When founder and CEO Randy Chortkoff initially formed Delta Groove Music, his vision for the label’s first two premiere albums shared a common bond; an exceptionally gifted, young African-American guitarist named Kirk Fletcher. Born December 23, 1975 in Bellflower, California, and son of a Baptist minister, Fletcher began playing guitar at the age of eight after watching his brother Walter perform at their father’s church. A life changing experience then occurred at the age of twelve, whereby an impressionable young Kirk witnessed multiple awe-inspiring performances at the Long Beach Blues Festival in 1988. Observing Albert Collins, Bobby “Blue” Bland and the Staple Singers on stage that weekend forever cemented Fletcher’s desire to pursue music and ultimately head down his chosen path of the blues.

 

It was Al Blake, frontman of the Hollywood Fats Band, who began mentoring the burgeoning guitarist in the mid-90’s. Through him Kirk met legendary guitarist Junior Watson, and later Kim Wilson, which led to a call to join Wilson’s Blues Revue just in time to record the 2001 Grammy nominated album “Smokin’ Joint.” Wilson later repaid the favor appearing alongside vocalists Janiva Magness and Finis Tasby on Fletcher’s Delta Groove debut “Shades Of Blue,” which was officially released here in the U.S. in November 2004. From there Fletcher’s career blossomed; he spent three years on the road with Charlie Musselwhite, followed by another stint with Wilson in The Fabulous Thunderbirds, during which time he still found opportunities to record on albums by Lynwood Slim, The Mannish Boys and The Hollywood Blue Flames. In 2007 Fletcher followed his heart and stepped down from his role in the T-Birds, realigning his sights on performing his own music and reigniting his solo career.

 

Now Kirk Fletcher's long awaited return is finally here! Produced by legendary Los Angeles guitarist and close friend Michael Landau, "My Turn" finds Fletcher stretching out instrumentally and exploring new sonic territories on the guitar. In addition, Kirk also makes his surprising vocal debut on two songs which include the Jimmy Reed classic “Found Love,” and an ultra funky version of Sly Stone’s “Let Me Have It All.” This is a project that is very near to Kirk, and one that he just absolutely felt compelled to make. So with the intuitively selected album title of “My Turn,” it would only be appropriate to let Kirk have the last word… ”I am so proud of this record. Though it took a while it was so much fun to get together with my best friends and just play! So here you go and God bless you all.”

 

Plugged, unplugged, harmonica driven, piano driven, guitar driven, vocal driven, rhythm driven, The Cash Box Kings do it all!

 

The Cash Box Kings are an up and coming blues band dedicated to carrying on the spirit of the 1940's and 1950's post-war blues sound. The band showcases the music of Chess Records and Sun Records luminaries such as Little Walter, Muddy Waters, the Howlin' Wolf, and Big Walter Horton as well as lesser known artists such as Robert Nighthawk, Eddie Taylor, and Luther Huff. The Cash Box Kings also delve into the Mississippi Delta sounds of blues men like Charley Patton, Son House, Fred McDowell and R.L. Burnside. The group rounds off their musical offerings with a healthy dose of original music that captures the essence of the Memphis and Chicago blues sounds of the 40's and 50's.

 

The Kings' music embodies the raw, stripped-down, ensemble playing that was the hallmark of the post-war Chicago blues sound. They also put on one of the most wild and raucous live blues shows around. Featuring one of the most wild and raucous live blues shows around, this band, delivers an, intense, smoldering, old-school style of blues that is rarely heard these days. Their live shows and recordings have earned the group rave reviews on both sides of the Atlantic.

 

Former member of the popular New Orleans group Evangeline gets Swampy and Soulful on her tribute to Louisiana songwriter Bobby Charles who recently passed away. This critically acclaimed album made it onto several 2009 top ten lists.

 

"One of the great American songwriters is Louisiana’s Bobby Charles. His first hit was “See You Later Alligator” in the ‘50s, and he then went on to write “Walking to New Orleans,” “But I Do,” “Tennessee Blues” and a footlocker full of others. In certain circles, just mentioning his name causes the pros to smile and shake their heads. Singer Beth McKee decided to do a whole album of Charles’ chestnuts, and she should be given her own annual crawfish boil in Lafayette for those fine efforts. There is such an easeful joy in all these songs, even the sad ones, it feels like the sun, the moon and the herbs all lined up in McKee’s favor. With a kicking band and voice to call down the stars, Bobby Charles’ originals might have met their match here and shown why Bob Dylan wrote the liner notes on his last album. For real."

