2010 heralds the passing of the five year anniversary mark of the birth of Delta Groove Music. Likewise, The Mannish Boys, for whom the label was originally conceived, are similarly celebrating five years of electrifying the blues for audiences the world over. The fundamental concept of the band was simple; assemble a group of like-minded musicians to capture the spirit and joy of this timeless music, and reintroduce it for a whole new generation to appreciate and discover. This project, which was only initially envisioned as a one-time testimony to the power of the blues, has now given way to a new institution privileged with the task of preserving this music and presenting it as a vital, living, breathing entity.

 

The Mannish Boys fifth album, “Shake For Me,” carries forth the tradition established by their very first effort, “That Represent Man,” by presenting an inspired program of deep, lowdown blues supported by a surprising and ever-revolving unit of world class musicians. Reprising their all-star roles in the band are Finis Tasby, Bobby Jones, Kirk Fletcher, Frank Goldwasser, and Randy Chortkoff, joined here by an entirely new and outstanding rhythm section comprised of Willie J. Campbell on bass (The James Harman Band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds) and Jimi Bott on drums (Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Woodbrain).

 

As is customary on any Mannish Boys release, special guests abound. Rounding out the party for this truly distinguished gathering and cause for celebration are Rod Piazza, Johnny Dyer, Mitch Kashmar, Lynwood Slim, Arthur Adams, Kid Ramos, Nick Curran, Mike Zito, Fred Kaplan, Rob Rio and Andy Kaulkin. But no festivity would be complete without at least one surprise party crasher and with that the Boys proudly introduce Dutch harp player and singer extraordinaire Pieter "Big Pete” van der Pluijm. Guaranteed to blow the roof off the joint, this towering Dutchman pays homage to Lester Butler on the storming New Orleans romp “Way Down South,” bringing to a close another chapter in what will surely be considered The Mannish Boys’ finest hour yet.

 

Ruf Records announces a March 23rd release date for I WANT IT ALL BACK, the new release from acclaimed blues guitarist, Coco Montoya. I WANT IT ALL BACK showcases Montoya in his most innovative setting thus far, tapping into his roots of blues, soul, rock, rhythm and blues and doo wop, while showcasing a soulful, passionate vocal sound that will serve as a revelation to those who only know him for his guitar prowess.

 

The producers (Keb' Mo and Jeff Paris) assembled a cast of stellar musicians to back Montoya on I WANT IT ALL BACK, including a core all-star rhythm section of Reggie McBride (Keb' Mo, Stevie Wonder, BB King) on bass and Stephen Ferrone (Average White Band, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty) on drums, and with Keb' Mo adding rhythm guitar and Jeff Paris playing keyboards. Rod Piazza on harmonica and "Miss Honey" Alexander on piano are special guests on a torrid cover of Buster Brown classic, "Fannie Mae."

 

Mickey Thomas -- whose career spans 34 years and 12 albums – returns to his roots with a new album, ‘The Bluesmasters Featuring Mickey Thomas,’ set for release on March 23, 2010 on Direct Music Distribution, with distribution by Redeye. 

The revolutionary and patented i-tab, for the first time ever, offers guitarists a pocket sized unit that scrolls chords and lyrics in perfect time.

 

The i-tab allows users to download backing tracks and video cover lessons from a massive library of fully legal tabs, tracks and lessons on www.i-tab.com. The tab store will be launched with over 5000 songs including B.B.King, Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Ray Charles and many more. i-tab expect the library to grow at over 500 songs per week and welcome suggestions which can be emailed to tabs@i-tab.com

 

Once downloaded, the i-tab sits conveniently at the end of your guitar and acts as the ultimate prompt giving you a seamless clear display of chords and lyrics at the tempo of your choice. Now you can take your tab library with you wherever you go and this really will be your best friend on your guitar.

 

Ideal for players of every level, the i-tab will help you learn songs, remember lyrics whilst storing 100’s of tabs, backing tracks and reels of video. A 4GB memory gives you plenty of room to organise your songs into handy playlists and build your own song library. If you are learning to play you can also download i-tabs free tuition video modules to help you along. Funky video cover lessons will help build your portfolio of cool songs for gigs and parties.

