Sista Monica Parker – “The Lioness of the Blues” is roaring again! Her highly anticipated contemporary blues, soul, and old-school R&B full-length CD "Living in the Danger Zone” will be released October 18, 2011 on Indie record label Mo Muscle Records. Sista Monica writes, sings, and produces "Living in the Danger Zone" – a 14 track, full throttle disc. She creates deep-pocket grooves that will make listeners bob their heads, clap their hands, sing along, and dance on their feet. It is a DJ’s delight. "Living in the Danger Zone" offers the very best in female contemporary blues and R&B. Sista Monica carries the baton for the great blues women she calls “the mothers of her blues” Ms. Etta James, Koko Taylor, and Katie Webster. The Sista croons, wails, shouts, and belts with powerful sass, and sultry phrasing on this CD. She is “in-your-face” one minute and revealing a sensitive and vulnerable side the next. Her recording and touring Sista Monica Band includes seasoned musicians Danny Sandoval-tenor sax, Don Caruth-guitar, Leon Joyce Jr.,-drums, Artis Joyce “AJ”-bass, and musical director Danny “B” Beconcini on piano, Hammond B3 and co-writer/arranger. This CD has a variety of blues and R&B melodies with both exciting and heartfelt lyrics. The band, often compared to “the old Albert Collins and the Icebreakers” is awesome. They are backing a dynamic and emotive singer in Sista Monica Parker. "Living in the Danger Zone" is for music lovers of all ages. Parker invites special guest Kelley Hunt in a duet - vocals & piano. Joining the band on different tracks are friends Ruth Davies-acoustic bass, Mike Schermer, Dan Caron, Terry Hiatt, and Vasti Jackson on guitar. David Tucker, and Jeff Minnieweather on drums, and Carolyn Brandy on percussion. “Living in the Danger Zone” will be released on www.sistamonica.com via Paypal first. E-tailers such as www.cdbaby.com, www.Itunes.com, www.amazon.com will follow, and it will be in all stores by Oct 28, 2011. Booking festivals, clubs theater dates nationwide and Europe now! Call USA 831-425-3192 or email Artist Management - Lesa Magee at lgmagee9@aol.com for availability.

 

 

For over a decade, Marty “Big Dog” Mercer’s heartfelt, southpaw blues and soulful voice has growled through the Chicago music scene.

 

Mercer’s ability to combine emotional lyrics with aggressive slide guitar & heartfelt bends make him an artist unlike any other.

Nowadays, though, Mercer’s playing and his choice of material reflects his maturity. He celebrated his newest release, the self-titled cd “Big Dog Mercer”, with a Sept. 9 show in Joliet. It’s his second effort for Electro Glide Records and his follow-up to 2010’s “Attack of the Southpaw”.

 

With the opening song, “Big Dog’s Blues” the mood is set to boogie right along with the upbeat music and continues through with the slow blues tune, “Drinkin Blues”. “Prelude” & “Helpless” show Mercer’s ability to think outside the box. The tempo goes right back up after the ballads & continues upbeat until the final Gospel song “Thank You, Jesus”.

 

 Big Dog is expressive and soulful with his guitar playing.His lyrics come right from his heart and you can feel his emotions in every word.

 

“Although this was recorded in a professional studio, I wanted to give the listener the feeling of a live performance. 7 out of 10 tracks were recorded live with no overdubs. There are a couple bad notes, but I left them. I plugged straight into the amp & only used two effects on three of the songs” Mercer states. “One of the best compliments I’ve received to date is that we sound exactly like the recording when we play live”

 

TRACK LIST

Big Dog’s Blues

Stickin’ Pins Into Me

Wimmen Trouble

Some Other Fool

Drinkin’ Blues

Prelude

Helpless

It’s Because of You

Big Dog Will Treat You Right

Thank you, Jesus

 

 

 

Through the efforts of James Goode and his compadres on the Mill Block Blues CD, the HART Fund has been enriched by more than $9000 since April. In order to reach $10,000, each HART Fund donor of $20 or more will receive a guitar pick and CD autographed by Anson Funderburgh. Donate here.

 

The title track from Mill Block Blues is included on the CD sampler #10 in the current issue of Big City Rhythm And Blues Magazine and is included in the magazine's "Coolest Blues Song of 2011" contest.

