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Greetings from your Editor...
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Thousands of Blues fans are definitely on the move this week. The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise is in full swing as is Delbert McClinton’s 20th annual Sandy Beaches Cruise. Memphis, Tennessee is also bursting at the seams. Myriads of blues bands, solo/duo acts, fans and industry folk, from literally around the globe, have taken over Memphis' Beale Street especially for the Blues Foundation's 30th International Blues Challenge (IBC).
My first experience in Memphis was 2001. I was actually blessed to be one of the bands participating in IBC and I felt like a winner just arriving there. For me, a West coast California-raised girl, being in the heart of the Delta was blues/roots magic. I got to perform and jam in clubs like B.B. Kings and Rum Boogie, put some yummy south in my mouth at Blues City Cafe, experience historic Sun Studios, the memorable Rock & Soul Museum, the Center for Southern Folklore, Peabody's duck parade, Al Green's Church of Love (he was even presiding), A Schwab's General Store whose motto is, "If you can't find it at A. Schwab, you're probably better off without it," etc. I couldn't wait to return and stay longer so I could soak in even more of the rich history of the roots of the blues. During subsequent visits I've made it to the Stax Museum, Clarkdale, Tunica, Lula, Helena (AR), the famed "Crossroads," Hopson Commissary and much more.
During IBC the energy is thick and smiles and camaraderie are aplenty. During the Blues Music Awards week in May it’s just as electric and exciting. Wishing everyone there an amazing time sort of goes without saying… it’s a given.
Blues Birthdays of Note: Jan 24 Aaron Neville (1941), Johnny B. Moore (1950), John Belushi (1949); Jan 25 Sleepy John Estes (1899), Etta James (1938); Jan 26 Huey "Piano" Smith (1934); Jan 27 Andrew "Smokey" Hogg (1914), Elmore James (1918), Bobby "Blue" Bland (1930); Jan 28 Drink Small (1933); Jan 29 Eddie Taylor (1923), Jonny Lang (1981); Jan 30 Ruth Brown (1928); Jan 31 Roosevelt Sykes (1906), Chuck Willis (1928), Paul deLay (1952), Charlie Musselwhite (1944), Big Time Sarah (1953).
Your ever-grateful editor,
Correction: Last week I stated that Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was Jan 21 which was incorrect. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was Monday Jan 20.
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Congrats to our Raffle Winners at IBC Registration
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 The Blues Festival Guide had a table at the IBC Band Registration in Memphis Wednesday afternoon to meet and greet all the bands from around the world. We raffled off advertising in our information-rich blues media products. (Lt: Mickey Glenn, manager of New Daisy helps Blues Festival Guide Sales Manager, Cheryl O'Grady-Yearnshaw pull names for raffle.)
The bands were thrilled.
The winners are:
1st Place - A Custom E-Blast to our fresh database of 28,500 opt-in subscribers and industry folks too - goes to Gary Small & The Coyote Bros.
2nd Place - Banner ad for 3 months on our top-ranking blues website: www.BluesFestivalGuide.com - goes to Sylvia van der Hoek 's band
3rd Place - Banner ad for 6 weeks in our popular Blues e-Guide newsletter - goes to Rick Coin
5th Place - Banner ad for 4 weeks on our top-ranking blues website: www.BluesFestivalGuide.com - goes to Robert Higginbotham's band, GRITS.
CONGRATS EVERYBODY. SEE YOU ON BEALE STREET.
Cheryl, Willette and BFG crew
(Send me an email if you're trying to reach me
while I'm in Memphis at cogblues@att.net
Thanks, Cheryl O'Grady-Yearnshaw - Sales Manager, Blues Festival Guide)
See more IBC Week details in the Blues Foundation News section this issue.
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Send us fave photos with the Annual BFG Magazine
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show off a copy Blues Festival Guide magazine hanging out on the deck of the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise.
Email your fave photos plus caption & credit to:
You can enjoy the magazine in digital format! Click on cover at right to check out the online digital version!
Want a hard copy to have and to hold? Check with your local blues society or look for one at a blues festival or find order information here. ...