 

                                               - Bill Bentley-  mydailyfind.com

 

In the Home of the Blues, The Blues Foundation has its heart set on a home.

 

Foundation boosters believe blues followers from around the world deserve more than a nickel tour of a decent collection of memorabilia amid the trappings of a small nonprofit organization.

 

The leadership of executive director Jay Sieleman has re-energized the foundation's presence in Memphis. They're not thinking museum or monument, but a visible, physical presence in the community: part school, part interpretive center, part executive office, part hangout for artists and fans.

 

They say the foundation is finally in position to pursue the dream, thanks to a rebuilding job overseen by executive director Jay Sieleman and activist board members.

 

Sieleman received a President's Award this winter for shepherding a foundation that was deep in debt and flirting with moving to Louisiana in 2002.

 

Since the arrival of Sieleman, an Iowa native and former government lawyer at the Panama Canal, finances, membership and special events have flourished; the board of directors, previously tilted toward industry insiders and fans, has welcomed heavyweights from the Fortune 500 world.

 

The International Blues Challenge drew 224 bands to Downtown and Beale Street. Newer events, like a FedEx-sponsored international showcase and a youth showcase, are helping to cement the blues' popularity in a growth market of young people and foreign audiences.

 

"Jay has done a masterful job of really putting a good financial foundation underneath the feet of this organization," said Eric Simonsen, a corporate turnaround specialist for AlixPartners and a recent board recruit.

 

"We're not going hand to mouth here," added Simonsen. "It allows us to be able to do some careful planning and be able to move forward in a positive manner and not always look over our shoulder and say, 'Are the lights going to get turned off tomorrow?'"

 

Board president Pat Morgan, retired California-Berkeley professor, changed planes in Denver on her way to the Blues Challenge Jan. 20-23.

 

"The plane was filled with bands and people coming to Memphis for the Blues Challenge, and half of them were kids. That's what really excites us about living up to our mission, to encourage these kids and provide some resources."

 

Morgan, who manages elderly bluesmen Pinetop Perkins and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, said a physical facility is the next step.

 

"We honor people every year and put them in a Hall of Fame, but we don't have a hall," Morgan said.

 

Kevin Kane, a past president who leads the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau, said the recession stopped the foundation from the purchase or long-term leasing of a building last year.

 

"We look forward to the day when we will have our own facility, a Blues Foundation interpretive center, with an educational component and a space dedicated to past award winners and Hall of Fame honorees," Kane said. "It will be something people will be able to visit and come in and experience."

 

Sieleman said when blues fans come looking for foundation headquarters, some are disappointed to find a decidedly businesslike office on Cotton Row.

 

On the walls are classic posters from blues events and awards ceremonies and guitars signed by luminaries like the Rolling Stones, B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf's band, but there's no real tour to be had.

 

"Memphis touts itself as the Home of the Blues and the Birthplace of Rock and Roll," Sieleman said. "If there's currency or credibility in that, perhaps I'm biased, but I say it's in The Blues Foundation."

 

Kane said crucial to a building campaign are board members who combine love for the blues with expertise in business organization, finance, sponsorships, fund-raising and strategic planning.

 

Newcomers include Steve Bryson, who founded and runs credit card processing firm Global Electronic Technology Inc. in Cypress, Calif.; Craig Ray, a former Mississippi Development Authority tourism official; and Laurie Tucker, senior vice president of corporate marketing at FedEx.

 

Simonsen, whose recent gigs include chief financial officer of Finland-based giant Nokia Siemens Networks, was volunteering backstage at a Scandinavian blues festival when he met Sieleman. Bryson bought a B.B. King guitar at foundation charity auction and owns a record label, I55 Productions. Ray worked on the Mississippi Blues Trail project to put historic markers in the Delta. Tucker, one of the chief keepers of the FedEx brand, has a 16-year-old son whose Will Tucker Band plays at B.B. King's on Beale Street.

 

Sieleman and board members are careful for the time being about how they characterize the building search. They shy away from calling it a capital campaign and say it's more of an exploratory effort.

 

Simonsen, finance chairman, said, "I don't think there's a thought it's a museum. It's more of a destination place where people who love the blues can hang out and meet one another, where people can come do research and visit."

