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J.P. Reali : ROAD TO MISSISSIPPI

No better antidote to tough times than acoustic country blues pouring forth from the lips and fingers of tough contemporary musicians. Singer, songwriter and master fingerstyle guitarist J.P. Reali has been a player on the Washington, D.C. blues scene for almost thirty years and his bonafides prove it. Reali gains depth from a background of electric blues and a roots duo with his brother Chris.

The aptly-titled The Road to Mississippi boasts Reali performing mostly solo. The Nighthawks’ lead singer Mark Wenner on harp and former drummer Peter Ragusa, in addition to veteran bassist John Prevetti, lend propulsive support on several selections. Opening the 12 track, all original set is the short “Prelude” segueing into “Jefferson Lament.” The former is a sumputous instrumental Piedmont blues, while the latter recalls a chilling field holler featuring ominous resonator slide.

Highlights include the title track which channels the classic Delta blues of Robert Johnson; the dark “My Soul or Skin” with social conscious lyrics;

the fun “Biscuit Baking Mama”; and the heavy rocking, full band shuffle-blues of “Bloozin’ in NYC” ala Elmore James. “Coda,” a threatening instrumental slide snippet reminiscent of the late John Fahey wraps the journey.

J.P. Reali is the perfect traveling companion to the spiritual if not actual destination of Mississippi. With his ageless delivery and incisive lyrics, bolstered by the cleanest, sweetest picking this side of Blind Blake, he has created a road map to blues bliss.

Listen to "Jefferson Lament"

Click for more 

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ROBERT CRAY TO PERFORM ON WORLD'S LARGEST INDOOR STAGE

Blues Hall of Famer, Robert Cray will perform on Saturday, November 10 at the Grand Sierra Resort, 2500 E. Second St., Reno, NV. The venue is the 1,800-seat Grand Theatre with the world's largest indoor stage.

It’s pretty cool when a musician steps on stage with a legendary Fender Telecaster or Fender Stratocaster. It’s even more cool when that musician starts bending the strings and playing some of the best blues licks you've ever heard. That bluesman is five-time Grammy Award Winner Robert Cray who has traded solos with Eric Clapton, John Lee Hooker and Albert Collins.

A consummate performer, when Blues Hall of Fame member Cray plays guitar, he takes his audience on a journey. You won’t want to miss his Reno concert, live at The Grand Theatre at 9:00 PM (doors open at 8 pm). Tickets start at only $25. Robert Cray Dinner and a Show Special Package: Add an Elements Buffet dinner to the night of this show for just $10 more!

More Info...

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NOV 11 DOUBLE HEADER AS BRAD WILSON

BLUES MAGIC TOUR CONTINUES

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 11th DOUBLE PLAY DATE!

Catch Brad Wilson "Blues Magic" 1 pm to 2:15 pm at Red, White and Blues all day concert, Oroville, CA, Sunday November 11, 2012. Also on the bill Michael Williams, Laurie Morvan, Café R&B, Coco Montoya. Tickets $35 and available at the Feather Falls Casino box office or charge by phone: (530) 533-3885.

Also that same evening Sunday, November 11, Brad Wilson "Blues Magic" will be performing at Biscuits & Blues for two shows, 7 pm and 9 pm. Tickets are $15 at the Box Office, 401 Mason St., San Francisco, CA, 94102 and also online at www.biscuitsandblues.com

With the June, 2012, release of Brad Wilson's newest album, Blues Magic, Wilson once again proves he is a songwriter, first and foremost. Eleven brand new originals in his blues/rock style that feature excellent guitar playing and smooth vocals. The album has a stellar line up of musicians and world class production from Grammy Award-winning engineer Francis Buckley. The title track, “Blues Magic,” and all of the album's songs are the centerpiece for the 2012 tour dates.

Recent California appearances include The House Of Blues, Biscuits & Blues, Café Boogaloo, the Julian Blues Bash and some of California’s biggest events.

Brad's music is played on the radio in over 30 countries worldwide and over 40 U.S. states.