 

The i-tab unit has a 5” touch screen, in-built speaker and comes with headphones, stylus, USB connector, power charger, soft carry pouch and weighs in at only 0.14kg. The i-tab comes with 30 free classic song tabs including John Lennon (Imagine), Bob Marley (No Woman No Cry) and The Beatles (Can’t Buy Me Love). It also includes TV out leads so you can play synchronized chords, lyrics and backing tracks through the player or through your TV and everyone can sing along!

 

The i-tab is available to purchase now through www.i-tab.com for  US$199. The first units are shipping mid-March and will hit the streets worldwide from early April 2010. The backing tracks and songs (including the chords and lyrics) can be purchased from the website.

 

For further information visit www.i-tab.com

 

In the newly created role, Peter is responsible for software design and architecture development on multiple platforms and utilizing multiple technologies for the AirPlay Direct global digital delivery platform, as well as the development of new features, IT planning, and technical support issues. 

 

A native of Scotland, and a current US resident, Peter comes to AirPlay Direct after an extensive background of working in the IT business in diverse fields, including banking, government, telecommunications and oil. Peter's past projects include systems architect/visual team leader at Washington Mutual Finance and was a Finance/Technical leader at Arthur Andersen & Assoc. He has also designed and built several high profile music business websites for Blues.org and BandVillage.com.

 

Freep.com - Decades after Motown Records put Detroit on the world's entertainment map, a little-noticed tax break could help usher in a new era of music-making in Michigan.

 

 

Unbeknown to many, the state is offering tax credits of up to 42% for the production of music CDs and music videos. The credits were designed to lure big-name artists to record in Michigan, which already is home to several chart-topping performers including Eminem, Kid Rock and Bob Seger.

 

The incentive is tucked away in the package of tax breaks for the movie industry. But Michigan officials have not promoted it because they have put all of their efforts into growing the state's film business.

 

• Tax credits can put the rock back in Detroit Rock City

 

As a result, even though the tax credit has been available since April 2008, no one has taken advantage of it, which may change as more people learn about the incentive.

 

"If we could market that with the labels, do you know how much business we could bring to Detroit?" asked Brian Pastoria, a partner at Harmonie Park Studios, a Detroit recording studio. "It would be an incredible thing."

 

Like many others, Pastoria didn't know about the tax break.

 

Tax credits look to lure music industry
When Brian Pastoria heard about Michigan's huge tax breaks for recording artists, the co-owner of Harmonie Park Studios in Detroit was so excited that he quickly told his contacts at major recording labels.

 

"They had no idea," he said. Were they interested in the incentives? "Very much so," he said.

 

"This makes all the sense in the world," said Pastoria, who has worked with a number of prominent artists, including Aretha Franklin, Eminem and the Velvet Hearts. "I think it could start something. This is huge."

 

He's working on bringing production of a new tribute album for British music legend Frankie Miller to his studio, and the tax credits would definitely help. Making the album could easily cost $1 million because it would involve more than a dozen top performers.

 

Click for the rest

 

 

Fresh food, fresh music and more will be available downtown all summer at the Partnership for Downtown St. Louis’ “GO TO TOWN” Summer Celebration.

 

Several food and music events with appeal to a wide spectrum of tastes are scheduled during the Summer Celebration beginning in April and continuing through October3.

 

The new weekly Farmers Market will be held every Thursday evening from June 3 through October 21 at the Old Post Office Plaza and will feature 20 farmers selling locally grown and organic goods.

 

The RFT Music Showcase returns to Washington Avenue June 5 and will feature over 50 local bands, two main stages more than 10 downtown venues.

 

Entertainment St. Louis, producer of the Taste of St. Louis is expanding their event by adding more live music, including the Blues Music Concert Series. Entertainment St. Louis along with the Downtown CID are also bringing live street performers to Washington Avenue Friday and Saturday nights during the summer.

 

Other events include: 

 

RFT Music Showcase -- June 5.

 

Downtown Farmers Market -- 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. every Thursday, June 3 thru Oct. 21

 

Downtown’s Party on the Plaza -- 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. every third Wednesday, May 19 through Sept. 22.