 

The CD was produced by Anson Funderburgh and the Ruff Kutt Blues Band is comprised of local Dallas musicians and one musician from Austin.

 

You can purchase the CD at www.ruffkuttblues.com.

 

This month’s item is a Burton History Tree.

 

Matt "Guitar" Murphy was born in Mississippi in 1929 and guitar was just the thing in his household as his brother Floyd also had a career in the Blues on the instrument.  

 

Matt has had a career in the Blues as one of the greatest sidemen on the guitar in history as he didn't even have his own group until the 1980s yet still became a legend and master.

 

Just a few of the Blues legends he backed include Howlin' Wolf, Little Junior Parker, James Cotton, Otis Rush, Ike Turner, Etta James, Chuck Berry and of course The Blues Brothers.

 

Murphy is still going strong to this day and provides a great example of what it means to be a Blues master.

 

Check him out in 1963. 

 

 

 

 

Did you know that I do Custom Comic Strips and Comic Pages as gifts?

 

 

 

The Blues Audience newsletter (T.B.A.), New England’s only Blues Publication, is celebrating 20 years of service to the Blues bands and fans of this great American music. An Anniversary party is planned for October 23, 2011 at The Bull Run Restaurant in Shirley, Massachusetts, doors open at 4, show starts at 6pm. The party will showcase an All Star Revue of New England Blues talent, including the Chris Fitz Band, Diane Blue, Professor Harp, Mr. Nick’s Dirty Tricks, Alizon Lissance, Carl Querfurth and more special guests. There will be a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle.

T.B.A. is designed to promote hard working New England Blues musicians. It helps them reach the diverse, niche market of Blues fans.  Publisher, Diana Shonk, started T.B.A. in 1991. The newsletter has continued to support the New England Blues scene with articles and reviews of performances by local, working Blues bands in the clubs that make up the New England live Blues music scene. T.B.A. has become a widely accepted source for information pertaining to the New England Blues scene, and becomes a history of much of what has happened in the 6 New England states for the past 20 years.

We also promote the newsletter with a web presence. The web site that does not echo the newsletter but contains pictures and articles about Blues Festivals, “Blues Audience Parties”,  new CDs and links of interest. We send special notices to our readers by email. 

T.B.A. presents Readers Poll Awards every year and the results are on our web site 

www.bluesaudience.com.

T.B.A.’s Publisher, Diana Shonk, was recently honored with a “Keeping The Blues Alive” Award by HeatherFest, a yearly Blues Festival and fundraiser for local charities in the Boston area.

 

The Blues Audience newsletter is archived at the University of Mississippi’s Dept of Archives and Special Collections, JD Williams Library, University, Mississippi

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At this week's American Music Association awards show, Justin Townes Earle won for "Song of the Year" with his song HARLEM RIVER BLUES.

 

Which Blues fans might think to be a "good thing"...however, this explains alot about why all my friends are so confused about Blues Music....you be the judge.  Watch the video of Justi Townes Earle performig HARLEM RIVER BLUES on The Letterman Show.

 

 

Jim O'Neal, founder in 1970 of Living Blues magazine and a serious independent researcher into American roots music, is among the 59 million Americans without health insurance, and has lymph cancer.

 

A series of benefit concerts are scheduled to raise funds for his treatments and a fund has been set up at Commerce Bank in Kansas City to accept direct donations: checks to: Jim O'Neal Blues Fund, P.O. Box 10334, Kansas City, MO 64171 or donations via Paypal to the account onealbluesfund@aol.com.

 

Jim O'Neal and LB's co-founder with his now ex-wife Amy Van Singel, established Living Blues as a decidedly non-commercial venture -- not that they were trying to go broke or live poor, but it was ok 40 years ago to follow your passion, especially if it was of cultural significance, with the belief that eventually some small amount of security might follow. However, it hasn't necessarily panned out that way.

 

University of Mississippi acquired the magazine in 1983, and today it remains an important chronicle of the bedrock music that has helped get people through their troubles for more than 100 years, feeding much of the rock and pop that's accrued millions of fans and billions of dollars. Yet blues people and the music remain marginalized, and many of them act like that's to be expected. Which is ridiculous -- what great nation treats its artists, researchers and curators so callously?

