She sings straight from the soul. Even as a teen, she delivered her songs with an amazing intensity and maturity. Now she has grown up to be the finest, most-acclaimed female blues and R&B singer of her generation. With a performing and recording career that spans 15 years (and she is only 31!), she’s electrified audiences around the world. Shemekia Copeland has truly made a lifetime mark in a few short years.

 

Inspired by her late father, Grammy-winning Texas bluesman Johnny Clyde Copeland, Shemekia first performed at the age of eight. She was on the road and on the stage with him at the tender age of 16. It was her father’s deep blues roots, combined with her experience growing up in the tough streets of Harlem, that brings such power and emotion to her music. “My dad knew ever since I was a baby,” she says. “He just knew I was gonna be a singer.” But she denied it. Then, when Johnny was diagnosed with heart problems and eventually had to have a heart pump implanted, she received the calling. “It was like a switch went off in my head,” recalls Shemekia, “and I wanted to sing. It became a want and a need. I had to do it.”

 

She burst onto the national scene with her 1998 debut album Turn The Heat Up, which shot her straight to festival headliner status. The title track hit radio hard, two songs appeared in Hollywood films, and she was declared to be “the future of the blues.” Giants like B.B. King, Koko Taylor, Ruth Brown, James Cotton and Mavis Staples sang her praises, and Robert Plant declared her “the next Tina Turner.” With her second Alligator release, the Grammy-nominated Wicked, she won the first of her three national TV appearances. Her next two albums, Talking To Strangers and The Soul Truth, produced by Dr. John, and soul pioneer Steve Cropper respectively, found her giant talent just continuing to grow. She’s opened for The Rolling Stones and won eight Blues Music Awards (and 27 nominations).

 

Shemekia is constantly on the road. Her career has taken her all across the U.S.A., to Europe, and even to sing for the troops in Iraq. Everywhere she goes, she leaves behind scores of exhilarated fans, bowled over by the sheer power, depth and humor of this young woman with the very grownup soul.

 

                                                    – Bruce Iglauer

 

 

International Blues Challenge brings world to genre’s home 

 

Memphisdailynews.com - Memphis has long been known as the “home of the blues,” a moniker that’s on display this week at the annual International Blues Challenge.

 

The event, which draws participants from around the world, kicked off Tuesday with the opening FedEx International Showcase at the New Daisy Theatre and continues through Saturday.

 

The rain, wind and cold temperatures that greeted participants at Tuesday’s opening night didn’t deter the enthusiasm.

 

“It’s colder than I expected,” said Mihael Vlah, who traveled from Poland as a member of the Kajetan Drozd Acoustic Trio, one of the 20 international acts featured in the FedEx International Showcase.

 

The competition draws musicians from around the globe to compete in a battle of blues bands that culminates on Saturday at The Orpheum Theatre at 2 p.m. Participants have come from Australia, Israel, Italy, Finland, Norway, Germany France, Canada and Croatia.

 

The festival has grown through the years, bringing more contestants but also greater complexity to the event. This year is starting earlier than ever.

 

“It’s just like a basketball tournament. When you add more teams, you add more rounds,” said Jay Sieleman, executive director of the Memphis-based Blues Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving blues music history. The IBC is one of the Blues Foundation’s signature events.

 

This year there are some 200 acts including 110 contestants in the band competition and more than 80 people competing in the solo/duo division.

 

No matter who wins Saturday’s judging the city of Memphis will be a big winner.

 

“You’ve got to understand that only about 10 percent of (participants) are Memphians,” said Mike Glenn, owner of the New Daisy Theatre and Beale Street Merchant Association board member. The association sponsors the IBC.

 

Several Downtown hotels are booked to capacity and restaurant managers are preparing for larger than average crowds.

 

“We have 10 hotels partnering with us,” Sieleman said. “Every Downtown hotel benefits. The Doubletree is completely sold out and they have a four-night minimum.”

 

Meetings and conventions can mean big business. According to the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, the average convention delegate in the city spends about $400 per day. International visitors average a three-night stay with an average daily room rate of about $80, which with the various hotel and sales taxes, events like the IBC generates much-needed dollars.

 

“Personally, for my business, this is the second-busiest weekend of the year,” said Ty Agee, owner of Miss Polly’s Soul City Café and president of the Beale Street Merchants Association. “Winter can be horrible down here. So to know you have four to five solid days, really is a blessing.”

 

And so far this week, the event seems to be a blessing to the participants as well even if the path to Memphis wasn’t always easy.