 

Lunch time Concert Series -- Every Friday from June 4 through July 30 at the Old Post Office Plaza.

 

Many more events, including Downtown Restaurant Week, Taste of St. Louis, the St. Louis Public Library’s “Not So Quiet” series, Chess Club Mondays and MADCO performances are also planned as part of the “GO TO TOWN” Summer Celebration.

 

A full list of events:

 

www.downtownstl.org.

 

 

Mark your Calendar for a number of events happening in Western NY between 4/8 and 4/10.  Tas Cru is returning to our turf for an exciting CD Release extravaganza. 

 

We are celebrating the release of Even Bugs Sing The Blues ... and s-s-s-some reptiles-s-s-s too!  This cd was created to encourage reading at a young age, and was inspired by books such as the Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.

 

Included in Tas'  time with us are 6 Blues in the Schools event scattered around the area, 2 special events just for kids a Blue Thursday, a Solo performance at the Tudor Lounge and a full show at Double D's on Saturday, and there is no cover charge at any of the events.

 

Click for more

 

The Sheldon Art Galleries presents a gallery talk in conjunction with the exhibition Legends of St. Louis Blues Music, ongoing through August 28, 2010 in the History of Jazz Gallery.

 

Gallery Talk: Tuesday, March 30 at 6 p.m. Gabriel, now a DJ at KDHX, has for more than 50 years been an influential advocate for blues music in St. Louis . He will speak at length on his experiences with blues music in St. Louis . The Gallery Talk is presented in conjunction with the exhibition Legends of St. Louis Blues Music., History of Jazz Gallery, the Sheldon Art Galleries. Admission is free.

 

Gabriel has been in the radio business for nearly 60 years. He started at WOKZ, Alton , Illinois in 1952 and has worked for several different stations around the country, including XERF in Mexico ; WWWW in Saginaw , Michigan ; WTMV and WESL in East St. Louis , Illinois ; and KDNA in St. Louis . He was on KATZ for nearly 10 years, and has been at KDHX for nearly 21 years. He operated the Ultrasonic Recording Studio and produced the labels Tune Town , Joyce, Ultrasonic, Royal American, Yvette's, and Planet, with many of the recordings still in demand today. Gabriel also recorded several of his own albums in the 1960s on the Norman , Planet, Royal American, and Tempora labels and was a part of Ike Turner's band for some time. Gabriel has emceed shows at the Kiel Auditorium, with such stars as The Supremes, Gladys Knight & The Pips and Moms Mabley, and ran the Majestic Theatre in East St. Louis , Illinois. As a radio personality, he has interviewed Louis Jordan, Jackie Brenston, Godfrey Cambridge, among many others. At KDHX he has a worldwide listenership and can be heard every Sunday night from midnight until 3 a.m., or streaming at www.kdhx.org/.

 

Organized by the Sheldon Art Galleries , the exhibition Legends of St. Louis Blues Music tells the story of the rich history of blues music in St. Louis through biographies on key musicians; illustrations by Kevin Belford; photographs by Jennifer Silverberg, Charley Taylor, Bob Shelli and Photo Joe; ephemera , recordings; and memorabilia such as Johnnie Johnson's electric piano, among other rarities. Building on its key role in ragtime music, St. Louis was a gathering place for early blues musicians like Roosevelt Sykes, Peetie Wheatstraw, Henry Townsend, and Victoria Spivey, among other luminaries. This exhibition uncovers important St. Louis musicians, songs and blues music styles that have influenced our musical heritage, including jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock and roll, and a continually evolving blues tradition.

 

Gallery Hours are Tuesdays, Noon - 8 p.m.; Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, Noon - 5 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and one hour prior to Sheldon performances and during intermission. Admission is free. For more information on the exhibition visit the galleries' website.  The exhibition is made possible by Kenneth and Nancy Kranzberg , The Engelhardt Family Foundation, and Steve and Andi Schankman.