Legendary national blues show, "Blues Deluxe," which broadcasts throughout the U.S., featured Blues Magic August 6-11, 2012 and exclaimed, "Wilson's sound is that of liquid metal, hot and smooth!"

Brad was featured on the cover of Southland Blues, California's premiere blues magazine, who did an in-depth interview with this award-winning musician, where Brad discusses his work with NBC Television, Paramount Films and his tours throughout the country.

Brad’s music was featured in John Carpenter's last two films and soundtracks, Vampires and Ghosts Of Mars.

Thanks to all the fans who have made the Blues Magic Tour a success to date and for your continued support. We look forward to seeing you on November 11, 2012.

Buy Blues Magic here:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/bradwilson5

FOR BOOKING CONTACT: Cali Bee Music Inc

LAURIE GORMAN 310-550-5256 / laurie3g@aol.com

www.bradwilsonlive.com

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HONORING PIONEER ELIZABETH "LIBBA" COTTEN

A statue commemorating the life and music of Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten was dedicated in Syracuse, New York, Oct 2nd. The stature was unveiled in Libba Cotten Grove, and area dedicated to  her in 1983 on the corner of Castle and State Streets, the same year she was named a "Living Treasure" by the Smithsonian and Syracuse's first.

(LT) The bronze casting of Libba done by sculptor Sharon BuMann.

(Photo: dougophoto ®)

Cotten wrote her first song, "Freight Train," in 1906 when she was only 11 years old. It would later become a classic and her signature song and eventually recorded by many including Peter, Paul & Mary, Jerry Garcia, Bob Dylan and Taj Mahal. One of her songs, "Ain't Got No Honey Baby Now", was in fact recorded by Blind Boy Fuller under the title "Lost Lover Blues" in 1940.

A self-taught left-handed guitarist, Cotten developed her own original style. Her approach involved using a right-handed guitar (usually in standard tuning), not re-strung for left-handed playing, essentially, holding a right-handed guitar upside down. This position required her to play the bass lines with her fingers and the melody with her thumb. Her signature alternating bass style has become known as "Cotten picking".

As a very young wife and mother, Cotten set the guitar aside for nearly 40 years to raise a family and performed only in church, who discouraged her from playing "worldly music." She met, quite by accident, the famous, folk-singing Seeger family, whom she became a housekeeper for and who soon discovered her rare talents.

It wasn't until Cotten was in her 60's that she started recording and performing publicly. During the later half of the 1950s, Mike Seeger began making bedroom reel to reel recordings of Cotten's songs in her house. The culmination of these recordings would later go on the album Folksongs and Instrumentals with Guitar, which was released on Folkways Records. Shortly afterwards, she began playing selected joint shows with Mike Seeger.

Yank Rachell, Mississippi John Hurt, Skip James, Libba, Doc Reese, Sleppy John Estes

During the early 1960s, Cotten went on to play shows with big names in the burgeoning folk revival. Some of these included Mississippi John Hurt, John Lee Hooker, and Muddy Waters at venues such as the Newport Folk Festival and the Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife.

The newfound interest in her work inspired her to write more material to play and in 1967, she released a record created with her grandchildren which took its name from one of the songs she had written, "Shake Sugaree."

Using profits from her touring and record releases, as well as from the many awards given to her for contribution to the folk arts, Elizabeth moved with her daughter and grandchildren from Washington and bought a house in Syracuse, New York. She continued touring and releasing records well into her 80s.

In 1984 she won the Grammy Award for "Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording" for her album on Arhoolie Records, Elizabeth Cotten Live. When accepting the award in Los Angeles, her comment was, "Thank you. I only wish I had my guitar so I could play a song for you all." In 1989, Cotten was one of 75 influential African-American women chosen to be included in the photo documentary, I Dream a World.

Elizabeth Cotten died in 1987 at Crouse-Irving Hospital in Syracuse, New York, at the age of 92.

