What sustains a band for more than three decades? Not a hit radio band, but a roll-up-your-sleeves/drive to the next gig overnight/carry your own gear up the steps and night after night make people happy kind of band. One that makes them dance; sends them home to come back again—and again. What makes that kind band stay together through relatively few personnel changes? Answer: A good idea; a universal yet somehow unique good idea.

The Nighthawks sought not so much to reinvent rock and roll, but simply to have it reinvent itself by taking the original ingredients and following—if somewhat loosely—the original recipe. And like good cooks, the individual personalities involved ultimately affected the outcome. The band was over 10 years old and had baffled the mainstream industry before the term “roots rock” was coined to explain the likes of West Coasters like Los Lobos and The Blasters. By then, the affiliation with many of the living blues greats seemed to brand The Nighthawks a “blues band,” despite the fact that they played with Carl Perkins as well as Muddy Waters.

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Prairie Dog Blues Festival

2 DAYS – 2 STAGES – 12 BANDS

July 27 & 28, 2012

The Prairie Dog Blues Festival is held every year on historic St. Feriole Island, right on the Mississippi River and nestled between jagged cliffs and green hills untouched by the Ice Age! 

Once you get that cold drink in your hand, great tunes in your ear and good, friendly people all around, you’ll realize you’re at one of the most beautiful venues anywhere. You’ll soon be calling yourself a Prairie Dogger! Blues and Roots music from Chicago Blues to West Coast Jump, hard-driving Mississippi Hill Country Blues, New Orleans horns and Texas Boogie, Zydeco, Gospel, Blues Rock – We’ve got it all!

 This year's festival features: Shemekia Copeland, JJ Grey & Mofro, Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, Trampled Under Foot, Indigenous, Harper, The Steepwater Band, Tweed Funk, Gerome Durham & The All-Star Band, Matthew Curry & The Fury, Terry Quiett & Alex Wilson Band

Tickets and camping are available by calling 1-888-567-1567 or online at www.prairiedogblues.com. Information on accommodations can be found at www.prairieduchien.org or by calling 800-732-1673. Visit our website for a chance to win free tickets to the Fest!

The Prairie Dog is one of the most laid-back blues festivals out there! It is located on St. Feriole Island in a beautiful city park right on the Mississippi River. Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin founded in the late 1600's has a ton of history and Zachory Taylor 12th U.S. president and Jefferson Davis who later became the president of the Confederate States were both stationed at Ft. Crawford on St. Feriole Island. Wisconsin's most toured historical site The Villa Louis (A Stunning Fully Restored Victorian Mansion) is located on the island next to the fest grounds. Just get to Prairie du Chien the end of July and friendly locals will direct you across the small bridge to The Island.

There are some hard choices to be made at The Prairie Dog! You can either get up out of your chair, stretch and walk a few yards to the beer tent or you can have one of these lovely ladies bring your drink to you! Decisions, decisions!

Camp right on site with your friends and meet new friends! Typical walk from your site to the gate of the festival is 200-300 yards. Food & drink as well as campfires, singing, playing music and telling stories is strongly encouraged. It is a 1 block walk off The Island and you are downtown surrounded by family owned pubs, restaurants and small retail stores. If staying in a motel is more your style, blues fest shuttles will get you to the fest in a 5 minute drive or less!

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PARAMOUNT THEATRE’S DOWNTOWN ALIVE MUSIC FESTIVAL SERIES PRESENTS BLUES ON THE FOX

AURORA, IL, -  Aurora’s annual Blues on the Fox Festival will feature hot Louisiana blues artists Kenny Wayne Shepherd and The Nevilles as headliners at this year’s popular outdoor music festival, Friday, June 15 and Saturday, June 16 along the banks of the scenic Fox River in downtown Aurora.

In addition to the spicy Cajun kick promised by Kenny Wayne Shepherd and The Nevilles, the 2012 Blues on the Fox line-up, programmed and presented by the Paramount Theatre, also boasts popular blues artists Shane Dwight, Shamekia Copeland, the Lee Boys, and Chicago Blues:   A Living History featuring Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy Branch, Lurrie Bell and Carlos Johnson.