 

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 In the world of blues, few artists can straddle the music¹s deepest traditions and its future like Scissormen. The Nashville-based band¹s sound < which they¹ve taken all over the world and to all kinds of venues, from coffeehouses to the stages of Bonnaroo, Cognac Blues Passions and Memphis in May < is based in the juke joints of Mississippi¹s hill country and Delta, but reaches out to embrace Chicago blues, Memphis street music and much more. And they are building a legend with high energy shows packed with stunning slide guitar playing that appeals to young and old fans alike and often finds bandleader Ted Drozdowski literally playing in his audience¹s laps.

 

This approach has inspired famed documentary filmmaker Robert Mugge (The Gospel According to Al Green, Deep Blues, New Orleans Musicians in Exile, Blues Divas, Deep Sea Blues) to train his lens on Scissormen for his next movie Big Shoes: Walking and Talking the Blues, which is being made with the involvement of the Rock On¹ Roll Hall of Fame. Mugge recently completed filming and expects to have the movie available to premiere late this year. The band will also release a soundtrack for the film < following three earlier Scissormen CDs including their latest Luck in a Hurry ­ taken from a concert recorded at the historic Key Palace Theater in Redkey, Indiana. Bedsides his showmanship and daring guitar, Ted¹s depth and commitment to blues is an important part of Scissormen¹s story. He is a blues activist and an internationally acknowledged authority on the style who peppers Scissormen¹s shows with lively stories about the classic blues heroes his music evokes. Ted has won the Blues Foundation¹s Keeping the Blues Alive Award for Journalism. He has written thousands of articles on blues as well as the liner notes for such prestigious sets as 2006¹s John Lee Hooker box, chapters for Billboard¹s Jazz & Blues Encyclopedia and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award induction text for Etta James. He was a consultant for Martin Scorsese Presents: The Blues, and has made presentations on the music at schools, colleges and museums.

 

(John Sinkevics-Grand Rapids Press)  With Chicago's breeding-ground hotbed for blues guitarists and singers just a short tour bus ride away, Grand Rapids' love affair with the blues makes perfect sense.

 

Since the 1980s, I've been impressed by the city's appetite for this seminal music, evidenced by elbow-to-elbow crowds cheering Chicago's Big Time Sarah at The Silver Cloud on the city's West Side or the illustrious Eddie King & the Swamp Bees making a stop at downtown's intimate Rhythm Kitchen Cafe.
 

While these establishments have since bit the dust, the blues tradition continues at clubs such as Billy's Lounge in Eastown and in WLAV-FM's wildly popular Blues on the Mall series, which draws thousands downtown on Wednesday nights every summer.

 

But decades before any of these were even gleams in their promoters' eyes, there was drummer Little Wolf and the Gullyjumpers playing regular blues gigs at the Horseshoe Bar on Grandville Avenue north of Wealthy Street SE. The club was a nightlife hot spot in the 1950s and 1960s.

 

And consider some of the blues greats who graced Grand Rapids during this period:

 

-- The legendary B.B. King and Muddy Waters, in the years before African-American artists found acceptance with white audiences, played the Rose Room at 814 S. Division Ave.

 

-- T-Bone Walker, Ray Charles and Bobby "Blue" Bland entertained crowds upstairs at Roma Hall, near the Rose Room.

 

-- John Lee Hooker and Alberta Adams performed at the Crispus Attucks American Legion Post 59 on Commerce Avenue SW.

 

Those are the kinds of local blues history nuggets that get Kim D. Rush's heart pumping and keep him up late at night, poring over old posters and photos, going through reels of newspaper microfilm and interviewing anybody who recalls anything about eras gone by.

"This has become more of an obsession than the music," conceded the 58-year-old Grandville man, who's spent more than seven years tracking down the history of Grand Rapids blues musicians. So far, that's led to an article written by Rush about Wolf, aka Willie Brown, for Chicago's Living Blues magazine.

 

It also landed the blues hound on the schedule this week for the Greater Grand Rapids Women's History Council's lecture series during Women's History Month.

 

While there haven't been many female blues singers in Grand Rapids' music pipeline, a few certainly have played a role in the city's rich musical legacy, including singer/piano player Lizzie Thorbs and singer Eddie Ingram.

