Spider Eating Preacher is the new album by Chicago blues legend Eddie C. Campbell and it's a family affair. Eddie & Barbara's musical partnership is in full blossom as Barbara plays bass on six songs. Barbara learned the authentic Chicago blues bass "bump" from Eddie! Spider Eating Preacher features 12 new original compositions, including the title track, a song about Barbara's blindness. Their son, David, plays violin on two songs. Eddie is Lurrie Bell's godfather. This is the first time they've recorded together since the teenaged Lurrie played bass on the title track on Eddie's classic 1977 album King of the Jungle. Eddie and Lurrie both play guitar & harp here. Spider Eating Preacher is Eddie's follow-up to Tear This World Up (Delmark 799) which was a finalist for Album of the Year in the 2010 Blues Music Awards. 

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 “I found new Italian musical brothers touring with the Mike Sponza Band in Central Europe in April, 2011. The fire we started onstage burns in this studio recording too.” – Bob Margolin

American Bluesman Bob Margolin has played “Blues around the world” since the 1970s. After spending seven years as a key player in the Muddy Waters Blues Band, Bob continued touring as a leader of his own band and as sideman and musical director for Blues legends like Pinetop Perkins, Nappy Brown, Hubert Sumlin, and many others. He has been a keeper of the flame of the Blues, a living bridge to the fast-disappearing older generation of Bluesmen, and a support and inspiration to the next generation on their way up. Over the years Bob has recorded many albums of his own and played on countless others, and has also become known as a producer, an author, and a founding partner of the artist-centered VizzTone label group.

Meanwhile, across the ocean… A longtime Bob Margolin fan, Italian Blues musician Mike Sponza was tearing it up with his own band when he reached out to Bob to join them for a tour of Central Europe. They did ten shows in six European countries, and the combination was so magical, the music so strong that by the end of the tour it was clear they needed to go into the studio to make a record together. Blues Around the World captures that magic with original songs by Bob and by Mike as well as a couple audience favorites, and as a bonus track, Bob’s acoustic take on the classic “Love In Vain.”

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Apollo to induct Etta James

The late Etta James will be inducted into the Apollo Theater's hall of fame.

The ceremony will be held at the historic Harlem theater on June 4.

James' versatile style included blues, soul, jazz, R&B and rock. She's known for ballads such as "At Last" and "Trust in Me."

She performed at the Apollo in 1957 and again in the 1960s.

Her last album, "The Dreamer," was released just three months before her death on Jan. 20. She was 73.

Past Apollo Legends Hall of Fame inductees include Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin and Patti Labelle. Lionel Richie will also be inducted on June 4th.

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http://www.apollotheater.com

Tix On Sale Now For Tulsa's Hound Dog Blues Festival

Tulsa’s Hound Dog Blues Festival will beSept. 21-22 at Chandler Park, 6500 W. 21st St. in Tulsa, OK.

It’s the second year for the fledgling fest, which announced this week that it’s adding a second day at the area’s largest outdoor concert venue.

The event features music for pet lovers, and a portion of ticket and merchandise proceeds benefit a variety of local animal rescue organizations.

Music acts include Steve Pryor, Chris Duarte, Albert Castiglia and Sean Chambers. Music runs the night of Sept. 21 and all day and into the night on Sept. 22. Food, beverages and merchandise will be available and ice, beer, soft drinks and water will also be for sale to those who wish to bring empty coolers.

“This year we hope to benefit a variety of animal rescue organizations and there will be multiple opportunities to help,” said Matt Arbuckle, Hound Dog Blues Festival organizer. “This is our second year and we are expecting a large turnout with the extraordinary talent we have booked.”

Advance tickets are on sale now. The event is all-ages. Tickets are $10 for Sept. 21, $15 for Sept. 22 or $20 for both days, available at tulsaworld.com/ticketstorm and Starship Records in Tulsa. For those age 21 and older, VIP passes are available that include meet-and-greets, parking, food, drinks and more. 

Children ages 7-17 (with ID) are $5 per day. Children ages 6 and younger get in free. Camp sites are also available. Ticket prices increase Aug. 20. 

Seating is festival style, and lawn chairs and blankets are welcome. Pets are welcome but must be leashed and monitored at all times. Gates open at 5 p.m. Sept. 21 and 10 a.m. Sept. 22. 

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Letter: Lake Tahoe Music Festival Ceasing Operations

(sierrasun.com) LAKE TAHOE — The floundering economy's impact on Truckee and Lake Tahoe has led to the cessation of programming events by the Lake Tahoe Music Festival, according to a letter sent Monday to donors.

