A brilliant collection of original songs that grew out of a series of letters between U.S. singer/songwriter Peter Karp and Canadian Juno award winner Sue Foley over a two year period. The letters started as a casual exchange but as time went on, they became more poignant, more revealing and more intimate. The acclaimed songwriters eventually came to recognize that they provided a wellspring of inspiration for these songs.  The compositions reveal a meeting of hearts and minds, an interplay of shared artistic purpose and spiritual kinship.  Their live show based on the album, featuring elements of folk, jazz, flamenco, Americana and blues, was praised by Blues Revue as "a unique, daring idea beautifully executed by two talented, inspired artists."

 

Born in Brooklyn, New York. Raised in Switzerland. A long-time Canadian who lives in Toronto. Speaks three languages. Performed in a half a dozen different countries in 2009, and will far exceed that in 2010.

 

Meet Shakura S'Aida, an international artist whose involvement in the Canadian music scene has been ongoing for the past 30 years, enriching the jazz, blues and classic R&B communities with her soulful voice, enthusiastic personality and commitment to music as an art form.

 

Whether speaking Swiss-German, French or English, Shakura instantly connects with her audience. With her sensational guitarist, Donna Grantis, she delivers a powerful show that always earns standing ovations.

 

And now she is releasing her first CD for Ruf Records.

The CD "Brown Sugar" was recorded in Tennessee and produced by Jim Gaines, who has worked with artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Huey Lewis, Santana, Coco Montoya and hundreds more. There are a dozen songs, all but one co-written by Shakura and Donna Grantis.

 

"Brown Sugar" has been released internationally and Shakura will tour more than a dozen European countries  and play major festivals across Canada and in the United States.

 

The “Bare Bones Boogie Band” will bring you some great heart-wrenchin’ classic rock ‘n’ blues, together with their own brand of unique original songs. Couple this with some deep down soul, hot and heart-wrenchin’ blues, all topped off with some superb RnB boogie shufflin’, then all that’s left is to get the drinks in, roll back the carpet, and get yer dancin’ shoes on… outta sight!!!

  

Helen Turner and Iain Black, from Scotland, met in London in the 1990’s and formed the Blues-Rock band Red Road with whom they toured the UK and released two albums for Locomoto Records.
Trev Turley, from Birmingham, enjoyed success with many Midland’s bands before moving south and then, with Helen and Iain, joined good-time RnB band ”3am”, with whom they played over 150 gigs, including many notable festivals, releasing two albums and contributing an original song, ”Sister Sunshine”, to the Essex Delta Blues Volume 2 CD on Bad Moon Records.

Manchester born Andy Jones played and recorded in London with the Stiff Joints and the Great Outdoor Experience, the latter on Mad Dash Records, before joining Helen, Iain and Trev to form the classic 4-piece line up of the “Bare Bones Boogie Band”.

Since November 2008 and their inception, The “Bare Bones Boogie Band” have been working solidly throughout the UK and by April 2009 had played the legendary 100 Club in London, including appearences at many UK festivals, including the GuilFest 09. The end of 2009 then saw the band perform at The Dome in Greenwich.

 

Less than three weeks before its 31st annual Blues Music Awards gala event, The Blues Foundation is pleased to announce that, beginning this year, the award for the Best Traditional Female Artist category will be hereafter known as the Koko Taylor Award.

 

 The first-ever Koko Taylor award will be handed out to one of five nominees at the Blues Music Awards gala event in Memphis on May 6, 2010. The re-designation of the category is in honor of deceased blues legend Koko Taylor, known to many as the Queen of the Blues. Taylor, an inducted member of the Blues Hall of Fame, not only received a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Blues Foundation  in 1999, but also received a record 29 Blues Music Awards out of 37 Blues Music Award nominations total. The Blues Music Awards ceremony itself also has a special connection to Taylor, who held her final live performance at last year’s gala.

 

 A non-profit organization dedicated to the past, present and future of blues music, The Blues Foundation is pleased to bestow this (sadly posthumous) honor on the quintessential female figure in Blues music, especially in a year when its Board has elected it first female president, Pat Morgan. “Koko was not the first, but she was the first of the modern female blues singers,” stated Executive Director Jay Sieleman. “She started in the ‘50s and never stopped. She was the ‘Queen of Blues’ until the very end, and we’re delighted to honor her by renaming the category she dominated for most of the Blues Music Awards’ 31 years of existence.” Sieleman added that Taylor has already inspired many current female artists, including a number of this year’s female nominees.