 

Bryson, who grew up here and attended Kingsbury High, believes the permanent home can create more appreciation of the blues in its hometown and serve as a vehicle to improve the lives of blues musicians.

 

"Blues musicians are part of the American tradition, and they need to be protected," Bryson said. "My goal in becoming a member was to go out and raise money but to make sure we're taking care of the musicians, that we're putting money in health care, that we're taking care of the people."

 

Reflecting on ups and downs of the foundation's 30-plus years, Bryson added, "In my humble opinion, the Blues Foundation should have a home that rivals Graceland, and should have had it a long time ago."

 

 

The state's contributions to music stretch across genres -- from the blues of B.B. King, Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters to the rock 'n' roll of Elvis Presley and the country twang of "Singing Brakeman" Jimmie Rodgers.

 

Just being the birthplace or former residence of famous artists has been enough to draw thousands of tourists to the Deep South state each year, leading to billions of dollars in tourism revenue.

 

The Mississippi Economic Council will hold its 61st annual meeting next month, and the event will focus on how the state's musical heritage affects economic development. Headliners for the April 15 program in Jackson are country singer Marty Stuart and rhythm and blues veteran Dorothy Moore.

 

Council president Blake Wilson said the state's music should be showcased. He said Mississippi is a leader at producing talent.

 

Lawmakers also recognize the revenue potential of music. They've responded in recent years by approving various projects to support music-inspired tourism.

 

The Mississippi Blues Commission was established in 2004, and work soon began on creating a winding blues trail. The trail is a series of more than 100 markers across the state highlighting significant or historical places and people connected to blues music.

 

Wilson said the state's blues trail is comparable to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama. He said the golf trail has been a huge economic development tool that has attracted international attention.

 

"I can't count really more than five top-name singers that come out of Alabama, but there are so many that have come out of Mississippi. In that, we have an edge."

 

Last year, lawmakers approved efforts to start a Mississippi Country Music Trail, which is expected to serve the same purpose as the blues trail but on a smaller scale. The trail will have about 30 markers.

 

"One reason the country music trail will be particularly good for Mississippi is that many of these country music stars are alive and performing," said state Sen. Lydia Chassaniol, R-Winona, Senate Tourism Committee chairwoman.

 

Chassaniol said trail markers will dot the state, and will not be limited to east Mississippi, where Rodgers once called home.

 

Few would argue that blues music is second only to gaming as the main tourism draw in the Delta, a notoriously poor region that's also the birthplace of a slew of artists whose work has inspired such rock icons as Robert Plant, the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton.

 

Indeed, one of the best examples of music-driven economic development can be found in Sunflower County, where the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center opened in Indianola in fall 2008.

 

Overall tourism was down 7 percent in Mississippi last fiscal year -- from $6 billion in 2008 to $5.6 billion. In Sunflower County tourism was up 12.5 percent, increasing by more than $1 million over the same period.

 

Indianola Mayor Steve Rosenthal credits the museum with helping sales-tax revenue maintain steady year-to-date increases nearly every month. He also said three restaurants have opened since the museum began operating in the city of about 11,000.

 

"Sunflower County is the model," said House Tourism Committee Chairwoman Diane Peranich, D-Pass Christian. "You can take that same model to different places and spur the economy, and give prosperity to others."

 

Peranich said a $410.3 million bond bill that passed the Mississippi House includes funding for various other projects, including $4 million to expand Elvis Presley's birthplace in Tupelo; $2 million for the Tunica Gateway to the Blues Museum; and $2 million to expand and renovate the Jimmie Rodgers Museum in Meridian.

 

The Obamas minus papa prez (who was quite busy in Washington D.C. with the vote on health care reform) made a visit to Memphis this week. First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha took in the Sunday matinee of the new musical about a southern DJ who introduces his listeners to the rhythm and blues music known at the time as "race music". The show's cast members weren't the only ones to get applause at that performance - the Obamas received an enthusiastic standing ovation from their fellow audience members.

 

 

 Jazz at Lincoln Center and the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs announced that the Little Joe McLerran Quartet will tour to the Middle East with The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad program.  The blues quartet from Tulsa, Oklahoma, was selected from a pool of 132 applicants to travel abroad and promote cross-cultural understanding.  International tour activities will include public concerts, master classes, lecture-demonstrations, workshops, jam sessions, collaborations with local musicians and media outreach. 

