
Hope you are quite prepared to die.
Looks like we’re in for nasty weather.
One eye is taken for an eye.

Chorus
Chorus

Jazz Fest to Return to New Orleans

2005-09-18T05:03:00.000-07:00

Jazz Fest to Return to New Orleans

New Orleans (Sept. 16)—The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is expected to return next year in spite of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Randy Philips of AEG Live, a co-producer of the Jazz Fest, told Billboard.com that he is uncertain where, how and with what infrastructure the event will take place, but is certain it will all work out.

The Jazz Fest in 2006 may be held in New Orleans, but that depends on the progress made in the city following the hurricane, says Philips, or it will be in a nearby market like Baton Rouge. The festival normally takes place at the Fair Grounds Race Course, a short distance from the French Quarter.

Jazz enthusiast and organizer George Wein was the mastermind behind the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival that first took place in 1970. Mahalia Jackson sang along unexpectedly with the Eureka Brass Band, which was winding around Congo Square, igniting the spirit of the Jazz Fest. At the first festival, only about 350 people attended but every year afterward, the audience has expanded significantly. Duke Ellington, Fats Domino, the Preservation Hall Band, the Meters, Clifton Chenier, Al Hirt, Pete Fountain, the Olympic Brass Band and Mardi Gras Indians, were among the performers at the first Jazz Fest.

In 2001, the festival celebrated Louis Armstrong’s centennial and the festival welcomed an unprecedented 650,000 attendees. Since 1970, the original five-day event has expanded to ten days of food, crafts and twelve stages of music.

Source: JazzTimes Magazine

Allen Toussaint interview

2005-09-18T04:36:00.000-07:00

Allen Toussaint interview

Allen Toussaint

NEW YORK (Sept. 16)—Like many natives of New Orleans, Allen Toussaint is an old hand when it comes to hurricanes.

So, as Hurricane Katrina approached the Gulf Coast on August 29, Toussaint, 67, was not one to become too alarmed. He made his usual preparations, shoring up his home against the impending storm, and, as the forecast worsened, sought out the safety of a large downtown hotel.

But after the Crescent City began to flood, Toussaint, like tens of thousands of others, became desperate to escape Katrina's devastation. Thankfully, his story has a happy ending, as he described to Billboard.

For many, Toussaint is the quintessential New Orleans musician. Beginning in the late 1950s, he wrote dozens of hits under his own name and the pen name Naomi Neville (his mother) for artists like Ernie K-Doe ("Mother-in-Law"), Aaron Neville ("Tell It Like It Is") and Lee Dorsey ("Workin' in a Coal Mine").

As he matured, Toussaint scored with hits for Dr. John ("Right Place, Wrong Time"), Glen Campbell ("Southern Nights"), Three Dog Night ("Brickyard Blues"), Bonnie Raitt ("What Do You Want the Girl to Do?") and many others.

The producer, songwriter, pianist, arranger and singer was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

Now ensconced temporarily in a New York hotel, Toussaint says he has heard from friends and colleagues like Paul Shaffer, who asked him to sit in September 7 as a surprise musical guest on "Late Show With David Letterman."

Toussaint also got a call from Elvis Costello, who invited him to join "Wynton (Marsalis) and the guys" at a September 17 benefit concert in New York.

Q: You stayed in New Orleans as Katrina approached. Tell us how you fared.

A: Well, Sunday, before the hurricane hit, I was at home. I had planned to ride the storm out, although I knew it was going to be a biggie. I've been through all of the hurricanes, and I've seen the usual damage, the lesser and the more. But this time I knew by the reports that I shouldn't stay in my residence (near the fairgrounds), so I boarded up the windows as usual with numbered boards -- because we've been through so many of these, I have boards stored in places and store them till the next (time).

So, on Sunday the 28th, I decided to check into the Crowne Plaza Astor Hotel on Canal Street, fourth floor. I thought that would be a safe place to be until the storm would come and go as hurricanes have done before.

And of course, on Monday the 29th, Katrina hit. It immediately resulted in power outages and no running water, but I had brought plenty of water, and the hotel recommended filling up the bathtub just in case, and I did things as advised.

After the storm had passed, outside the hotel, on Canal Street, there was water just a little above the gutter. Which looked a little hopeful -- like, once this goes down maybe we can return home. And I was able to go out the back door and walk around the French Quarter, which is the highest land spot in New Orleans, and there was no water into the quarter -- not even in the gutters -- which I was glad to see.

But on the 31st was when everything worsened, when there was a break in that levee at the 17th Street canal, which started the water to rising like never before. In fact, when I went out the front door, I could see water seeping through the cement where you wouldn't ever see water. It was very cruddy-looking water, looked almost like crude oil.

Q: What happened next?

A: I knew I wouldn't be returning home. So I decided I had best consider evacuating, which I had no intentions (of doing) before then. So I rolled my pants up and waded through the water, which was up to your calf on Canal Street, and walked around the corner to the Monteleone Hotel, where it wasn't nearly as wet, and I purchased a bus ticket to Houston. We waited for four hours, but no buses.

So, I saw a friend of mine who was walking down the street, and he informed me that those buses had been confiscated by some authorities to go over to the Superdome. However, he had a chartered school bus. So I paid a fee and boarded that bus to the Baton Rouge airport, where I spent the night. And of course there I could board a flight out.

Q: It must have been hard for you to take it all in.

A: It was almost surreal. But let me say: As bad as it was, and as bad as it is, since it happened in my city and ultimately I was safe, I was glad I was there to witness it firsthand. I've seen all the hurricanes that've come through, and I saw the biggest.

Q: How about your family? Your band? How are they doing?

A: I'm glad to say my son and daughter and their families are safe. When the weatherman announces anything near "hurricane," they're gone! They're out of there! They left early, and I'm glad they did. They have their children and many more things they have to be responsible for than me just moving on my own. And of course they're always trying to get me to go, but I stay at home. But this time, it was not a possibility.

I haven't yet talked personally with my band, but my son and daughter have been in communications, and they got out. They're movers. My camp also spoke with (soul singer) Irma Thomas. She was (out of town) on a gig, and the Neville Brothers were in Buffalo (N.Y.).

Me and the band are going to do the concert at (Madison Square Garden) on the 20th (of September). And we're doing Joe's Pub (in New York) on the 18th and the 25th.

Q: What does the future of the New Orleans music scene look like to you?

A: As soon as the powers that be say we can return, under any condition, I'll be back. I'll be in New Orleans.

Q: How did the Letterman show gig come about?

A: Paul Shaffer called me. I've been friends with Paul a very long time. I'd been on the Letterman show before when we were doing the (1987 off-Broadway) play "Staggerlee."

Paul called and (asked) would I "grace them with my presence," and I said of course I would. We agreed on the date, and I went over and got with the band.

I love that band. We did a very rapid run-through, but Paul is a master. I don't know of anyone who's as fast and alert and who has more history and respect for the music. To be such a scholar and still such a student -- he's everything.

Q: Can you tell me about the phone call from Elvis Costello?

A: We had a good, long conversation. He's a very dear man. He knows so much about our musical history. I think he knows as much about my songs as I do. Maybe more. He wants me to sing "Freedom for the Stallion" at the concert.

Q: Any new musical ventures we should know about?

A: I did a project June 3-11 out in California that'll soon come out. The artists were Mavis Staples, Ann Peebles, Billy Preston, Irma Thomas and myself. The album is going to be on Starbucks/Warner. Joe Henry was the producer, and a fine producer he is. They've also requested for me to do a solo album for Starbucks/Warner

Source: Billboard

On the Web:
Allen Toussaint

Hank Williams' 'Lovesick Blues'

2005-09-18T03:56:00.000-07:00

Hank Williams' 'Lovesick Blues'

Columbus, GA (Sept. 17)—Paul Hemphill writes about Southerners with grease under their nails, whiskey on their breath and a chip on their shoulder -- the same blue collar folks who thought Hank Williams was singing about them.

Williams wrote lyrics and Hemphill writes books. His latest is "Lovesick Blues" and it tells Williams' story as it has never been told before.

Like its subject, this book is simple and raw, tracing the life of a country singer who lived out his lyrics, drinking himself to death at 29.

"It was like he was reporting on his life as a journalist," Hemphill says, describing those mournful lyrics.

Hank Williams

Williams would have been 82 today. He died New Year's Day 1953. Yet today birthday parties for him are being thrown in Canada, Australia and his native Alabama.

Williams' music lives on, and Hemphill brings to life the man who made that music.

"It's one good old boy writing about another good old boy," said Sterling Lord, the author's agent and the person who suggested this book.

The result is magic. Listen as Hemphill describes his feelings when he discovered Williams' tortured voice as a boy in Birmingham.

"Hank Williams had come to us from out of nowhere -- sprouting like a wild dandelion in the dank forests of south Alabama, some primordial beast who had been let loose on the land, a specimen heretofore undiscovered -- and by this summer of '49 nobody seemed to know exactly what to make of him."

Hemphill understands the enigma that was Hank and explains why this uneducated son of a an Alabama logger remains important -- though he couldn't read a note of music.

"He had no musical tricks up his sleeve, wouldn't know a simile or a metaphor unless somebody spelled it out for him, hardly knew a flat note from a sharp... Onstage and in the studio, he was doing what came naturally: desperately telling the story of his life, which kept getting worse. If he had a genius, it was for simplicity."

Hemphill understands because he's been there, suffering years of alcoholism before finding recovery. He's well acquainted with the despair that alcoholics use as a chaser.

"Hank and me both knew the bottom of a bottle," Hemphill says. "We were sensitive and bruised easily too. Eventually, like most alcoholics, we turned it on ourselves."

In "Lovesick Blues," Hemphill is at his best.

"If you were king of the world and could pick out the best author to write a biography of Hank, it would be Paul," Lord said.

On that, Old Hank would agree.

Source: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

Buy it today:

Jools Holland launches jazz and blues club

2005-09-18T03:51:00.000-07:00

Jools Holland launches jazz and blues club

U.K. (Sept. 17)—
Presenter and musician Jools Holland is bringing a jazz and blues club to Edinburgh, a city he describes as one of his favourite places in the world.

The Jam House is set to open in the capital in November after the success of a branch in Birmingham.

The creation of musical director Holland and designer Neil Tibbatt, the music club and restaurant is based on the House of Blues venues in Los Angeles and Chicago.

Holland, who plays the piano with his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, said: "I have always enjoyed the ambience of the Jam House in Birmingham.

"When we play there it's a perfect place to swing the blues.

"Edinburgh is one of my favourite places in the world and I hope we can bring the same atmosphere to the Jam House there."

The Jam House will be based at the former BBC Broadcasting House on Queen Street, where recording studios have been transformed into bars and lounge areas.

The first Jam House venue, in Birmingham's St Paul's Square, has featured performances from Chaka Khan and The Specials' former singer Neville Staple.

Celebrity guests have included Bill Wyman, Ocean Colour Scene and Noddy Holder.

Source: Yahoo! Launch UK & Ireland

On the Web:
Jools Holland

Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown laid to rest

2005-09-18T03:33:00.001-07:00

Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown laid to rest

Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown as photographed by Robert Barclay

ORANGE, Tex. (Sept. 17)—Perhaps it was appropriate that no music played as the family entered the church, walking single-file past the pews toward the front of the sanctuary. Funerals at black Baptist churches often begin with processionals in which a soloist, the choir, or the organist plays as the family enters.

Not this time. No choir sang. No organ played. As the dozens of family members eased into the crowded Mount Calvary Baptist Church on Saturday, the only sound was the creak of wobbly wooden floors.

What music is appropriate at a time like this? What song does one play when saying goodbye to a legend?

That the funeral of Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown began quietly seemed fitting. After all, he was a musical genius who defied labels, whose music crossed several genres.

And that was his mantra: don't label him.

He kept his defiant attitude for most of his 81 years, even up until his last weeks, when his daughter Renee tried to evacuate him from his suburban New Orleans home to escape Hurricane Katrina.

Brown---already ill with inoperable lung cancer, emphysema, and heart disease--refused to evacuate.

No one was going to push him out of his house.

His daughter eventually convinced him to leave, and they made the long, slow trek through Louisiana to the Texas border. By the time they reached Orange, his health had deteriorated. He died last Saturday.

Taught fairness, kindness
Renee Brown, 24, reminded the congregation of her father's strength and determination, admitting that while he could be intimidating, he still had a big heart.

"He taught me to be fair, be kind, and don't take any crap from anyone," she said. "And don't shed any tears, because he wouldn't want us crying for him."

All of his children were there: DeWayne Brown of Oklahoma City; Ursula Brown of Crosby; Celeste Biles of San Diego, Calif., and Renee Brown formerly of New Orleans.

In the midst of grieving, the Brown siblings received a surprise: a sibling they never knew existed. Ruth Anne Griffin has lived in Orange for all of her 49 years, and knew "Gatemouth" Brown was her father. But she never spoke up. The few times she met the musician in person, she was too intimidated to say much.

"I wanted to talk to him, but I was too afraid," Griffin said. "I didn't know how he would react, so I just stayed in the background."

DeWayne Brown, 45, also a musician and "Gatemouth's" only son, said his father's death has reconnected the family.

"Dad was here and there and everywhere," Brown said. "Everybody's been kept apart for so long, but it's time for all of us to come together."

Gatemouth's great-nieces and nephews ・many of whom barely remembered their legendary uncle ・grew up in awe of the man, intimidated by both his demeanor and his success.

His country, Cajun, R&B and blues skills led to an international reputation and a Grammy in 1982. It's been said that Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and ZZ Top were all influenced by Gatemouth.

"I really didn't know him all that well," said Gerald Isadore, 18, Gatemouth's great-nephew. "I heard all about him from my grandmother and my mom. The first time I met him I was so nervous. They told me about the Grammy and I was blown away by that."

Another great-nephew, Quincy Pillette, 19, said he only met Gatemouth "three or four times," but that was enough to make an impression.

"I was terrified of him," Pillette said. "He just seemed like this really powerful guy. I was a little kid and he was famous. But he made me realize that anything is possible. He paved the way for a lot of musicians."

Musicians like Eric Demmer, a sax player currently playing with Houston nightclub owner Scott Gertner's band. Demmer played with Gatemouth for 12 years, and said his tough-love approach extended to his colleagues as well.

"Oh yeah, he was tough," Demmer said. "Yet he could turn right around and be the nicest guy. He was a musician's musician, you know? He taught me how to play and how to know what to play at the right times. He taught me how to know your audience."

No tearful goodbyes
It was an upbeat service, with very few tears, and only a few sniffles. The choir selections were joyful, lilting themes of home and the future and moving on. In his "homegoing message," Mount Calvary Pastor George Brown spoke of the importance of family and reconnecting with loved ones.

At the end of the service, as the recessional began, no music was played. His coffin was placed in the hearse and driven two miles to Hollywood Cemetery, where he was buried next to his parents and his aunt.

Gatemouth, who served in the Army in 1945, received a full military burial. The flag was placed in a frame. The family plans to donate it to a museum.

Source: Houston Chronicle

On the Web:
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown Discography

tets

2005-09-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

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Source:

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On the Web:

test

2005-09-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

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Taj Mahal to play Rococo

2005-09-17T03:52:00.000-07:00

Taj Mahal to play Rococo

NYC (Sept.18)—They call him a legend. They call him one of the greatest and most influential blues artists ever. But Taj Mahal doesn't necessarily buy it.

"That's what the books and journalists and reviewers say," he said. "I'm a man who gets up and puts his pants on just like any other man."

Mahal has never been one to buy into the mainstream. In the 37 years since the release of his first album, he's consistently shunned big deals and sales numbers for musical integrity and authenticity in his folk/roots/world blend of blues.

He brings his extensive and diverse catalog of music to Lincoln Wednesday for a 7 p.m. show at the Rococo Theatre, 140 N. 14th St.

Mahal's tendency for diversity in style and discovery of new sounds comes from a childhood filled with musical variety.

Born Henry St. Clair Fredericks in 1942, Mahal grew up in Massachusetts.

His father, a jazz pianist and composer, and his mother, a gospel singer, taught him to respect and celebrate his musical roots. As a child, he learned to play piano, clarinet, trombone, harmonica and guitar.

Intrigued by the roots of musicians from across the world that visited his parents, he began serious studies of African-American roots music.

While at the University of Massachusetts in the early '60s, he changed his name to Taj Mahal after the idea came to him in a dream.

Under the new moniker, he left New England for Los Angeles in 1964. He formed the blues group Rising Sons and landed opening spots for Otis Redding, Sam the Sham and the Temptations.

In 1967 he released his first album, a self-titled blues record that finally put to vinyl his extensive musical knowledge.

It was the beginning of a career that would lead him through experimentation with Caribbean, African, Latin, folk, jazz, gospel, pop and soul music and eventually earn him two Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Blues Album for 1997's Señor Blues and 2000's Shoutin' in Key.

But even after two Grammys and more than 40 records, Mahal said he's not even close to putting down his guitar.

"I'm still in full flight," he said.

In addition to recording his own music, Mahal is helping other young artists find their way in the music industry through his label, Kandu Records.

He said Kandu exists to educate independent musicians about the music business and promote music that might not get heard if produced by major record labels.

"If you consider the music business is a $40 billion a year business, and 25 percent of it is independents, we hear those big guys, but where the hell is the independent stuff going on?" he said.

Mahal said he wants Kandu's artists to educate themselves on all aspects of the music industry and learn the value of work and self-dependence.

He doesn't want them relying solely on Kandu for exposure and success as some bands on major labels do.

"There's no sense in giving them some false sense of security that the big guys upstairs are going to take care of them," he said.

Mahal is a strong critic of major labels, which he said exercise too much control over their artists and promote music with weak messages and little social value.

"That's why you see big-bottomed girls and rappers with bling-bling not talking about anything political," he said. "It has to be in context, man. If guys are talking about something that happened to them in the streets, that's fine. That's their story.

"But they don't have to be talking about the gold they got and ‘I'm better than you,' and ‘I've got beef with you.' That ain't what (Kandu) is about."

Mahal said he likes to see musicians make a statement with their music. It's all part of participating in the political process, he said.

"Otherwise you're just another wanker out there whining," he said.

As for his own music, Mahal continues to explore new sounds and styles. He recently finished an album showcasing the music of Zanzibar, and this month Mahal starts his tour as the Taj Mahal Trio, the first tour of its kind for the blues musician.

"What was happening in larger orchestrations, there's not room for me to play parts," Mahal said. "I'm essentially a guitar player and I'm interested in moving forward with my music. I wanted to have more opportunity to play out."

But the trio format, which includes Mahal, bassist Bill Rich and drummer Kester Smith, isn't as new as people think, Mahal said.

"It's new to you all," he said. "These two guys are the rhythm section that's played with me since back when. They've officially been my rhythm section in anything I've done."

Mahal said the trio creates more opportunities for "playing out" as if in a jam session.

"We kind of go into a jazz situation," he said. "The solos make sense."

Those who attend Wednesday's performance shouldn't expect to sit silently through the show.

"It's been a long time since I played there (in Lincoln)," he said. "People should come ready to dance and communicate with the people on stage."

INFO:
What: Taj Mahal Trio, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Where: Rococo Theatre, 140 N. 13th St.
When: Wednesday, doors open at 6:30 p.m., music at 7:30 p.m.
Admission: $46 for floor seats, $37.50 for orchestra and lower level, $28.50 for balcony; ages 18 and over

Source: JOEL GEHRINGER / Lincoln Journal Star

Aretha Desperate to Lose Weight

2005-09-17T03:47:00.000-07:00

Aretha Desperate to Lose Weight

(Sept. 17)—Soul queen Aretha Franklin is on a desperate mission to lose weight and she has been so inspired by TV star Kirstie Alley's drastic slim down, she's signing up to join Jenny Craig.

The singer faces a constant struggle to lose weight, but now she's getting serious about shedding the pounds.

She says, "Jenny Craig is real high on my list of priority."

Franklin admits her biggest problem is not being able to eat healthily while touring.

She adds, "When I'm at home... I've got it going on and then you have to leave town and everything changes and it just disrupts all of the good work that you've done."

Source: WSUS / World Entertainment News Network

B.B. King turns 80

2005-09-17T03:43:00.000-07:00

B.B. King turns 80

Celebrate the King's birthday by sending a B.B. King e-card

WASHINGTON (Sept. 17)—They came to see B.B. King. But before the night was over, the hundreds who lined up at a bookstore in Washington D.C. could be forgiven for thinking the blues legend had really come to see them.

As the line snaked toward a table where he recently signed copies of his book, King held court, telling one fellow he wished he was still as young and handsome as he was. To a young woman he said, "There's nothing prettier than a woman with dimples." Others got a handshake or a smile as they thanked him for a song or performance that meant a lot to them.

And each got an autograph on their newly minted copy of "The B.B. King Treasures" (Bullfinch Press).

Around his neck hung his latest honor: a medallion from the Library of Congress proclaiming him a "Living Legend." Though deserving of the title, King seems more resigned that proud.

"At 80," he says, "I'm not really ashamed to hear people say it."

King turned 80 on Friday. He still performs, has a CD in the works, and a museum dedicated to his life is to open next year in his native Mississippi.

For a man who has met four sitting presidents (both Bushes, Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton) and one Pope (John Paul II), King says it was his home state that gave him the biggest thrill of his career so far.

On February 15, the Mississippi Senate and Gov. Haley Barbour honored him with B.B. King Day.

"I cried, because I never believed that yours truly or any black person like myself would ever be honored there as they honored me."

Despite the state's troubled racial past, King says Mississippi has gone through "quite a change," and these days he feels at home there.

His close ties to the Gulf Coast region has King worried these days, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. But unlike some celebrities like the rapper Kanye West, King doesn't believe the slow response reflects a lack of sensitivity for the mostly poor and mostly black victims.

Administration officials "are doing the best they know how to do," he said. At the same time, he allows that if he were among those affected, he might feel differently.

As for those who say New Orleans shouldn't be rebuilt, King takes a page out of history for his response: "Galveston (Texas) was devastated just like New Orleans is today ... it was built back and better."

"New Orleans will be built again, and better."

Though he remains popular and is widely viewed as the man who epitomizes the blues, King is not without his critics. Some detractors say he performs a derivative form of the blues; others say his brand lacks the depth it should have.

King has heard them all, and isn't fazed. He says all the naysayers do is make him feel "like I've been black twice."

While he has a ready answer for critics, King draws a blank when asked why so few African-Americans appreciate the blues. He shakes his head slowly and chuckles: "When you find out, you let me know and we'll talk about it."

At 80, one thing King does talk about is his mortality. He has diabetes and other health problems, and his walk is a slow shuffle. Asked what he'd like people to think of when they hear his name, he sees the question for what it is, an attempt to coax a comment that can be used, if needed, for his obituary.

And he obliges.

"When I pass on I would like people to think of me as a guy who loved people and wanted to be loved by them. I'd like for people to think of me as a next door neighbor, one that they could trust."

Source: By Oscar Wells Gabriell II Associated Press

Rock Hall Snubs 1980

2005-09-17T03:33:00.000-07:00

Rock Hall Snubs 1980

(Sept. 16)—Apparently, 1980 just wasn't a rockin' year.

In the way of the music world, acts that have seen 25 years elapse since the release of their first record become eligible to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

However, the Rock Hall nominating committee snubbed the newly eligible class of 1980 entirely, seemingly unable to find a band worthy of putting on the ballot sent out to voters this week.

That left room for perennial nominees such as Black Sabbath (now on their eighth bid), Lynyd Skynyrd (seventh bid), the Sex Pistols and the Stooges (five bids apiece).

Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Fivewhich last year became the first rap act nominated to the Rock Hall, has another chance this year to become the first rap act inducted.

Other holdovers from previous years include the J. Geils Band, John Mellencamp, the Patti Smith Group, Chic and Joe Tex.

First-time nominees to the eclectic ballot include Miles Davis, Cat Stevens, Blondie, the Paul Butterfield Band, the Dave Clark Five and the Sir Douglas Quintet.

The 2006 induction ceremony will be held in New York, though no other details have been released. Inductees will be announced before the end of the year.

Davis, known for his jazz mastery, may seem an odd choice for the Rock Hall. However, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame CEO Terry Stewart, who also sits on the nominating committee, said that Davis influenced many rockers musically and in terms of his attitude.

The trumpet player was born in Alton, Illinois, and raised in St. Louis. From the 1940s until his 1991 death from pneumonia, respiratory failure and a stroke at age 65, he pushed the limits of jazz, experimenting with everything from bebop to jazz fusion and beyond.

Stevens, who is now known by the name Yusuf Islam, sold scads of his gentle folk ballads in the 1960s and '70s, including "Moonshadow," "Peace Train" and "Wild World."

In 1977, the singer abandoned his musical career and became a Muslim. Last fall, he was deported from the United States after his name popped up on a federal no-fly list while he was on a plane bound from London to Washington D.C.

New wave rockers Blondie, led by Debbie Harry, topped the charts in the late '70s and early '80s with hits such as "Heart of Glass" and "Call Me."

The Paul Butterfield Band, led by harmonica-blowing singer Paul Butterfield, earned a place in musical immortality when the blues band backed Bob Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. Butterfield died of a heroin overdose in 1987.

Disco scenesters Chic scored their first massive hit in 1977 with "Dance, Dance, Dance." Frontman Nile Rodgers later went on to produce hits for artists including Madonna, Debbie Harry and David Bowie.

The Dave Clark Five was a wildly successful British Invasion band in the 1960s with 24 hit records Stateside, including "Over and Over" and "I Like It Like That." In the height of the band's fame, the Dave Clark made a record 13 appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show before breaking up in the early 1970s.

The J. Geils Band came together in Boston in 1967 and scored hits such as "Must of Got Lost" and "Give It to Me" in the '70s before rising to the top of the charts in 1981 with the catchy teen-obsession anthem "Centerfold." Other hits include "Freeze Frame" and "Love Stinks."

Heartland singer Mellencamp, known for his numerous Top 10 singles such as "Jack and Diane," "Hurts So Good" and "Pink Houses," released his first album in 1976 and cofounded Farm Aid with Willie Nelson.

The Sir Douglas Quintet was formed in San Antonio in the 1960s and scored a 1965 hit single, "She's About a Mover." Frontman Doug Sahm died in 1999 of heart failure.

The Patti Smith Group was signed to Arista by Clive Davis and released its first album, Horses, in 1975. The group's no-frills approach to rock paved the way for the punk movement that followed.

Tex was a soul singer, who scored his biggest hit with 1972's "I Gotcha." He converted to Islam that same year and changed his name to Joseph Hazziez . He died in 1982.

Nominees are picked by a 70-member committee of rock 'n' roll historians, journalists and label execs, with ballots then mailed to an international voting body of 700 music industry types for the final decision. The five to seven nominees that receive the most votes will be inducted into the Rock Hall next year.

Source: by Sarah Hall E! Online

2005 Inductees
performers
Buddy Guy
The O'Jays
The Pretenders
Percy Sledge
U2

lifetime achievement
Frank Barsalona
Seymour Stein

On the Web:
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Send a Dr. John e-card

2005-09-17T03:10:00.000-07:00

Send a Dr. John e-card

Click to send a Dr. John e-card

Dr. John & Lower 911 Japan tour

Lineup: Dr. John & The Lower 911
Dr. John: piano, organ, vocals
David Barard: electric bass, vocals
Herman Ernest III: drums, vocals
John Fohl: electric guitar, vocals

Dates/venues
Sept. 16-21 Tokyo Blue Note (2 Shows per night)

On the Web:
Dr. John's Web site

Blue Note Tokyo

Mo Tokyo-Blues e-cards

Dr. John's blues for New Orleans
My article for The Daily Yomiuri (Sep.15)

Earlier exclusive interview with Dr. John

Bluebird Blues Festival

2005-09-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

Bluebird Blues Festival

The 13th Annual Bluebird Blues Festival will be held from 1-6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18, 2005.

NBC4 has joined forces with Prince George's Community College to produce this event on the college's campus.

It will feature some of the best-loved blues performers who have performed at the festival in the past. Blues music lovers and those who just want to have a wholesome, good time will join together as blues music resonates on the campus grounds.

This year's event will take place at a new location on campus. It will be held on the grounds outside of Novak Field House and Queen Anne Auditorium (301 Largo Road, Largo, Md.)

Performers will include Dr. SO Feel Good, Tom Larsen Band, The Jewels, Bobby Rush, Daryl Davis, Barry Pearson, Blue Rhythm Boys, Cephas and Wiggins, and Eddie Day and Denise.

Free admission to the event also provides attendees access to children's activities, food, giveaways and a variety of vendors wares.

The Festival is a valuable cultural experience for all ages with live performances, blues workshops and children's activities.

On the Web:
Bluebird Blues Festival

Dr. John opens at Blue Note Tokyo

2005-09-16T18:58:00.000-07:00

Dr. John opens at Blue Note Tokyo

Lineup: Dr. John & The Lower 911
Dr. John: piano, organ, vocals
David Barard: electric bass, vocals
Herman Ernest III: drums, vocals
John Fohl: electric guitar, vocals

Dates/venues
Sept. 16-21 Tokyo Blue Note (2 Shows per night)

On the Web:
Listen to Dr. John's New Orleans Sound on NPR's World Cafe

Dr. John's Web site

Blue Note Tokyo

Dr. John's blues for New Orleans
My article for The Daily Yomiuri (Sep.15)

Floyd Lee, Clara E Delta Blues Project Tour Japan 2005

2005-09-16T14:30:00.000-07:00

Floyd Lee, Clara E Delta Blues Project Tour Japan 2005

Floyd Lee, Clara E., Mitsu

Floyd Lee (a.k.a. Ted Williams) and Clara E are playing Japan Sept.15-25 with Mitsu and The Delta Blues Project, Blues Brother Mitsu informs me.

Floyd Lee biography
Born in August 1933 and given away by his mother when only a few months old, Floyd spent the first 10 years of his life growing up in Lamar, Mississippi near Holly Springs. During the summer, he would often hear his adopted father sing blues songs while working in the cotton fields.

Going to school in Memphis during the winter months living in a house located in Webbs Alley, Floyd would sneak out at night to watch his father, who was known in the local blues scene as Guitar Floyd, perform with other bluesmen such as young Guitar Slim. Inspired by his father Floyd would play his guitar when he wasn't looking. He remembers the guitar neck being too big for his hands. "Back in Mississippi, I remember a bluesman that would go from house to house, selling his 78 and would let you listen to it on a wind-up victrola, which he would carry with him. You'd hold up a tin can to your ear that he had hooked up to it and you could hear what he recorded. I don't remember his name." Floyd also recalls, "In Memphis my school was right on Beale Street. There was a park close to the school with a piano in it and there would always be this guy playing it. I would go watch him as much as I could. Then I'd also go down to the New Daisy (movie theatre) and me and my cousins would sneak in the side door."

Floyd left the South early on, put on a bus at the age of 10 and sent on his own, with a sign around his neck that simply read "Chicago".

Staying with relatives briefly, "right up there under the L train", he earned a living by shining shoes on 43rd and Indiana. "I was always a working man." He spent some time in Flint Michigan before moving on to Cleveland Ohio in 1947.

One of his early memories of living in Cleveland was winning a contest by selling the most newspapers (Cleveland Plain Dealer) to be a batboy for the Cleveland Indians for two weeks. "They won the world series that year. That was 1948. I still remember the lineup."

Floyd sang in the church choir where his talents as a singer were recognized. The preacher thought so highly of him that he gave Floyd his first guitar (a Gibson T125 electric with one pick up in the middle). Floyd converted the pulpit's PA system into a portable amplifier by hooking it up to a battery. This allowed him to play anywhere outdoors where electricity wasn't available. This was quite a novelty in the 1950s.

Cutting his teeth on Nat King Cole songs and later moving into Jimmy Reed material, Floyd made a name for himself around town as a singer and a guitar player at various gigs and rent parties using his portable system. Word got around, eventually landing him some regular gigs with Jimmy Reed, sitting in for Eddie Taylor when he couldn't make it (Eddie was Jimmy's main sideman). One of the more prestigious gigs was a show that included Stevie Wonder, The Supremes along with Jimmy Reed on the bill. "Jimmy would swing by the house and pick me up." While living in Columbus one memorable gig was opening for Wilson Pickett at the Club Regal.

Floyd moved to New York in the early seventies finding work in Spring Valley, eventually settling down in Harlem. Working for twenty-seven years as a doorman at the Normandy Apartments (86th & Riverside Dr.). Floyd continued to play the blues whenever he could and has made himself known around New York City as a true blues original. Floyd Lee has been there and done that. Retiring a few years back, he has been pushing himself harder than ever in keeping the blues alive. He is a self-driven bluesman who follows his own path. He has a distinct style all his own. Known locally as the "King of Harlem" or "Mississippi Delta Blues" or simply "Bluesman", Floyd has played constantly in NYC for the past 30 some years.

He was a founding member of the Music Under New York program in the mid 1980's and has performed at such events as NYC Mayor Dinkins Inauguration and entertained visiting dignitaries such as Nelson Mandela. Yet for all these years keeping a low profile... until now when Floyd is ready to take on the world.

A bit about Mitsu:
I first met Mitsu at the Hoochie Coochie blues club in Daikanyama, Tokyo, when I stopped in for a beer on the way to see Pamela MacCarthy, who was playing at Tableaux, just down the road.

I was immediately taken by Mitsu's raw, burning passion for the blues. A commodity not often encountered in young bluesmen. He has a passion for the blues that couldn't be beaten down with a three-foot stick. I got proof of this later that night when, inbetween sets,he told me that he had played the Appollo Theater in Harlem not once—but twice.

And that takes a big pair of brass ones.

When Mitsu lived in New York for three years where he played with Floyd Lee (a.k.a. Ted Williams), who is the cousin of John Lee Hooker.

"He taught me a lot of things, about Mississippi, about Soul Food, how to live in Harlem... whatever," Mitsu says.

Since coming back to Japan, Mitsu has continued to play the blues, putting together The Delta Blues Project.

Mitsu is a real bluesman. The blues course thru his veins like the Mississippi course thru the Delta.

To get his message out, Mitsu has assembled The Delta Blues Project, comprising himself on guitar and vocals, Takezoo on guitar, Hide on Drums and Meidai on bass.

Check 'em out below

DELTA BLUES PROJECT Vol.1
1. Red Dress
2. Chameleon
3. Oborotsukiyo (Music & Lyric / Mitsu)
4. Annie had a baby
5. Senjou no tsuki (Give me one drink,just before I go) (Music / Mitsu)
6. Walkin' like a Dog (Music / Mitsu)
7. I remember our Soul (Music & Lyric / Mitsu)

Distributed by COMPOZILA .INC
a.e.records AECA-10010
Price ¥1,500
Available: HMV, TOWER RECORDS,Virgin MEGASTORE, DISC UNION, TSUTAYA and SHINSEIDOU.

Floyd Lee, Clara E Delta Blues Project Tour Japan 2005

Lineup:
Floyd Lee (Gt. & Vo), Clara E (Vo.), Mitsu (Gt.),Takezoo (Gt.), Meidai (Ba.), Hide (Dr.)

Tour Schedule:

--TOKYO--
Sept. 17 (Sat)
Nostalgic BAR "PA TRUSH"
(near JIYUGAOKA station on Toyoko Line)
START 20:00 DOOR 2000yen
First 30 reservations only, e-mail pa-trush@sacrasac.com or phone 03-3724-7355
http://www.pa-trush.com/

--SAITAMA--
Sept. 18 (Sun)
SAITAMA, KUMAGAYA-SHI
JAZZ & BLUES Festival Heat Breeze Festival 2005
Location: KUMAGAYA-SHI SPORT BUNKA PARK (KUMAGAYA-SHI, SAITAMA-KEN)
Advance: ¥4,000 DOOR: ¥4,500
more info/Phone : 048-529-1745
http://www.heatbreeze.com/

--TOKYO--
Sept. 19 (Mon)
CLUB HOT SHOT
MARUYAMA Bldg. B1F, 1-17-7 HYAKUNIN-CYOU SHINJUKU-KU, TOKYO
PHONE : 03-3366-8681
OPEN 19:00 START 20:00　
DOOR ¥2,500
http://homepage2.nifty.com/hotshot/

--SENDAI--
Sept. 21 (Wed)
BLUES CLUB HEAVEN
YAMASHITA Bldg B1F, 3-1-12 KOKUBUN-CYOU AOBA-KU, SENDAI-SHI, MIYAGI
PHONE : 022-268-2771
OPEN 19:00 START 20:00　
DOOR ¥3,000
http://www.blues-heaven.com/index.html

--FUKUSHIMA--
Sept. 22 (Thurs.)
BLUES　CLUB NAMAZU-TEI
(NAMAZU means CATFISH in Japanese)
SAKAE-MACHI Bldg 3F, 11-10 SAKAE-MACHI, FUKUSHIMA-SHI, FUKUSHIMA
Phone: 024-522-7013
OPEN 19:00 START 20:00　
DOOR ¥3,000

On the Web:
DELTA BLUES PROJECT
http://www.floydlee.org/
http://www.floydlee.com

Steve Gardner's September gig guide

2005-09-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

Steve Gardner's September gig guide

9/17 (Sat) Ebisu: What the Dickens (Band)
Free 8:30
http://www.towncryer.jp/

9/20 (Tue) Roppongi: Bourbon Street (solo) free 9:00
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　http://www.bourbonstreet-tokyo.com/

9/27 (Tue) Roppongi: Bourbon Street (solo) free 9:00
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　http://www.bourbonstreet-tokyo.com/

9/29 (Thur) Shinagawa: Tribeca (Band) 800yen 6:45
JR Shinagawa Station, "Atre" 4F
http://tribeca.cc/

9/30 (Fri) 　Takadanobaba: The Fiddler (Band) Free 9:00
http://www.thefiddler.com/

Send a B.B.King e-card

2005-09-16T08:04:00.000-07:00

Send a B.B.King e-card

Celebrate the King's birthday by sending a B.B. King e-card

At 80, B.B. King still works for the blues

2005-09-15T21:05:00.000-07:00

At 80, B.B. King still works for the blues

Still on the road, the music icon describes his struggle to succeed

Music legend B.B. King, shows one of his CDs during a ceremony Monday at the Library of Congress in Washington. He was given a Living Legend award, more proof of his profound role in American music.
Credit: Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (Sept. 15)—Now that he's a beloved musical icon, turning 80 and embraced by both blacks and whites, it's difficult to understand that B.B. King comes from a time when there were two Americas.

Before the 13 Grammys, induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Kennedy Center honors, the eponymous night clubs, even before he picked up a guitar, the blues singer picked cotton, drove tractors and sawed wood. He never finished high school.

And despite all the fame, the worldwide accolades and the records with rock kings like Eric Clapton and Bono, he has never forgotten growing up in the segregated South, where they just opened the B.B. King museum in Indianola, Mississippi, near his birthplace on a plantation.

"We went through some hard times," King, who turns 80 Friday, recalled. "Let me tell you this, if we didn't have good white friends during that era when I was growing up, there would be no blacks in Mississippi. At that time, a white person could kill you any time they wished and nothing would ever be done about it.

"But there was a lot of white people who didn't believe in that and wouldn't allow it. So I was lucky."

Sitting in his tour bus before a House of Blues gig in Atlantic City, King talked in an interview about life on the road, of his 30 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, of his love of flying and nature and old cowboy movies. But mostly, he talked about the blues, that music, which like King himself, grew out of the suffering and hardships of plantation labor.

"I think of blues this way: It's life as we've lived it in the past, life as we're living it today and life I believe we will live tomorrow. Because, to me, it has to do with people, places and things," he said.

"Now this old bus here may be OK, but 10 years from now there's no telling what buses will look like, it's the same with blues."

But considering that a majority of his audiences are boomer-generation whites and young blacks have turned their back on the blues for rap, isn't the music irrelevant now?

"No," he said. "I don't think it's the same as it was and ever will be because each generation bring their own people.

"Think of it this way: Beethoven and Brahms and all those guys, the music hasn't changed, the people have. But you still hear it and it's still good. I think of the blues the same way."

Working for the blues
Asked about his punishing 300-plus days-a-year touring schedule, King said: "I only had three months off in 60 years.

"I haven't been lucky like some of the rock 'n' roll players. A lot of them go out for three or four months and then they stop for two or three years. I've never been able to do that, I'm a blues singer."

"Blues singers, blues players, we haven't been popular," said King, a bear of a man laid low now by diabetes that forces him to sit on stage with his guitar "Lucille" across his lap.

But it is obvious that King, who had a big hit in 1970 with "The Thrill is Gone," still gets a thrill from performing.

At age 80, doesn't he ever consider retiring? "I couldn't afford to do it," King laughed. "I have days off, but we don't get airplay like other styles of music, so I learned at an early age that unless I go out and carry music to the people, it sure don't come to them by air."

He harks back to the plantation in Itta Bena, Mississippi, where he was born on Sept. 16, 1925. "I never thought I'd make 80 years, even 50 seemed very old, because where I grew up in the country there, we didn't have the medicines, the doctors, the hospitals, like people in the city have.

"The Bible says three score and ten and here I am a bit older than that," he giggled. "I've been in 18 automobile accidents, but I've never had one myself ... it was always someone else!"

Always busy
King said he was driving at age 13. "I was a truck driver, a tractor driver. I picked cotton, I plowed (with) mules. I did most of the stuff people do on a plantation, your work is never done. You survive."

And survive, he has, to become probably the last of the blues greats after the deaths of two Mississippi contemporaries -- R.L Burnside this month and John Lee Hooker in 2001.

The break came after the war when King hitch-hiked to Memphis and got a job as a disc-jockey at radio station WDIA. People heard his guitar-playing and singing and he recorded with the legendary Sam Phillips, who later founded Sun Records.

King's first break came when he landed a spot on radio station WDIA
in Memphis. Circa 1948 photograph: Michael Ochs Archives.com. Used by permission.

It was in Memphis where Riley King won the nickname "The Beale Street Blues Boy," which was shortened to just "Blues Boy" and then B.B.

King's first record was cut with the Nashville label, Bullet, and typically for a musical pro, he remembers the tracks. "There were four sides. I was married at the time -- so one was called 'Miss Martha King,' the second was 'How Do You Feel when Your Baby Packs Up to Go,' the third was 'Take a Swing with Me' and the fourth 'I've Got the Blues.'"

[Download a 329k, 42 sec .wav file sample of "Miss Martha King"]

Hundreds of recordings later, King's career is being feted, with Virgin putting out a double album of his early hits and Geffen/Universal releasing B.B. King and Friends - 80" which features him playing with the likes of Clapton, Van Morrison, Mark Knopfler, Elton John and Sheryl Crow.

Also there is a book, "The B.B. King Treasures," from Bullfich Press, which is full of facsimiles of memorabilia --notes, photos, programs -- from King's life.

As for his 80th birthday, what was King doing to celebrate at his home in Las Vegas? "I haven't planned to do anything. Not a thing at all." he said.

Source: Reuters / MSNBC

On the Web:
Read an exclusive BB King Interview on tokyo-blues.com

Dr. John on NPR's World Cafe

2005-09-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

Dr. John on NPR's World Cafe

CYBERSPACE (Sept. 14)—As the nation witnesses the trials of New Orleans, World Cafe offers a show dedicated to the music of Louisiana and Mississippi. David Dye has a classic session with New Orleans icon Dr. John, focusing on the incredible music and culture of the Big Easy.

The two spoke on the occasion of Dr. John releasing his album N'Awlinz: Dis Dat or d'Udda. Of the music, John says, "I was trying to take people on a spiritual journey -- show a little bit of the spiritual side of New Orleans, and my pictures of the streets, and then take them back to the spiritual side."

Source: NPR

Set List
Songs Dr. John plays for 'World Cafe':
"When The Saints Go Marching"
"Walk On Gilded Splinters"
"You Ain't Such a Muc

On the Web:
Listen to Dr. John's New Orleans Sound on NPR's World Cafe

Happy Birthday B.B.!

2005-09-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday B.B.!

B.B. King, The King of the blues, turned 80 Friday, Sept. 16

No Cover News--September

2005-09-14T21:26:00.000-07:00

No Cover News--September

This in Blues Brother Mike Boulan:

Hello from No Cover Productions, here is the news for September

Benefit CD for New Orleans & others effected by the Hurricane
No Cover has decided to open up our studio for three days.(Sept 21st, 22nd, & 23rd) Any Bands who want to help the victims may come by and cut 1 song for the 2 CD's we are planning. Blues For Katrina will benefit all the victims and Blues for Katrina & the McDowell Family will benefit the familys of the three sisters of local bluesman Odell "Bluesboy "D" who lost everything in the Hurricane.

09/22/05 (Thursday) 2005 Detroit Blues Challenge/Motor City Breakdown continues with round two of the blues band competitions at Memphis Smoke, 100 S Main at 11 Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI 248-543-4300. There is no cover charge to attend. Scheduled to perform are; The Chris Canas Blues Revolution, Frog and the Beeftones, The Bluescasters, and The Sax Maniacs. Band names will be drawn for order of appearance at 7pm. The Competition begins at 8pm.

09/24/05 (Saturday) Celebrate Uncle Jessie White's 85th Birthday at the Attic Bar (9pm), 11667 Jos. Campau, Hamtramck, MI 313-365-4194. Uncle Jessie White & the 29th Street Blues Band will be on stage and there is a $5 cover charge.Everyone is invited to bring a food dish to share if they wish to do so. Many special guests are expected to be there. The list of blues musicians who have jammed at Uncle Jessie's house or worked gigs with him would fill volumes. This legendary blues man is indeed a Detroit treasure

Other Events
2005 Motor City Breakdown Band Competition Round #4 is October 13th
Detroit Blues Society Meeting & Concert is October 27th
Detroit Blues Society Meeting & Concert is November 17th
2005 Motor City Breakdown Finals is November 27th

Thanks to all who came to the 10th annual Heatstock festival on July 29th and 30th this marked 10 years of blues and BBQ.

August's Release:
We have finished the sessions to record the great John Sinclair - Poet & Writer.

The resulting CD titled Country Blues - Fattening Frogs For Snakes Vol. #2" is a collection of pieces from John's Book "Fattening Frogs For Snakes" John is a legend in Detroit, among many accomplishments, he was the manager of the MC5, founder of the White Panther Party, organizer of the first Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz festivals and he also wrote the book, "Guitar Army", which spawned 2 great concerts of the same name in the 80's. No Cover President Mike Boulan attended both shows and thought they were incredible. We are honored to work with such a great activist.

July's Releases:
Lonesome Dave Paul Has released his first CD ever! At the 10th annual Heatstock Sit Down Bluesman became available for the first time. also released at Heatstock: The Best Of Heatstock 04 a compilation Cd. This is the 4th Cd in the best of Heatstock series.

This one features the best of the 2004 heatstock show.

Junes Releases:
Bobby Murray has two releases coming out, the long
awaited live CD Live & Lowdown!, recorded here in Detroit, and we arere-issuing Bobby's first Cd previously issued on the Viceroots label
The Blues Is Now Bobby also plans on starting a new studio project in the near future.

Also The Blues Challenge Finals CD is here. The Detroit Blues Society & No Cover Productions have released a CD featuring two songs from each band who played at the finals of the Blues Challenge, November 28th, 2004 at Tenny Street in Dearborn Mi. The list of bands includes: The Billy Davis Rhythm Machine...The Crossroads Blues Band...The Bob Halverson Blues Band...Crossing X...Lady Sunshine & The X Band...Mojo & The Boogieman...Leonard Moon...and Travelin' Blues.

We have issued the No Cover Samplers (a 2 CD set) The First 14 - 14 songs from the first 14 cds and The Next 14 - 14 songs from the next 14 cds (we now have over 40 CDSto choose from!)

Other upcoming projects include, The Flatrock Riverfest new studio release from Bobby Murray, a studio CD reissue from Walin' Inc., and Mystery Train live with Motor City Josh.

On the Web:
No Cover Productions
Detroit Blues Society

New Orleans' Preservation Hall Jazz Band

2005-09-14T21:14:00.000-07:00

New Orleans' Preservation Hall Jazz Band

Having just posted news of the New Orleans' Preservation Hall Jazz Band upcoming appearance at the Koh Samui Music Festival, here's an update at what's happening at Preservation Hall.

New Orleans (Sept. 8)—We are happy to report that we have made contact with the following musicians of Preservation Hall. John Brunious, Joseph Lastie, Rickie Monie, Carl LeBlanc, Ralph Johnson, Lester Caliste, Lucien Barbarin, Ben Jaffe, John Royen and we have been assured that other are well. Please get in touch with us to let us know where you are.

Please Make A Donation
Please donate to the New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund.
This fund is established by Preservation Hall to provide musicians with financial support during this tragic time. All of the proceeds raised through this fund will go directly to New Orleans musicians. Thank you for your continued support.

You can currently only donate by calling 1-888-229-7911 and providing your credit card info over the phone or by sending a check to:
New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund
PO Box 9081
Miramar Beach, FL 32550

Donation by phone is preferred at this time.

On the Web:
Preservation Hall

Thai music festival welcomes Gulf artists

2005-09-14T21:02:00.001-07:00

Thai music festival welcomes Gulf artists

BANGKOK (Sep. 14,)—Three musical acts from the Hurricane Katrina-devastated Gulf Coast are among the reggae, rock, jazz and blues legends to perform on a Thai resort island for a music festival starting Sept. 23, an event spokeswoman said Wednesday.

New Orleans' Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Ike Turner from Mississippi are scheduled to perform during the 10-day Koh Samui Music Festival. Also from New Orleans is blues and jazz musician Chris Thomas King, whose home was badly damaged by the hurricane, said festival spokeswoman Lisa McWilliams.

The Koh Samui Music Festival will also feature Jerry Lee Lewis, UB40, and popular homegrown bands Tee Bone and Modern Dog.

McWilliams said organizers expect the festival to attract more than 100,000 people this year. Last year, tens of thousands of visitors came to Koh Samui island during the event.

Koh Samui is a world famous resort island located 280 miles south of Bangkok in the Gulf of Thailand. It was not affected by the December tsunami, which hit the Andaman Sea coast on the opposite side of the Thai peninsula.

Source: AP

Lineup
International headline acts and some of the World's leading performers like world famous UB40 and the legendary Jerry Lee Lewis including (courtesy of The John Lee Hooker Tribute) Zakiya Hooker (daughter of the great man), UK's Jools Holland & His Big Band, U.K.'s Blues immortals The British Blues All Stars, British Ukele, Canned Heat, U.K.'s Laurence Cottle Big Band & New Orleans jazz from the Preservation Hall Dixieland Band, Big Brother & The Holding Company as well as tropical Big Band sounds from Da Lata. Thailand’s burgeoning Blues scene contributes with Sek Loso, The Soi Dog Blues Band, Cannonball and FLOW.

In addition there's tons of contemporary music from Thailand's premier ensemble, Fong Naam, and cutting-edge Thai rock legends, Modern Dog.

On the Web:
Koh Samui Music Festival

Blues Matters! for U.K. blues fans

2005-09-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

Blues Matters! for U.K. blues fans

A South Wales-based specialist blues music magazine and record label venture is tuning up for further growth.

Blues Matters Ltd has built up a strong reputation as the official voice of blues in the U.K. through its popular bi-monthly magazine of the same name. And with 25 blues artists on its books it is also the UK's fastest growing independent blues label.

The Bridgend-based business was established in 1999 by Alan Pearce as a fanzine for legendary blues band Savoy Brown.

However, since then the magazine has gone from strength to strength with a global readership of 25,000 and growing. The majority of its sales are through subscriptions, but it is now looking to drive retail sales.

The company's recently appointed marketing manager, David Hopkins, said the magazine had a loyal and expanding readership.

"The majority are based in the U.K. (87%), but we also have a significant number of subscribers in the U.S. (6%)," Hopkins said.

"Some 82% of our first-time subscribers have remained on board, which is a very positive statistic. We are currently distributed through selected music stores, including HMV and Virgin in the south-east of England and other independent music stores. As 86% of our magazines distributed to retailers are sold we are looking to further exploit what is potentially a lucrative market," he added.

Blues Matters! magazine features the best of old, new and traditional blues. The aim is to promote the blues music scene both within the UK and internationally.

Blues Matters! regularly features a diverse range of artists such as Eric Clapton, the White Stripes and the 22-20s. Its blues record label features artists such as Dave Berry, Roadhouse and Lights Out by Nine.

Pearce said, "We have some super blues talent in the UK but no one shouts about it. Considering that many US acts owe their fame and fortune to the Brit boom of the 1960s and they admit it readily, the British blues scene does not have the profile that American artists enjoy.

"I created Blues Matters!, both the magazine and the record label to give our home-grown blues talent the opportunity to showcase their talents to blues fans throughout the world."

Blues Matters! has been receiving the backing of enterprise support agency Business in Focus. The agency recently helped the company to secure an Assembly Investment Grant of £25,000 towards the cost of new staff and equipment.

Source: Sion Barry, Western Mail

On the Web:
Blues Matters Ltd

Music Maker Foundattion--September News

2005-09-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

Music Maker Foundattion--September News

Posting so much on Hurricane Katrina--coupled with a general election in Japan--has kept me run off my feet, so some things have slipped through the cracks a bit. Penality of being a one-man-band. Mea culpa.

This in from Blues Brother and Sister Timothy & Denise Duffy over at The Music Maker FOundation

Dear Friends,

As we write to you all we know is that Katrina has left a wake of destruction. Much more will be known about the tragic events and the aftermath by the time you receive this letter. New Orleans is America's greatest musical city, the place where visitors from all over the world come to experience roots music and Southern culture. Music Maker has many recipient artists throughout Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. At this time we have not yet heard from any of them, including our dear friend Little Freddie King, but on the news we see his neighborhood in the 9th Ward is completely underwater.
We pray that all our friends are safe, yet it is clear that our recipient artists will suffer tremendous loss of property, and the ability to work in their hometown until who knows when. Some artists may have to relocate while their city is rebuilt.

Slewfoot and Cary B. by the river, Little Freddie King in front of his house

Music Maker artists Slewfoot and Cary B. have been visiting Cary's parents in West Virginia this summer. During their visit Slew went to the emergency room with chest pains and soon after had triple bypass heart surgery. Last week after he got out of the hospital, he and Cary were planning to go back home to New Orleans where they make their living as street musicians. Now, they don't know what will be left of their home and worry about the fate of their cat. They are extremely concerned about all of their musician friends that had no means to evacuate. Their future is in limbo and so they join the thousands of people who find themselves refugees.

Slew and Cary are coming to our headquarters this weekend, where we have offered them our guesthouse. Music Maker will help them recuperate and rebuild their lives. Perhaps they will relocate to North Carolina if it is not feasible for them to return to their beloved city.

New Orleans is a city with a great many musicians and they are going to need help. Instruments will need to be replaced as well as clothing and sound equipment. They will need assistance to keep up with the expenses of housing, food and medicine while gigs are scarce. These are some very difficult times and we hope that you will all reconfirm your membership to the Music Maker Relief Foundation as we will need funds to help these artists and others.

Your donations will help musicians from New Orleans during these hard times. Please consider making a donation to this cause. For a gift of $50 or more we will send you a copy of Slewfoot and Cary B's recent 'Rainin in New Orleans' CD.

We thank-you so much for your great help! Over the last 11 years MMRF has raised over $3 million dollars to support our programs helping well over 100 musicians throughout the United States.

With warm regards,
Timothy & Denise Duffy

We will have a Benefit Concert September 24, 2005 at the Cat's Cradle, in Chapel Hill, NC. Stay tuned to musicmaker.org for more information.

Events in September
Sept 15 - Cool John, Captain Luke and Macavine Hayes, American Tobacco Campus, Durham, NC 5:30-8pm Join us at the American Tobacco Campus, on Blackwell Street across the street from the new Durham Blues stadium. This concert series is sponsored by the American Tobacco Campus, and will go on rain or shine. This is free and open to the public.
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Sept 16 - Lightnin' Wells, George Higgs, Warehouse Blues, Durham, NC 6-8pm at the West Village Courtyard, 604 West Morgan Street (near Main) in Durham, NC. Rain Location George Watts Hill Pavilion for the Arts managed by Liberty Arts at Durham Central Park, 502 Foster Street
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Sept 23 - Skeeter Brandon, Warehouse Blues, Durham, NC 6-8pm at the West Village Courtyard, 604 West Morgan Street (near Main) in Durham, NC. Rain Location George Watts Hill Pavilion for the Arts managed by Liberty Arts at Durham Central Park, 502 Foster Street
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September 23, 2005 - Join Cool John Ferguson and band at Tir Na Nog Irish Pub, 218 S Blount St, Raleigh, 27601 - (919) 833 -7795. Click on tirnannogirishpub.com for more inforamtion.
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Sept 30 - Pura F and Cool John Ferguson, Warehouse Blues, Durham, NC 6-8pm at the West Village Courtyard, 604 West Morgan Street (near Main) in Durham, NC. Rain Location George Watts Hill Pavilion for the Arts managed by Liberty Arts at Durham Central Park, 502 Foster Street

On The Web:
Music Maker Relief Foundation

Greater Philadelphia Rock Rhythm & Blues Fest

2005-09-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

Greater Philadelphia Rock Rhythm & Blues Fest

Greater Philadelphia Rock, Rhythm, and Blues Fest October 7, 8, and 9, 2005 World Café Live, 3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia The Partnership CDC presents its annual festival of live Blues and World Music on two stages, featuring Shemeika Copeland and The Campbell Brothers, a free Peanut Butter and Jams Kids' Show on Saturday afternoon, a late night dance party on Friday night, and a Gospel Brunch on Sunday morning. Visit www.thegreaterphillybluesfest.com or www.worldcafelive.com for tickets and performance details.

Beverly Guitar Watkins recovering from surgery

2005-09-13T21:13:00.000-07:00

Beverly Guitar Watkins recovering from surgery

CYBERSPACE (Sept. 10)—Beverly Guitar Watkins is back home and recovering from her July 29 surgery for lung cancer at the Atlanta Medical Center. Doctors feel confident that the procedure was a success. Now Beverly faces months of rehabilitation and therapy. She may not be able to return to gigging until spring, 2006. Like most other blues artists, medical insurance is inadequate.

Beverly Watkins played rhythm guitar in the early '60s in the band of Piano Red ("Dr. Feelgood & The Interns"). Together they waxed such immortal numbers such as "Right String, Wrong Yo Yo", "Dr. Feelgood", and "Mr. Moonlight". During the past few years, Beverly has toured on the Winston Blues Revival, and performed in Europe and Australia.

Get-well cards, donations can be forwarded to:
Beverly Watkins
526 Magnolia St.
NW #55
Atlanta
GA 30314

Benefit concerts are now being organized for Charleston and Camden.

Source:
Blues-L

B.B. King Awarded Congressional 'Legends' Medal

2005-09-13T21:05:00.000-07:00

B.B. King Awarded Congressional 'Legends' Medal

WASHINGTON (Sept. 13)—Now when you call B.B. King a legendary blues performer, there's official proof.

The Library of Congress has awarded the veteran guitarist its Living Legend medal. After receiving the medal Monday, King sported the large medallion as he signed copies of his new book at a Washington book store.

So, does King think he is a legend himself? He said he's getting comfortable with the idea. He said now that he's on the verge of being 80, he is "not really ashamed to hear people say it." King turns 80 on Friday.

Source: Associated Press

B.B. King Turns 80 this Friday

West Michigan Blues Society Katrina benefit gig

2005-09-13T18:55:00.001-07:00

West Michigan Blues Society Katrina benefit gig

This in from Blues Sister Peggy Ott of the West Michigan Blues Society:

Delta Blues Benefit
GRAND RAPIDS, MI (Sept 12, 2005)--

A stellar lineup of Grand Rapids area blues musicians is banding together to support the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. The Delta Blues Benefit will connect the hearts of the local blues community to the hurt being experienced by the residents of the gulf coast. The Benefit is planned for 2:00 p.m until 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 23rd at Billy's Lounge. A suggested donation of $20 per person will be received at the door.

"New Orleans has such a rich music tradition. Having musicians donate their time in response to this disaster is just a natural fit," noted Stan Greene of Tailshaker. Stan was motivated to act as he considered the plight of blues artists he's met during recent trips to New Orleans. He floated the idea with his bandmates, called other musicians and blues lovers "for a reality check", and decided to plan the event.

The musical lineup for the Benefit currently includes:
Tailshaker, Junior Valentine and the All-Stars, Jimmie
Stagger and James Reeser and His Hot Blues Quartet.

Proceeds from the Benefit will go to the Music Maker Relief Foundation and the American Red Cross. The Music Maker Relief Foundation provides food, shelter,
medical care and other assistance to elderly and poverty-stricken pioneers of traditional American music. The American Red Cross, through its Hurricane Katrina Relief operation, provides emergency services to victims of this disaster.

The people of West Michigan have such large hearts and area blues musicians have hearts no less large. The West Michigan Blues Society is more than pleased to join with these fine musicians who are organizing this special Benefit.

On the Web:
West Michigan Blues Society

Upcoming festivals I wish I was at

2005-09-12T21:50:00.000-07:00

Upcoming festivals I wish I was at

San Francisco's Jazz Festival unfolds Oct. 19-Nov. 6 with Abbey Lincoln opening the event and Etta James, Poncho Sanchez and Toots Theilemans among the performers. Go to www.sfjazz.org or (800) 850-7353 for more information.

Telluride Blues & Brews Festival features Al Green, The Black Crowes, The Robert Cray Band and others -- along with a variety of microbrews. Sept. 16-18, www.tellurideblues.com or (866) 515-6166.

Tranquility Jazz Festival is being hosted in the Caribbean, by Anguilla, Nov. 9-13, with Marlena Shaw, Stefon Harris, David Sanchez and Ravi Coltrane on the program. Details at www.anguillajazz.org or (877) 426-4845.

Bermuda's Music Festival takes place Oct. 5-8, featuring Al Green and Patti LaBelle as well as local artists; details at (800) 237-6832 or www.bermudatourism.com

The Grand Bahama Island Jazz, Rhythm and Blues Festival is scheduled for Oct. 27-30, with Lou Rawls, The Stylistics and other. For more information, visit www.grandbahama.bahamas.com or call (800) 224-2627.

Opening of the Vaults Reveals Forgotten Pinetop Perkins Recordings

2005-09-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

Opening of the Vaults Reveals Forgotten Pinetop Perkins Recordings

SWANZEY, NH (Sept. 12)—In conjunction with Deluge Entertainment, 95North Records has re-released two forgotten Pinetop Perkins releases long out of print. The scheduled re-release date is September 27, 2005. "On Top," recorded in 1992, features an all-star cast of Blues greats including Jerry Portnoy, Paul Rishell, David Maxwell and Ron Levy. Award winning blues producer Randy Labbe worked on these memorable sessions, adding "This is arguably some of Pinetop's best work... this recording was received with great critical acclaim when it was released for a short time in 1992."

Label President Bill Hurley said, "Pinetop Perkins is one of the few remaining great Mississippi blues men, at 92 he is enjoying some of his best critical and commercial success, he is finally being recognized by the music community for his importance and many contributions to the blues."

The second recording, "Live Top," is scheduled for release the same day, September 27, 2005. "Live Top" was recorded at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, ME in 1994. Backed by the Blue Flames and keeping in the traditions of blues music it is an entire live set of recorded music and features some classic Pinetop moments. As a bonus there is a twelfth track recorded live the night before the event at the legendary Trade Winds Blues Club in Rockport, ME.

Review copies are available as well as airplay copies by contacting 95North Records at 1.866.357.3666 or by writing to info@95northrecords.com. For sales inquiries contact Dann Cotter, 95North Records VP of Sales at djc123@comcast.net or by phoning 781.640.9266. Label president Bill Hurley is available through email at bill_hurley @ 95northrecords.com or by phone at 1.866.357.3666.

95North Records, 217 Old Homestead Hwy. Suite F, Swanzey, NH 03446. www.95northrecords.com

Source: Press Release

On the Web:
95North Records

Tokyo blues/jazz musicians planning New Orleans benefit

2005-09-12T21:13:00.001-07:00

Tokyo blues/jazz musicians planning New Orleans benefit

TOKYO (Sept. 13)—
Just heard from Blues Brother Doug Allsop over at Buffalo Records that a benefit gig for Hurricane Katrina is slated for Sept. 24 in Tokyo.

I'll keep you posted.

On the Web:
Buffalo Records

Les Pauls to go under hammer at Christie's

2005-09-12T19:31:00.001-07:00

Les Pauls to go under hammer at Christie's

Rare and highly-coveted guitars will strum the start of Christie's New York sale of Fine Musical Instruments on October 14, 2005, with the most desirable vintage Les Paul guitars ever to come to auction, and 16 guitars from the collection of Tony Mottola, a venerated composer and jazz guitarist who accompanied Frank Sinatra for decades. The sale also offers a classical selection of violins, cellos and bows, leading with a 1687 violin by Andrea Guarneri.

Guitars
In the history of American guitars, not a more desirable solid-body electric guitar exists than the Les Paul Model made by the Gibson Company between the years of 1952 to 1960. This period of guitar making revolutionized the future of rock and roll and this sale offers three opportunities for collectors to own some of these collecting legends. From the first year of its production, and therefore with no serial number, the 1952 Les Paul has all the hallmark qualities, with its mahogany body, a single cut-away, and laminated maple top finished in gold colored lacquer (estimate: $8, 000-12, 000). A similar and later model from 1954, now exhibiting the stud tail piece-bridge is also offered (estimate: $7, 000-9, 000). The 1959 Les Paul Standard represents the pinnacle design made within this golden guitar period — with its cherry red sunburst maple design, a.k.a. ‘flame top’ finish, its impeccable condition, and its first appearance on the auction block, this rare guitar is a collector’s dream (estimate: $100, 000-150, 000).

More chances to own a piece of American music history are present with 16 guitars from the Collection of the Late Tony Mottola (1918-2004). In his 60-year career, this New Jersey native accompanied Frank Sinatra on his only solo guitar recording, It’s Sunday. Mottola was an original band member in The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and he also arranged, accompanied and composed with other stars such as Perry Como, Rosemary Clooney, Johnny Mathis, Billie Holiday, among many others. Highlights from his personal collection include: a Gibson arch-top guitar, L-5, circa 1940, with a case bearing numerous Sinatra concert venue labels and accompanied with a photograph of Mottola on the set of The Tonight Show, (estimate: $7, 000-9, 000); a Gibson arch-top electric guitar, style L-5P, 1940 the primary electric guitar Mottola used throughout his career (estimate: $10, 000-15, 000); and the 1979 classical guitar by Jose Ramirez that he played to accompany Sinatra on It’s Sunday (estimate $4, 000-6, 000).

The invention of the Byrdland in 1955 marked yet another historic moment in guitar making when two musical pioneers, guitarist Billy Byrd of rock-a-billy fame and Nashville session player, Hank Garland, were asked by Gibson for their guidance and expertise in creating a new instrument. The result was a new, sleek, and smaller breed of electric guitar that allowed players comfort, speed and agility. A contraction of the last names Byrd and Garland, Gibson christened it the Byrdland. This example, made in 1959, was a custom instrument to Garland’s specifications. It was his primary guitar before the 1961 automobile accident that ended his career, and it is sold with the original shipping invoice from Gibson as well as other documents relating to the provenance (estimate: $10, 000-15, 000).

Violins
Harking back to the Italian lineage of violin history — from the Cremonese master, Andrea Guarneri, comes an exceptional violin made in 1687 (estimate: $120, 000-160, 000). A contemporary and rival of Stradivari, Andrea Guarneri was the patriarch of a family that spanned three generations of Italian violin making. His style and design remained faithful to the training he and Antonio Stradivari received from the first master of Cremona, Nicolo Amati. Other splendid examples from the Italian makers include: a violin by Annibale Fagnola, Turin, 1929; a violin by Giovanni Floreno Guidante, Bologna, circa 1733; and a violin from Naples by Ferdinando Gagliano, circa 1780 (each estimated at $50, 000-70, 000).

Auction: Fine Musical Instruments October 14 at 10a.m.
Viewing: Christie’s Galleries at Rockefeller Center October 8-13

More information about Christie's sales of Fine Musical Instruments can be found on www.christies.com. All lots from the sale can be viewed online along with full catalogue descriptions on Lotfinder®, which also allows clients to leave absentee bids. www.christies.com provides information on more than 80 sale categories, buying and selling at auction, complete auction results, and Christie's international auction calendar.

Top left photo:
Sale 1562, Lot 26
Gibson Incorporated
A Solid-Body Electric Guitar, Les Paul Model, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1959
Estimate: $100,000-150,000

On the Web:
Christie

Les Paul Lagniappes


Click on the thumbnail for a high-quality 577 px x 759 px high-quality JPEG of a '58 Les Paul		Click on the thumbnail to send an e-card of 16 Stunningly Beautiful Les Paul Flame Tops From '58 -'60 which went mainly to Japanese customers

Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown dies

2005-09-12T18:57:00.001-07:00

Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown dies

Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown
as photographed by Robert Barclay

I've been away from my computer for the past couple of days, so just heard of this sad news....

BATON ROUGE, La. (Sept. 11)— - Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, the singer and guitarist who built a 50-year career playing blues, country, jazz and Cajun music, died Saturday in his adopted hometown of Orange, Texas, where he had gone to escape Hurricane Katrina. He was 81.

Brown, who had been battling lung cancer and heart disease, was in ill health for the past year, said Rick Cady, his booking agent.

Cady said the musician was with his family at his brother's house when he died. Brown's home in Slidell, La., a bedroom community of New Orleans, was destroyed by Katrina, Cady said.

"He was completely devastated," Cady said. "I'm sure he was heartbroken, both literally and figuratively. He evacuated successfully before the hurricane hit, but I'm sure it weighed heavily on his soul."

Although his career first took off in the 1940s with blues hits "Okie Dokie Stomp" and "Ain't That Dandy," Brown bristled when he was labeled a bluesman.

In the second half of his career, he became known as a musical jack-of-all-trades who played a half-dozen instruments and culled from jazz, country, Texas blues, and the zydeco and Cajun music of his native Louisiana.

By the end of his career, Brown had more than 30 recordings and won a Grammy award in 1982.

"I'm so unorthodox, a lot of people can't handle it," Brown said in a 2001 interview.

Brown's versatility came partly from a childhood spent in the musical mishmash of southwestern Louisiana and southeastern Texas. He was born in Vinton, La., and grew up in Orange, Texas.

Brown often said he learned to love music from his father, a railroad worker who sang and played fiddle in a Cajun band. Brown, who was dismissive of most of his contemporary blues players, named his father as his greatest musical influence.

"If I can make my guitar sound like his fiddle, then I know I've got it right," Brown said.

Cady said Brown was quick-witted, "what some would call a 'codger.'"

Brown started playing fiddle by age 5. At 10, he taught himself an odd guitar picking style he used all his life, dragging his long, bony fingers over the strings.

In his teens, Brown toured as a drummer with swing bands and was nicknamed "Gatemouth" for his deep voice. After a brief stint in the Army, he returned in 1945 to Texas, where he was inspired by blues guitarist T-Bone Walker.

Brown's career took off in 1947 when Walker became ill and had to leave the stage at a Houston nightclub. The club owner invited Brown to sing, but Brown grabbed Walker's guitar and thrilled the crowd by tearing through "Gatemouth Boogie" -- a song he claimed to have made up on the spot.

He made dozens of recordings in the 1940s and '50s, including many regional hits -- "Okie Dokie Stomp," "Boogie Rambler," and "Dirty Work at the Crossroads."

But he became frustrated by the limitations of the blues and began carving a new career by recording albums that featured jazz and country songs mixed in with the blues numbers.

"He is one of the most underrated guitarists, musicians and arrangers I've ever met, an absolute prodigy," said Colin Walters, who is working on Brown's biography. "He is truly one of the most gifted musicians out there.

"He never wanted to be called a bluesman, but I used to tell him that though he may not like the blues, he does the blues better than anyone," added Walters. "He inherited the legacy of great bluesmen like Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, but he took what they did and made it better."

Brown -- who performed in cowboy boots, cowboy hat and Western-style shirts — lived in Nashville in the early 1960s, hosting an R&B television show and recording country singles.

In 1979, he and country guitarist Roy Clark recorded "Makin' Music," an album that included blues and country songs and a cover of the Billy Strayhorn-Duke Ellington classic "Take the A-Train."

Brown recorded with Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder, Bonnie Raitt and others, but he took a dim view of most musicians — and blues guitarists in particular. He called B.B. King one-dimensional. He dismissed his famous Texas blues contemporaries Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland as clones of T-Bone Walker, whom many consider the father of modern Texas blues.

"All those guys always tried to sound like T-Bone," Brown said.

Survivors include three daughters and a son.

Source: By DOUG SIMPSON, Associated Press Writer

On the Web:
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown Discography

Hurricane Katrina
Help Support the Relief Effort

The New Orleans Musicians Clinic
Jazz Foundation of America

If you're trying to find out about New Orleans musicians there is a list of known survivors at http://www.
wwoz.org/

If you know of any surviving musicians not included

Jeremy "Bug" Young

2005-09-12T08:26:00.000-07:00

Jeremy "Bug" Young

Jeremy "Bug" Young plays the blues because he has to.

At the age of 27, this Rochester resident is somewhat of an anomaly to the SouthCoast music scene. He is a student of America's original music style -- the Delta Blues -- a form of music that grew out of the cottonfields of Mississippi in the 1920s and was originally played in the bars and roadhouses of that time.

Some of the earliest performers of the blues were Robert Johnson, Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters. These players eventually inspired such popular guitarists as Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck.

"It's the only outlet I have for my sense of loss," Mr. Young says. "It's just pure emotion -- it's what art and music are all about.

"I had a hard adolescence and I identified with the feeling and the emotion."

Mr. Young has been writing his own songs for the last year. He can be found at area open mic nights and blues jams four to five nights a week. He plays an open-tuned slide guitar. His songs have lyrics and chords but each performance develops uniquely based upon Mr. Young's interpretation at the time. He often works himself into a frenzy, intensely thumping the strings and giving a vocal wail. He always performs wearing his trademark green bandanna.

"I get up there and it just comes out," Mr. Young says. "That's the only way you can perform the blues, to have no inhibition, just let it all go. These feelings are all inside of me."

Mr. Young began writing his own songs when his guitar skills caught up to his poetry skills. His biggest writing influence is Shakespeare. His modern musical influences are Bob Dylan and Tom Waits.

"I've always read a lot, but at the age of 15 I was really into Shakespeare. When I was 16, I bought my first album -- 'Real Folk Blues' by Muddy Waters.

"It struck me as music at its purest," he says. "It had a feeling that I'd never heard before."

Mr. Young also plays harmonica, another traditional blues instrument.

"It comes naturally for me," he says. "I started when I was 16 years old. I threw myself into it and I found I was good at it. Now I have freedom and control over it."

Art Tebbetts runs an open mic every Thursday night at the Cafe Arpeggio in downtown New Bedford. Mr. Tebbetts has been an area folk musician and performer for more than 30 years.

"There aren't a lot of players like him in this area," Mr. Tebbetts says. "He doesn't have the sweetest voice or the best guitar skills, but he's got a spirit that grabs people."

Mr. Tebbetts comments on how closely Mr. Young plays to his predecessors.

"For a young man, he's got the soul of a 1920s bluesman inside of him," he says of Mr. Young. "His songs sound like they were written back in the '20s and '30 s. He's got a lot of life wisdom. He plays with a lot of heart, and he's got a good bag of tricks. He's proficient at what he does.

"He's always a favorite at open mic nights."

Mr. Young points out that the blues have had an impact on modern rock acts such as The White Stripes and Aerosmith.

"The purity of emotion is really what it all comes down to," Mr. Young says. "You can have all the technology in the world but you need the emotion."

Source: South Coast Today / The Standard-Times

Books 'n Blues in the Mississippi Delta

2005-09-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

Books 'n Blues in the Mississippi Delta

Greenwood, MS—
Deserving kids in the Mississippi Delta are getting a "hand up" toward a better education, and a brighter future through Books 'n Blues (www.booksnblues.org), a series of musical performances, book signings and a silent auction to be hosted at Viking Range from 6 to 9 p.m., Oct. 1 in Greenwood, Mississippi.

Chaired by Ms. Myrna Colley-Lee, Books 'n Blues benefits the Communities in Schools of Greenwood-Leflore (www.communities-in-schools.org) which serves approximately 2,500 court-involved students ages 12 to 17 through artist residency and arts education programs for schools, after-school programs and Adolescent Offender Programs.

"The work done by Communities in Schools gives these students a vision of a broader, richer world and boosts their ability to create a better life for themselves through academic achievement," said Ms. Colley-Lee who is married to actor Morgan Freeman.

"It is not unusual to see participants on our creative writing program improve their reading levels from two to four grade levels," said CIS Executive Director Linda Whittington. Colley-Lee and Whittington are backed by a remarkable group of dedicated volunteers who represent the entire Greenwood community. The entire event is a volunteer affair. Even the authors and blues musicians are paying their own way. Authors will be donating their royalties on books sold. Musicians will be performing at the event for free and donating royalties on any CDs sold. Blues events held at cafes and clubs after the main event will donate 100 percent of their cover charges to Books 'n Blues.

The silent auction, featuring items donated by people from across the United States, will be held at Viking Range's training facility situated by the Yazoo River levee. The main event will be preceded by an afternoon writing seminar for aspiring writers in the community. Books 'n Blues is the brainchild of Greenwood native and New York Times best-selling author Lewis Perdue who got the idea while conducting research for his newest book, Perfect Killer, (www.perfectkiller.com) much of which is set in the Delta.

Perdue, who now lives in California's wine country where people spend rather freely for entertainment that has a charitable beneficiary, felt that the Delta could benefit from an event where people could "have fun while doing good." Tickets to the event are $25 and available through local merchants listed on the web site

Source: Cat Head Update

On the Web:
Books 'n Blues

Related Blues Blog Post:
Books 'n' Blues Festival Oct. 1 to benefit CIS (8/16/2005)

Aretha, Blind Boys of Alabama to fete Sam Cooke

2005-09-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

Aretha, Blind Boys of Alabama to fete Sam Cooke

Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello, the Dixie Hummingbirds and the Blind Boys of Alabama are among the artists set to sing the praises of Sam Cooke during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's American Music Masters salute to the quintessential soul man.

They'll celebrate Cooke's pop music in concert at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at Playhouse Square's State Theatre. Also on the bill are former J. Geils Band frontman Peter Wolf, Taj Mahal, Cissy Houston, Otis Clay and William Bell.

Most of those performers -- including Franklin -- will be joined by Lou Rawls for a second show at 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6, at the State Theatre, with the focus on the gospel side of Cooke's career.

"It's fairly courageous to do two concerts," says Warren Zanes, the Rock Hall's vice president of education.

"But with Sam Cooke, you can't not give his gospel music as much attention as his pop music gets. It's appropriate for him."

Cooke, the son of a Baptist minister, was among the first performers inducted into the Rock Hall in 1986. Three years later, the hall also enshrined the Soul Stirrers, the gospel group in which Cooke got his start before he became a solo superstar on the pop charts.

He scored his first No. 1 single in 1957 with "You Send Me." More than two dozen other Top 40 hits followed for the native of Clarksdale, Miss., including "Chain Gang," "Twistin' the Night Away" and "Another Saturday Night."

The Rock Hall expects to line up additional artists for both concerts in Cooke's honor.

The performances are part of "A Change Is Gonna Come: The Life and Music of Sam Cooke," the 10th annual installment of the Rock Hall's American Music Masters series, presented in conjunction with Case Western Reserve University.

The weeklong event commences Monday, Oct. 31.

Also on the agenda is an academic symposium Saturday, Nov. 5, at Case's Ford Auditorium, with appearances by Cooke's brother L.C. Cooke, Leroy Crume of the Soul Stirrers and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chairman Julian Bond, among others. Peter Guralnick, author of "Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke" (to be published next month), will deliver the conference's keynote address.

Cooke was shot dead in 1964 at the age of 33. A motel manager in Los Angeles said she killed Cooke in self-defense after he tried to attack her. It was ruled a justifiable homicide.

Tickets for both Cooke tribute concerts go on sale Friday through Tickets.com outlets, or charge by phone, 1-800-766-6048 or 216-241-6000. Rock Hall members can buy tickets starting Monday by calling 216-515-8427.

Tickets for the Saturday show are $20, $30 and $40. Tickets for the Sunday show are $15, $25 and $35.

If you purchase a ticket for the Saturday concert, you can buy a ticket to the Sunday concert for half-price.

Group discounts for parties of 20 or more are available for the Sunday show. Call 216-515-1228.

Tickets for the symposium, $30, go on sale Friday at Ticketmaster outlets, or charge by phone, 216-241-5555 (Cleveland) or 330-945-9400 (Akron).

source: John Soeder, Plain Dealer Pop Music Critic

Floyd Lee, Clara E Delta Blues Project Tour Japan 2005

2005-09-09T23:02:00.000-07:00

Floyd Lee, Clara E Delta Blues Project Tour Japan 2005

On the Web:
DELTA BLUES PROJECT
http://www.floydlee.org/
http://www.floydlee.com

Bobby Rush to record at Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival

2005-09-09T22:02:00.000-07:00

Bobby Rush to record at Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival

Legendary Mississippi Blues Great, Bobby Rush, will do a live recording at this year’s 28th Annual Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival (see post below), Saturday, September 17, 2005, South of Greenville, MS. This live recording project is special because Rush will be backed by a twenty-two (22) piece orchestra, reminiscent of the style of the late, great Count Basie.

"I'm excited about this unique recording opportunity, said Bobby Rush." "This is the first time in history that a Mississippi singer/musician has done anything like this, he continues." Rush is perhaps the single largest blues entertainer to currently live in the State of Mississippi. He is considered by many to be a national treasure and is now committed to giving something back to the community.

Bobby Rush has performed and headlined the Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival more than any other blues artist. "Bobby's support for the Mississippi Delta Blues Festival is a great example of community commitment", says Howard Boutté, MACE President, the organization that produces the festival. "We are proud that the Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival was chosen for such a unique and special live recording session. This is history in the making", he said. The live recording will feature many of Rush’s hits; plus some new material. Songs such as "Sue", "Chicken Head," "Hoochie Man," and "A Man Give It But He Show Can't Take It" are slated to be part of the project.

The production will be done under the direction and collaboration with another Mississippi musical legend, Benjamin Wright formerly of Greenville, MS. Wright currently resides in Los Angeles and has worked with music icons such as Gladys Knight, The Temptations, Barry White, Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Justin Timberlake, Outcast, Destiny's Child, Aretha Franklin, Paul Anka and many others. "I've always wanted to do a big band blues expression from Mississippi", said Wright. "People need to hear the fullness and unlimited expansion of this cultural music known as the blues. In this recording we will feature classic sounds, traditional styles and everything good about Mississippi music."

Interestingly enough Bobby Rush and Benjamin Wright have a long history together even though they live in opposite parts of the United States; they both are still pure Mississippi. Bobby Rush brings his traditional showmanship and risqué comedy to the stage while Benjamin Wright orchestrates the background with the sophistication of the Pioneer Music Award. "People who attend this festival are in for a special treat, says Rush. This performance just may be the best one I've done for a long time." There is no doubt that blues enthusiasts from around the world will want to be a part of this history making special event.

On the Web:
Bobby Rush

Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival

2005-09-09T21:48:00.000-07:00

Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival

The 28th Annual Delta Blues & Heritage Festival in Greenville, MS will be held September 17th at the Historic Blues Festival Park located at the intersection of Highway 1 and Route 454.

28th Annual Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival Performers
Hope Askew / Arthur Sutton & The Gift of Praise
Eddie Cusic
Jimmy "The Mystery Man" Warren
Delta Blues Revue
featuring
Mississippi Slim, John Horton, Eden Brent,
Barbara Looney, Ricky Johnson, & Mickey Rogers

Sam Myers
Anson Funderburgh and The Rockets
Tito Jackson
Bobby Bland
Shirley Brown
Bobby Rush

Tickets: $20.

For more information contact MACE at 662-335-3523 or 1-800-81-BLUES.

Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival 2004 Poster

On the Web:
Delta Blues & Heritage Festival

Delta Symphony presents 'A Jazz Tribute to the Blues'

2005-09-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

Delta Symphony presents 'A Jazz Tribute to the Blues'

GREENVILLE (Sept. 9)—Kicking off the 46th season of the Delta Symphony Association will be "A Jazz Tribute to the Blues" on Sept. 15 at the E.E. Bass Cultural C enter.

The event is part of the week-long celebration leading up to the 27th Annual Delta Blues and Heritage Festival held in Greenville.

Delta's Symphony's theme this year is "Celebrating America's Music with the Delta Symphony Association," which will feature five different musical events with an eye on variety and professionalism.

International jazz vocalist Deborah Brown will headline the evening's entertainment along with the talents of jazz pianist Richard Johnson, Dr. Alphonso Sanders and the Mississippi Valley State University Jazz Ensemble.

All three performers are well-known and celebrated for their vocal and instrumental skills with performances around the globe over the years.

Prior to the 7:30 p.m. performance, a MACE VIP reception, including a cash bar, will be held to celebrate Blues Week activities and as a kickoff for the symphony season.

Tickets for the performance are $15 for adults and $10 for students.

Tickets can be purchased at the door or at Dattle & Co., Village Pharmacy and Exceptionale. Season tickets can also be picked up at the performance.

Brown will be supported in her performance by John Birdsong on bass and Mark McKnight on drums.

Brown, born in Kansas City, Mo., has performed from coast-to-coast in the United States, eventually leading her to performances in Japan, Indonesia and the Far East. Her far eastern tour ultimately led to a 12-year residency in Europe.

Performing in a variety of performance venues, Brown has made a name for herself with appearances in more than 50 countries.

She has recorded 11 albums as a leader and has been featured on numerous other recordings as a special guest soloist. Over the years, she has either performed or recorded with the likes of trombonist Slide Hampton, a 10-concert tour in duo with piano master Roger Kellaway, pianists Cedar Walton and Dorothy Donegan, trumpet star Clark Terry, a studio recording of the CD "A Lover's Question" with author James Baldwin.

And if that wasn't enough, she has engaged in concert performances with Johnny Griffin, Benny Bailey, Billy Mitchell, Michelle LeGrand, "Toots" Thielemans, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Bobby Shew, Kenny Drew, Roy Hargrove, The Eric Reed trio, the Doky Brothers and many others.

She tours with her quartet JAZZ 4 JAZZ, which features pianist Horace Parlan, Red Mitchell or Hein van de Geijn on acoustic bass, and drummer Ed Thigpen.

Another featured performer for the evening is Johnson, 29, who has taken the jazz world by storm with his brand of music and soulful and reverential performances.

Johnson, born in Pittsburgh, Pn., was introduced to the piano at the age of five by his father, a gospel pianist in the church, and he developed strong roots in performing jazz.

During high school, the family moved to Massachusetts where he formed his first trio of piano, bass and drums, which is now the main grouping for his main performance format.

Johnson attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston. During this time, he gained experience performing in upstate New York with jazz greats such as Milt Hinton, Bobby Watson and Ed Shaughness. He also shared musical moments with Herb Pomeroy, Billy Pierce and Roy Hargrove.

He also attended the Boston Conservatory of Music where he earned a master's degree in Jazz Pedagogy in 1997. In April 1998, Johnson joined the Thelonious Monk Institute South American Tour as part of the United States Cultural Presentation at the Presidental Summit in Santiago, Chile. During that same year, he also held performances which include the Regattabar in Cambridge, Mass., as part of the Monk Institute Sextet with Ron Carter, the Park Plaza in New York alongside T.S. Monk and the recent Jazz Colony for JazzAspen in Colorado.

He also has worked with jazz notables such as Clark Terry, Russell Malone, Wynton Marsalis, Arturo Sandoval, Vanessa Rubin and Benny Golson.

Johnson will be performing with Vicente Archer on acoustic bass and E.J. Strickland on drums.

Johnson has also been a member of Wynton Marsalis' septet from 2000-2003.

Source: Delta Democrat Times

Galactic Plans 'Ten Year Invasion' Fall Tour Plans "Ten Year Invasion" Fall Tour

2005-09-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

Galactic Plans 'Ten Year Invasion' Fall Tour Plans "Ten Year Invasion" Fall Tour

In order to mark the band's 10th anniversary, Galactic is proud to announce the plans for their “Ten Year Invasion” fall tour. The invasion will begin October 26th in Crystal Bay, NV, and will include stops in New York, Boston, Washington DC, and Las Vegas for the upcoming Vegoose music festival. Openers for the tour are as diverse as always with Lyrics Born and ALO each taking on different legs. This year's special Halloween show, one of Galactic's most anticipated annual events, will take place in Austin, TX, and with Mofro in the opening slot it's sure to be a highlight on the fall tour. A longtime staple of the vibrant New Orleans music scene, Galactic is thrilled to hit the road to celebrate a decade of good times and great music. ”We've all grown up together and learned so much, ” says bassist Robert Mercurio. “We're not only best friends, we're like family.”
Although the fall tour plans remain intact, due to the current conditions in New Orleans Galactic must postpone their 10th Anniversary shows that were scheduled for September 9th & 10th at Tipitina's. As longtime residents of New Orleans the members of Galactic have been particularly affected by last week's tragedy. Although the band was on the road at the time of the event, they plan on doing all they can to assist in the recovery effort. They are currently exploring different options as far as benefits in which they can participate, and they will also use this time to work on their next studio album.

Galactic was born in the mid-'90s, after two Washington DC punks--guitarist Jeff Raines and bassist Robert Mercurio--relocated to New Orleans and found themselves intoxicated by the sounds of the scene that nurtured The Meters, Professor Longhair, the Neville Brothers and Dr. John. Armed with the rhythmic tradition of their adopted hometown, Raines, Mercurio, saxophonist Ben Ellman, keyboardist Rich Vogel, and drummer Stanton Moore have spent ten years tearing through venues across the world, leaving hordes of die-hard Galactic junkies in their wake. Weaving modern and retrospective styles into their own trademark jazz-funk-rock fusion, Galactic created a far-reaching canon--including six albums and countless live performances--informed by ongoing influence from a wide range of genres, including hip-hop, blues, pop, and electronica.

A sought-after act on the international live music circuit, Galactic has completed countless U.S. tours, four European tours, and four highly successful trips to Japan. At home and abroad, the band has shared tours and shows with an astonishing range of concert blockbusters, including the Dave Matthews Band, Counting Crows, the Allman Brothers Band, The Roots, Widespread Panic, B.B. King, James Brown, and Live. Galactic has also appeared at many of the world's premier music festivals, including Fuji Rock, Austin City Limits, Coachella, four consecutive performances at the Bonnaroo Music Festival, and eight consecutive performances at the New Orleans Jazz Fest. On the road and in its own New Orleans studio, Galactic continues to reinvent itself, inspiring its ever-growing fan base with ongoing artistic evolution, synthesizing the most thrilling elements of vintage and contemporary styles to keep the party rolling.

Confirmed “Ten Year Invasion” Tour dates:
OCTOBER
26 Crystal Bay, NV Crystal Bay Club
27 Petaluma, CA The Mystic w/ ALO
28 Santa Cruz, CA The Catalyst w/ ALO
29 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore w/ ALO
30 Las Vegas, NV The Joint - House of Blues (late night)
31 Austin, TX Stubb's w/ Mofro

NOVEMBER
3 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's w/ TBA
4 Detroit, MI The Majestic w/ TBA
5 Columbus, OH Newport Hall w/ Lyrics Born
8 Burlington, VT Higher Ground w/ Lyrics Born
9 Providence, RI Lupo's w/ TBA
10 New Haven, CT Toad's Place w/ Lyrics Born
11 New York, NY Irving Plaza w/ TBA
12 New York, NY Irving Plaza w/ ALO
14 Charlottesville, VA Starr Hill
15 Baltimore, MD Recher Theatre w/ ALO
16 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club w/ ALO
17 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of the Living Arts w/ ALO
18 & 19 Washington DC 9:30 Club

Source: JAZZ NEWS

GALACTIC 10TH ANNIVERSARY TIPITINA SHOWS POSTPONED
As a result of conditions in New Orleans, Galactic's 10th Anniversary shows scheduled for September 9th and 10th at Tipitina's will be put on hold. Please stay tuned to the Galactic and Tipitina's website for updates. For refunds for tickets purchased through Music Today, please send an email to tix@musictoday.com. Please put the venue, show date and Galactic in the subject line. Refunds will also be issued to anyone who purchased tickets directly from the Tipitina's box office. Please stay tuned to www.tipitinas.com and the Galactic website for updates on this.

On the Web:
Galactic

Tab Benoit to perform at Rockland pub

2005-09-09T21:15:00.000-07:00

Tab Benoit to perform at Rockland pub

ROCKLAND, ME (Sept. 9 )—Communications may be a bit sketchy along the Louisiana coast these days but bluesman Tab Benoit will make it up north in time for Monday and Tuesday night's gigs at the Time Out Pub.

The Houma, La., native's home was spared by Hurricane Katrina but Benoit has been busy helping those less fortunate since the storm touched down late last month.

Benoit opened his home to evacuees and formed the charitable organization Voice of the Wetland to assist those ruined by the storm. Voice of the Wetland has scheduled a concert and golf tournament next month to benefit storm victims. The concert will take place in Houma on Oct. 1-2 and the golf tournament will be held in Winter Park, Colo., Oct. 7-8.

"He's gonna make it up here for the show," booking agent Paul Benjamin said Thursday. "He didn't get hit too hard by Katrina but he's been busy helping people out ever since. We've got some things planned for the shows to help those in need, too."

Benjamin said area businesses have donated lodging, dinners and outings that will be auctioned off during the band breaks at both shows.

Benoit, 28, has played the Time Out and the North Atlantic Blues Festival in the past and is a big favorite in the Rockland area. Both shows should sell out, Benjamin predicted, and he guaranteed that fans would be on their feet all night long to the rocking beat of Cajun rock 'n' blues singer-guitarist Benoit, bassist Carl Dufrene and drummer Darryl White. Benoit's major influences were Buddy Guy and Albert King, and fans of that hard-driving sound are in for a treat, he said.

A Louisiana native, Benoit began playing at an early age and first made a name for himself in the 1980s playing $13-per-night gigs at Tabby's Blues Box in Baton Rouge. He quickly developed a following among the regulars and the Louisiana State University students, and his fame soon expanded beyond the state line.

Benoit naturally gravitated to the blues and was convinced he was on the right track when Blues Box owner Tabby Thomas advised him that "If you play the blues, you'll always have a job."

In coastal Maine, there is no better place for a bluesman than the Time Out Pub, overlooking the public landing on Rockland's Main Street. Benjamin, who founded the North Atlantic Blues Festival, has been booking acts at Time Out since it opened more than a decade ago.

The Monday night shows are designed for blues fans and nationally known acts know it, Benjamin said. The club is a well-known stop on the blues scene. Whether playing for exposure to true blues fans or to earn a spot on the North Atlantic Blues Festival bill, most of the country's leading performers are always knocking on Benjamin's door looking for a gig.

"This is the longest-running continuous blues show in Maine," said Benjamin. "They really want to play here."

Monday night perfectly fits many of the performers' schedules because most are either passing through Maine from a gig in Canada or heading that way from the Boston or New York area.

"The place is packed every Monday night," said Benjamin. "The audience is there for the music and we set it up for the shows to begin and end early, so there is no worry about getting home late or going to work tired the next day."

Tab Benoit will play at the Time Out Pub from 7 to 10 p.m. Monday, Sept. 12, and Tuesday, Sept. 13. Tickets are $15.

Source: Bangor Daily News

On the Web:
Tab Benoit

Greater Ozarks Blues Festival

2005-09-09T21:05:00.000-07:00

Greater Ozarks Blues Festival

Springfield, MO. (Sept. 8)—
Source: The blues is heading north, but only a few blocks.
The Greater Ozarks Blues Festival has a new site at the corner of Campbell Avenue and Tampa Street downtown, but the event's focus hasn't changed.

Its ninth incarnation brings together big-name headliners and regional performers on the main stage followed by a jam-packed blues crawl at more than a dozen bars and clubs nearby.

The fest kicks off this afternoon with local group Tripwire and ends with the soulful sound of Tommy Castro. Saturday's daylong lineup is topped off by none other than Chicago blues guitar legend Buddy Guy.

"One thing you can say about (Guy's) approach is he's spontaneous," says Castro, who toured with Guy a few summers ago.

"He seems to go at it sort of like the great zen master of the blues guitar. ... He never does anything the same night after night. He's always stretching out, taking risks."

After playing a part in the explosion of electric blues in Chicago in the 1950s and '60s, Guy has seen a resurgence in recent years, winning multiple Grammys and W.C. Handy Awards.

Guy was recently inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and along the way he influenced everyone from Jimi Hendrix to Eric Clapton to John Mayer.

Some acts fly below the radar, but can be the most fun to see. Festival music coordinator Monte Lorts says he believes listeners will walk away delighted and impressed by gospel-tinged songstress Diunna Greenleaf.

"Every year I like to find one act that people will leave talking about," he says.

"This year I think Diunna Greenleaf is that performer. This woman is just outstanding."

A blues crawl commences at 10 p.m. Saturday in downtown venues, each with a different act. Some of the blues crawl bands are local, but many are from out of town.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Springfield Symphony, Springfield Little Theater and, for the first time, the Blues Society of the Ozarks.

"This event is critical to our budget," says symphony Executive Director Carlana Fitch.

"Speaking for the symphony, this is our major fundraiser dollar-wise."

INFO
What: Greater Ozarks Blues Festival
When: Today and Saturday
Who: Headliners include Buddy Guy and Tommy Castro
Where: Field at North Campbell Avenue and Tampa Street (just south of Chestnut Expressway)
Cost: Tickets are $20 for today only, $30 Saturday only, $40 for both days at the gate
Information: 864-6683 or www.greaterozarksblues fest.com

MAIN STAGE SCHEDULE
Today — Tripwire at 6 p.m.; Diunna Greenleaf and Blue Mercy, 7 p.m.; Tommy Castro Band, 9 p.m.

Saturday — Cate Brothers, 12:30 p.m.; Reba Russell Band, 2:30 p.m.; Stacy Mitchhart, 4:30 p.m.; Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers 6:30 p.m.; Buddy Guy, 8:30 p.m.

SATURDAY BLUES CRAWL
The Bar Next Door, 305 South Ave., 831-5551: Pauline York Band
The Boogie, 321 South Ave., 831-0100: Michael Shaun Norton Band
Burgundy Room, 154 Park Central, 863-7577: Robin and Tony
Drink, 154 Park Central, 863-7577: Wes Jeans
Ernie Biggs, 213 South Ave., 865-4782: Dueling Pianos
Harpo's, 319 E. Walnut St., 862-4742: Slick Ballinger and the Soul Blues Boyz
The Highlife, 322 South Ave., 831-9155: Continuously Saucy Renaldo and the Spazmatic Adjustable Heads
Nathan P. Murphy's, 218 S. Campbell Ave., 863-1909: Scott Holt Band
Outland Ballroom, 324 South Ave., 865-1909: Polly Ess and Annie P. Annie Band
Rasta Grill, 319 W. Walnut St., 831-7221: Rich Berry
Remmingtons Downtown, 201 S. Campbell Ave., 831-1144: Mike Zito Band
Rockwell, 221 South Ave., 869-7625: Cate Brothers
Springfield Brewing Company, 301 S. Market Ave., 832-8277: Danny Rhodes and the Messengers
Traffic, 220 W. Walnut St. 862-2582: Alvin Jett and the Phat Noiz Band
Trolley's, 214 Park Central East, 799-0309: Blue Mother Tupelo

On the Web:
Greater Ozarks Blues Festival

Sound Engineer Cleared of Stealing Ray Charles' Tapes

2005-09-09T20:59:00.000-07:00

Sound Engineer Cleared of Stealing Ray Charles' Tapes

LOS ANGELES (Sept. 19)—A Los Angeles court Thursday cleared a sound engineer of stealing a batch of Ray Charles' master tapes while working on the late legend's last studio album.

Terry Howard, 48, was arrested in February after police, acting on a tip from a Ray Charles Enterprises employee, raided his Burbank, California home and seized master tapes and recordings.

The case against Howard was dismissed by the Los Angeles Superior Court two days into a preliminary hearing into whether there was sufficient evidence for a trial.

The court ruled that Howard had not "intended to permanently deprive the victims of the property".

Howard, who won three Grammy Awards for his work on Charles' final album, 'Genius Loves Company', had made no attempt to sell the Charles recordings.

His lawyer Steve Cron told the court Howard, who worked with the late R&B star for 20 years before his death, had the tapes in his possession legally.

Charles died in June 2003, at the age of 74.

Source: KBAC-FM

Related Blues Blog Stories:
Man charged with stealing Ray Charles' master recordings (3/03/2005)

Aaron-Neville.jpg laments destruction of his New Orleans

2005-09-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

Aaron Neville laments destruction of his New Orleans

GLENDALE, California (Sept. 9)—Aaron Neville says he hasn't been back to New Orleans, but images of flood waters show his native city has turned into a "toxic gumbo."

"I haven't heard from a lot of my friends and don't know if they are alive or dead," Neville told The Associated Press. "When they drain the city there will be a lot of bodies."

The award-winning singer, a member of the Neville Brothers singing group, also said that more than two-dozen of his relatives have been evacuated from the city and are living in various states.

Neville, 64, believes much of his home is under water. Also gone are prized valuables, including photos and his four Grammys.

He and his brothers spent five years renovating an old house on Canal Street and turned it into a studio where they recorded the family album "Walkin' in the Shadow of Life" and his upcoming solo release, "Christmas Prayer."

They are donating a portion of their record sales toward the relief effort, which his label, EMI Music Group, has agreed to match.

Neville said New Orleans was a "disaster waiting to happen" and wished the response had been swifter: "The cavalry could have come a little sooner."

Neville has been living in Memphis for the past week and a half and is unsure if he will return to New Orleans. He had been on tour when the hurricane struck.

"I hope one day they will build New Orleans up high enough so this doesn't happen again," he said. "We don't need to be a bowl surrounded by water anymore."

Neville has been on overdrive this week since Hurricane Katrina swept through the Gulf Coast and forced one of New Orleans' most famous musical families to flee.

After appearing on a televised appeal for donations Friday, he'll fly to Nashville and join his three brothers to perform for a charity show, "ReAct Now: Music & Relief," which will air on MTV, VH1 and CMT.

On Sept. 18, he's scheduled to sing the national anthem for the game between the New York Giants and the New Orleans Saints, who have also been displaced by the hurricane.

Neville, a burly man with a silky voice, is best known for the ballads "Tell It Like It Is" and joining Linda Ronstadt on "Don't Know Much."

Source: Associated Press

The Louisiana Music Factory still standing

2005-09-09T20:39:00.001-07:00

The Louisiana Music Factory still standing

The Louisiana Music Factory still standing
We are down but not out! We appreciate the website orders and we will try to resume business as soon as its safe to return to the city. Although the store and inventory were not damaged, access to the inventory is severely limited and it will take extra time to get orders shipped out. Please be patient and be assured that we are doing the very best we can under extremely difficult conditions. No credit cards will be charged until we are able to ship the orders.

If you're trying to find out about New Orleans musicians there is a list of known survivors at http://www.wwoz.org/ If you know of any surviving musicians not included in this list please send email to WWOZ

Thanks for your help during this very difficult time.

On the Web:
Louisiana Music Factory

Piedmont Blues Preservation Society Calendar

2005-09-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

Piedmont Blues Preservation Society Calendar

This in from Blues Brother John Amberg over at the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society:

Greetings Blues Friends!

Fun weekend coming up.
The Matt Hill Blues Band, winners of the 2004 PBPS Blues Challenge, will be at the Bull Durham Blues Festival this Friday night. Details below.
Kenny Neal is performing at the Red Lion in High Point and he never disappoints!
The designated road trip this weekend is in lovely Roanoke, V.A. for the Tase of the Blue Ridge Festival. What a stellar line up for Saturday; Kenny Neal, Eddy The Chief Clearwater, John Mooney and more. Details and web site below.
The PBPS is poised for an exciting 19th Annual Blues Challenge Sept 24-25, with a nearly full slate of bands for both days. We still need a few more silent auction items.
And thanks for you folks who have come through with the items. F
or more info on the Blues Challenge, go to our website at www.piedmontblues.org or look in this week's edition of Yes!Weekly.
Make plans to join us for the special PBPS 20th Anniversary Celebration/Members Appreciation Concert featuring blues legend Carey Bell, Saturday, Oct. 22 at the Lion's Lair.

Thanks for all your support! Peace, love and blues to ya! Oh, by the way, the new date for the Hurricane Katrina Relief Concert (spearheaded by PBPS Trustee Chris Roulhac) is Sunday, Oct. 2. Details forthcoming.

John

-- BLUES EVENTS OCCURRING WITHIN THE NEXT 7 DAYS --
08-Sep-2005: Open blues Jam at Plum Krazy, Greensboro

09-Sep-2005: John Hooker, Jr at Double Door Inn, Charlotte

09-Sep-2005: Kenny Neal at Red Lion, High Point

09-Sep-2005: Bull Durham Blues Festival, Durham Athletic Park, Durham, N.C.
Headliner for Friday night: Bo Diddley
Matt Hill Blues Band will also perform on this night. 6p-11p at Historic Durham Athletic Park, Durham, N.C.
Details and tickets at www.hayti.org

09-Sep-2005: Melva Houston at Fourth St. Jazz & Blues Series, Winston-Salem

10-Sep-2005: Peter May & The Rough Band at Summer On Trade,
Winston-Salem, 7-10 pm 6th + Trade / Arts District

10-Sep-2005: Taste of the Blue Ridges Blues & Jazz Festival
Great event. Details at www.tobr.org
Sept 10 line-up includes:
Big Rick & The Bombers
Eddy 'The Chief' Clearwater
John Mooney and the Bluesiana Band
Kenny Neal
Info on times, tickets and directions at link above.

10-Sep-2005: Bull Durham Blues Festival, Durham Athletic Park, Durham, N.C.
Headliner for Saturday night: The legendary Ruth Brown. details at www.hayti.org

10-Sep-2005: Abe Reid/Spikedrivers at The Cave, Chapel Hill

11-Sep-2005: Taste of the Blue Ridge Jazz & Blues Festival, Roanoke, V.A.
Jazz day, featuring
The John Brown Quintet
Luciana Souza
Dr. Lonnie Smith

14-Sep-2005: Open Blues Jam at The Club House, Greensboro

15-Sep-2005: Open Blues Jam at Plum Krazy, Greensboro 9 p.m.

15-Sep-2005: Cyril Lance/Johnny Neel at Blind Tiger, Greensboro

On the Web:
Piedmont Blues Preservation Society

New John Fogerty CD

2005-09-09T16:53:00.000-07:00

New John Fogerty CD

The legendary John Fogerty, lead singer and songwriter of Creedence Clearwater Revival, will release a new best of CD titled The Long Road Home.

It will feature tracks from his solo career, classic CCR and four new recordings.

U.S. Release date: Nov. 1 on Fantasy Records.

Dr. John 'disgusted by celebrity propoganda'

2005-09-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

Dr. John 'disgusted by celebrity propoganda'

(Sept. 8)—Dr John said he was suspicious of stars--including Harry Connick Jr.--who are rushing to New Orleans to help with the hurricane relief effort, because he is bemused at how easy it is to get celebrities into the stricken Louisiana city.

The "Such a Night" singer, who believes one of his nephews died in the disaster and is still waiting to hear news about other missing relatives, is disgusted by the incessant celebrity "propaganda" surrounding the catastrophe.

Dr John, a.k.a. Mac Rebennack, told the New York Daily News, "I would hate to be like little Harry Connick, being used for propaganda. I like Harry, but that's not for me.

"If they got Harry in, why couldn't they bring back some people who lived in the neighbourhood?" he asked.

Both Dr John and Connick are New Orleans natives.

Source: ContactMusic

On the Web:
Dr. John

HR ALIGN=LEFT NOSHADE SIZE=2 WIDTH="45%">
Hurricane Katrina
Help Support the Relief Effort

The New Orleans Musicians Clinic
Jazz Foundation of America

Dr. John Japan Tour

Lineup: Dr. John & The Lower 911
Dr. John: piano, organ, vocals
David Barard: electric bass, vocals
Herman Ernest III: drums, vocals
John Fohl: electric guitar, vocals

Dates/venues
Sept. 15 Tokyo The Original True Store
Sept. 16-21 Tokyo Blue Note (2 Shows per night)

Les Paul back on albums chart after 50 years

2005-09-08T21:29:00.000-07:00

Les Paul back on albums chart after 50 years

LOS ANGELES (Sept. 9)—George Burns was 84 years old when his LP I Wish I Was Eighteen Again debuted on the Billboard album chart in February 1980.

If he did hold the record for being the oldest living individual to appear on this survey, he no longer does. Electric guitar innovator Les Paul turned 90 on June 9, and as part of the celebration, Capitol has released the CD Les Paul & Friends: American Made World Played. The album is a new entry at No. 152 on The Billboard 200.

The debut of the new CD ends a 50-year gap in Paul's chart history. He last appeared on the Billboard album tally in 1955 with Les and Mary, recorded with his wife Mary Ford. That album was also on Capitol.

Two relative rookies with chart careers that began in the 1960s have new albums debuting on the Billboard 200 this week.

Eric Clapton's Back Home (Duck/Reprise) was new at No. 13, making it the guitarist's highest-charting set since Me and Mr. Johnson debuted and peaked at No. 6 in April 2004. Clapton's chart span stretches to 38 years and four months, counting back to the debut of his power-rock trio Cream's Fresh Cream in May 1967.

New at No. 16 was No Direction Home: The Soundtrack: The Bootleg Series Vol. 7 (Legacy/Columbia). It is Bob Dylan's highest-charting album since Love and Theft debuted and peaked at No. 5 in September 2001. Dylan's chart span extends to 42 years, dating back to the September 1963 debut of The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.

Source: Reuters/Billboard

Note from Les (No relation): Les Paul still plays Mondays at NYC's Iridium club.

On the Web:
Iridium

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JaRon Eames at Aichi Expo 2005

2005-09-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

JaRon Eames at Aichi Expo 2005

NAGAKUTECHO, Aichi Pref., Japan (Sept. 9)—When Louisiana-born jazz singer JaRon Eames played a small gig at a Nagoya bar a few days before giving a concert Thursday at 2005 Aichi World Exposition, he could not stop himself breaking into tears when he sang Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child"--a song that reminded him of relatives and friends suffering the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

"The song was so profound, thinking about all the loss in New Orleans," he said, adding that most of the victims were poor people who did not have transportation to escape the flood.

The 52-year-old native of Baton Rouge, La., who lives in New York, where he has sung jazz for more than 30 years, was asked by the U.S. Pavilion to represent the United States as its custodian of roots music.

Eames also is president of J.K.E. Productions Enterprises Inc. and hosts a cable TV talk show that looks at the lives of legendary jazz musicians. His show is the only U.S. program dedicated to archiving the history of jazz and blues, which Eames said is no longer appreciated in his own country.

"You're hard-pressed to hear jazz anywhere in America," he said.

On the contrary, in Japan, jazz is everywhere, at restaurants, supermarkets and stores, Eames said.

Eames came to Nagoya three months ago and has played several gigs there. At Thursday's show at the expo, visitors--especially elderly people--filled the front row a few minutes before the show started. Some of them said they had returned to the expo especially to see his show as they had been so taken by Eames' previous two shows.

Since Katrina swept away New Orleanian life, Eames has heard many people he knows saying they do not want to return to the Crescent City.

"What makes New Orleans great is people. It all gets a flavor like gumbo, Creole or catfish--people make a melting pot. If those people leave, the flavor will be gone," Eames said.

He has a brother and family in New Orleans, who lost the house he had just bought. His friends and relatives have moved to Texas, and most of them are planning to move up to other cities such as Chicago--anywhere but return to New Orleans, Eames said. Eames believes coming to Japan and playing at the expo is part of a mission to keep American roots music alive.

Eames is passionate about not allowing the indigenous American art forms of blues and jazz to disappear the way New Orleans--the birthplace of jazz--disappeared under water.

Source: Ikuko Kitagawa, Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer

On the Web:
JaRon Eames

Domino, Toussaint Rally for Relief

2005-09-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

Domino, Toussaint Rally for Relief

(Sept. 9)—Fats Domino and Allen Toussaint witnessed the devastation of Hurricane Katrina firsthand. Now the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers are doing what they can to aid relief efforts.

The New Orleans natives will join an all-star lineup of musicians at Madison Square Garden for a Sept. 20 benefit concert dubbed "From the Big Apple to the Big Easy."

The proceeds from the concert will be donated to charities benefiting long-term relief efforts. In addition to underwriting the cost of the event, Madison Square Garden will donate an initial $1 million to aid the victims of the epic storm.

Both Domino and Toussaint were initially believed missing in the wake of the hurricane. Domino was rescued by boat from rising flood waters and taken to the Superdome, while Toussaint waited out the storm on the fourth floor of a hotel before departing for Baton Rouge on a chartered school bus last Wednesday.

Though both men survived Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, like many other New Orleanians, they lost their worldly goods and homes when water surged into the city.

"We've lost everything," Domino, 77, told the Washington Post in an interview. "I don't know what we're going to do. I never wanted to leave."

Now the musician is taking action and putting his famous boogie-woogie skills to good use for the good of his city.

He and Toussaint will be joined onstage by some of their fellow New Orleans musicians including the Neville Brothers, the Original Meters and the Dirty Dozen and Rebirth Brass Bands to pay tribute to the city's rich musical heritage.

Other artists scheduled to take the stage include Elton John, Jimmy Buffett, Rod Stewart, Stevie Nicks, Lenny Kravitz, Bette Midler, John Fogerty, Loggins and Messina and Earth, Wind and Fire.

Veteran Grammy producer Ken Ehrlich and New Orleans Jazz Festival director/producer Quint Davis will executive produce the event.

"In the midst of this national crisis, to have the city of New York, which has known such tragedy itself, to reach out to the citizens of New Orleans is a wonderful thing, and to do it in such a way that celebrates the rich traditions of New Orleans music shows an understanding and compassion that is truly heartwarming," Ehrlich and Davis said in a joint statement.

Meanwhile, musicians and actors including Sheryl Crow, the Dixie Chicks, Alicia Keys, Randy Newman, Paul Simon, Rod Stewart, Neil Young, Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz, Ellen DeGeneres, Jack Nicholson, Chris Rock, Ray Romano and Sela Ward are readying themselves for Friday's multi-network benefit telethon, Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast, which will be broadcast commercial-free by the six major networks and close to 30 cablers, including E!

Also Friday, BET will air a telethon of its own, S.O.S. (Saving Ourselves): The BET Relief Telethon, in partnership with the National Urban League, the American Red Cross, the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, Essence Communications and several major recording labels. Artists slated to perform include Wynton Marsalis, Master P, Alicia Keys, Diddy, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Usher, Omarion, Pharrell Williams, Ciara, Ludacris, Twista, Stevie Wonder, Brandy, Wyclef Jean and Erykah Badu.

On Saturday, MTV, VH1 and CMT will air the benefit special ReAct Now, featuring performances by Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Paul McCartney, the Neville Brothers and Kanye West.

Source: E! Online

In other Hollywood relief effort news:

* Stars including Sean Astin, Bill Maher, Wendie Malick, Joe Mantegna and Carrie Underwood have teamed with the Human Society of the United States for a public service announcement campaign highlighting the organization's extensive animal rescue efforts in the Gulf area.
* Small-screen types, including Carol Burnett, Bill Cosby, Tony Danza, Florence Henderson, Alyssa Milano, Mary Tyler Moore, Rob Reiner, Dick Van Dyke and Henry Winkler, have lent their voices to a public service campaign benefiting the American Red Cross.
* Southern California rockers Switchfoot will collect donations for the Salvation Army at a free concert at the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Chefs for Humanity, an organization founded by the Food Network's Iron Chef Cat Cora, will hold an eBay auction from Sept. 12-21 to raise money for UNICEF's Katrina relief fund.
* Jazz at Lincoln Center will hold the benefit event, "Higher Ground Hurricane Relief Concert," on Sept. 17, featuring participation by Wynton Marsalis, Bill Cosby, Elvis Costello, Robert De Niro, Paul Simon and Bette Midler, among others.
Dashboard Confessional will play three benefit concerts Sept. 18-20 in Toronto, Chicago and Sayreville, New Jersey, with the aim of raising $500,000.
Death Cab for Cutie will play a benefit concert in Seattle on Sept. 21.
* The members of Three Doors Down, whose Mississippi homes were damaged by the hurricane, will donate $1 from every ticket the band has sold this year to Better Life Foundation, raising nearly $300,000. The band will also hold a benefit concert in Atlanta on Saturday.
* Meat Loaf will donate the proceeds of his Sept. 17 concert in Savannah, Georgia to the American Red Cross.
* Louisiana's Buckwheat Zydeco is set to participate in ReAct Now, "Higher Ground Hurricane Relief Concert" and "The Big Apple To The Big Easy." "This is something we must do," Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural Jr. said in a statement. "Our hearts are heavy for the people who have suffered so much, and we hope we can lift their spirits a bit with our music. We must all step in and help as much as we can."

Hurricane Katrina
Help Support the Relief Effort

The New Orleans Musicians Clinic
Jazz Foundation of America

Big Easy musicians find refuge in Austin

2005-09-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

Big Easy musicians find refuge in Austin

AUSTIN, Texas (Sept. 8)--A Neville brother, New Orleans musical royalty, rented an apartment in a South Austin complex Tuesday. Modern swamp rock kingpins the Iguanas are spread out over four houses in town. Basin Street Records President Mark Samuels, whose roster includes Kermit Ruffins, Henry Butler and other Big Easy jazz notables, has also moved operations to Austin after losing the entire contents of his home and office when the Crescent City flooded.

Their beloved city is gone, awaiting a rebuilding process that could take months and even years. So several New Orleans musicians are moving to the Texas city that, like their hometown, is known for an affinity for live music and instinctive playing.

"There are two great music cities in America," Iguanas guitarist Rod Higgins said (I think that's a typo and should read Rod Hodges--Les). "And one of them is out of commission for God knows how long."

The initial clump of New Orleans relocatees includes Big Sam, the trombone player from the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, who has signed on as a member of local funk outfit Topaz. Members of Irma Thomas' group, who came to Austin for a gig two weeks ago, are still staying at an Austin hotel and contemplating finding more permanent quarters.

Then there's Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, who fled his bayfront home in Slidell, La., mere hours before it was swept away and was en route to Austin when he suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized in Port Arthur.

Daughter Celeste Biles said the plan is to have Gatemouth, who also has inoperable cancer, transported to Austin, where a hotel room and around-the-clock medical care await, when he is well enough to travel.

Percussionist Cyril Neville of New Orleans' first family of soul said the decision to move to Austin, where he and his family waited out the previous two hurricanes, was an easy one.

"Some of my fondest memories of playing music are in Austin, going back to the Meters playing Soap Creek and then the Neville Brothers at Liberty Lunch," said the new South Austinite, who wasted no time feeling at home, jamming at Antone's on Monday night with Papa Mali and the house blues band. "Austin's the only city I know of where I could pick up the same vibe as New Orleans. You don't have to instruct the musicians here or tell them what key the song is in."

For the Iguanas, the priority in making what's long been their second home their first is enrolling their children in local schools. Hodges' youngest son had finished his first day of kindergarten when the hurricane hit.

"My other kid was in first grade for a week," (Hodges ?) said. "They were happy with school, and then the next thing you know, they're living in hotels, driving all over Texas. We want to immediately reinstate some sense of normalcy."

Continental Club owner Steve Wertheimer has done much of the groundwork for the band he calls "like brothers to me," including surveying schools, setting up housing and offering the band any night of the week for a regular gig. They'll be playing the club Monday.

Cyril Neville took out a sheet of paper during an interview and, as if he were giving an acceptance speech, read the names of Austin musicians and fans who had helped him and his extended family of nieces, nephews and second cousins in the past week.

"Austin's full of angels," he said. "Last night some people drove up in a truck and carried up furniture, beds, food, clothing for us. Before that, we didn't have nothing but two cats, one dog and a Richard Pryor boxed set."

Next came a couple of job offers, including a Tuesday night residency at the Cedar Street Courtyard, which Neville said will serve as a weekly gathering of displaced New Orleans musicians.

"My wife is gonna cook red beans and rice, and we're gonna set it off, man," he said.

Next week, Neville will enroll his eldest son, Omari, 17, and brother Aaron Neville's 15-year-old grandson, Jaron, at Austin High.

"They've got a band called Young Originals that you've gotta check out," Cyril said.

His nephews, Ricky and Norman Caesar, living in the same South Austin apartment complex, hope to revive their Deff Generation group while living here, Neville said.

"I don't believe in accidents. We're here for a reason," he said. "The Great Spirit took the gumbo from New Orleans and poured it all over Texas."

Excited by the influx of top-flight musicianship is Threadgill's owner Eddie Wilson, whose restaurant on Barton Springs Road is hosting a hastily organized show Friday welcoming the Neville family to Austin. Cyril and wife Gaynielle will perform with Papa Mali and Norman Caesar.

On Tuesday, Caesar serenaded Threadgill's diners with an impromptu concert on the old piano from the Armadillo World Headquarters, first played by his idol Fats Domino.

"He was unbelievable, an amazing piano player," Wilson said of the young Caesar. "People were leaving their tables and standing around the piano, clapping."

Basin Street's Samuels said that audiences outside New Orleans will have a unique opportunity to hear musicians who normally stick close to home, where there are plenty of club gigs.

With their comfort zone ripped away, they've got to hit the road, where they can spread the glory of gritty, good Crescent City jazz and funk to all corners of the globe.

After the tragedy, New Orleans records have been played on the radio and TV like never before.

"The best way to help New Orleans musicians is to buy their CDs," Samuels said. "Go see them perform."

With many more Gulf Coast musicians expected to relocate here, Austin audiences will have plenty of opportunities in the coming months and years.

Source: By MICHAEL CORCORAN, Cox News Service

Hurricane Katrina
Help Support the Relief Effort

The New Orleans Musicians Clinic
Jazz Foundation of America

Dispute forces King Biscuit Blues Festival to change its name

2005-09-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

Dispute forces King Biscuit Blues Festival to change its name

MEMPHIS (Sept. 7)—After over 20 years of being known as the King Biscuit Blues Festival, a lawsuit is facilitating a name change for the non-profit event in Helena, Ark.

The festival, which is the creation of the Sonny Boy Blues Society, will now be known as the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival. Everything else about the event, from the free admission to location and lineup will remain the same.

The decision to change the name from the King Biscuit Blues Festival to the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival comes after several years of negotiating between the SBBS and the King Biscuit Entertainment Group, of New York City, which owns the "King Biscuit" trademark.

Permission had been issued and accepted between both parties until this year, when King Biscuit Entertainment Group presented SBBS with a proposal earlier in the year asking for a rather large fraction of the festival's income in exchange for King Biscuit Entertainment Group's permission to use the King Biscuit name.

SBBS determined that it would have to pay $15,000 in order to use original festival name.

Wayne Andrews, director of SBBS, said the festival barely makes that much in profit every year and issued a counter offer, which was turned down.

"We offered to pay a license fee, provide recognition for the radio program, which KBE produces, and other benefits to establish an ongoing relationship, but evidently the KBE Group thought it was not enough," he said.

The King Biscuit Blues Festival was launched to preserve the music traditions of the Delta. The name of the festival came from King Biscuit Flour which was produced in Helena, and sponsored the first blues radio show in the country, "King Biscuit Time," which is still broadcast weekdays on KFFA in Helena.

SBBS was clearly disappointed in the outcome, although the group had started making arrangements to change the festival's name in case an agreement could not be made. Andrews has already filed the proper paperwork to trademark and copyright the new name. And a graphic artist is currently creating a new logo as well.

"It is hard to understand how a group from New York which did not start business until 1973 can end up owning a name for a radio show that has been on the air in Arkansas since the 1940's. The King Biscuit name has over 60 years of business and music history in Helena and now the festival, which is something that was started in Helena, will have to change it's name because of a company in New York," Andrews said in a statement.

He said the name change shouldn't affect the festival.

"I don't think it will affect the attendance; as many people come for the experience not because of the name," Andrews said. "A large financial burden will be placed on our organization which is a non profit due to the last minute changes of merchandise with such a short time before the big event."

The event is scheduled to take place in Helena Oct. 6-8.

Source: Memphis Business Journal

On the Web:
King Biscuit Blues Festival

Baton Rouge Blues Society

2005-09-07T21:53:00.000-07:00

Baton Rouge Blues Society

Baton Rouge—The Baton Rouge Blues Society (BRBS - www.batonrougeblues.org) held it's monthly meeting last night. Given the recent events surrounding Katrina, we are seeking ways to help the victims of this disaster. Particularly the musicians of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast who now have no homes; no equipment; and no gigs/jobs. Many of these musicians are now located in the Baton Rouge/Lafayette area. Others are in Houston, Shreveport, Memphis and elsewhere.

In order to help people help themselves, we're working on 3 avenues of assistance:

1. Through associated 501.c.3 organizations, we will establish a repository address where people/companies/organizations can donate musical instruments and equipment to provide musicians with the means to again play and re-establish their livelihood.

2. Through this email, we're also asking Blues Societies and Organizations around the country to work with their local venues and Chambers of Commerce to provide paying gigs for musicians from the devastated areas in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. We will be compiling a list of bands, musicians, and singers who would be available to play and will make that available. We're contacting local booking agencies to assist with this. Hopefully, we could create a "circuit" for these displaced musicians that could provide an income until the great music venues of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast reopen. Even those musicians who normally have day jobs in the area are now without even that income.

3. In the Baton Rouge area, we will be working with local government and other agencies to establish paying gigs (street; public and private performances; etc) that will provide a respite and pleasant diversion for the many displaced people and recovery workers who have swollen Baton Rouge to twice it's normal size.

If you'd like to help, wherever you are, you can reply to BTR_Blues@yahoogroups.com or to this email. Or you may call me at 225 964 2738 (cell). As plans evolve, we will publish more concrete information.

Thanks for caring. Keep the music alive!

David W. Couvillon
President
Baton Rouge Blues Society
http://www.batonrougeblues.org/

Source: Jazz News

On the Web:
Baton Rouge Blues Society

Hurricane Katrina
Help Support the Relief Effort

The New Orleans Musicians Clinic
Jazz Foundation of America

Preservation Hall suffers from Katrina aftermath

2005-09-07T21:41:00.000-07:00

Preservation Hall suffers from Katrina aftermath

The worned out facade of the Jazz Preservation Hall, where some of the best classical jazz can be heard, French Quarter, New Orleans
Photo: terragalleria.com

NEW ORLEANS (Sept. 8)—In the drowned city of New Orleans, Preservation Hall is still standing.

A story in Monday's Los Angeles Times said the fate of the historic jazz venue on St. Peter Street in the French Quarter was still unknown. But -- in the uncertainty of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath and because of the dicey nature of communications out of the city -- information about New Orleans is being passed hand to hand, from one soul to the other.

Late last week, we exchanged e-mail with Andy Hurwitz of Ropeadope Records in New York. Four weeks ago, when I wrote about Hurwitz's collaboration on a remix project with the Preservation Hall label (HR 8/11), I could never have imagined I'd be trying to piece together information in a catastrophe's aftermath.

Hurwitz said that Ben Jaffe -- whose family has operated Preservation Hall since 1961 as a temple devoted to the city's traditional jazz music -- had survived Katrina's blow.

"He decided that he and his family had been through worse," Hurwitz wrote, "so he rode out the actual storm, and both he and the hall made it relatively unscathed. But just yesterday (Aug. 31), he felt the need to finally flee -- not because of the hurricane but because of the wild looting and lawlessness. He said he was scared, and he's the baddest cat I know."

Shots of Preservation Hall are among the first and last things one sees in Michael Murphy's new documentary "Make It Funky!" In an unsettling coincidence of timing, the Triumph Films release opens Friday at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and the Quad Cinemas in Manhattan.

I watched the picture at home over Labor Day weekend, and at times I wept. Murphy's film, like the all-star April 2004 concert that serves as its center, was meant to be a celebration of New Orleans' fount of musical genius. Most of the Crescent City's best-known and best-loved stars -- Allen Toussaint, Irma Thomas, the Neville Brothers, Snooks Eaglin -- are seen in live performance.

It's a jubilant movie, but, in Katrina's aftermath, it jarringly serves to show us all the more what's been lost in the destruction of New Orleans.

Murphy's walk through musical history makes the point that New Orleans music is very much a form of street music. The town's sound was born on the pavement -- in the singing of slaves on Congo Square, in the playing of funeral parade bands, in the rhythmic contests of Mardi Gras Indians.

And now one must wonder if that joyous noise will ever rise up again out of those now-inundated streets.

For the time being, at least, the only way we can honor the city's tradition is to revisit it. I spent most of my free time over the holiday dipping into the New Orleans legacy: the jazz of Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet; the R&B of Fats Domino, Professor Longhair and Dave Bartholomew; the funk of the Meters and Dr. John.

Although closed indefinitely, the indomitable Preservation Hall has established a fund devoted to the relief of the city's musicians. (Consult www.preservationhall.com.) The fund will be sustained by the sale of T-shirts emblazoned with a famed Armstrong song title, "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?"

Now, sadly, we will likely all know what it means.

Source: By Chris Morris, Hollywood Reporter

Hurricane Katrina
Help Support the Relief Effort

The New Orleans Musicians Clinic
Jazz Foundation of America

Dr. John Urges New Orleans Donations

2005-09-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

Dr. John Urges New Orleans Donations

NEW YORK (Sept. 7)—Legendary bluesman Dr. John, one of New Orleans' most iconic natives, has reiterated his love for the Louisiana city and urged people to donate to relief efforts for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

"If anybody in the government would've done something about the disappearing wetlands for the past 50 years, then this probably wouldn't have been as bad," the boogie-woogie pianist said in a recent statement.

"It makes me think of what my friend Rev. Goat just told me, `Let me say this before it goes any further, New Orleans didn't die of natural causes, she was murdered.'"

The 64-year-old musician, whose real name is Malcolm Rebennack, was born and raised in New Orleans. His unique combination of R&B, blues and rock 'n' roll - which he dubbed "voodoo" music - has long been emblematic of the diverse, hodgepodge city.

Famous for performing in full Mardi Gras costume, Dr. John's albums include "Gumbo," "Gris-gris" and last year's "N'Awlinz: Dis, Dat or d'Udda."

Source: AP

On the Web:
Dr. John

HR ALIGN=LEFT NOSHADE SIZE=2 WIDTH="45%">
Hurricane Katrina
Help Support the Relief Effort

The New Orleans Musicians Clinic
Jazz Foundation of America

Women and the Blues exhibition

2005-09-06T21:48:00.000-07:00

Women and the Blues exhibition

WASHINGTON (Sept. 4)—Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Bessie Smith, Shirley Horn, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington and other lady legends of blues and jazz fame are on view in an exhibition called "Women and Blues," through Sept. 25 at Washington's National Museum for Women in the Arts.

This soulful show features 45 still photographs plus video clips of performances and movies made by the singers. Drawn from the Library of Congress, among other archives, it's a rare collective look at the singers who made such a memorable contribution to American culture in the 20th century.

The exhibition is companion to another called "Amali Amaki: Boxes, Buttons and the Blues." The museum is at 1250 New York Ave. NW; for details and additional information, call 202-783-5000 or see www.nmwa.org.

Source: Chicago Tribune

Image Credit
Amalia Amaki,
Blue Lady, detail, 2004,
color photograph,
28" x 30"

Blues and jazz artists included in this exhibition:
Mildred Bailey
Lucille Bogan
Ruth Brown
Anita O’Day
Ella Fitzgerald
Bertha “Chippie” Hill
Billie Holiday
Shirley Horn
Alberta Hunter
Etta James
Peggy Lee
Sara Martin
Memphis Minnie
Gertrude “Ma” Rainey
Nina Simone
Bessie Smith
Mamie Smith
Victoria “Queen” Spivey
Koko Taylor
Rosetta Tharpe
Big Mama Thornton
Sarah Vaughan
Sippie Wallace
Dinah Washington
Ethel Waters
Mary Lou Williams
Edith Wilson

On the Web:
National Museum of Women in the Arts

NOLA musicians confirmed safe as of Sept. 5

2005-09-06T21:33:00.000-07:00

NOLA musicians confirmed safe as of Sept. 5

Steve Allen, Kevin Allman, Theresa Andersson, James "Satchmo of the Ghetto" Andrews, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, Johnny Angel, Christine Balfa, Marcia Ball, Lucien Barbarin, Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes, Mike Barras, Rebecca Barry, Harold Battiste, Jamal Battiste, Russell Batiste, Doug Belote, Tab Benoit, Better Than Ezra, Terrance Blanchard, Eddie Bo (plus sister Veronica and his band), Bonerama, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, John Boutté, Lillian Boutté, Tanya Boutté, Tricia "Sista Teedy" Boutté, Alonzo Bowens, Russ Broussard, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Jody Brown, Maurice Brown, George and Nina Buck, Henry Butler, Grayson Capps, Big Al Carson, Ricki Castrillo, Topsy Chapman, Evan Christopher, Jon Cleary, Cowboy Mouth, Susan Cowsill, Davell Crawford, Jack Cruz, Dash Rip Rock, Jeremy Davenport, Theryl "Houseman" DeClouet, Roger Dickerson (in San Antone, then New Mexico), Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The Dixie Cups (alive but lost everything), Big Chief Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias, Michael Domenici, Fats Domino, Michael Doucet and all of BeauSoleil, Dr. John, Snooks Eaglin and family of 12 now homeless, Lars Edegran, Nancy Edwards, Charlie Fardela, Jack Fine (of the Palmetto Bug Stompers), Pat Flory, John Fohl, Andy Forrest, Gina Forsyth, Pete Fountain, Derrick Freeman, Jonathan Freilich (N.O. Klezmer All-Stars), Bob French, Gerald French, Peter Fuller, funky Meters, Galactic, Katrina Geenen (WWOZ DJ), Banu Gibson, Victor Goines, Steve Goodson, Tim Green, John "Papa" Gros (and the whole Papa Grows Funk band), James Hall, Corey Harris, Leigh "Little Queenie" Harris, Clarence "Frogman" Henry, Corey Henry, Andi Hoffman, Peter Holsapple, The Hot Club of New Orleans, The Iguanas, Burke Ingraffia, Benny Jones Sr., Leroy Jones, Kirk Joseph, Antoinette K-Doe (supposedly okay), Joe Krown, Julia LaShae, Tim Laughlin, Washboard Chaz Leary, Bryan Lee, David Leonard & Roselyn Lionheart (David & Roselyn), Herman Leonard, Lil' Rascals Brass Band, Lil' Stooges Brass Band, Eric Lindell, A.J. Loria, Jeremy Lyons, Ronald Markham, Ellis Marsalis, Jason Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Steve Masakowski, Irvin Mayfield, Tom McDermott, Humberto "Pupi" Menez (and aunt Caridad Delatorre), Charles Louie Moore, Deacon John Moore (although band members unknown), Bill Morgan, Tom Morgan, Chris Mule, Kenny Neal, The Neville Brothers (Aaron, Art, Charles, Cyril), Charmaine Neville, Ivan Neville, Carlo Nuccio (post-storm okay, post-flood unknown), Anders Osborne, Stevenson Palfi, Panorama Jazz Band, Joshua Paxton, Michael Pearce, Dave Pirner, Pocketfoxx, George Porter Jr., Dirk Powell, Shannon Powell and family, The Radiators, Jan V. Ramsey (& most of OffBeat Magazine staff), Rebirth Brass Band (all members), Marcus Roberts, Coco Robicheaux, John Rodli (N.O. Jazz Vipers), Biff Rose, Wanda Rouzan, Dixie Rubin, Kermit Ruffins, Scott Saltzman, Mark Samuels (Pres., Basin Street Records), Will Samuels, Ben Sandmel, Jumpin' Johnny Sansone, Marc and Ann Savoy and family, Alexandra Scott, Mem Shannon and the Membership, Derek Shezbie, James Singleton, Johnny Sketch, Michael Skinkus, Robert Snow (N.O. Jazz Vipers), Brian Stoltz, Marc Stone, Bill Summers, Ken Swartz, Irma Thomas, David Torkanowsky, Allen Toussaint, Rick Trolsen, Don Vappie (Milly too, presumably), Johnny Vidacovich, Rob Wagner, Mark Walton, Melissa Weber, Mike West, Dr. Michael White, Marva Wright, Linnzi Zaorski.

Source: Jazz News