Weaving a Tapestry of Americana, Folk, Blues and Original Music

Lisa Biales (Be-Alice) sings from the heart and writes playful music about the simple things in life. She weaves a down home blues vernacular with finger style guitar to create songs that feel like they have been around forever.

A native of Ohio, Lisa grew up in a musical family and began her career as a performing songwriter at the age of thirteen. Lisa has independently released six albums of music under her own Big Song Music label, and is heard on radio stations around the world. Lisa’s music is popular in Belgium, Luxembourg and France. Her song “Playing With Angels” went to #1 in Australia on the Independent Folk Radio Charts. In the US, Lisa’s song “Where The Buckwheat Blooms” went to #32 on folk radio stations, and “I Believe” was featured in the popular TV show “Girlfriends” on the CW Network.

Click for more 

Listen Now!

“I would describe it as hybrid blues, or blues-rock,” says Mikey. “I’m definitely a blues guitar player, I definitely write some blues, but not everything I do is strictly blues. Some of it’s got a rockier edge, some of it’s got a funkier edge.”

Mikey’s ferocious axe (he’s fiery on slide as well as single-string leads) and impassioned vocals have never been captured more effectively on record than on this self-produced collection, cut in Clarksdale with an impressive array of musical cohorts that include longtime keyboardist Mark Yacovonne and three supple rhythm sections as well as guests Billy Gibson on harmonica and pianist David Maxwell.

The title of Out of the Box holds special significance. “When I started playing in my teens and I had my first blues band, they were saying, ‘Well, you’ve got to write your own material. You’ve got to do something new. You can’t just play Muddy Waters,’” explains Mikey. “Then when I started doing something new, they were saying, ‘Well, this isn’t really blues,’ because I was kind of playing out of the box. I wasn’t really restricting myself artistically. So it’s really just a commentary on sticking to who you are, being true to yourself.”

That’s what Mikey does throughout this set, on the aggressive opener “Who Is She,” a relentless “It’s A Sin,” the luxuriously downbeat “The Bigger Fool,” a clever “When Leo Starts To Growlin’” and his writing collaborations with Doug Carter: “Freedom Road,” “Blues Head,” “Need $100,” and “Livin’ In the Big Time.” Though most of the set is unabashedly electric, there’s an acoustic departure, “Going Down,” that illustrates the guitarist’s uncommon versatility. 

Click for more

Listen Now!

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!

Click for more

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 $5 on-line through June 8th! 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

.

Pittsburgh Blues Festival

Mavis Staples, Canned Heat and Bobby "Blue" Bland will be among the legends playing the 18th annual Pittsburgh Blues Festival July 20-22 at Hartwood Acres.

The schedule looks like this:

July 20: Free Friday is a Mardi Gras night featuring Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience and guitarist-singer Anthony Gomes. Admission is free with a bag of nonperishable groceries for the Food Bank.

July 21: Canned Heat, featuring three of the five members who played Woodstock (singers Alan Wilson and Bob Hite are deceased), headlines a lineup that features the 82-year-old Mr. Bland, Jimmy Thackery & the Drivers (led by the former Nighthawks guitarist), and Albert Cummings.

July 22: Mavis Staples, who began her career in the late '50s with gospel group The Staples Singers and became a successful solo artist a decade later, tops a bill with guitarist Bernard Allison (son of blues legend Luther) and Barbara Blue.

A local lineup will be announced soon. The Blues Festival, a benefit for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank presented by Peoples Natural Gas, will also feature food vendors and a KidZone with arts and crafts.

Admission on Saturday and Sunday is $30 ($25 in advance). Weekend passes are available for $45. Children under 12 enter free; parking is also free.

For details and tickets, go to www.pghblues.com

Beer to Flow at Riverhead Blues and Music Festival

The popular festival takes place on June 16 and 17 this year.

(riverhead.patch.com) Riverhead, NY -- Residents will be able to sip a cold beer while listening to the sounds of the Riverhead Blues and Music Festival this year.

The Riverhead Town board met at their weekly work session on Thurday to discuss how to facilitate beer drinking at the festival, which, this year, is a fundraiser sponsored by the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall.

Onhand for the discussion were Vince Tria, treasurer of the Vail-Leavitt, and Rich Vandenburgh, founder of Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, the vendor that will be supplying the beer for the festivities.

Discussion centered on whether or not to serve alcohol in an enclosed beer garden, or to lift the ban on open containers on town property in the whole parking lot by the Peconic River for the event.