 

O'Neal contributed to the Billboard Illustrated History of Jazz and Blues, published in 2005; I was general editor (it has since been republished with different credits, but the book's the same). Jim's writing is lucid, understated and exacting. He's participated in various blues symposiums, and can be seen in Robert Mugge's excellent documentary Hellhounds On My Trail - The Afterlife of Robert Johnson, filmed at the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame when Delta blues legend Johnson was inducted as an "Early Influence" in 1986.

 

Here's the schedule of benefit concerts:

OCT. 20 SURF CLUB, HYATTSVILLE, MD With Memphis Gold and others

OCT. 28 KNUCKLEHEADS, KANSAS CITY, KANSAS Kenny Neal, Memphis Gold and others

NOV 19 (date is tentative) BUDDY GUY'S LEGENDS, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS KennyNeal, Memphis Gold, Eddie Clearwater, Eddie Shaw, Billy Branch, Elmore James Jr., Nora Jean Bruso and others.

 

Ellas Anthony McDaniel, the 56-year-old son of rhythm and blues singer Bo Diddley, was arrested for trespassing in the downtown plaza named for his father.

 

At least four members of the Occupy Gainesville movement, including McDaniel, were arrested Friday morning for trespassing on the Bo Diddley Community Plaza after the park closed. The demonstration was peaceful and the protesters said they decided to get arrested to prove a point.

 

"This is my father's park," said McDaniel, a Gainesville resident. "For them to arrest me in that plaza is ludicrous. ... I'm an American. This is freedom of assembly."

 

He's carrying a sign that says "HOPE ISN'T JUST FOR PRESIDENTS." 

 

According to United Press International, the 73-year-old has faced a bevy of health issues including leukemia over the past year and said that her album “The Dreamer” will signal her retirement. According to EUR Web, she was also diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2009.

 

The new album, set to be released on Oct. 25, will feature new renditions of tracks made famous by Ray Charles, Guns N Roses and Otis Redding. Following the album's release, she says that she will concentrate on her health.

 

“I wish to thank all my fans who have shown me love and support over all these years. I love you all,” she said in a statement.

 

James skyrocketed to stardom in the 1960s with the ballads “All I Could Do is Cry,” “Trust in Me,” and her signature song “At Last,” according to Biography.com. Amid personal and professional issues, she earned a Grammy nomination in 1973 for her album “Etta James.”

 

In 2008, James' life was spotlighted in the film “Cadillac Records.” Singer Beyoncé portrayed James and recorded her own version of “At Last” for the film's soundtrack.

 

Did John Lennon sell his soul to the devil in exchange for his worldly musical success with The Beatles and beyond? That's the theory set forth by Joseph Niezgoda in his soon-to-be released book The Lennon Prophecy, A New Examination of the Death Clues of the Beatles.

 

The Lennon Prophecy ($19.95, New Chapter Press) offers a new interpretation of the hidden messages and symbols that have ornamented Beatles mythology for years and offers the view that Lennon joined historical figures such as Mississippi "Crossroads" blues guitarist Robert Johnson, Dr. Johann Faust, Pope Sylvester II among others who entered into a pact with the devil to exchange their souls for earthly successes. Niezgoda dissects and examines the Beatles' and Lennon's recordings and album artwork and follows a fascinating and unique trail of sorcery, mysticism, numerology, backward masking, anagrams and literary and theological writings to explain his conclusions.

 

The Lennon Prophecy puts forth the theory that a 20-year-old Lennon, so disillusioned with a life of sadness and disappointment where he was abandoned by his father and stricken with the death of his mother, entered into a deal with the devil to achieve fame and fortune. Niezgoda alleges that a 20-year pact began in December of 1960, shortly before a night when Beatlemania first struck audiences on December 27, 1960, when the Fab Four played at Town Hall Ballroom in Litherland, England. During that performance, as Niezgoda writes, "The Beatles evoked a response noticeably different from anything in their past." From there, The Beatles inexplicably and immediately shot to global fame at a level never seen before or since. The 20-year pact came to its tragic conclusion on December 8, 1980, when Mark David Chapman, who testified he was possessed by demons, fulfilled the end of the contract by murdering Lennon outside of his apartment at The Dakota in New York City.