 

Rush said Thorbs, who played house parties in Grand Rapids in the 1950s, taught Wolf how to play piano. Ingram sang at times with Wolf's band at the Horseshoe, which formed the center of Grand Rapids' African-American blues universe a half-century ago.

 

The city's music scene, Rush observed, was "extremely segregated," so clubs like the Horseshoe served an almost exclusively black clientele.

 

Wolf, who moved to Michigan from Arkansas in the early 1950s, became a blues institution at the Horseshoe, which charged a 50-cent cover to patrons, according to Rush.

 

Wolf filled out his house band with exceptional local musicians such as Ed Hunnicutt (guitar, harmonica, piano) and Tom Mosley (guitar, harmonica), who still live in Grand Rapids and have been instrumental in helping Rush with his blues research.
Courtesy PhotoMona Sallie
But Rush's findings reach way beyond the music itself.

 

"I like to create a picture or conception in my mind of what was actually going on in the black community while it was totally segregated, based on what I have learned from talking to the people that have lived it," said Rush, a longtime blues maven who himself sang and played bass in Grand Rapids bands from 1970 to 1987.

 

"Learning more about the components of this total picture is like exciting detective work. I don't think most white people, including me, have substantial understanding of what black people endured and the pressure they lived with."

 

Rush, a graduate of Forest Hills High School and Grand Valley State College, works as lead finisher in the maintenance department for Spectrum Health's Blodgett Hospital. So, he's done his research after hours in libraries and music union offices, over the telephone, and in the homes of those with memories of days gone by.

 

For Thursday's presentation, he's supplemented those findings with interviews of more contemporary Grand Rapids artists, including talented female singers Mona Sallie and Roberta Bradley. Rush said while neither might be considered a blues purist, both are "totally capable of delivering a great blues" song.

 

Sallie said she sang gospel music at church in her youth, but took to the blues when she first became a club performer.

 

"I started off as a blues singer. (But) there's not much money in singing the blues," said Sallie, who fronts the Grand Rapids soul group Mona Sallie & the Sounds of the Motor City.

 

That's always been the rub with the blues: Most performers never see a financial payoff. That's why Sallie appreciates the kind of intense research Rush has done to shed more light on Grand Rapids' blues pioneers.

 

"I think we're so caught up in the right now, we've got to remember where we got our foundation from," she said. "Blues is the roots."

 

 

The Burgett Group signs the “Unity For Peace” Benefit Concert World Tour which was kicked- off last Friday with an All-Star Jam Band comprised of legendary session and touring musicians: Ellis Hall (Tower of Power, “Tonight Show”), Cal Bennett (Isaac Hayes, “Tonight Show”), Martin Guigui (John Lee Hooker, James Cotton), Jonathan Mover (Joe Satriani, GTR, Aretha Franklin), Scott Page (Toto, Supertramp, Pink Floyd), Corey Britz (The Calling, Dave Stewart) and Ched Tolliver.

 

The Los Angeles event featured an eclectic gathering of international artists supporting the non-profit’s first cause: Peace in the Middle East. The next “Unity For Peace” concert is in San Francisco in April.

 

The ongoing concert series is presented by the Unity For Foundation (UFF), a new ethically directed non-profit organization with a 100% financially transparent philanthropic web-platform that empowers and provides resources for individuals, activists, non-profits, NGOs and charities. UFF is powered by rock concerts addressing issues from humanity’s greatest challenges. Partners and sponsors include Sandbag Productions, Sunset Pictures, Gibson and Hammond Central.

 

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Also: The Lowrider Band (Lee Oskar, Howard Scott, Harold Brown & BB Dickerson)

Legendary R&B Revue w/ Tommy Castro Band, Magic Dick, Sista Monica & Larry McCray

Kim Wilson's Blues All Stars
(Billy Flynn, Barrelhouse Chuck, Larry Taylor, Richard Innes, Greg Picollo & Doug James)

Larry McCray

Greg Piccolo & Heavy Juice

& 2010 IBC Band Winner Grady Champion

 

Oct. 17~24, 2010 Pacific - Book Your Cabin Now!
Call 888-BLUESIN or Click for cabin pricing & availability

 

Sailing from San Diego to the Mexican Riviera (Puerto Vallarta, Cab San Lucas & Mazatlan)
on Holland America’s intimate ms Zaandam.