 

Isaiah B. Brunt came all the way from Sydney, Australia – the hard way.

 

“I went from Sydney, to L.A. to Atlanta, then to Nashville and took a bus to Memphis,” said the very dedicated Brunt of his 27-hour pilgrimage. “I would not recommend that to anybody.”

 

Brunt uses blues at home as part of an outreach program in neighborhoods where poverty and drugs present challenges for kids from the aboriginal cultures.

 

“You cannot just go into those communities,” Brunt said. “You have to be invited. Blues seems to bring happiness and hope to these places.”

 

To be entered in the IBC, acts had to be sponsored by local blues societies who hold competitions to send only their best to Memphis. There were 195 affiliated societies that participated this year. Dues from these societies cover the considerable travel expenses.

 

The event runs through Saturday with acts at most Beale Street clubs. Visit www.blues.org/ibc for more information.

 

 

            27th IBC Semi-Finalists  

 

"Featuring Blues and Jazz  bands led by female band leaders" 

 

October 15, 2011

 

200 West Fisher Street

 

Downtown Historic Salisbury, NC

 

Featuring

 

 

Beverly 'Guitar' Watkins  

 

 

 and others to be announced.

 

 

"Once upon a time in a Piedmont town in North Carolina the first Blues and Jazz Jam was organized with the assistance of several local musicians, business sponsors, the United Arts Council of Rowan and other Blues and Jazz enthusiasts of Salisbury, NC.  It was held in a casual setting on the parking lot of the Rowan Health and Fitness Center in downtown Salisbury.  Everyone brought their lawn chairs.  They listened to two hometown  celebrities,  Jackie Torrence, storyteller and Bob Paolino, blues guitarist, perform an excerpt from "Blues Story", a play written by Ms. Torrence...."

 

       Several other local bands performed that day as well.  It was a triumphant afternoon and evening.  As word spread about the event it was suggested that a Blues and Jazz Society be formed.  In October of 1999, Ms. Eleanor Qadirah organized a meeting and the Rowan Blues and Jazz Society was born.  A second Blues and Jazz Jam was held in September of 2000 and it has been an annual event ever since. This year will be our 13th Annual Blues and Jazz Festival.

 

Click here for more info and updates.

 

 

The girls hit Beale Street - Willette Romius from Alligator, MS, future site of one of the Blues Trail Markers (her family founded the town) with Tracy Sow - Bobby Rush's publicist and Cheryl O'Grady - Sales Manager, Blues Festival Guide 

 

 

 

Kaati and Cheryl from the Blues Festival Guide are in Memphis at the International Blues Challenge, a 4-day/5 night event with 110 bands, 80 solo/duo acts, 30 youth acts, 700 musicians from 40 states and 13 countries.

510 performances ­ all the venues are on Beale Street.
The weather is COLD! The music is HOT!

 

This is an annual, not-to-be-missed event. Mark your calendars for next year and check out www.Blues.org  for more info.

 

Thanks to Joe and Jay and crew for making the IBC the industry's best networking event.

 

(ATLANTA) - Blues harmonica greats both past and present are featured during the "Groovin Like Big Walter" Workshop and "Blues Harp Blast" events at Blind Willies, 828 N. Highland Ave., Atlanta, Wednesday, February 9. Workshop: 7-8:30 p.m. ($40.); Blues Harp Blast: 9:30 p.m.- till? ($10., or $5. with Workshop admission). Info: (404) 873-BLUE (2583) or log onto www.blindwilliesblues.com.

 

             The "Groovin' Like Big Walter" Workshop is a must for fledgling harp players and/or enthusiasts, guaranteed to help you play with more of a groove and better understand the style of one of the giants of blues harmonica, "Big Walter" Horton.  To register for the workshop log onto www.dennisgruenling.com or www.badassharmonica.com. Following the Workshop will be a "Blues Harp Blast," featuring renowned harpist Dennis Gruenling, plus Atlanta-based harpists Doug "Joe Lee" Bush and Carlos "The Breeze" Capote. All three are backed by guitarist Doug Deming of Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones acclaim. 

  

 

Three Northwest Women In Blues features blueswomen Alice Stuart, Mary Flowers, and Anne Weiss.  They are among the best in their field, on instruments, vocals, original songwriting and overall presentation.  These two evenings bring three signature solo shows together for a magical two night collaboration.  Expect a set from each artist and surprise natural collaborations as well.  In the Native American culture, there is nothing more powerful than a circle of decided women.  This gathering of three decidedly blues artists, Alice Stuart, Mary Flower and Anne Weiss will manifest that power musically.

