This debut CD, Dressed Up To Fess Up, offers up some down in the alley Rhythm and Blues played in the style of 60's R&B, over dynamic female vocals.

The Strata-tones is the vision of the band’s founder, composer and lead guitarist, Bruce Krupnik. Bruce approached drummer, Rick Pittman, about putting together a show band featuring original tunes. Their goal was to create the most professional, tightest, best dressed, Blues and R&B band that the Central CA Coast had ever seen.

Next, Bruce called in local blues harmonica legend, Kevin McCracken, who also writes most of the lyrics for Bruce’s music. Bruce then secured Ken Burton to supply a big, full, Hammond B-3 organ sound to pull off the classic R&B shows he envisioned. The next draft pick was Wil Anderson, the funk bass player who fell in love with the blues years ago.

With this dedicated group of veteran blues and R&B musicians now assembled they were ready for rehearsals. Right from the first downbeat there was definate chemistry but they felt they still needed some hot sauce to kick the Strata-tones into the stratospheric heights they had in mind.

While conducting auditions, someone suggested Valerie Johnson, a vocalist whose extensive resume included filling the shoes of the legendary Janis Joplin for Big Brother & the Holding Company. Val was in and soon became a contributor of original material for the band.

With Valerie’s vivacious vocals, and stage presense, and the band well rehearsed and dressed to kill, they were ready to take the stage by storm... and they have

Now, their debut, Dressed Up To Fess Up, has been receiving glowing review. The CD is the culmination of six dedicated, top-notch musicians who have come together to not only thrill live crowds, but to joyfully make their way into your music-loving hearts.

Click for more

Listen Now!

RAISE THE ROOF: CAMPAIGN FOR THE BLUES HALL OF FAME

Attention Blues Fans:

The Hall of Fame pays tribute to the greatest of the genre and educates new people about the genre. The Blues Foundation has been inducting into the Blues Hall of Fame for years; it was just a simple evening with web presence. Nothing permanent. But now we need physical presence, and withyour help, we are going to get The Blues Hall of Fame building built in Memphis, Tennessee!

Here is a link with more details about the Blues Hall of Fame campaign that we sent out last week:

(click line above or copy and paste URL into your browser)

http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/email/newsletter/1411379570

Doesn’t this project sound important and exciting?

If not us, who? If not now, when?

Our goal is to raise awareness and funds to reach the goal of 3.5 million.

How to donate:

1. Make a multi-year pledge by signing the form and mail it, fax it or e-mail it. The form is available online at: http://www.blues.org/capitalcampaign/index.php. The fax is 901.529.4030.

2. Make a multi-year pledge online at: http://www.blues.org/capitalcampaign/index.php.

3. Make a one-time donation by calling with a credit card or mailing a check.

3. Make a one-time donation online at: http://www.blues.org/capitalcampaign/index.php .

4. Text the word " blues " to 80077 to donate $10. When you receive a message to confirm, confirm by answering “YES.”

No effort is too small or unappreciated!

If not us, who? If not now, when? Just think, YOU can make

the Blues Hall of Fame a reality. Your support matters!

____________________________________________

TALL CITY BLUES OFFERS 4 STAGES & 9 EDUCATIONAL CLINICS

Tall City Blues Fest, nestled in downtown Midland, TX, will host more than 23 different performers this year! "Located in the heart of West Texas, halfway between Dallas and El Paso on the I-20 corridor, Midland was a perfect void begging for a blues festival", said Lisa Grissom, Producer of this year's Festival.

In it's 2nd year, this Festival showcases award-winning blues acts accompanied by emerging talent across four stages (3 Outdoor + 1 Indoor). The Festival also offers educational clinics, a Zydeco street dance, a Gospel Brunch & Blues Jam, family activity areas, juke joints, midnight jam sessions, interactive hospitality stations, art & memorabilia auctions and food vendors.

This year's headliners are Tommy Castro (Saturday Night) and James 'Boogaloo' Bolden Blues Band (Friday Night). Tommy Castro is a multi-time Blues Music Awards winner and James Bolden, ha

ving been B.B. King's Band Leader for 32 years, is also an award-winning performer. Bolden & his band have been voted Best Blues Band by Downbeat Magazine, received a W.C. Handy Award fo

 r Best Blues Band of the Year and performed at the White House for five Presidents with B.B King & the Duke Ellington Orchestra.

In addition to the music, this year's Festival will also offer nine different educational clinics, including harmonica 101 & advanced, harmonica for kids, blues bass 101, country blues finger-picking, bottleneck slide, acoustic blues, songwriting and cigar box guitar building.

In addition to the clinics, Apple (in conjunction with Best Buy) will be conducting Garage Band and iPhoto demonstrations and the Festival will also host The Real Blues Tour, a multi-media, travelguide performance that showcases the history of blues beginning in the early 1900's.