Blues on the Fox will take place at the North River Street Park at New York and River Streets in downtown Aurora, just west of the Hollywood Casino on the beautiful Fox River.  A nominal entry fee of $5 per day covers admission.  Admission is free for children 12 and under. Festival hours are Friday, June 15, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. (gates open at 5:30 p.m.) and Saturday, June 16, 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. (gates open at 1:30 p.m.) There are no advance sales for Blues on the Fox. All tickets are purchased day of at the entry gates. 

Aurora’s historic downtown entertainment district is a vibrant backdrop to this two-day festival that includes great music, as well as fantastic food, icy libations, music vendors and a relaxed atmosphere for the whole family to enjoy. For more information about the 2012 Blues on the Fox, directions and artists’ biographies, along with details on the complete Downtown Alive! Festival Series, please visit www.bluesonthefox.com  or call 630.896.6666.

THIRD ANNUAL SOUL SURVIVORS FESTIVAL CELEBRATES MUSIC'S LIVING HISTORY-FERRIDAY, LOUISIANA -- SATURDAY, MAY 26, 2012

"In Ferriday, Louisiana, we like to say that our little town is 'Where Music is Born'," said Polk. "By that, we mean that all of the music isn't in the past. It's still very much alive -- both here and nearby in Mississippi."

To that end, the Soul Survivor Festival continues to specialize in an authentic blues and roots music line-up showcasing the region's surviving musical traditions. This year, acts such as Sylvia Johns Richie & Crew, Nathan Shell, Lil' Poochie, Jimmy Anderson, Elmo Williams, Hezekiah Early, YZ Ealey Band and Angola Prison Band will perform in the new Jerry Lee Lewis Rockabilly Park and Plaza.

For families, the festival also promises plenty of fun children's games, chalk painting, jump rope, jumpers and train rides. There will also be great food, refreshments and more available for purchase. Best of all, the price of admission is free from 11am to 7pm.

Fittingly, this year's festival will feature a ribbon cutting by Mayor McGlothin for a new million-dollar Will Haney Big House Music Hall plus the Jerry Lee Lewis Rockabilly Park and Plaza and Concordia Hotel. In addition, Will Haney Circle and Peewee Whittaker Avenue will be dedicated, and a very special guest is expected. The ribbon cutting events kick off at 7pm across from the Soul Survivors Festival grounds.

"We are very fortunate that the Mayor and Town of Ferriday have so much positive energy going on right now," Polk said. "We are also fortunate to have a number of generous sponsors helping to keep the daytime portion of Soul Survivors Festival free."

Festival sponsors include Delta Bank, Concordia Bank, Tensas Bank, Marsala/Budweiser, Gozone/Not Rocket Science, Delta Music Museum/Friends of the Delta Music Museum, Stan's Rock and Roll, Town of Ferriday, Louisiana, Concordia Parish Sheriff's Department, Entergy, and Bryant Hammett & Associates.

Photo by Elodie Pritchartt 

In a related event at the conclusion of the Soul Survivors Festival, Easy Eddie and the Party Rockers will perform at the Will Haney Music Hall Stage ($3 admission).

For more information on the third annual Soul Survivors Festival and related events, please go to www.ferridaymusic.com or contact Tommy Polk at 601-431-6149 or tommypolk@hotmail.com or Visit us at Facebook 

CELEBRATING 7 YEARS OF GREAT BLUES ON THE RIVER!

Coloma Blues Live! June 9th

Join us on June 9th for our seventh year of presenting the finest in Blues on the river in the friendly community of Coloma, 1hr East of Sacramento in the Mother Lode of Gold Country.

Gracing this year’s stage is El Dorado County’s home-grown national sensation Jackie Greene, the amazing guitar slinger..Laurie Morvan, the San Francisco Bay Area Blues Band of the Year…the California Honeydrops, slide guitar prodigy…David Jacobs-Strain with guest Joe Craven, and the big band sound of the Sacramento Blues Revue.