 

 

More...
Olympia-based and Grammy and Handy Award nominee Alice Stuart blazed the trail for women in rock and roll and blues as one of the only females in the country to write her own music, front a male band, and play lead guitar on national and international circuits during the 1970s.  According to Taj Mahal, "Alice cut the road that Bonnie Raitt traveled."  Having collaborated with Frank Zappa, Bob Jones (We Five & Southern Comfort) and Karl Sevareid (Southern Comfort & Robert Cray), Alice has performed alongside Joan Baez, Doc Watson, Mississippi John Hurt, Jerry Garcia, Commander Cody, Michael Bloomfield, John Prine, Asleep at the Wheel, John Hammond, Richard Greene, Elvin Bishop, Dave Mason, Sonny Terry, Tower of Power and Lightnin' Hopkins, Jesse Fuller, Albert King, and Van Morrison.  She has appeared on The Dick Cavett Show and with George Carlin as guest host.  The Washington Blues Society awards include Best NW CD in 2003 and 2004 and 2005 Best Songwriter. In 2005, Alice was inducted into the WBS Hall of Fame.  The Seattle Weekly Music Awards awarded her and her band, The Formerlys, Best Seattle Blues Band for 2004. In 2005 Alice was given the award for Seattle's Best Guitarist.  In 2006, Alice and The Formerlys again won the award for Best Blues Band.   www.alicestuart.com       

 

Mary Flower, based in Portland, Oregon, is a world-class guitarist who swings the blues.  The Piedmont style forms the foundation of much of her work, but she's an unrivaled interpreter of Mississippi blues and an ingenious composer in her own right whose tunes take American music into uncharted waters.  She's twice placed in the top three at the prestigious National Finger Picking Championship in Winfield, Kansas, the only woman to do so, but Flower goes beyond technique.  Mary brings smarts and sublime equipoise to her music. Nominated for a 2008 Blues Music Award, Mary won the coveted Vox Populi award at the 2009 Independent Music Awards.   www.maryflower.com         

 

Anne Weiss, based in Portland, Oregon is a national and international touring artist.  She has been performing and touring nationally for over 20 years. Her recent album, Concrete World and the Lover's Dream, features David Jacobs-Strain and was produced by rock great Kenny Passarelli.  It received a Radiolndy Gold Artist award and has been receiving national and international accolades. Known for her enormous bluesy voice, signature guitar chops, poetic lyrics, and humorous stage presence, Weiss has appeared with everyone from Dar Williams to Taj Mahal, and appears on recordings with The Indigo Girls, Greg Brown, Shawn Colvin and others. Anne's songs draw on the richness of her life - daughter of an opera singer, classical pianist turned blues guitarist, NY street gang member, mountaineer, social activist here and abroad, and writer/performer of songs that will stay with you forever.     www.anneweiss.com

 

Click for more

 

AN ASSOCIATION BRINGING TOGETHER ALL THOSE INVOLVED IN THE BLUES COMMUNITY

 

The Blues is over a hundred years old and, since its first appearance, it has influence all musical genres.

 

In France, Blues music is very much alive thanks to a strong determination from its young people to keep it vibrant. Various music competitions have indeed confirmed the talent of these young artists.

 

This vitality is found throughout Europe, particularly in the Northern countries, and various people involved thought that a coordinated action was now needed. After 3 annual European Blues conferences,  the “European Blues Union” was finally set up and this year, for the first time, it organises the “European Blues Challenge” on the 18^th and 19^th of March in Berlin (16 countries are competing). Please visit the Union site: www.bluesyou.com

 

France will be represented at:

-          The “European Blues Challenge” by the Toulouse quartet, Awek

-          The “Memphis International Blues Challenge”, thanks to the support of  Institut Français and Sacem, by the Toulouse band, Awek and the Grenoble duo, Mountain Men, introduced by Blues sur Seine.

 

A number of people involved in the French Blues community and related music genres considered that, as for many other performing arts, it was time to set up a common structure, hence the creation of FRANCE BLUES.

 

The association aims to promote the Blues and related music genres, those involved in the Blues community and in particular the artists but also associations, festivals, media and specialised websites, to encourage  international exchanges and more specifically in terms of cooperation between European festivals as well as to promote initiatives for young people (such as Blues at school).

 

Making up of a directory listing all those involved in the French Blues community and a study of the organisation of annual music awards.

 

Is made up of website managers, the “Chaîne du Blues” , festival organisers and volunteers, journalists, lawyers, film maker and educator, etc.