 

 Australian Blues singer Fiona Boyes, a nominee for this year’s Koko Taylor Award, expressed how grateful she is to have been able to finally see Taylor perform live, at last year’s awards. A long-time fan, she added, “When I first heard Koko Taylor, the resonance for me was profound. Here was someone that took all that raw energy and electricity and spoke, graciously yet powerfully, for the women.” Zora Young, another nominee for the Koko Taylor Award, agreed. “I knew her over 40 years, and she was a wonderful mentor for me. I was so proud to know her and call her a good friend,” she stated. “As I travel along the blues highway, I see so many tryin’ to carry on her legacy. Many emulate, but none will ever duplicate.”

 

Speaking not only for herself but also the entire Blues community, nominee Ann Rabson noted the significance of this award category taking on Koko Taylor’s name: “She has inspired generations of blues artists with her professionalism and grit, thrilled millions of fans with music from her soul, and touched many, many lives with her warmth. We will miss her sorely, but her music and legacy will live forever.”

 

The 31st Annual Blues Music Awards – the highest honor given to Blues artists – will take place Thursday May 6 at the Memphis Cook Convention Center in downtown Memphis. Tickets are still available at www.blues.org. The Blues Foundation is Memphis-based, but world-renown as THE organization dedicated to preserving our blues music history, celebrating recording and performance excellence, supporting blues education and ensuring the future of this uniquely American art form.

 

Founded in 1980, The Blues Foundation has 3500 individual members and 185 affiliated local blues societies representing another 50,000 fans and professionals around the world. Its signature honors and events--the Blues Music Awards, Blues Hall of Fame, International Blues Challenge and Keeping the Blues Alive Awards--make it the international center of blues music. Its HART Fund provides the blues community with medical assistance while its Sound Healthcare program offers musicians health insurance access. Blues in the Schools programs and Generation Blues scholarships expose new generations to blues music. Throughout the year, the Foundation staff serves the worldwide Blues community with answers, contact information and news.

 

 

When legendary blues and jazz club the Music Menu closed its doors in 2004, it left a void in the hearts of Detroit's live music lovers. Now Harbor House, a Greektown seafood restaurant, aims to fill that void.

 

Harbor House started hosting live music about six months ago but really picked up steam last month when the owners brought on former Music Menu promoters to help book the acts, even starting a "Music Menu Thursday" series.

 

"I partied at the Menu for 10 years, and I missed the vibe terribly," says patron and musician Sarah Woodman of Detroit. "I've gone to almost all the Music Menu Thursdays at Harbor House and have felt like I'm in a time warp. It has definitely filled a gap in my heart!"

 

The "vibe" she's talking about was the casual atmosphere where folks from all walks of life came out and danced, sang, drank and, above all, enjoyed and appreciated live music.

 

Promoter Glenn Novak, who had booked acts at Music Menu, says he and his partners chose Harbor House to try to re-create the Music Menu feeling because it was a beautiful building, and a Greektown hot spot.

 

"It has a similar ambiance to it," he says. "The people who come here are downtown Detroiters and people who go downtown for their entertainment."

 

The Greektown Harbor House is a spinoff of the original Harbor House in Clinton Township, which is still in operation. The downtown location is housed in a remodeled 100-year-old building and is located within walking distance of Greektown Casino, Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts and other downtown entertainment destinations.

 

 

Blues and jazz fans can come in for dinner -- moderately priced seafood and steak dinners as well as all-you-can-eat specials -- or just have drinks and watch classic Detroit acts such as Chef Chris, Jim McCarty and Thornetta Davis.

 

 

The 20th annual festival will feature headlining, family-friendly sets by Grace Potter on June 25 and Delbert McClinton on June 26 at Harry E. Kelley Park, north of the Garrison Avenue bridge, and the experience cannot be missed, said Rodney Shepard, board president for the festival.

 

"We are thrilled to have Delbert McClinton and Grace Potter & The Nocturnals headline for our special year," he said. "Grace has caught on fire, and she has a new CD that will be released in early June. She's in Rolling Stone magazine this month and is listed as one of the top 10 bands to watch.

 

"It's a real treat to have her come back - she did such an outstanding job last year for us," Shepard added. "It's like when we had Los Lonely Boys a few years back. They played here and after that, they took off. Grace is a great band today and they're getting even bigger and better."