Henningsen-Lotus Park is the venue, and the perfect place to get your blues groove on. Grab your low back chair, swim trunks, hat and dancing shoes! Music goes from 11:00 am – 6:00 pm. Gates open at 10:00am. Enjoy freshly prepared food, craft beers and local wine. El Dorado Arts Council presents this annual party, and proceeds of the fest benefit EDAC’s mission of nurturing “More Arts in More Places”. Save $10 on-line through May 31st! Tickets can be purchased on-line at www.colomablueslive.com or at the EDAC office on Main Street in Placerville. For more information: (530) 295-3496

www.colomablueslive.com

MEMORIAL CONCERT: A CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF BOB CARTER 

February 24th, 1952 - April 19th, 2012

A memorial concert honoring the memory of professional drummer, singer and songwriter Bob Carter will be held May 27, 2012 at Evanston SPACE, located at 1245 Chicago Ave, Evanston, IL 60202. Showtime is at 5:00 PM and the event is open to the public. To purchase tickets and/or make donations visit www.evanstonspace.com

This memorial concert and benefit for Carter's family will feature a special reunion of The Mighty Blue Kings — a band that took Chicago by storm in the 1990s with its hard swingin' jump blues and R&B, anchored by the rock steady backbeat of Bob Carter.

Featured performers at the Memorial Jam will include: Nick Moss, Dave Specter, Sharon Lewis, Tom Holland, Little Al Thomas with John Edelmann, Gerry Hundt with Matt Hendricks, The Rockin' Johnny Band, Erwin Helfer, John "Boom" Brumbach, Marty Binder, Kenny Smith, Matthew Skoller, Mark Fornek, Scotty & The Bad Boys, Harlan Terson, Mark Wydra, “Barstool” Bob Levis, and Emcee "Hambone" from WDCB's Hambone’s Blues Party.

Bob Carter passed away at the age of 60 in a hospital near Belleville, IL on April 19^th after a battle with lung cancer. Carter was a mainstay on the Chicago music scene for over 3 decades and traveled the world performing and recording with artists such as Otis Rush, The Fabulous Fish Heads with Mark Hannon, Steve Freund, The Mighty Blue Kings, Nick Moss & The Flip Tops, Little Frank & The Premiers, Studebaker John and the Hawks, Ronnie Shellist, Sunnyland Slim, The Big Swing, Vanguard Aces, Dave Specter, RJ Mischo, and countless others. Carter was a great and versatile blues drummer who could play anything from a swing feel to raw Chicago blues to rock & roll. His songwriting credits include "Blame It On The Blues", "Let's Get Loose" and "Theme For Tomorrow". He leaves a legacy of lasting friendships, memories and exceptional musical accomplishments.

“Bob was a very intelligent guy with a droll sense of humor. He could read people and situations very easily and quickly. He could analyze things and put them into perspective and make you laugh about it. I always enjoyed my time with Bob and we had many discussions about many different subjects, and we always ended them with a chuckle. Bob was not only a friend but a very gifted musician with ‘big ears’ as we say — he listened,” remembered Steve Freund.

Nick Moss recalls Carter’s “uncanny ability to remember every gig — where it was, who played, what instrument they played, what brand of instrument they played, what kind of P.A. system was in the club. And every place we went he had a name of a club he had played at in that town or city 20 or 30 years before.”

“Bob Carter was a friend to many with his easygoing laid-back style. He was always encouraging to the younger musicians, me included, back in the Fabulous Fish Heads days. I will miss his friendship, musicianship, and original brand of humor.” said Dave Specter.