 

As part of The Rhythm Road, Little Joe McLerran Quartet will also perform two concerts in the United States.  In Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Society will present the first concert on June 3, 2010 at 7:15pm at the Grosvenor Auditorium, 1600 M St. NW.   The second concert will be presented by Jazz at Lincoln Center on June 5, 2010 at 2pm at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center.

 

Little Joe McLerran Quartet will tour to Bahrain (March 29 - April 2), Saudi Arabia (April 3 - 11), Kuwait (April 12 - 15), Oman (April 16 - 21).

 

 

Dear Friends,  

 

 For the last several years I have had the privilege and fun of working with the good folks of the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise: bluescruise.com 

 

Last January's cruise was extra special with an over the top roster of talent. An article/photo essay on the cruise has been posted by my good friends at GuitarInternational Magazine.  

 

Follow the link below for a look at how I and 1500 of my best friends spent a wonderful week cruising and Bluesing!!!  

 

Please, if you know anyone who might enjoy this, especially the musicians pictured, forward this to them.

  

Enjoy and best wishes to all for a happy and healthy season. 

 

Yours,

 

Joseph A. Rosen

 

Click for all the pictures

 

The Chicago Blues Festival (June 11-13) in Grant Park celebrates the life and music of Howlin’ Wolf on the centennial of his birthday with special performances and jam sessions.The internationally acclaimed and FREE admission festival is designed to celebrate and remember the Blues tradition and heritage. The three-day festival features five distinct stages that tell the story of the Blues using various Blues music styles. Daily festival hours are 11am to 9:30pm daily.

 

On Friday, the Front Porch stage features west side guitarist Jimmy Dawkins, Taildragger, George Brock, Henry and Café R&B. The most eclectic platform, the Gibson Guitar Crossroads stage will play host toDave Weld, Abb Locke, Mary Lane --a west side woman singer and Mississippian Grady Champion.

 

The Mississippi Juke Joint stage features artists, from the delta, that include Chicagoan Sam Lay, a veteran of playing with Howlin Wolf and the first cross-cultural blues band led by Paul Butterfield. The last set is a festival jam led by Mississippi Blues musicians. The Zone Perfect Route 66 Roadhouse opens each day with a harmonica lesson by Joe Filisko, a Chicagoan who travels around the world performing and teaching his craft. Here too, a discussion about Wolf, that will feature those who knew him best. And each day will end with Chicagoans East of Edens Soul Expressspinning classic Blues music.

 

Artists on the Petrillo Music Shell include Otis Taylor, James Cotton and Matt “Guitar’ Murphy, both are former sidemen and band mates of Wolf. The show ends with Zora Young, Chicago singer and Wolf kin, and special guest Hubert Sumlin. On Saturday, get a “Spoonful” of bands from traditional Chicago Blues ensembles and the Soul/Blues artists of today. In the afternoon catch local bluesman Toronzo Cannon, world renowned harmonica player –Sugar Blues. And first time featured artist Sonny Rhodes, who plays the peddle steel guitar-unique in the blues world. Also featured this afternoon is a discussion with Dr. William Ferris, a renowned folklorist. The Petrillo stage opens with Nellie Travis, Bobby Parkerfollows and the evening closes with a Grammy nominated set- Chicago Blues: A Living History with Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy Branch, Lurrie Bell and Carlos Johnson!

 

On Sunday, you will be “Sittin on Top of the World,” as the day opens with Linda Tillery and her Cultural Heritage Choir featuring percussive and a capella singers. This set is followed by Maxwell Street veteran-Dancin’ Perkins, 2010 Grammy Award winner for Traditional Blues category –Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Guitar Shorty, who has a new release on Alligator Records; and the stage closes with Chicago blues fusion band Lubriphonic.

 

Sunday evening also features Chicago Father and daughter set – Vance and Vivian Kelly, Erwin Helfer’s Chicago Boogie Woogie set that showcases the earliest sounds of Chicago Blues, a Chicago Blues Reunion that features Barry Goldberg --Steve Miller’s first band leader -- Harvey Mandel, veteran of Canned Heat and the Rolling Stones, Nick Gravenites, composer of “Born in Chicago”, Corky Siegel and special guests Sam Lay and Charlie Musselwhite. The festival closes with 2009 Soul Blues Award winner TK Soul.