 

Jean Guillermo
President

 

Click for more

 

 

 

 

While the blues-rock trailblazers of the 1960s received their inspiration from the blues giants of the 1940s and '50s like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Sonny Boy Williamson, the blues-rock artists of the 1970s would in turn be influenced by bands like John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, and others. As it smoothed out some of the rough edges of the previous decade, blues-rock would become much more commercial during the 1970s, with bands moving from small clubs to massive stadiums. These are the albums that carried the torch for the blues-rock sound throughout the 1970s.

 

 After two excellent studio collections of blues-and-soul-inspired rock music (1969's self-titled debut and the following year's Idlewild South), the Allman Brothers Band broke through nationally with the two-album live At Fillmore East. One of the best blues-rock albums ever assembled, At Fillmore East includes extended, instrument-driven live jams on some of the Allman's signature tunes. From Blind Willie McTell's "Statesboro Blues" and T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday" to the band's original "Whipping Post" and "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed," this is the band's definitive artistic statement...and it rocks like a twister in a trailer park!

 

The Phoenix Blues Society is proud to announce that the Tommy Castro Band will headline the 20^th anniversary of its signature event, Blues Blast. 

 

Blues Blast 20 will be held at the Mesa Amphitheatre on Saturday, February 19^th, 2011.  The Mesa Amphitheatre is located at 201 North Center Street, Mesa, AZ 85201.  Doors will open at 10:00 a.m. and the show will start promptly at 11:00 a.m.

 

We’re pleased and honored to have the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year with us at Blues Blast and are looking forward to an outstanding performance by Tommy and the Tommy Castro Band.

 

Joining Tommy Castro at Blues Blast is the three-time Blues Music Award Winner for Horn and a fixture in Tommy’s Living Blues Cruise Review project, Deanna Bogart.  Down Beat magazine describes Deanna Bogart as "an extravagant entertainer"-- and entertain is what Deanna does best. The Maryland-based blues and boogie pianist / saxophonist combines the energy of 1930's style boogie piano blues with contemporary blues sounds emanating from places like New Orleans, Chicago and Memphis. "The goal when we play live," says Deanna, "is to create a fusion of all these different musical styles with the blues and boogie genuinely at the core."  A PBS favorite, Deanna and the band recently completed a successful performance and DVD concert filming at the Weinberg Center for the Performing Arts.  This will be Deanna’s second appearance at Blues Blast.

 

Traveling to Arizona and the Southwest for the first time, Trampled Under Foot (TUF) brings their high energy show to Blues Blast fans who will appreciate the unique family nature of the band.  Winners of the 2008 International Blues Challenge; Nick, Kris and Danielle Schnebelen are just back from playing the Notodden Blues Festival in Norway and are currently in the studio recording their next studio album.  Big brother Nick won the Albert King Award for the most promising guitarist at the 2008 IBC and Danielle wowed the IBC audience with her amazing vocals as well as her chops on the bass.  Kris keeps it all together on the drums and the result is non-stop action from the minute TUF hits the stage.

 

Valley favorites Cold Shott and the Hurricane Horns hit the stage this year celebrating their 20^th year of entertaining music lovers all around the Valley and Arizona.  Founded by Ted Kowal, Cold Shott has evolved from a three piece Blues trio to a tour de force that features eight members in the band now.  An amazing high-energy band, Cold Shott and the Hurricane Horns are known for their infectious brand of Blues, R & B and Funk.

Rounding out this year’s Blues Blast lineup is the Krimson Chord.  Heavily influenced by early 60’s Chicago Blues; Geoff, Jim, Bernie and John have been rocking the Southwest for over 25 years and are the winners of the 2010 Arizona Blues Showdown.  Fresh off their trip to Memphis, Krimson Chord will entertain you with their own version of “Blues you can use!”

 

Tickets are available from the Phoenix Blues Society and the Mesa Amphitheatre Box Office.  Their phone number is (480) 644-2560 and tickets are also available through their website at www.mesaamp.com  Additional information on the festival can be found on its website, www.bluesblast.info

    

 

 

 Buddy Guy is back to talk about his brand new CD, Living Proof. Now in his seventies, he is still knocking the blues out of the park. Tasty portions will be served, including duets he recorded with Carlos Santana, and BB King.  You will be introduced to a guitar prodigy Buddy discovered, Quinn Sullivan (not yet 12 years old). And you will experience new music from the British guitar woman, Joanne Shaw Taylor.

 For a list of stations where you can find House of Blues Radio

 

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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