 

Like Potter, the three-time Grammy Award-winning McClinton continues to impress with microphone in hand, he said.

 

"Delbert stood in for Jonny Lang here a few years ago and really helped us out on very, very short notice," Shepard said. "To have a Grammy-winning artist come in and play, particularly for our 20th year, is great. Delbert will do a great job. He and Grace have huge followings, so we expect the park to be close to or at capacity on both nights of the festival."

 

Other bands set to take the stage include Band of Heathens, JJ Grey and Mofro, Honey Island Swamp Band, Mark May, Wisebird and JP Soars and the Hot Rods, as well as local group and festival-opener Copesetic, he said.

 

"We'll have the usual, great live music at our festival, plus some great food and some memorabilia from the groups," Shepard said.

 

A show by the Fort Smith Corvette Club and a poker run hosted by the River Valley Motorcycle Association also will keep all ages entertained during the festival, he said.

 

"We have a variety of entertainment, because at the end of the day, we are looking to entertain," Shepard said. "Our mission and our core is blues music, and we also provide an array of entertainment."

 

Shepard said he is as proud of the festival's beginnings as the upcoming roster.

 

"We have a handful of folks still with us, who there from the beginning, like Bill Neumeier," he said. "Bill has been a faithful steward ever since, whether it's allowing us to have fundraisers, giving advice to the board or, like the last couple of years, buying the talent."

 

This year's performers and the festival's laid-back vibe will draw viewers and listeners from numerous states, Shepard said.

 

"We know there will be many people who will travel distances to see Delbert McClinton and Grace Potter, and, hopefully, they will want to drive to see the other bands, too," he said. "It's a special year for us."

 

Admission to the festival is $10 at the gate for adults and free for children 12 and younger each day.

 

"There aren't advance ticket sales; tickets can only be purchased at the gate this year," Shepard said. "The community has done a good job of keeping the quality of what people see and experience at the festival really affordable.

 

"If you try to see one of these acts in concert, say in a neighboring metropolitan area, it's going to cost you $15 or $20 on up to see them," he added. "The community has done a great job supporting the Riverfront Blues Society and keeping things affordable for families."

 

For information, visit www.riverfrontbluesfest.org/

 

 

Jamie Katz,Smithsonian.com - Untutored Yanks like me are sometimes surprised to learn that the fertile Mississippi River Delta extends all the way up to Memphis, Tennessee. But the influence of Mississippi—both the river and the state—is palpable in the Bluff City. Dig into almost any important Memphis phenomenon or personality—blues-tinged or not—and you’re liable to find Mississippi roots.

 

“Memphis is the capital of the Delta, and we’re on the spine—Highway 61,” the blues historian and filmmaker Robert Gordon told me over lunch one day on the south side of Memphis. “All roads in the Delta lead to 61, and 61 leads to Memphis.”

 

So it came to me one bleary-eyed Saturday night that to understand Memphis at all, I would need to venture farther south. At the moment, I was in a midtown Memphis juke joint, raptly appreciating a young blues singer named Ms. Nickki, who had told me she was from Holly Springs, Mississippi, where her family had raised horses and taught her to sing in church.

 

On Sunday morning, I thought I’d start out at the Full Gospel Tabernacle Church, where legendary Memphis soul singer the Rev. Al Green sometimes leads the service. But then I consulted with my gracious hosts Tom and Sandy Franck, who run the charming Talbot Heirs Guesthouse in downtown Memphis. They recommended the gospel service at First Baptist Beale Street Church right nearby.

 

When I arrived at the historic church, though, I discovered that once every five weeks they switched the Sunday school session with the main service, and this was that week—so I had just missed the service. It was a major disappointment, but what could I do? Move on to the day’s primary mission: a day trip through the Delta.

 

I jumped in my rented Mustang, put the top down, tuned the radio to a gospel station at the upper end of the AM dial, and pointed south toward Highway 61. Destination: Clarksdale, Mississippi, the very cradle of the blues. It’s where—at the crossroads of Highways 61 and 49—legend says bluesman Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil to gain his talent. It’s where Bessie Smith died (not in Memphis, as Edward Albee seems to have believed). It’s where the Delta Blues Museum lives. And it’s only 80 miles down the road.