 

The Pinetop Perkins Foundation plans to offer an annual Youth Workshop Series to bring world-renowned blues artists for instruction and mentoring to young musicians. The Foundation intends for this series to be an annual event of national stature.

We are pleased to announce the inaugural event for musicians young and old. The Piano Master Class - the inaugural event of the Youth Workshop Series - will be held August 3, 2010 - August 4, 2010. Open to the young and the young at heart, it will be held at the historic Shack Up Inn and Hopson Plantation in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The event will conclude with a wrap up jam concert hosted by Bob Margolin at Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale on Thursday, August 5th. This event immediately precedes the annual Sunflower Blues Festival in Clarksdale.

 

Selected to lead these workshops are three award-winning recording artists; Eden Brent, Ann Rabson, and Erwin Helfer. The workshops will consist of two advanced and one intermediate level master class. The advanced level will be limited to 8 attendees and the intermediate to 12 attendees to ensure a quality educational experience for all.

 

The cost of the workshop will be $375.00 for the Advanced level and $300.00 for the Intermediate level. The cost will include two days of personalized instructional classes plus lunches.

 

The Pinetop Perkins Foundation has been awarded a generous grant from the Rock River Foundation, founded by Morgan Freeman, which will enable us to extend a number of scholarships to Mississippi youth to participate in this unique and rewarding learning experience.

 

Click for more

 

The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.
                                                

SEVERN, MD – Severn Records announces an April 20 release date for BlooGaLoo, the label debut from Fabulous Thunderbirds guitarist Johnny Moeller, which features special guests Kim Wilson, Lou Ann Barton and Shawn Pittman. The solid core band for the sessions includes Matt Farrell on piano and organ, Steve Gomes on bass and Rob Stupka on drums. Other guests include Gary Clark Jr. and Mike Barfield, among others.  Severn Records is distributed in the U.S. by City Hall Records.

 

Austin-based Moeller, who leads his own band in addition to playing guitar in the Fabulous Thunderbirds, has crafted an album in BlooGaLoo that plays to his amazing versatility as a guitarist, playing wailing single notes as well as well as groovy, funky New Orleans inspired rhythms that recall one of his influences, the great Earl King. Moeller includes his own take on two classic King songs, “Trick Bag” (imagine a funky, Dylan-esque lead vocal and you’ve got some idea) and “Everybody’s Got to Cry Sometime.” 

 

“This guy’s a monster and should be recognized as one of the world’s top musicians,” says someone who should know: legendary T-Bird founder/singer/harmonica master Kim Wilson, who adds his vocal and harp magic on two tracks of BlooGaLoo. The First Lady of Texas blues and soul, Lou Ann Barton adds her trademark vocals on two songs; and fellow guitarslinger Shawn Pittman shows he’s no slouch in the vocal department when he sings lead on the truly funky – and fun – Moeller original, “I’m Movin’ on Up.”

 

 

Pete Special and Elwood have been pals since they first met in Chicago during the shooting of THE BLUES BROTHERS movie. Pete was recorded live, exclusively for the Radio Hour, at a recent performance for Levon Helm’s legendary concert series, the Midnight Ramble. You will hear some of that (the entire concert can be heard right here through the miracle of the Internet). Also, tunes from his CD, BLUE TELEPHONE (available through Pete’s website petespecialmusic.com), from his big band soul revue Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows, and The Band (Pete has played with them as well). Plus some Howlin’ Wolf for you, and new music from harmonica maestro R.J. Mischo.

RBA Publishing Inc is based in Reno, NV with a satellite office in Beverly Hills, Florida. We produce the annual Blues Festival Guide magazine (now in its 7th year), the top-ranking website: www.BluesFestivalGuide.com, and this weekly blues newsletter: The Blues Festival E-Guide with approximately 20,000 weekly subscribers. We look forward to your suggestions, critiques, questions, etc.

Reach the E-Guide editor, Gordon Bulcock, gordon@bluesfestivalguide.com

or contact our home office at 775-337-8626, eguide@bluesfestivalguide.com
 

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