The letter, signed by festival board president Sally Lyon, points to the region's “severe economic downturn” as a reason for ceasing the event, coupled by the rise of a pair of local classical organizations — Toccata and Lake Tahoe SummerFest — leading to competition for donor dollars.

The festival has drawn major acts the past few summers, including Michael Bolton and Blues Traveler, who performed in 2011 at Northstar California. It would have celebrated its 30th birthday in 2012.

Here is the letter:

It is with great sadness that we announce cessation of programming events by the Lake Tahoe Music Festival.The Festival was formed almost 30 years ago to bring classical music to the mountains, after which it expanded its mission “from Bach to Blues and Beyond.” It filled a cultural void in our North Tahoe Region, but that mission is no longer unique with the proliferation of musical events, many of which are no cost to the patron. Additionally, two very formidable classical organizations have moved into the local scene: Tocatta-Tahoe Symphony Orchestra (www.tocattatahoe.com) and the Lake Tahoe SummerFest (www.tahoesummerfest.org ). We urge you to learn more about them as we believe they both warrant your support.

While we had hoped to continue with the very popular Orchestra Academy, the costs became prohibitive and the intense competition for your financial support became increasingly more difficult during this severe economic downturn.

Proudly we close this chapter of our operation with no debt, thanks to the collaboration of many sponsors. At least through the remainder of this year, there are sufficient funds to continue the Truckee Tahoe Youth Music Program (TTYMP), where high school students instruct grammar school youngsters with beginning musical training. We are hopeful that this program will be undertaken by another music or education organization.

Serving this community has been a warm and enriching opportunity for all of us, and we thank you for your many years of support. It's the end of a beautiful run — time to take the Star off the Door.

Most sincerely,Sally Lyon, President…. and each member of The Board of Directors

Robert Plant To Play Sunflower River Blues And Gospel Festival

(ultimate-guitar.com) Blues music has always been important to Robert Plant, and the same can be said of Clarksdale, Mississippi. Not only has Plant been there more than once to explore its deep blues history, he and fellow Led Zeppelin legend Jimmy Page honored the city by naming their 1998 joint studio effort "Walking Into Clarksdale".

Clarksdale is where Plant will be in August when he headlines the 25th anniversary edition of the Sunflower River Blues And Gospel Festival.

"This is spectacular news," longtime festival co-chairman Melville Tillis said recently. "We have been in dialogue with Robert Plant for several months, and are thrilled he will be here."

According to a March 3 press release, the singer's list of backing musicians for the Sunflower River Blues festival includes guitarist Justin Adams. He's a confirmed member of the Sensational Space Shifters, Plant's new group, which will make its public debut in late July at the Womad festival in the United Kingdom.

The lineup for this year's Sunflower River Blues And Gospel Festival, scheduled for Aug. 10-12, also includes harmonica great Charlie Musselwhite, who can be heard on George Thorogood's "2120 South Michigan Ave" album.

Guitar Maker Fender Files For Initial Public Offering

(W.J. Hennigan/latimes.com)  Fender Musical Instruments Corp., the iconic company that has been making guitars in California since its inception in 1946, is seeking to raise $200 million in an initial public stock offering.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday, Fender said it intends to use the money to help pay down $246.2 million in debt and to acquire other businesses.

Although its corporate headquarters are now in Scottsdale, Ariz., the company was founded in Fullerton and makes its American Standard Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars at a 3-acre manufacturing plant in Corona. The last step in Fender's quality-control process involves an experienced musician playing every note on a finished guitar before the instrument is sent to a dealer.

The California connection goes back to the company’s late founder, Clarence Leonidas Fender, who opened a Fullerton radio shop during the Depression and tinkered with amps and electric guitars on the side. And the company makes most of its amplifiers and entry-level Fender-brand guitars in Ensenada.

Fender said in its SEC filing that it is the country's biggest seller of electric, acoustic and bass guitars. Prices run from a couple hundred dollars for a basic model to thousands of dollars for high-end custom versions.

In the filing the company said, “We believe that the musical instruments industry generally, and the fretted instruments market in particular, benefits from the continuing popularity of guitar-based music and bands, as well as the visibility of guitars in other areas of popular culture such as video games, television shows and movies.”