 

 

The Chicago Blues Season begins May 1 with Little Walter’s Birthday, and includes Robert Johnson’s birthday and runs through the festival with many citywide events, concerts and tours. The public is invited to help officially kick off the Chicago Blues Festival at the Blues Press Preview event, NOON on June 7, (Blue Monday) at Daley Plaza.

 

In addition, there will be an academic Blues symposium at Dominican University, and noon concerts held at Millennium Park as well as a “Special Music Without Borders” collaboration on the Pritzker Pavilion Thursday, June 10, 2010 in honor of Howlin’ Wolf’s birthday.

 

For more information and the complete schedule of the 27th annual Chicago Blues Festival, Click here or call 312-744-3370.

 

 

Oklahoma City - "Music Builds a Life,” and ordinary baling wire becomes a nearly magical line, as delicate and serendipitous as any drawing, evoking the spirit of musicians in a show by Norman artist Asia Scudder at the City Arts Center’s intimate Circle Gallery.

 

Work in the show is either hung on the wall, casting ethereal shadows, or displayed on stands, where earphones will let visitors hear music relating to a given piece. A daughter of a folksinger father and opera singer mother, Scudder said she is attempting to use wire sculpture in the show "to reclaim the joy and depth that music brought me as a child.”

 

This she manages to do without pushing the link between music and visual art too far, and becoming literal or sentimental, in almost all the works in the small show. Blues singer Bessie Smith is defined by her gesturing hands and long, flowing skirt, while a horn becomes an extension of the body of jazz musician Miles Davis, seen in profile, stepping forward.

 

The two wire figures of a "Tahitian Choir” intertwine, nearly cubistically, and Cat Stevens, kneeling almost prayerfully, reaches toward the stars and a moonlike spiral shape. Intertwined, too, with the source of his inspiration, is musician Spike Jones, doing his own offbeat version of music from the opera "Carmen.”

 

Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger serenade each other and us in "Labor Talks,” and a fantastic birdlike shape seems to hover over Taj Mahal, playing a stringed instrument, in "Satisfied and Tickled Too.” The power of percussion is celebrated by an abstract, nearly mythic female figure, displayed at the show’s entrance, and by a dancing "African Drummer” who seems physically linked to his instrument.

 

Positive, life-affirming and unassuming, Scudder’s "Music Builds a Life” exhibit is highly recommended.

 

"Music Builds a Life” by Asia Scudder

→When: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through April 10.
→Where: City Arts Center at State Fair Park, NW 10 and May.

 

→Information: 951-0000 or www.cityartscenter.org.

 

Freep.com - Filled to the brim with a truly impressive array of musicians, "The T.A.M.I. Show" (stands for Teenage Awards Music International) has always been the Holy Grail of rock movies. Perhaps you were lucky enough to see the legendary 1964 concert film during its initial theatrical run or during a rare TV screening. The film never had an official home video release, and that makes the long-awaited arrival of "The T.A.M.I. Show: Collector's Edition" (**** out of four stars, out Tuesday on Shout! Factory) a very happy occasion. 

 

The two-hour DVD captures stunning live performances by a dozen acts, including Motown stars Marvin Gaye, the Miracles and the Supremes. All look impossibly young while delivering vibrant versions of their then-current hits, including "Hitch Hike," "You've Really Got a Hold On Me" and "Baby Love." You'll also be knocked out by several other rock and soul legends in their prime: Chuck Berry, the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones (with Brian Jones) and James Brown. Filmed in black and white before a frenzied crowd at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in California, this concert flick is riveting from start to finish, even when such relatively minor acts as Lesley Gore and the Barbarians take the stage. The cool art direction, sexy go-go dancers and incomparable Wrecking Crew backing band -- led by Jack Nitzsche -- more than compensate for the rare slow moments.

 

And as great as Marvin and the Stones are, nothing tops James Brown's breathtaking, incendiary set with his band, the Flames. After watching the Godfather of Soul, it's easy to see why über-producer Rick Rubin called the set "the single greatest rock 'n' roll performance ever captured on film."

 

Crisply converted back to its original wide-screen format and packaged with informative liner notes telling the unlikely story behind this concert, "The T.A.M.I. Show" DVD is an essential addition to your music library.

 

The Whitney M. Young, Jr., School of Social Work presents “Healing Properties of the Blues Fundraiser”. The event will include a Silent Auction, Blues Workshop, and Live Performances by The SaNa Band and “Stoop Down Man”, Chick Willis. 