 

Within 15 minutes, I was passing men in overalls selling humongous watermelons off an old flatbed truck. You see billboards luring Memphians down to the Tunica, Mississippi, casinos for the slots and craps action. A restaurant ad promised 48-ounce steaks—the term “doggie bag” seemed suddenly inadequate. Pretty soon, I was in the Magnolia State, easing by rice and cotton fields that stretched off to the horizon. The soil looked awfully rich to my non-expert eyes.

 

En route, I couldn’t resist a quick detour into Tunica’s gambling emporia, choosing the Horseshoe Casino because it looked less generic and because it sits next to the Bluesville Club, whose marquee advertised upcoming shows with Booker T. & the MGs and B.B. King. Ms. Nickki told me she’d appeared there, too. Hey, I was feeling lucky, and no sooner did I shake hands with the one-armed bandit than I’d won a $35 jackpot. Good time to scoot.

 

I soon veered off onto Old Highway 61, a back road dotted with shacks—a corrugated community, you might say—leading after a while into the sun-drenched main square of old Tunica. I wondered about this musical place name, which sounds as if it could be a tuneful cousin of the harmonica. In fact, I learned later, Tunica is named for the Indian tribe that once lived in the area and now shares a reservation with the Biloxi tribe in Marksville, Louisiana. The Tunica were much put upon by the more aggressive Chickasaw, who even sold a number of them into slavery in South Carolina about 300 years ago. Interestingly, the Tunica language, now extinct, is said to have no connection with any other family of languages—a kind of North American Basque. Since the Tunica and the Biloxi couldn’t understand each other, they resorted to French.

 

I stopped for lunch at the delightful-looking Blue & White Restaurant back on 61. It’s been there since 1937, and from all appearances, hasn’t changed much. My genial waitress, Dottie Carlisle, recommended the $9 all-you-can-eat Sunday buffet special. I heaped on some fried chicken, mac ’n’ cheese, Brussels sprouts, yams, turnip greens and black-eyed peas, created a little puddle of gravy, and got down to work. Afterward, Dottie insisted I sample the peach cobbler, which later caused me to slide the driver’s seat back an inch or two. Before Dottie would let me go, though, she led me into the kitchen to meet Dorothy Irons, who had cooked up this feast. She said she’d worked at the Blue & White since 1964, which was an especially tense time in Mississippi. But as I looked around the restaurant—where white and black employees acted like sisters, where an elderly black woman in her Sunday finery took her place right next to a table of good ol’ boys without anyone seeming to take notice—I had to conclude that while the legacy of that past persists, there was no question a whole lot had changed, too.

 

Finally I approached Clarksdale. Looking across the flat terrain, there were major storm clouds ahead and as I entered town, it was kicking up pretty good. I got lost trying to find the Delta Blues Museum, and there seemed to be no one around who could even give me directions. At last I stumbled upon the museum, which sat across an empty lot—not a good omen.

 

As I walked across the deserted space, I caught sight of the only other human who had ventured out in Clarksdale on this steamy Sunday afternoon—a barefoot, freckle-faced white boy splashing through the puddles like Gene Kelly. The kid eyed me from a safe distance.

 

“It’s closed,” he yelled. 

 

“Looks like it,” I conceded, wondering about this little guy playing freely all by himself. He was small, but had the toughened air of a much older boy. “How old are you?” I asked.

 

“Nine.”

 

“Are you with your parents or somebody?”

 

At that, his eyes widened and he tore off across the lot, looking back warily every ten yards or so.

 

I think I just met Huckleberry Finn.

 

So now I’d missed both the gospel service in Memphis and the Delta Blues Museum, but I still had this growing feeling that there’s something powerfully different about this corner of the world. I just couldn’t quite put my finger on it, and realized it might be a long time before it really sunk in. I decided to head east toward Oxford, the home of Faulkner, the University of Mississippi, John Grisham and the Oxford American. Must be a fairly civilized place, I thought, though it was also the site of violent white resistance in 1962 when James Meredith enrolled as the university’s first black student. President Kennedy had to dispatch 16,000 federal troops to restore peace.

 

Not five minutes out of Clarksdale, the torrential rains caught up with me again. Radio reception cut out, the road disappeared under water, and an 18-wheeler rumbled by at about 75 miles per hour in the opposite lane, sending a small tsunami my way. I barely saw it coming. I decided to play a stupid game: I’d count to 30, and if the visibility didn’t improve, I’d pull over and wait it out. At 23, it started to relent. I kept going.