 

Clues foretelling the death of Lennon are revealed in album covers such as Rubber Soul, Yesterday and Today, A Collection of Beatles Oldies, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Yellow Submarine, Magical Mystery Tour, Abbey Road as well as Lennon solo albums Imagine and Walls and Bridges. Songs that also reveal the mysterious prediction of death and connections to the devil include "Tomorrow Never Knows, " "I Am The Walrus, " "Come Together, " "One After 909, " "Let It Be, " "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "Revolution No. 9, " which Niezgoda reveals is in itself a step-by-step preview of the actual assassination. The video for the biggest hit off Lennon's last album "(Just Like) Starting Over" also reveals an intriguing clue that brings the literary world of James Joyce into the myriad clues.

 

Lennon's alleged anti-Christian behavior as well as his infamous declaration that the Beatles were "Bigger than Jesus" are also presented as evidence of a possible pact. Niezgoda also dispels the "Paul-is-Dead" mythology that theorized that the Beatles inserted clues in their songs how Paul McCartney was killed in a car crash.

 

A lifelong Beatles fan, collector and scholar, Niezgoda has researched John Lennon and the band for more than 25 years. He works in analog and digital music recording with an extensive background in music theory. The Lennon Prophecy will be available for purchase in December.

 

Founded in 1987, New Chapter Press is an independent publisher of books and part of the Independent Publishers Group. New Chapter Press is also the publisher of The Bud Colins History of Tennis by Bud Collins, The Roger Federer Story, Quest for Perfection by Rene Stauffer and Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games by Tom Caraccioli and Jerry Caraccioli.

 

 

EL PASO , TX – Catfood Records has announced the signing of acclaimed bluesman James Armstrong and will release his label debut CD, Blues at the Border, in December, with national distribution by City Hall Records. Blues at the Border, Armstrong’s first new album in 11 years, was produced by Michael Ross, James Armstrong and Bob Trenchard, with tracks recorded at studios in New York City and Tornillo, Texas.
 
James Armstrong has been described by one music writer as “an artist in a world of craftsmen, harking back to a time when each bluesman had a distinctive musical voice. James shares with the legends the ability to go beyond rocking the roadhouse (though he excels at that), to telling the kind of story that the blues tells the best. He’s one of a very few seasoned artists who manages to honor the sound of traditional blues, while giving it the contemporary feel that makes modern fans groove.”

 

 

Alligator Records is pleased to announce the signing of soul singer/songwriter/harmonica icon Curtis Salgado. Salgado, winner of the Blues Music Award for 2010 Soul Blues Artist Of The Year, will release his label debut in Spring of 2012. Blues Revue says, "Salgado is one of the most down-to-earth, soulful, honest singers ever, and his harmonica work is smoking and thoroughly invigorating. He plays rollicking soul-rock...funky and electrifying." Salgado tours constantly, and is among the most energetic performers in the blues world.

 

Originally from Everett, WA, Salgado grew up in Eugene, OR. He was featured vocalist of the original Robert Cray Band and later spent time as lead vocalist with Roomful of Blues and Santana. He has released a total of seven solo albums and has built a legion of fans worldwide. In 2008 Salgado overcame serious health issues and has returned stronger than ever.

 

Much more information on Curtis Salgado's Alligator debut will be coming soon.

 

       

 The Ottawa power trio MonkeyJunk describes their music as swamp r&b, soul boogie, and bedroom funk. Elwood examines those categories with music from Slim Harpo, John Lee Hooker, and Bobby Rush, before welcoming MonkeyJunk to the program. Their new CD is To Behold. It will be played, along with Bobby Rush, Albert Collins, the Blues Brothers, and Hound Dog Taylor. Plus, some fabulous boogie from the “piano from Savannah,” Victor Wainwright and the Wildroots. Meanwhile back at the website, five listeners can win Voodoo Workin', the third album from Steve Gerard and the National Debonnaires, and Live From The Long Island Blues Warehouse, a live album from a great blues guitarist, Sean Chambers.

 

 

 

More on our radio and video streams can be found here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 House of Blues Streaming Audio Here