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MUD MORGANFIELD TO APPEAR ON BBC TWO'S

ACCLAIMED TV SERIES NOV 20 AND NOV 23

LONDON, UK – Severn Records artist Mud Morganfield continues to make a big splash “across the pond” in England with the announcement that he’ll appear on BBC Two’s flagship music TV program, “Later with Jools Holland,” airing in the UK on Tuesday November 20 and Friday 23.

The invitation to play on the long-running TV show came from the host, himself, acclaimed pianist Jools Holland, who caught Mud's performance at the London Blues Festival in June and offered him the slot after seeing Morganfield play. Holland also joined Mud and his band onstage at the Festival for a fantastic rendition of Mud’s legendary father's signature song, “Got My Mojo Working.”

“I am ever so grateful for the blessing,” said Mud Morganfield about being on the TV show. “Here I find myself again in a great moment of my life. I am thrilled and overwhelmed, to say the least, to appear on the Jools Holland show. This is what an artist lives for: awards, write-ups in magazines, being on stage with great people and having fun in the blues. To add to all these great things, I represent the blues that my father passed down to me. I thank Mr. Holland and everyone else who made this happen.”

The BBC Two TV appearance is part of Mud Morganfield’s upcoming UK shows this month that will feature him backed by some of England’s top blues talent: West Weston - harp (photo at RT), Ronni Buysack-Boysen - guitar, Ian Jennings - double bass, Mike Hellier - drums and Eric Ranzoni - keyboards. His nine-date UK tour starts on November 22nd at the Swindon Arts Centre and continues across England until the 1st December.

Mud’s UK tour also comes at a time when he’ll be the subject of an upcoming cover feature in the December/January issue of well-respected British magazine, Blues Matters, due out the end of November. He’ll be joined in that cover feature by the son of another blues icon, John Lee Hooker, Jr. The Blues Matters cover story can be previewed here.

Morganfield continues to be on a major roll since the March, 2012, release of his new album for Severn Records, Son of the Seventh Son, which recently was one of the big winners at the Fifth Annual Blues Blast Music Awards, getting the nod for “Traditional Blues CD of the Year” and also winning the “Sean Costello Rising Star Award” in recognition of his achievements this year. It’s the latest accolade for the blues singer, who also recently appeared on the cover of Living Blues magazine and was invited onstage to sing with TV actor-cum-bluesman Hugh Laurie (“House”) for his show at Chicago’s Park West nightclub.

More info

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LRBC #19 MAKES IT HAPPEN BIG FOR BLUES HALL OF FAME

The numbers say it all - There was a HUGE response to the Blues Hall Of Fame Fund Drive on the LRBC #19 (Oct 27-Nov 3).

Those of us ondeck when one guitar alone, signed by the Rolling Stones no less, garnered a $37,000 winning bid, witnessed an exciting and enthusisatic bidding war!

There were many items to bid on throughout the week as well, including several other signed guitars, amazing artwork and more.

The Legendary Rhtyhm & Blues crew says, "Thank you Blues Cruisers!!"

If you'd like to make a donation to the Blues Hall of Fame, visit: https://www.blues.org/halloffame

Click for more

Priscilla and Jay Sieleman (Prez Blues Foundation)

manning the Blues Hall of Fame table on the Oct LRBC

(Photos 2-3: Michele Lundeen) 

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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 with your help, we are going to get The Blues Hall of Fame building built in Memphis, TN!

Here is a link with more details about the Blues Hall of Fame campaign:

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 online or print out and sign form at: www.blues.org/capitalcampaign/index.php then mail to:

The Blues Foundation, 421 South Main, Memphis, TN 38104-4464;

OR fax to 901.529.4030; OR e-mail it to jay@blues.org.

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

or online at: http://www.blues.org/capitalcampaign/index.php .

3. 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!

Note: Thanks to Tall City Blues Festival, Music Matters Entertainment, A Music Company Inc., and Garvin Gate Blues Festival for helping to raise awareness about the Blues Hall of Fame. 

You too can get involved. Email us: Info@BluesFestivalGuide.com to get logos and links for your website or Facebook.

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Video of The Week

Kelly Richey "Hey Joe" Live + Interview...

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

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