 

Halfway to Oxford, you pass though Marks, Mississippi, which happens to be the birthplace of Fred W. Smith—founder and CEO of Memphis-based FedEx. But the town’s claim on history comes mostly from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was stirred to tears by the conditions he found there in 1968—poverty so entrenched that hundreds of children went without shoes or regular nutrition. He decided that Marks was an appropriate place to begin his Poor People’s March to Washington, D.C.—an epic campaign he didn’t live to see concluded. One-third of Marks’ residents still live in poverty.

 

Oxford, Mississippi, deserves a journey of its own—I’m afraid my quick foray through the Ole Miss campus and some charming downtown streets only whetted my appetite. Having just fallen under Ms. Nickki’s spell, though, I was more curious to continue on to her native Holly Springs, to complete the circle.

 

There are other important Memphis connections in Holly Springs. It was the birthplace of the legendary Memphis machine politician E.H. “Boss” Crump, and of Ida B. Wells, the early civil rights advocate and feminist who published her newspaper, Free Speech, in the basement of the First Baptist Beale Street Church. Holly Springs was also one of the hometowns of the Confederate general Nathaniel Bedford Forrest, who was so lionized in Memphis that in 1904, the city erected an impressive equestrian statue to mark his grave site in the Union Avenue park named for him. Considered a brilliant military tactician, he was also accused of massacring black Union prisoners under his command at Fort Pillow in 1864; Forrest was later installed as the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. For his Confederate zeal, he is still revered by white supremacists, more so than the kinder, gentler Robert E. Lee, for example. Needless to say, Forrest’s continuing place of honor in a majority African-American city sparks some controversy.

 

Holly Springs today has a satisfying old main square that made Oxford’s even look a little fussy. But it was late in the day when I finally arrived, and there were notable sights I’d probably never get to see, such as the juke joint Robert Gordon described as his all-time favorite. He was taken there by Junior Kimbrough, a local bluesman. “It was in a house in the middle of a cotton field,” Gordon recalled. “The party was roaring. They were selling fruit beer in the kitchen, and Junior was throwing down in the living room.”

 

In case you’re unfamiliar with that expression, it’s a high compliment

 

The webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 2:00pm EST and is open to the first 1,000 artists to register.  Artists can log onto the scheduled webinar to learn all about SoundExchange, maximizing their digital performance royalties to get their fair share, the process of getting their money, and activities in Congress that will affect their careers.  In addition to presentations by SoundExchange Executive Director John Simson and other SoundExchange representatives, the webinar will include a presentation by Daryl P. Friedman, Vice President of Advocacy & Government Relations for The Recording Academy, on important and current issues facing artists in their careers.

 

Click to register

 

 

One of the hottest tickets in Canada (or anywhere else) this summer has to be the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest which will feature an exhaustive list of talent including: RUSH, Santana, The Dead’s Phil Lesh & Bob Weir’s new band Furthur, Keith Urban, Iron Maiden, The Moody Blues, Weezer, Jimmy Cliff, Kevin Costner and Modern West, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, John Hiatt, Crowded House, Supertramp’s Roger Hodgson, The Flaming Lips, Weezer, The Hold Steady, and The B-52’s! Running from July 6-11 and from 13-18 at LeBreton Flats Park, the annual event is far more than a simple blues festival. Along with the best in authentic blues, Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest features music from a variety of genres from top artists such as The Band’s Levon Helm, Brit prog-rock band Renaissance, and reggae masters The Aggrolites. Canadian talent is also well represented. Along with RUSH, the Canuck line up includes fresh from their Juno Awards wins rapper/actor Drake,and indie rockers Metric as well as Newfoundland celtic-rockers Great Big Sea and Quebec’s Arcade Fire. Blues enthusiasts will not be disappointed. The festival has booked a killer list of talent including: Derek Trucks & Susan Tedesch Band, Roy Rogers & The Delta River Kings, Tommy Castro, Too Slim & The Taildraggers, Robert Randolph & The Family Band and Marcia Ball & The Voice Of The Wetlands All Stars featuring Tab Benoit, Cyril Neville, Anders Osborne, Johnny Sansone, Waylon Thibodeaux and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux. The full line up needs to be seen to be fully appreciated. Tickets go on sale to the general public April 24 at 10 a.m. (EST). To check out the complete line up and get more details, see the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest official website.