Insurance was a critical consideration, with the board debating whether or not a $5 million or a $2 million rider would be most prudent.

Concerns were also raised by Councilman Jim Wooten about Main Street eateries that serve alcohol. "When you're closing off the public parking lot for a two-day event and you bring in competitors for the businesses that are trying to survive there -- it's undue competition," Wooten said.

After a thorough discussion, Councilman John Dunleavy felt $5 million of insurance was excessive and the rest of the board agreed.

Vandenburgh discussed how the recent Tall Ships Festival in Greenport handled the event, and said in that instance, a beer garden was created in Mitchell Park; the village board passed a resolution allowing limited open alcohol containers on Front and Main Streets in cordoned off areas, he said. Anyone hoping to enter the beer garden had to show ID. And the village did require additional insurance for the beer garden, he said.

But for the Blues Festival, Vandenburgh said he would not be interested in moving forward as a beer vendor if a beer garden were considered; utilizing the whole parking lot was preferable and the only way his company would participate, he said.

The board decided to ask each business on Main Street serving alcohol to provide a $2 million insurance policy, so patrons can drink beer on the decks of their properties and leave to stroll around the parking lot with alcohol.

Riverhead Town Supervisor Sean Walter said the town would be the certificate holder for insurance purposes.

In the past, when the event was run by the Business Improvement District, the event was free and attendees could bring coolers. This year, a one-day pass wil cost $15 and a two-day pass, $25, with proceeds to benefit the Vail-Leavitt. No coolers, backpacks or dogs will be allowed.

State troopers will be stationed at both entrances and security will patrol the event, Tria said.

Shannon Street Music Fest - Jackson, TN

Click for more

Ode to Otha, an annual block party in Nashville 

Photo by - Dick Waterman

EACH YEAR NASHVILLIAN, BILL RAMSEY, HOSTS A BIRTHDAY BASH HONORING OTHA TURNER AND HIS MUSIC - THIS YEAR'S EVENT WILL HONOR OTHA TURNER'S LIFETIME OF MUSIC AND HIS LEGACY

“ODE TO OTHA”

BIRTHDAY PARTY CELEBRATION

$30 donations at the door

Proceeds benefit Second Harvest Food Bank

(Kids under 14 get in free)

June 2th, 2012

2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m

1711 Sweetbriar Avenue

Nashville, Tennessee

This year's artists will be:

Bashful Mountain Broadcasters

Kenny Brown

Blue Mother Tupelo

Sharde Thomas and the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band

Stacy Mitchhart

Greenlight

The Reprimands (with Bobby Keys)

Special Guests

Click for more

5th Paulie's New Orleans Jazz n' Blues Festival

The Cream of the Louisiana Music Crop including great local music talent is landing in Worcester, Massachusetts on June 22-24, 2012, for the 5th Paulie's New Orleans Jazz n' Blues Festival

WZLX 100.7FM DJ, Carter Alan will be our special emcee guest on Saturday, June 23rd along with WCUW 91.3FM DJ, Marty Ayotte.

 A weekend full of Louisiana style gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish, oysters & music right here in the heartland of Massachusetts!

*Tab Benoit

*Mem Shannon & The Membership

*The Roadkill Orchestra

*Sonny Landreth

*Anders Osborne Band

*Eric Lindell Band

-Cyril Neville, Devon Allman & Mike Zito

*Bonerama

*Honey Island Swamp Band

*Billy Iuso & Restless Natives

*Henri Smith New Orleans Friends & Flavours

*Shaka & The Soul Shakers

*The Soul of a Man

*Jumpin' Johnny Sansone

Heritage Society to host lecture on blues music

( ultimatemontrose.com) -- Houston - The Heritage Society will host a special presentation on the blues at 7 p.m.  Thursday, May 31.

“Blues Heritage: Why It Matters” will be the talk given by Roger Wood. The event will be held in the Heritage Society Tea Room.

Wood’s presentation will highlight the significance of the musical art form known as the blues. He will speak about its special importance in relation to the State of Texas and the Houston metropolitan area.

Wood is a noted author of many blues books, including “Down In Houston: Bayou City Blues.” All of his works have been published by the University of Texas Press. In its 2011 “Best of Houston Awards,” the Houston Press named Wood Best Local Author for his entire body of work. He also has contributed to “The Handbook of Texas Music” and the “Encyclopedia of the Blues.” He is a professor of English and humanities at Houston Community College.