Fender guitars have long been identified with the California car and surf culture, and were played by bands such as the Surfaris and the Beach Boys. At Woodstock in 1969, when Jimi Hendrix broke into his haunting rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner," it was a white Stratocaster at his fingertips.

Last year the company had a net income of $3.2 million, up from a loss of $17.3 million in 2010. Sales were up 13% to $700.6 million, from $617.8 million.

Fender said it now sells its products in 85 countries. The company hopes to expand its international footprint in emerging markets such as China and India.

The company plans to trade the shares on the Nasdaq exchange under the ticker symbol "FNDR." Fender did not disclose how many shares would be sold or estimate their price, nor did it say when the stock sale would take place.

Author Honors ‘Dirtdobber Blues' Man With Novel 

(Deborah Wheeler/The Walton Sun)  Butch Hornsby was one of those artists whose success was always buoyed by his talent but stamped down by his alcoholism, says longtime friend Cyril Vetter.

Vetter, a part-time South Walton resident, describes Hornsby as a “fiery good ole Southern boy rocker with a rolling thunder voice akin to Jerry Lee Lewis.” The two became fast friends in the 1960s at college at LSU and remained close until Hornsby’s death in 2004.

Vetter has published a fictionalized account of his friend’s life in the recently released book “Dirtdobber Blues,” the title of a song written by Hornsby.

Vetter is quick to point out that the book is not a biography but a novel.

“After so many years, my memory is not the best,” he explains of his decision. As for the book’s accuracy, Vetter says, “Some is true and actually happened as I was there. I wanted to combine some accounts that happened and add scenes that I felt helped the flow of the story as opposed to a true biography.”

Vetter produced Hornsby’s first album in the late 1970s and over time produced 20 to 24 songs for the singer. “He was one of those people you either loved or hated,” Vetter said. “He was not prudent with money. He once brought one of his advance checks to me and asked me to help him set up an account. He then broke into my house that night and stole the money and went to a bar and bought everyone a drink. Any measure of success he achieved, he sabotaged.” That is, until he was diagnosed with leukemia in his late 40s and had to quit drinking, Vetter said. That was 10 years before he died. During those last 10 years, he created art collages with found objects and wrote some good works, Vetter said. Regardless of Hornsby’s handful of regional successes, “Judy in Disguise” was his only real hit. Locally, Duke Bardwell, who is also a Louisiana native, still performs Hornsby’s music.

“We were like twin brothers from different mothers,” said Bardwell. “We hung out starting in high school in the ’60s. … I used one of his songs on my ‘Angels Wings’ album and I was recorded singing ‘Dirtdobber Blues’ in Birmingham and have performed it in New Orleans.”

Vetter’s “Dirtdobber Blues” is a multimedia project that includes a CD. The music is embedded in the text so the reader can either listen to the music while they read or listen independently. There are also pages of Hornsby’s lyrics, sheet music, and photographs of his artwork. All music and lyrics in the book were written by Hornsby.

The book’s chapters are loosely themed with the songs on the CD as Vetter weaves a tale of Hornsby’s wild ride of driving creative forces, free love, triumphs and addiction.

Vetter, who divides his time between Baton Rouge and Four Mile Village in South Walton, has published two previous books: “Fonville Winans’ Louisiana: Politics People and Places,” a biography of Winans, the legendary Louisiana photographer, and “The Louisiana Houses of A. Hays Town.”

Vetter, a member of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, has extensive work in broadcasting and publishing. He is also a U.S. Army veteran who was awarded the Bronze Star.

“Dirtdobber Blues” is available wherever books are sold for $22.50. Ebooks are $9.99.

The CD soundtrack of the book is available as an MP3 download on iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, and wherever digital music is sold.

Bonita Blues Festival

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Video of the Week

This link did not work last week so here it is again.............. 

March 6, 2011 - Janiva Magness performs "I Won't Cry" in the Bing Lounge at 101.9 KINK.FM. Portland, OR 

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 Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise

LRBC #19 Southeastern Caribbean, Oct. 27 ~ Nov. 3, 2012Over 85% Sold!!

We are over 85% Sold for this exceptional itinerary sailing from San Juan, P.R. - Dominica - Martinique - Barbados - St. Lucia - San Juan this October 27-November 3, 2012. The LRBC will be cruising on the 5-Star Celebrity Summit and is the most exciting itinerary we've had to date! The lineup is stellar with Taj Mahal & Tedeschi Trucks Band leading the way. Click for full lineup and cabin availability!

Cruiser Reunion Party Announced!

Lowrider Band and Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers

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