Singer and guitarist Boz Scaggs and blues guitarist Robben Ford will perform at a benefit show next month in Rohnert Park for the widow of slain master guitar maker Taku Sakashita.

 

 

Sakashita, 43, whose custom guitars sold for up to $35,000, was killed at his Rohnert Park workshop Feb. 11. Joshua Begley has been charged with murder in the case and is awaiting trial.

 

At the time of his death, Sakashita was building a custom guitar for Scaggs, and Ford was also among his clients.

 

The concert starts at 4 p.m. May 23 at the Spreckels Performing Arts Center, 5409 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. Tuck and Patti and the Volker Strifler Band also will perform.

 

Tickets go on sale Monday, April 26. Admission: $55-$100. Information: www.sakashtaguitars.com.

 

This year's schedule includes:

 

THE T-BONE WALKER TRIBUTE SET with legendary blues singer, TOMMY BROWN, from Atlanta, Georgia, saxophone legend BIG JAY McNEELY, guitarist JEFF ROSS, pianist STEVE F'DOR, bassist RICK REED and drummer RON FELTON.

 

Special Guest Speaker will be BERNITA WALKER, who will be discussing her father, the legendary ARON "T-BONE" WALKER!

 

THE KING BROTHERS - a powerful funk, soul and blues combo from Los Angeles.

 

NATHAN JAMES - Special acoustic set by The Blues Foundation's International Acoustic Blues Challenge Winner.

 

LEFF ROGERS BLUES BAND FEATURING LARRY "BIG HOUSE DAVID" - Winning Band from this past November's Battle Of The Blues Bands

 

 

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This year's 100th Birthday Tribute is sanctioned by the Estate of Aaron "T-Bone" Walker.  The Estate of Aaron Walker, Sr. is managed by T-Bone Walker's daughter, Bernita R. Walker. 

 

Ms. Walker commits the financial benefits derived from her father's creative property to the foundation she established in 1995, Project: PeaceMakers, Inc.  Project: PeaceMakers, Inc. addresses domestic/family violence through prevention education and intervention services, using a coordinated community response approach to break the cycle of violence in the home and in the community. 

 

The organization is a non-profit public benefit corporation founded to counteract the lack of public knowledge concerning the dynamics of domestic/family violence and its influences on each of us.

 

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Tickets $28 for members / $35 for non-members 

 

 

Children 12 and under only $10 when purchase with adult ticket.

 

 

Please note a few things regarding the festival:

 

No lawn chairs, coolers or alcohol will be allowed into the venue.  There is no parking inside the venue other than handicap parking.  Parking is free along Topanga Canyon Hwy.  There is no ATM on the premises of the festival and because of the remote location credit card processing may not be possible so please be sure to have cash on hand should you wish to purchase BBQ or any of the special offerings from our vendors.

  

 

Non-Member Ticket Purchase: Please note that no tickets will be mailed, your name will be at Will Call on the night of the event, it is recommended that you bring your Paypal receipt with you as proof of purchase.

 

Click for more

 

 The Delta Groove record label has emerged as an industry leader in blues music, with great releases of both contemporary and traditional blues, a groundbreaking marketing strategy, and an exciting roster of talent. Label chief Randy Chortkoff and Bob Corritore have been close friends and collaborators for over 25 years, and share a common love and dedication to traditional blues. So Bob's signing with Delta Groove is a natural merging of blues energies.

 

On August 17th Delta Groove will officially release Bob Corritore and Friends / Harmonica Blues. This release will be a celebration of the 40th anniversary of Bob's harmonica playing (Bob started at age 13). The 15 tracks included feature Bob performing with a simply amazing list of special guests that includes Koko Taylor, Little Milton, Robert Lockwood, Jr., Pinetop Perkins, Honeyboy Edwards, Nappy Brown, Eddy Clearwater, Louisiana Red, Carol Fran, Dave Riley, Big Pete Pearson, Tomcat Courtney, The Rhythm Room All-Stars, Chief Schabuttie Gilliame, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Eddie Shaw, Chico Chism, Bob Margolin, Kid Ramos, David Maxwell, Eddie Taylor, Jr., Bob Stroger, and more. These sides are selected highlights from Bob's extensive master tape vaults, and were recorded between 1989 and 2009 (20 years!). A number of CD release parties and pre-release parties will happen around various festivals including a June 9th pre-release celebration at SPACE in Evanston, as part of this year's Blues On The North Shore (an event that coincides with the Chicago Blues Festival

 

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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