Tall City Blues Festival is an indoor/outdoor, family-friendly music festival. Our mission is to create an experience like none other that brings award-winning blues & roots music to West Texas and makes people feel enlightened, joy-filled & loved. SAVE THE DATES: July 26-29, 2012!

CURTIS SALGADO TO UNDERGO LUNG SURGERY

(AR News) Award-winning soul blues singer/harmonica master Curtis Salgado will undergo surgery on July 18 in Portland, Oregon, to remove a cancerous growth from his lung, according to his manager Shane Tappendorf.

A partial lobectomy will be performed to remove a segment of Curtis's left lung where a metastasized mass was found. It is suspected to be the same type of cancerous mass that was removed from his lung in 2008.

Salgado will be hospitalized for a period of four to six days and will require a recovery time of up to four weeks. Salgado and his doctors anticipate a complete recovery.

Winner of the 2012 Blues Music Award for Soul/Blues Artist of the Year, Curtis Salgado has recorded eight critically acclaimed solo albums. He tours internationally with his own band and has also toured as vocalist with the Robert Cray Band, Roomful of Blues and Santana. Salgado is also credited with being the inspiration for John Belushi's character of Joliet Jake in The Blues Brothers. Salgado's new CD, Soul Shot, on Alligator Records, is being hailed as his greatest album to date and continues to receive rave reviews and radio airplay worldwide. Blues Revue calls Soul Shot, "A joyous celebration of life. Soul Shot is this millennium's finest soul blues record...deep, commanding, and essential."

"I am extremely grateful for the overwhelming support of my family, friends and fans and the courageous people that have faced this fight before me," the 58-year-old Salgado wrote from his home this week. "I also want to thank the promoters and venues for their understanding regarding my medical situation. We will do our best to reschedule all of our performances affected by my surgery."

Salgado, who was diagnosed with liver cancer on March 23, 2006, underwent successful liver transplant surgery on September 30, 2006 at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

Donations to help with Curtis's expenses can be made online at: http://curtissalgado.chipin.com/curtis-salgado-medical-fund. Donations can also be made to the Curtis Salgado Fund c/o Odaglas LLC Donation Account at all US Banks or by mail to US Bancorp, 2550 NW 188th Avenue, Hillsboro, OR 97124. For additional information please visit www.curtissalgado.com and www.facebook.com/CurtisSalgado.

BLUES AUDIENCE NEWSLETTER OFFERS NEW BUMPER STICKER

New England's only independent Blues publication, Blues Audience, is dedicated to promoting the New England Blues scene. It's designed to help Blues musicians reach more of their potential audience... people who love to go out and see live bands in a club or outdoor event.

Visit our site and sign up for a subscription or get one of our new bumper stickers! Get our new bumper sticker for just $2.45 via the web site (use the Paypal link). Price includes return postage! 

Thanks!

Diana Shonk/ Publisher 603-827-3952

The Blues Audience newsletter

62 Cricket Hill Rd, Harrisville, NH 03450

www.bluesaudience.com 

New England's only Blues publication

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MARINE UNWINDS BY PLAYING BLUES HARMONICA

(DVIDS) 

One recent morning, while waiting in line for breakfast at the field mess hall at Forward Operating Base Nolay, Marines could hear the sound of blues music coming from a harmonica.

“They’re out of eggs right now, so I’m going to wait out here for them to finish the next batch,” said Cpl. Nathan Karasch, taking a break from his music.

Karasch, with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 6, has had a longtime passion for music. Karasch, of Twin Cities, Minn. said, “I played the trumpet in school from the fourth grade, and then in high school I picked up piano, drums and guitar.” He studied music in college, majored in percussion and received an associate’s degree.

Karasch says he taught himself how to play the harmonica on this deployment. He says it’s a way to pass time since he doesn’t have his other instruments with him. “I got it in one of the care packages from my family,” he said. “I picked it up pretty quickly just because I have a background in music.

“I wanted to learn how to bend notes just to get that bluesy sound,” Karasch said. He spent his evenings in the base’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation tent searching the Internet for harmonica lessons. Sometimes other Marines in his unit will ask him to play songs. Occasionally, he’ll play the Marines’ Hymn to lighten the mood, but said he usually just keeps his music to himself.

Although Karasch says enjoys playing blues music with his harmonica, he admits that he doesn’t really listen to blues. He grew up listening to classic rock. “I’ve gotten into jazz and metal and every other type of music under the sun, especially since music school,” he said, “but the harmonica sort of has a blues history to it, so it’s really fun to try and get a blues song out of it.”

More...

Video of The Week

Kilborn Alley Blues Band : BLUESVILLE

(filmed 7/2/2012 at Cadillac Zack's Monday Blues Party & Jam, Tarzana, CA)

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO