Bluesbelt Magazine

Blues Artists From Coast-to-Coast Featured At 16th Annual Maple Blues Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:25:00 +0000

Performers include Matt Minglewood, Nanette Workman, Carlos del Junco, Suzie Vinnick, Steve Strongman, and The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer

November 8, 2012 Toronto, ON – A cast of some of the best national blues musicians will be performing at the 16th annual Maple Blues Awards gala onJanuary 21 at Koerner Hall in Toronto. The Maple Blues Awards is Canada’s national blues celebration, recognizing outstanding musical achievement and gathering blues musicians and music fans from across the country each year.

Canadian blues luminaries and emerging new talent join forces at the gala concert and create this "must attend" night of Canadian blues. This year the performers include Nova Scotia's road warrior legend Matt Minglewood, Mississippi "Musicians Hall of Fame" inductee Nanette Workman from Montreal, international award winning harmonica virtuoso Carlos del Junco, Saskatchewan native songbird sensation Suzie Vinnick, Hamilton string-bending songwriter Steve Strongman and new kids on the blues block The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer out of Vancouver, owning the most controversial name in blues today.

This illustrious revue are all backed by the hand-picked Maple Blues Bandfeaturing players from Downchild, Fathead who are all current or past Maple Blues Award winners including Gary Kendall (music director), Michael Fonfara(keyboard), Teddy Leonard (guitar), Al Lerman (sax / harmonica), Tom Bona(drums), Chris Whiteley (trumpet / guitar), Pat Carey (saxophone) and Chris Murphy (saxophone).

The January 21st gala event will be hosted by popular actor and blues artist Raoul Bhaneja and is considered to be the premier blues event of the year. Tickets for the not-to-be-missed Maple Blues Awards are on sale now starting at only $28.00 and can be purchased at the Weston Family Box Office, located in The Royal Conservatory’s TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning at 273 Bloor Street West, Toronto, by calling 416.408.0208 or online at www.performance.rcmusic.ca. Following the awards and concert will be the popular after-party, featuring live music and performances from some of the evening’s winners.

The Toronto Blues Society is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the Blues. The Royal Conservatory's magnificent Koerner Hall is designed in the tradition of the classic “shoebox” venues of Europe. Recognized as being among the world’s greatest concert halls, the Toronto Star has called it "the best concert venue in Toronto."

Influential blues master chose music for a career but refuses to leave farming

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:45:00 +0000

By Dan England | dengland@greeleytribune.com

When Taj Mahal went to college for an education in farming back in the 1950s, he didn’t like the new term teachers used for agriculture.

They called it “agribusiness.”

Mahal fell in love with farming after watching his mother, a master of her garden, and growing up in the South surrounded by family farms. He even worked on a dairy farm when he was a teenager, eventually becoming its foreman, milking dozens of cows daily and tending waves of corn. But even back then, after he heard that word being thrown around, he saw a future of corporations dooming the individual farmers, he said. [read more]

Music Review: Albert King - I'll Play The Blues For You

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:24:00 +0000

First, I admit to one possible heresy. If I were asked to rank the three Kings of the blues, I’d put Albert first, Freddie second, and B.B. number three. I’ve felt this way since 1968 when his Live Wire/Blues Power album came out. But I also admit that when Albert released I’ll Play the Blues for You in 1972, he and B.B. were pretty much preaching from the same Memphis pulpit. That being said, this new 40th anniversary edition is a reminder of why this King tops my list, and should please every fan of the late and legendary blues man.

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-albert-king-ill-play/#ixzz1uCo0rjWQ

Blues artist Muddy Fraser dies at 62

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Sun, 06 May 2012 19:15:00 +0000

A guitar player whose love of blues music took him all across North America after first blossoming in Ottawa more than 40 years ago has died.

Robert Scrivens, better known by his stage name Muddy Fraser, suffered a cardiac arrest and died in Vancouver on Tuesday, his sister Dianne Scrivens said. He was 62.

ROUNDER TO RELEASE RARE RECORDINGS OF PIVOTAL NEW ORLEANS R&B

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 05:20:00 +0000

ROUNDER TO RELEASE RARE RECORDINGS

OF PIVOTAL NEW ORLEANS R&B

Complete digital release of Ric and Ron record labels,

plus box set of ultra-rare material on ten 45 RPM records

BURLINGTON, Mass. — Rounder Records has released the complete catalog of the pivotal New Orleans R&B labels, Ric Records and Ron Records. All 140 songs released by the labels on 45 RPM singles, by artists such as Johnny Adams, Eddie Bo, Al Johnson and Irma Thomas, will be released on seven 20-song digital albums.

In addition, in conjunction with the Numero Group and Ace Records, Rounder will release a box set of ten 45 RPM records of almost all newly discovered material, including the audition recording by Johnny Adams for his first recording, "I Won’t Cry."

Between 1958 and 1962, the Ric and Ron labels captured the sound of a unique period in New Orleans music, when the first era of classic R&B was waning, and before the sounds of funk and soul music became the city’s new signature. In these recordings, you can hear incipient funk in Eddie Bo, and the sanctified sensibility of soul music in everything Johnny Adams sang. It was, in every sense, its own era, when shuffling second-line parade beats laid the foundation for a new and uniquely New Orleans groove, and musicians broke free of the strictures of standard jump blues and 6/8 ballads.

The box set, From the Vaults of Ric & Ron Records: Rare and Unreleased Recordings 1958-1962, affords us an incisive window into the workings of these small but significant record labels, with, among other treasures, demo recordings of Eddie Bo's “Every Dog Has Its Day” and Al Johnson’s “Carnival Time.” In the finished recordings, also included, there is a high level of musicianship and craft, with arrangements by Mac “Dr. John” Rebennack and guitarist Edgar Blanchard. The sound of the records, often made in Cosimo Matassa’s legendary studio, is superb, especially with these new transfers made from the original tapes. And hearing this music on these new records is just the way they were intended to be heard, one song at a time at 45 RPM.

The songs on the box set, which is limited to a worldwide edition of 1,500, will not be available digitally for the time being. They include:

Johnny Adams: “I Won’t Cry” (audition),* “Who Are You” (audition),* “My Baby Done Closed the Door” (demo),* “No Way Out for Me,”* Walking the Floor Over You”*

Edgar Blanchard & The Gondoliers: “Blues Cha Cha,”* “Bopsody in Blue”*

Eddie Bo: “Nothing With Out You,”* “Satisfied With Your Love,”* “Every Dog Has Its Day,” “Every Dog Has Its Day” (demo),* “Ain’t You Ashamed,”* “I'll Do Anything for You”*

Al Johnson: “Carnival Time, Carnival Time” (demo),* “Lena, Let Come What May”(demo)*

Barbara Lynn: “Found My Good Thing,”* “Question of Love”*

Paul Marvin: “Hurry Up” (alternate take),* “Goofer”*

*previously unreleased

The complete Ric and Ron recordings are available at all digital stores.

The box set is distributed in the U.S. by the Numero Group, and in the U.K. by Ace Records.

Buddy Guy interview on PBS

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 19:15:00 +0000

Great interview with Buddy Guy on PBS. The transcript is here.

I met Buddy Guy backstage in Austin right before his performance for an Antone's Night Club anniversary concert. Miss Lavelle White had accompanied my wife and I to the concert and she asked me to take her back stage to meet him. She had performed around Chicago with him back in the day. He was sitting down when we met him with a fifth of Amaretto next to him. I noticed he had a jewel encrusted incisor when he smiled. He and Lavelle talked for awhile. Then Guy's wife walked in. "Who's this?" Buddy stumbled for a few words trying to give her the history of their friendship. It was not a very comfortable situation to be sure. Lavelle and hightailed it back to the auditorium very soon after that.

Review: Peter Karp/Sue Foley: He Said - She Said

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Mon, 10 May 2010 20:07:00 +0000

I interviewed Sue Foley in a restaurant in Austin's Four Season's Hotel back in the early 90s near the beginning of her music career. I must say, the lady has grown musically as you would expect someone to after this many years on the road. Her voice is strong as is her guitar work. On this new CD from from Blind Pig Records, Foley has teamed up with Peter Karp, a man who takes both his music and his lyrics pretty seriously.

This is not your typical blues album. There's touches of country and rock throughout along with a host of other music flavors as the artists trade off songs. If you're tired of your typical, "I'm broke, drunk and down and out" blues albums, give "He Said - She Said" a spin. I think you'll enjoy the music and you might even have to use your brain while you're listening to it.

Blind Pig Releases John Nemeth On 45rpm Record

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:41:00 +0000

Blind Pig Records has released a 45rpm record from R&B singing sensation John Németh, who continues to reinvigorate vintage American rhythm & blues.

The "A" side of the record is "Name The Day," a rousing old school soul mover, backed with "Why Not Me," a gospel-tinged, spine-tingling ballad. The analog recordings from this limited edition pressing feature jukebox mixes of two outstanding tunes from Németh's forthcoming CD release, Name The Day!, which will street on May 18, 2010.

Blind Pig decided to take the step because of the recent increased sales of vinyl product, particularly among younger music fans. And Nemeth's uncanny ability to skillfully blend retro and modern blues and soul into compelling music that is simultaneously old and new naturally appeals to those same fans. As the Philadelphia Inquirer put it, "Classic soul and R&B styles have been revitalized by artists such as James Hunter, Eli 'Paperboy' Reed, and Sharon Jones. You can include John Németh on any list of the best of them."

As label head Edward Chmelewski explained, "This seemed like a good way to introduce John to fans of groups like Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, who appeal to people who love the authentic sound and feel of that cool retro soul style that John has perfected and does so well."

The Németh 45 is currently available to purchase only through Blind Pig.

Soul Men Steve Cropper (Booker T. & The Mgs) And Felix Cavaliere (The Rascals) Reunite For Second Stax Recording

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:44:00 +0000

Midnight Flyer, due in stores June 15, showcases more brilliant songwriting by two titans of blue-eyed soul’s golden age

Steve Cropper, guitarist for Booker T. and the MGs and one of the primary architects of the unmistakable Stax sound of the 1960s, and vocalist/keyboardist Felix Cavaliere, the voice of the Rascals and the pivotal figure in the blue-eyed soul movement of that same era, have reconvened for their second collaborative recording. Sparks fly at the crossroads of Memphis soul and East Coast R&B when Stax Records releases Midnight Flyer on June 15, 2010.

Midnight Flyer, recorded in Nashville and mixed by the legendary David Z, is the followup to Nudge It Up a Notch, the 2008 maiden voyage by Cropper and Cavaliere that scored critical acclaim from the music and mainstream press. The San Francisco Chronicle called Nudge It Up a Notch “an unexpected delight,” while BluesWax heralded the project as “one of the great surprises of 2008, and further evidence of Concord Music Group’s genuine commitment to the revamped Stax imprint.”

Album Review: John Mayall, "Tough"

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:32:00 +0000

There's a reason that John Mayall is a legend - the man knows the blues and he knows how to pick the right musicians to help deliver his musical vision. I still can't get the picture out of my head of Mayall packing up his own gear after a gig in Austin a few years ago. Even though he's a legend, he not above doing his own equipment grunt work. You gotta respect that. On Tough, his 57th studio album (!) Mayall delivers the goods at an age when most of his musical contemporaries are either dead or have resigned themselves to listening to the blues from their rocker. Strong harmonica by Mayall is featured on the disc and some tight backing by musicians like guitarist Rocky Athas, bassist Greg Rzab, drummer Jay Davenport, and keyboardist Tom Canning. Long live the blues and long live John Mayall!

Joe Bonamassa Tour Dates

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:59:00 +0000

If you are near one of these venues at the right time, you should check this artist out. 'Nuf said.

10/30 @ Center Stage Theatre, Atlanta GA
10/31 @ Alys Robison Stephen PAC, Birmingham AL
11/05 @ Plaza Theatre, Orlando FL
11/06 @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater FL
11/07 @ Gusman Center, Miami FL
11/10 @ Coach House, San Juan Capistrano CA
11/11 @ Coach House, San Juan Capistrano CA
11/16 @ Milano Guitar Festival, Milan ITALY
11/18 @ Capitol, Mannheim GERMANY
11/19 @ Jovel Music Hall, Muenster GERMANY
11/23 @ The Olympia, Paris FRANCE
11/24 @ Festival Blues De Traverse, FRANCE
11/25 @ AB Theatre, Brussels BELGIUM
11/26 @ Royal Theatre, Amsterdam NETHERLANDS
11/28 @ Venue Cymru, Llandudno WALES
11/30 @ Royal Center, Nottingham ENGLAND
12/01 @ Guildhall, Southampton ENGLAND
12/02 @ UEA, Norwich ENGLAND
12/03 @ Academy, Leeds ENGLAND
12/05 @ Picturehouse, Edinburgh SCOTLAND
12/06 @ Waterfront, Belfast IRELAND
12/08 @ Vicar Street, Dublin IRELAND
12/09 @ The Opera House, Cork IRELAND
12/11 @ Den Atelier, Luxembourg
12/13 @ Auditorium Parco Della Musica, Rome ITALY
12/15 @ Kyttaro Live, Athens GREECE
12/18 @ Riding 3, Tel Aviv ISRAEL

03/23/10 @ Bass Performance Hall, Fort Worth TX
03/26 @ Civic Center Music Hall, Oklahoma City OK
04/02 @ Englert Civic Theatre, Iowa City IA
04/15 @ Town Hall Theatre, New York NY
04/16 @ Wilbur Theatre, Boston MA
04/17 @ Paramount Center, Peekskill NY
04/18 @ Grand Opera House, Wilmington DE
04/20 @ Hart Theatre at the Egg, Albany NY
04/21 @ Count Basie Theater, Red Bank NJ
04/23 @ Lisner Auditorium, Washington DC
04/24 @ Keswick Theatre, Glenside PA
04/25 @ Sunoco Performance Theater, Harrisburg PA
05/28 @ Hammersmith, London UK
05/29 @ Magna Centre, Rotherham UK
05/30 @ International Center, Bournemouth UK
05/31 @ National Indoor Arena, Birmingham UK

The Essential Coco Montoya: Release date: 10/20/09

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:20:00 +0000

The Essential Coco Montoya features a dozen tracks culled from Montoya's three excellent mid-1990s albums recorded for Blind Pig Records.

Robert Cray: This Time

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:45:00 +0000

John Mayall's "Tough"

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:21:00 +0000

New Studio Album By The Blues Master – His 57th To Date

New York, NY -Over the years, Eagle Rock Entertainment has developed a strong relationship with legendary blues master John Mayall. On September 15, 2009, through their wholly-owned Eagle Records subsidiary, Mayall’s dynamic and masterful new piece of work: Tough has been released.

On this, his self-produced 57th studio album to date, John Mayall once again proves why he is known as “The Godfather of British Blues.” Tough tackles a number of topics, deeply exploring the struggles in human relationships, the pitfalls of temptation, and the difficulties we face in the world’s current state.
However, through the “toughness,” he also touches upon one more prominent theme: the promise of hope. Current, gritty, and strong, these 11 tracks are words of wisdom told from a voice of strength and experience.

Taking on multiple instruments (piano, organ, six and twelve string guitar, and harmonica, along with his signature vocals) Mayall is backed by his touring band–guitar phenomenon Rocky Athas, bassist Greg Rzab, drummer Jay Davenport, and organist/pianist Tom Canning.

76 years young, Mayall has spent 44 years cultivating his brand of blues and has helped launch the careers of some of the greatest contemporary blues musicians, including Eric Clapton, Rolling Stone Mick Taylor, and Fleetwood Mac’s Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, and Peter Green. He has enjoyed many deserved accolades for his extraordinary contributions to blues music, including an honor from the Queen of England herself. In 2005, she named him an officer of the Order of the British Empire. He accepted this prestigious honor alongside Brian May (Queen) and Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin).

Tough promises to be another great addition to this incomparable musician’s body of work. Other Eagle Rock Entertainment releases, include In The Palace Of The King (April 2007), The 70th Birthday Concert (2CD, DVD, and Blu-ray), Road Dogs CD (June 2005), and Along For The Ride CD (May 2001).

Eagle Rock Entertainment is an international media production and distribution company operating across audiovisual entertainment programming. Eagle Rock Entertainment works directly alongside talent to produce the highest quality programming output covering film, general entertainment and musical performance. Eagle Rock Entertainment has offices based in London, New York, Germany, France & Toronto.

Track Listing:
1.) Nothing To Do With Love
2.) Just What You’re Looking For
3.) Playing With A Losing Hand
4.) An Eye For An Eye
5.) How Far Down
6.) Train To My Heart
7.) Slow Train To Nowhere
8.) Number’s Down
9.) That Good Old Rockin’ Blues
10.) Tough Times Ahead
11.) The Sum Of Something

Roots 'N Blues 'N BBQ delivers sweet meat and beats

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:42:00 +0000

Photo by Katie Currid

It was the first night of the third annual Roots 'N Blues 'N BBQ Festival and the streets were chock full of people, moving and grooving to the sultry rhythms. Roots 'N Blues is more than just a concert; this is a musical experience. [read more by Andrea Kszystyniak]

The Crank Brothers: Black Midnights, Stars & Streetlights

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:22:00 +0000

Norway's The Crank Brothers have a new CD out titled, "Black Midnights, Stars & Streetlights. You can learn more about this band on the web at: www.myspace.com/grandeblues

Bluesbelt Magazine - Declared one of the top blues blogs

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:16:00 +0000

Just found out that Bluesbelt Magazine has been declared one of the top blues blogs by The Daily Reviewer. Thanks, everyone!

BLUESFEST LONDON X: Bluesman pays homage to legends and friends

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 04:58:00 +0000

U.S. rock and roll royalty was in the Bluesfest house last night.

Steve Earle returned to downtown London for the first time in many years, bringing the Bluesfest London crowd to its feet with stories, one-liners and plenty of beautiful blues.

Not all Earle's blues songs fit the definition Earle supplied himself with mock seriousness part way through the set.

But when a Grammy winner stands up with just a guitar and harmonica and ends his opening number with a couple of lines from Bo Diddley's Who Do You Love and name checks blues icons Lightnin' Hopkins and Mance Lipscomb, it's safe to say this Earle is a bluesman, too. [Read More]

Koko Taylor...dead at 80

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:34:00 +0000

Grammy Award-winning blues legend Koko Taylor, 80, died on June 3, 2009 in her hometown of Chicago, IL, as a result of complications following her May 19 surgery to correct a gastrointestinal bleed. On May 7, 2009, the critically acclaimed Taylor, known worldwide as the “Queen of the Blues,” won her 29th Blues Music Award (for Traditional Female Blues Artist Of The Year), making her the recipient of more Blues Music Awards than any other artist. In 2004 she received the NEA National Heritage Fellowship Award, which is among the highest honors given to an American artist. Her most recent CD, 2007’s Old School, was nominated for a Grammy (eight of her nine Alligator albums were Grammy-nominated). She won a Grammy in 1984 for her guest appearance on the compilation album Blues Explosion on Atlantic.

Portland, Oregon's Waterfront Blues Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:40:00 +0000

World-class music. Gorgeous setting. Great cause. What could be better?

Join blues fans from throughout the world at the 21st annual Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, presented by First Tech Credit Union, July 3 to 6, 2008. This renowned festival takes place annually on the grassy banks of the beautiful Willamette River at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in downtown Portland, Ore.

The Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival is an anomaly in the festival world. There is no other festival like it anywhere.

Now in its 21st year, the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival is the largest blues festival west of the Mississippi and the second-largest blues festival in the nation. The festival annually attracts more than 120,000 blues fans from throughout the world.

Touted as one of the best-run festivals anywhere, it remains a grassroots festival, operated by Oregon Food Bank – a nonprofit, charitable organization – with the help of more than a thousand volunteers.

The festival raises food and funds to help people who are hungry throughout Oregon and southwest Washington. Admission is a suggested donation of only $10 plus two cans of food per person, per day.

Gate donations benefit Oregon Food Bank’s mission: to eliminate hunger and its root causes ... because no one should be hungry. This is all the more important this year as food, fuel and healthcare costs climb, foreclosures and layoffs increase and world food supply dwindles.

A Four-day Festival Grounds Pass, a special Blues Buddy Pass and an exclusive Blues Benefactor Pass are available online at www.waterfrontbluesfest.com through a new ticket service created by Patrick Lamb.

The four-day festival will feature more than 120 performances on four stages. Some highlights:

Thursday, July 3

The festival kicks off with a Tribute to Memphis Soul, featuring soul icon Isaac Hayes, presented by Chinook Winds Casino Resort. The tribute will get a local treatment with Portland Soul All-Stars, featuring Linda Hornbuckle, LaRhonda Steele and Sean Holmes backed by an all-star band. They will put their spin on classics by Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Booker T and the MGs, Albert King and other legends of the Stax/Volt record label. Portland’s young soul diva Liv Warfield and “Boogie Cat” Norman Sylvester will open the tribute on the Miller Stage.

The Credit Union Blues Stage will feature searing riffs from up-and-coming blues guitar slingers: virtuoso Joe Bonamassa, Houston’s Carolyn Wonderland and Salem's Ty Curtis.

The stellar line-up includes a Battle of the ‘Bones on the A&E Front Porch Stage with the two funkiest trombonists on the planet: the legendary Fred Wesley & Groovesect and the young virtuoso Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews & New Orleans Avenue. The Front Porch will open with Blues from the Edge, featuring semi-acoustic acts that push the genre’s envelope: Joe McMurrian Quartet, Memphis’ rootsy Moreland & Arbuckle, and Salem’s Mark Lemhouse.

Friday, July 4

Boogie-blues-rock pioneers Canned Heat and the Los Angeles-based all-star group The Mannish Boys – with special guests Kid Ramos, Kirk Fletcher and Finis Tasby will headline July 4th. The stellar line-up includes a Tribute to Freddie King, featuring Phillip Walker, Sherman Robertson and Andrew “Jr. Boy” Jones; the punkified blues of The Legendary Shack Shakers; Pianorama Northwest and more.

The Waterfront Blues Festival will team up with the Blues Foundation to present Trampled Under Foot, the winner of this year’s International Blues Challenge, on the A&E Front Porch Stage. Bill Rhoades’ annual Harmonica Blow-off will close the stage.

The night ends with spectacular fireworks.

Saturday, July 5

Chicago harmonica ace Charlie Musselwhite, guitarist Elvin Bishop and New Orleans guitarist Eric Lindell will headline the slate. Performances include the amazing, young British blues-rockers Back Door Slam, Louisiana Creole blues-rocker Classie Ballou, Mississippi roots-rocker Paul Thorn, Gulf Coast Guitar Summit with Phillip Walker, Sherman Robertson and Andrew “Jr. Boy” Jones and more.

On the A&E Front Porch Stage, enjoy a full-day, lively Zydeco Swamp Romp, showcasing Rosie Ledet, the “Zydeco Sweetheart”; Chris Ardoin and Nu Step Zydeco; Cedryl Ballou & the Zydeco Trendsetters; Diki Du and the Zydeco Krewe; and dance demonstrations with Roland and Janine Jemerson.

Sunday, July 6

Soulful songstress Phoebe Snow will headline an afternoon of Women in Blues. Don’t miss Texas soul and folk singer Ruthie Foster; an old-time Gospel Hour with Linda Hornbuckle & Janice Scroggins; the all-star line-up of Northwest Women in Rhythm & Blues; and a special Swinging to the Blues dance on the A&E Front Porch Stage, featuring San Francisco’s Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers.

Later, the focus will shift to neo-soul with British soul crooner James Hunter, searing soul-blues guitarist Arthur Adams and a triumphant return of Portland’s blue-eyed soul man Curtis Salgado, celebrating the release of his new record.

Other highlights include an early afternoon of delta blues on the A&E Front Porch Stage, featuring North Mississippi bluesman Robert “Wolfman” Belfour and Portland’s Hillstomp, and an evening main stage set by Portland’s brass spectacle March Fourth Marching Band.

The festival will again offer its popular delta music experience Blues Cruises on the Willamette River. Tickets for all five blues cruises as well as four-day festival passes are available at www.waterfrontbluesfest.com via a new ticketing venue, created by Patrick Lamb.

But that’s not all. The festival also will offer a Louisiana Pavilion, workshops, interviews, after-hours blues jams, activities for kids and more.

About Oregon Food Bank: Oregon Food Bank distributes donated food throughout a statewide network of more than 919 nonprofit, hunger-relief agencies serving Oregon and Clark County, Wash., and works to eliminate the root causes of hunger through education and advocacy.

About festival sponsors: The Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival is presented by First Tech Credit Union. Major sponsors include FedEx Freight, PacificSource Health Plans, iQ Credit Union, Daimler Truck Financial, Land Rover, The Oregonian A&E, KINK.fm and Travel Portland. Supporting sponsors include Burt’s Bees, Good Neighbor Pharmacy, Henry Weinhard's, Deschutes Brewery, Beringer Wine, Snapple, Pepsi, Nutrisoda, Earth2o Water, Frito Lay Snacks, Yoshida Sauce, Mission Foods, Dreyer’s Ice Cream, NW Natural, Impact Advertising, Edge Design, The Boeing Company, PGE, KBOO, OregonLive.com, Blues Revue, Music Millennium, Karolyn March, Guitar Center, Lions Foundation, Cascade Blues Association, Oregon Potters Association, Cascade Zydeco and Delta Music Experience..

For more information, visit www.waterfrontbluesfest.com.

Time for a break

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:43:00 +0000

In order to concentrate on my art, I am going to take a break from blogging except on my art blog www.artfoundango.blogspot.com

Thanks for supporting Bluesbelt...I will be back soon.

Thanks,
Randy

B.B. King: One Kind Favor

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:21:00 +0000

Though he's created some of the most essential, elemental blues in musical history, B.B. King has never shied away from exploring different directions, and some might say he's occasionally ventured too far afield. ONE KIND FAVOR should silence those doubters; with the help of superproducer T-Bone Burnett's roots noir approach, it finds King delivering gritty, impassioned interpretations of the tunes that influenced him in the 1950s. From his soulful, syncopated take on Blind Lemon Jefferson's country blues classic "See That My Grave is Kept Clean" to the Chicago-style stomping takeover of the Mississippi Sheiks' "The World Is Gone Wrong," King proves that at the age of 82 he can still turn out fiery, energetic music as undeniably vital as anything being produced by artists a third of his age.

Blues in the Schools

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 03:29:00 +0000

Portland, Oregon blues guitar legend Robbie Laws is advancing the teaching of blues to students in the Portland school system in conjunction with the Cascade Blues Association. Laws, an 18-time winner and Hall of Famer of the Muddy Awards and owner of SixStringCentral School of Music, is spending his twenty-third year ensuring that the next generation is well aware of the musical history that was the progenitor of nearly every form of American music.

Blues in the Schools is a program modeled after the after nationally recognized “Blues in the Schools” programs offered throughout the United States and is sponsored by the Cascade Blues Association, considered one of the most active blues associations in the country.

According to Laws, “As a player, a teacher and an aficionado of the blues, I almost consider it my duty to let kids know there is a form of music still out there breathing and thriving that gave birth to the music they are currently listening to. Portland school children aren’t all able to come to SixStringCentral to learn to love the blues, so we go to them.”

B.B. King Museum Grand Opening

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:42:00 +0000

Blues giant B.B. King will christen the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola, Miss., September 13 and 14 and just released a new CD. Get more info at the website.

B.B. King - Premier Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Randy Hill) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:54:00 +0000

As part of Acrobat Music’s U.S. label launch, B.B. King’s B.B. King & His Orchestra Live will be released October 21, 2008, marking the recording’s first availability in the U.S. The album was recorded in January 1983 in Cannes during the international music industry gathering known as MIDEM. The concert, sponsored by Kool, was held at the Palais des Congres, where King shared the stage with Dave Brubeck Quartet and Pat Matheny.

B.B. King & His Orchestra Live presents many of King’s hits and standards recorded under the band directorship of Calvin Owens. King and famous guitar Lucille and the band were in top form on such hits as “Why I Sing the Blues,” “The Thrill is Gone,” “Everyday I Have the Blues,” “Sweet Little Angel,” and a world-class reading of Louis Jordan’s “Caldonia.”

The collection features liner notes by British music historian Neil Slaven, who says, “Instead of chitlin’ circuit gigs that paid the rent and touring bills, King was elevated to concert stages on the U.S. and Europe and ultimately, around the world. Since then, apart from winning a string of music awards including Grammys and Handys, he’s been awarded Doctorates, Lifetime Achievement Awards, Humanitarian Awards and has played at the White House for two presidents.”

Slaven quotes King biographer Charles Sawyer as observing, “His penetration into the mainstream has given blues a distinct place and a clearly defined identity as a result of his success,” adding, “Amen to that.”

Acrobat is a UK-based record label specializing in collectors’ and reissue CDs across just about every genre of music. In 2007, Acrobat Music Group purchased the Kruger Organisation catalog, a library of more than 22,000 original tracks by Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone, among scores of others. Launching its U.S. label out of New York this October 21, Acrobat will establish its presence as a premier independent reissue label in the U.S. through its distribution with TVT Distribution.

The U.S. label debut features 15 reissues that offer high quality, historical significance and excellent value. The first set of releases includes jazz/big band, blues, country, R&B, doo-wop and rock. All the Premier Collection titles are showcased in “deluxe packaging,” with o-cards, extensive liner notes and either a large number of tracks or lengthy play time.