The evening will begin with a reception in the Heritage Society Museum Gallery at 5:30 p.m. Milton Hopkins and the Hit City Blues Band will provide music for the gathering. Trudy Lynn will also perform and stay for the lecture.This program was made possible, in part, with a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The Heritage Society Museum is located at 1100 Bagby St. in Sam Houston Park.

For more information, call 713-655-1912.

Serious music festival with a family friendly atmosphere!  

The 23rd Annual Simi Valley (CA) Cajun & Blues Music Festival was held on the May 26-27, Memorial Day weekend at Rancho Santa Susana Community Park.

THE BLUES STAGE: Paul Oscher displayed his amazing harp, guitar and piano skills and shared wonderful stories ranging from learning how to blow on the harp at the age of 12, to almost setting Muddy Waters on fire while onstage during their touring days.

RJ Mischo and Rick Holmstrom shared the stage for an adventurous harp/vocal and raunchy blues-guitar-fueled set that had the dance floor packed.

Terry Hanck, 2012 BMA Winner of Best Instrumentalist-Horn, lit-up the stage with his crystal vocals and soaring, ultrasonic saxophone. Favorites from his set included, “Appreciate What You Got” and “Cupid Must Be Stupid.”

The Mannish Boys & Special Guests thrilled the crowd and included many who appear on the Delta Groove label. The set featured Smokin’ Joe Kubek, B’nois King, Marco Pandolphi, Paul Size, Lee Thornburg, Lynwood Slim, Jackie Payne, Shawn Pittman, Kid Ramos, Kirk Fletcher and Jim Bott.….just to name a few.

Can a Muddy Waters Tribute get more authentic than having his son Mud Morganfield and former Waters’ band members Bob Margolin and James Cotton on the band stage together? Dressed in a shimmering silver suit and unleashing vocals and mannerisms reminiscent of his iconic father, Mud worked the crowd, and proudly introduced his mother in the audience. It was a truly memorable music experience also featuring Bob Corritore, Johnny Dyer, Randy Chortkoff, Rod Piazza and Darrell Nulisch.

The Fabulous Thunderbirds delivered a solid, polished set of both old and new songs from their extensive catalog. Hard to argue with this crew bringing it home to a sun-soaked crowd on a Sunday afternoon.

Perhaps the emotional highlight of the entire festival occurred when seven-time Blues Music Award Nominee, Candye Kane, took the stage for her first performance since undergoing a recent surgery in her battle to conquer cancer. Resplendent in a gold dress, leggings and heels that evoked classic torch singers, she left an impression of a woman who loves life… and singing the Blues. This was illustrated by the juxtaposition of, “Hey, Toughen Up,” followed by, “White Trash Girl.” Talking openly about her struggles with cancer and radiation treatments – her on point message of positivity was displayed in songs such as, “Superhero” and “Toughest Girl Alive.” A big shout out to her rock-steady band - especially guitarist extraordinaire, Laura Chavez. This closing set was a fitting conclusion to a remarkable string of performers on the Blues Stage.

THE CAJUN STAGE:

A solid line-up of artists were on display here, many of whom played both days of the event. The “fais do-do” atmosphere encouraged attendees to show off their best two-step, waltz and jitterbug efforts. Memorable performances included Nathan Williams & The Zydeco Cha Cha’s. Decked out in his traditional black cowboy hat and sunglasses, he told the crowd, “I’ve come to party y’all,” then proceeded to tear it up from both onstage and off as he sauntered about the dance floor giving us a close up view of his million dollar smile and accordion expertise.

The sultry Rosie Ledet & The Zydeco Playboys displayed their unique fusion of Zydeco, funk, rock based songs to a crowd waiting to bust loose. Rosie hit the stage encouraging all to, “get on the dance floor and let your booty swing.” That mission was accomplished within 30 seconds when attendees ranging in age from 6 to 86 packed the floor for her entire set. A stand out amongst many songs was “Caffina,” a 2011 release with a distinct Rolling Stones vibe and infectious chorus that still hasn’t left my brain.

Another standout performer was Louisiana based Curley Taylor whose silky vocal talents could easily slay any Soul or R&B song. His high energy band, Zydeco Trouble, delivered what they called “Creole Funk,” but I would also add layers of urban hip-hop into that mix. Call it what you will – they were a crowd favorite as they owned electrifying cover versions of “Rockin’ Robin” and “Cisco Kid.”

-- Jeff Richards

Video Of The Week

 Doc Watson Performing Deep River Blues

 Click for video