For more event information go to www.evanstonspace.com or contact Amy Brat at Brat@bratgirlmedia.com

SIMI VALLEY CAJUN & BLUES MUSIC FESTIVAL

PERFORMERS SPOTLIGHT: 

THE MANNISH BOYS

(Finis Tasby, Kirk Fletcher, Frank Goldwasser, Randy Chortkoff, Willie J. Campbell, Jimmi Bott)

With Special Guests Jackie Payne, Jason Ricci , Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King, Marco Pandolfi, Paul Size, Kid Ramos

Few blues acts have perfected the tricky maneuver of honoring the storied history of the Blues, while at the same time keeping the music up-to-date, as well as The Mannish Boys. They’ve continually evolved through the years, seeking out and spotlighting the talents of true Blues legends in a setting that stays true to the deep roots of genre, providing them with the support required to excite today’s blues audiences. A virtual blues festival in a single band, all of this variety adds up to a continually surprising, wide-ranging, and most consistently excellent release from The Mannish Boys career so far.

EVENT INFO:

The 23rd Annual Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, May 26th & 27th, 2012. 2012 promises to continue our tradition of bringing fans a full weekend of nonstop award-winning entertainment, more food choices than you can sample in two days, and activities to keep kids of all ages entertained too.

The The Cajun & Zydeco Stage will feature 9 hours of continuous music each day.† Featured will be international and award winning Cajun, Creole and Zydeco music acts.

The Blues Stage will feature the 7th Annual Delta Groove All-Star Blues Revue in addition to world class Blues & Roots acts both Saturday and Sunday. 

Both stages feature lots of viewing space plus large dance floors. In addition, this family friendly event has a giant kids area featuring bouncers, rock walls, specialty acts, crafts and talent shows.† There are also food booths and many crafts and merchandise booths.

Tickets available now at: www.cajun-blues.com

Delta Dawn

How Sears, Roebuck & Co. midwifed the birth of the blues

(reason.com) Delta blues is as much legend as it is music. In the popular telling, blues articulated the hopelessness and poverty of an isolated, oppressed people through music that was disconnected from popular trends and technological advances. Delta blues giants like Robert Johnson were victims, buffeted by the winds of racism, singing out mostly for personal solace. The story is undoubtedly romantic, but it just isn’t true. “It angers me how scholars associate the blues strictly with tragedy,” B.B. King complained in his 1999 autobiography Blues All Around Me. “As a little kid, blues meant hope, excitement, pure emotion.”

The tragic image of the blues that originated in the Mississippi Delta ignores the competitive and entrepreneurial spirit of the bluesman himself. While it is certainly true that the music was forged in part by the legacy of slavery and the insults of Jim Crow, the iconic image of the lone bluesman traveling the road with a guitar strapped to his back is also a story about innovators seizing on expanded opportunities brought about by the commercial and technological advances of the early 1900s. There was no Delta blues before there were cheap, readily available steel-string guitars. And those guitars, which transformed American culture, were brought to the boondocks by Sears, Roebuck & Co.

The first Sears, Roebuck catalog was published in 1888. It would go on to transform America. Farmers were no longer subject to the variable quality and arbitrary pricing of local general stores. The catalog brought things like washing machines and the latest fashions to the most far-flung outposts. Guitars first appeared in the catalog in 1894 for $4.50 (around $112 in today’s money). By 1908 Sears was offering a guitar, outfitted for steel strings, for $1.89 ($45 today), making it the cheapest harmony-generating instrument available. 

Throughout the 1910s Delta blacks routinely ordered a wide assortment of goods from Sears, Roebuck, including the instrument that would define them. In an interview with Alan Lomax, Gospel songwriter Charles Haffner recalled the switch from the reels of the past to the new blues sound: “Back around that time the guitar came into style, and the first blues I remember originated.…Yessir, we were entering into a jazz age, and the old world was being transformed.” 

Traveling bluesmen took to the back roads of the American South. Whether through showmanship, technical wizardry, or lyrical wordplay, bluesmen were engaged in a constant battle for supremacy. Musicians would travel north to absorb new sounds in hopes of getting ahead of the competition, all the while pushing the new music in fresh, more creative directions.