 

Through narration and song, The SaNa Band compares the three-stage Blues Problem-Solving Method to the six-stage Social Work Problem-Solving Method. The Band probes the content of Blues songs and explains how the Blues helped African slaves develop spiritual toughness in the face of loss and separation and direct their energies toward the task of survival.

 

This interactive performance describes how to integrate the healing properties into everyday life and prepare for the arrival of a brighter day, a new beginning, a transformation, or a change.

 

Learn how to use the Blues to change your mood and get you in the groove.

 

Where: Davage Auditorium, Haven-Warren Building, Atlanta, GA

 

Time: Saturday, March 27, 2010, 6pm – 10pm

 

Other: Four hours of CEU credits will be available upon request.

 

Tickets are available in advance. General admission tickets: $40.00

 

For more information on how to purchase tickets or to donate items for the Silent Auction, please call (404) 880-8399 or email mjohnson@cau.edu

 

 

Purchase online here

 

Boston - City officials are fed up with the House of Blues, which records show has repeatedly struck sour notes with law enforcement since opening opposite Fenway Park  just a year ago.

 

But what Licensing Board Chairman Daniel F. Pokaski once chalked up to “growing pains” turned into a giant pain Friday night when the popular club was shut down for the third time.

 

Now Pokaski is considering scheduling a hearing for the music hall’s management to explain itself. In the meantime he is reviewing reports filed by police and Boston Fire Department inspectors alleging the House of Blues - for the second time since Feb. 19 - allowed patrons to jam exits and fire escapes to be impeded by trash barrels and beer kegs. The Live Nation venue can accommodate more than 2,800 people.

 

“We suspended their license a couple times because they had some growing pains,” Pokaski said yesterday. “They got control. It’s a little disturbing, however, that they were warned (Feb. 19) and didn’t take action. Any public safety issue, especially in a venue that size, is a concern.”

 

House of Blues general manager Julie Jordan has not responded to requests for comment.

 

Already on a six-month probation for serving alcohol on April 18 to two teenage girls who became violently ill, the House of Blues was shut down last summer for seven days after it was caught serving two other teens who had to be hospitalized.

 

In the past year, the House of Blues has also been cited for a patron-on-patron assault with a beer can; for failing to supervise the line of people trying to get in and for having inadequate staff, licensing records show.

 

K-State Collegian.com - The presence of music in Wayne Goins’ life has been nearly universal.

 

Goins, professor of music, is a seasoned veteran of the music industry. He has recorded 30 albums and toured Europe as a solo artist. His music is available through numerous venues, including iTunes. Goins has written several books and had some of his music appear on Broadway. At K-State, in addition to teaching, Goins directs the jazz studies program.

 

 

Goins grew up in Chicago in a family heavily influenced by blues music. His uncle frequently used the family’s living room as a place to perform the electric guitar. The experience left an impression on Goins.

 

“I was just fascinated with it,” he said. “I couldn’t wait to get a guitar. Every Christmas all I got was these little plastic toy guitars. That’s all I wanted to do.”

 

The passion for music continually manifested itself through the years. Goins joined his uncle’s blues band at 14 years old. By the time he had reached high school, Goins had played in everything from jazz bands to funk bands.

 

 

In college, Goins continued spending significant amounts of time playing the guitar.

 

“I played in big bands and I played in combos the whole time,” he said. “I also gigged at night in bars and clubs.”

 

Possessing a desire to get to the “other side” of music, Goins earned both a bachelors and masters degree in music education from University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. An innate sense that he was a teacher, along with a desire to influence the musical trajectory of others, facilitated his educational goals.

 

“Basically I decided a long time ago that I wanted to be the kind of teacher that I wish I had,” he said. “I always sought out these people to try to teach me how to play guitar to get at a higher level, and I found a lot of people who could play guitar well but they couldn’t really show me what I needed to know. They weren’t good teachers.”

 

Goins said he decided he wanted to master the art of teaching. That’s why even as a player he was developing his teaching skills. He said he just thought getting degrees in education would help cement that.

 

His first teaching experience came after receiving his masters. Goins served as jazz director at Kennesaw State University and also taught at Morehouse College and Emory University in Atlanta. He also taught in Chicago and Boston according to his K-State media relations biography.

 

During this time, Goins continued to bolster his musical pedigree in other areas as well.