Guitar quality kept improving while the price kept going down. Soon sharecroppers throughout the Delta were ordering guitars from Sears in hopes of supplementing their income on weekends. The catalog is frequently mentioned in the biographies of Delta bluesmen. In 1930 Muddy Waters purchased a used Stella, most likely originally purchased from the catalog, and began playing gigs. He quickly earned enough money to order a brand new guitar from Sears. B.B. King learned the rudiments of the instrument through an instructional book he ordered from the catalog. And of course, blues musicians weren’t the only ones to profit from the availability of cheap guitars: White country artists such as Roy Clark would get their first instrument from the same catalog that black bluesmen like Son Thomas would.

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Meet the Harmonica Man

Meet Andy Mackie, The Harmonica Man

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Race, gender and the blues: Hot topics to bubble up at major symposium

Does the blues matter anymore?

Do blues musicians stand a chance of being heard amid the din of our popular culture?

Are blues women and black "legacy" musicians -- those shaped by pioneers such as Pinetop Perkins and David "Honeyboy" Edwards-- dismissed by a music industry that's perpetually chasing the latest commercial trends?

(Howard Reich/chicagotribune.com) Sparks could fly when several leading blues musicians, scholars and impresarios discuss these hot-button issues – and others – during "Race, Gender & the Blues," an open-to-the-public symposium running Friday and Saturday at Dominican University in River Forest, with concerts at satellite locations.

"First and foremost, this is long overdue," says veteran Chicago blues singer Sharon Lewis, who will speak at the symposium and perform in a "Chicago Blues Divas" show Friday night at the Harlem Avenue Lounge in Berwyn.

"I think it's important that people understand what we go through as women, as blues artists. I want them to know how genuine and sincere we are about this business. But, at the same time, we need to be able to make a living from it, and that's what we're having problems with.

"We don't have people PR people to get our names out there. … Rap and R&B artists can be pushed in your face so much that you're sick of them. … It makes me think people think we're less entertaining because we sing the blues.

"There's so much wrong."

It doesn't help that blues artists toil in a music industry that generates less than 1 percent of its record sales from this music. But great art is not measured via cash receipts, at least not by those who perform it and treasure it. The music carries intrinsic value outside the marketplace, which is why blues scholar Janice Monti has organized the third biennial edition of a symposium she launched at Dominican, where she's a sociology professor.

"This all comes out of a concern that major Chicago-area institutions – especially universities – need to be mindful of this legacy" of the blues, says Monti, pointing to Chicago's historic and still pivotal role in the music.

"There have been a number of troubling things that have happened over the past couple of years that have really made it very difficult for the legacy musicians – those who carry this music in their bloodlines and for whom it is a birthright.

"They find that they are marginalized in the industry, that it is harder for them to get bookings. ...

"Some have referred to it as the changing face of the blues – that the black musicians have been marginalized. This is in particular the case for black female musicians – the black vocalists – who in fact carry on the blues tradition."

Among recent blows to blues culture, Monti cites setbacks such as the Grammy Awards reducing the number of honors in blues (and other non-pop genres), the declining tally of live-music clubs, the near-banishment of the music from non-subscription radio and others.

"The musicians are up against festival promoters who don't understand the roots of the music," says Monti.

"You've got a lot of different hurts there. You've got the so-called 'purists' who won't listen to anything after the 1960s. Then the festival audience that has its six-pack and its lawn chair.

"And you've got the (blues) musicians sort of stuck in the middle. What incentive is there to be innovative when you're unsure where you're going to be booked next?

"Why is it that someone of the stature of Lonnie Brooks or Sugar Blue or Billy Branch should be opening for someone who hasn't been seasoned, someone who hasn't cut his or her teeth?"

Lest blues devotees fear that the conference will be focused on the past, Monti hastens to note that several young scholars versed in hip-hop and other contemporary idioms influenced by the blues will converge on campus, as well. To them, the blues echoes throughout our culture, whether explicitly acknowledged or not.

"I know plenty of great scholars who are doing great work in hip-hop studies and know the legacy of jazz and blues," says Gil Cook, a Dominican professor who will be speaking at a symposium that also will feature scholars Zandria F. Robinson, Mark Anthony Neal and Stephanie Shonekan.

Video Of The Week

 Michael Burks "Empty Promises" (Live at The State Theatre 8/21/09)

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