 

 

Shortly after moving to Atlanta in 1989, Goins was contacted by a college classmate and bandmate named Lebron Scott.

 

Scott needed transportation to Ichiban Records, where he had a recording session. After inquiring about being able to watch the session, Scott arranged for Goins to play on several songs.

 

“It wound up that they liked what I played and they said keep going,” he said. “One song turned into two, two turned into four, the next thing I knew I had recorded an album in one day. That was my introduction to the record label.”

 

As a part of Ichiban Records, Goins recorded 20 albums between 1991 and 1993 and toured Europe in 1991.

 

“When I recorded those albums for Ichiban, I really got a chance to see what the music business was like,” he said. “I thought that was a valuable thing not just for me but I could tell my students about it later, which it really did come in handy years later.”

 

 

In March 1998, Goins was nearing the end of his doctorate program for music education at Florida State. At a research presentation in Phoenix, Ariz., Goins met Frank Tracz, director of bands at K-State, and the connection was made that brought him to Manhattan.

 

Since arriving in 1998, Goins has restructured the jazz program. A three-tiered approach to the jazz bands was established based on skill. The number of jazz combos was also increased. Goins has led groups to jazz festivals to unprecedented standing ovations.

 

“That happens like every year,” he said. “It’s really encouraging for our students. It shows them that their hard work is paying off.”

 

On the side, Goins has continued recording. He started his own record label, Little Apple Records, in 1995. He also frequently plays with local reggae band, Muzzizi. Two Broadway plays have also featured his music.

 

Steven Maxwell, associate professor of music, has enlisted Goins to play guitar for his History of Rock and Roll classes on several occasions based on his knowledge of rock history and playing style.

 

“He’s able to come in and showcase how the guitar can be played,” he said. “And some of the things that people like Hendrix did.”

 

Matt Hubbel, senior in music performance, has taken several classes with Goins and believes in his teaching.

 

“He’s a good tutor on any instrument,” he said. “If you come in knowing how to play your instrument he can make you bring things out of it that you didn’t know how to do even a few days before.”

 

Riki Hendrix is a talented guitarist, composer/arranger and high energy seasoned performer.

 

Born and raised in San Bernadino, California, Riki grew up in a home that was filled with sounds, classical music and jamming jazz musicians. When he was 12, his father gave him his first guitar, but when a friend intro him to "Machine Gun", a song written by cousin Jimi Hendrix, Riki realized his music had become a soul matter.

 

He practiced diligently, and became at one with his guitar. He formed his own band and played in clubs, casinos, hotels, and performed live concerts throughout the United States. He has toured in Asia, Europe and Canada and his powerful live performances have always received great reviews.

 

Riki, also joined forces with Buddy Miles, drummer and Billy Cox, bass player (two original members of Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsies) as they toured the country performing tribute shows to the late Jimi. Riki feels that their performance at the Woodstock festival, Bethal, New York, was on of the highlights of his career.

 

Also Woodstock in Singapore 2003 Summer of Love concert, Riki took the stage with his children choir and 4 piece rock band, performed his new song - Children of Tomorrow, and left his audience spellbound. In 2004 Rock Festival, Riki opened for Deep Purple in Singapore, 7000 rock fans screaming more. Riki played unbelievably. The performance left Singapore fans screaming for more.

 

As a composer, Riki states, "If I could paint a music canvas, it would be a blend of passionate red for the heart and soul of Jimi, vibrant yellow for the dramatics of Pink Floyd, and Mediterranean blue for the brilliant orchestrations of Yanni.

 

Click for more and to hear samples from Riki Hendrix

 

 

 

 

 

2010 Eric Clapton turns 65 this week. The Radio Hour looks back at his life and career, with tunes from his early days with the Yardbirds, the Bluesbreakers, and even a rare cut from the shortlived band Powerhouse, with Steve Winwood. Also: Delaney and Bonnie, Derek and the Dominoes, EC unplugged, and a powerhouse tidbit from his monster solo album SLOWHAND. Plus Elwood has some new soul music from the Holmes Brothers for you, and a chance for you to win THE FIGHT IS ON, the new CD from Popa Chobby. And we have a prize package from The Baton Rouge Blues Festival, coming up April 24. Win free admittance to see Janiva Magness, Sonny Landreth, Tony Joe White, and more. Register here to win, and find out more about the show at batonrougebluesfestival.org.

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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