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Tommy Castro :: THE DEVIL YOU KNOW
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 Award-winning guitarist, vocalist, songwriter Tommy Castro will release his turbo-charged new album, The Devil You Know on Tuesday, January 21, 2014. The Devil You Know, recorded in the Bay Area with his fiery new band The Painkillers, and produced by Castro and Bonnie Hayes, is a contemporary blues tour-de-force. The album is an untamed, high-energy set of 13 songs, including nine written or co-written by Castro and full of driving grooves, funky rhythms and the kind of choruses. "For the new album I challenged myself to add different sounds and new rhythms to my style while remaining true to my roots. I wrote using ideas for songs and ideas for sounds together in a way I'd never done before," explains Castro. Read all about it here...
 "The Devil You Know"A
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Dan Bubien :: EMPTY ROADS
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 Empty Roads is the Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania's submission for the 2014 Best Self-Produced CD presented by The Blues Foundation. Musical technique and vocal ability are prerequisites for popular music, the blues and related genres included. However, when impressive skills everywhere abound, it is indefinable “feel” and unfiltered personal expression that separates the exceptional from the merely excellent. Extraordinary singer, songwriter and guitarist Dan Bubien, emerging from the gritty blue collar world of Western Pennsylvania, fulfills the requirements with overpowering passion and commitment to his artistic vision. Bubien makes his big league debut with 11 original blues, funk and silky R&B tunes boosted by Gary Ripper (bass), Andy Taravella (drums), Timmy Mabin (keyboards) and additional guests..
"Empty Roads"
BR
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Learn to Play the Blues at Blast Furnace Blues This February
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 With a lineup that features the Blind Boys of Alabama, Curtis Salgado, BeauSoleil, Maria Muldaur & the Midnight Scramble, Candye Kane, Southern Hospitality and more, the Blast Furnaces Blues Festival is all about celebrating the blues. But, if you want to go behind the music and discover the elements that put the heart, soul and sound into it all, then you’ll want to be part of the new Blues Performance Workshops on Feb. 8.
Perfect for professional and student musicians, as well as fans of the blues, these hands-on workshops are taught by nationally- and regionally-renowned blues artists and masters. ...
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Clarksdale Film Festival Jan 23-26 in Clarksdale, Mississippi
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 (CLARKSDALE, MISSISSIPPI) For its fourth year in a row, the Clarksdale Film Festival aims to make you laugh, cry and occasionally, rock out. Organizers promise attendees a feast of Mississippi and Southern filmmaking – plus a little fresh popcorn. The festival runs Thursday-Sunday, January 23-26. The main downtown screening venue is historic Delta Cinema (11 Third Street) with a secondary venue at Channel Ziltch (119 Third Street). More information is available at www.jukejointfestival.com or 662-624-5992. Tickets are $5 per day or $10 for a weekend pass; available at the Delta Cinema box office during festival hours. Official festival hats and shirts are also available in the Delta Cinema lobby. ...
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Hop over the Pacific for Byron Bay Bluesfest – Easter 2014
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What were your New Year’s resolutions this year? Travel more? See live music? Meet new people? Down Under Answer has the solution to mark them all off right now!
Australia’s premier blues and roots festival is gearing up to celebrate its 25th birthday, April 17–21 and all the stops have been pulled out to throw a spectacular five-day party that you will never forget! With an incredibly lineup featuring some of the world’s biggest names in blues, roots, soul, gospel, R&B and rock giving more than 200 amazing performances across seven stages, do not miss this chance to experience the 25th anniversary Bluesfest.
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Unsigned Only Music Competition announces judges
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 January 23, 2014 - Unsigned Only Music Competition today announced its judging panel and mentors for the 2014 competition, which is now accepting entries. Judges consist of iconic recording artists and journalists, each bringing unique expertise in a wide variety of contemporary music genres. Mentors include the top echelon of record company executives, ranging from label Presidents to A&R reps.
Unsigned Only is a unique music competition designed for solo artists, bands, and singers all over the world who are not signed to a major label record company or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, or imprints. The goal of Unsigned Only is to find an outstanding, talented performer: a band, singer, or solo artist...a newcomer or veteran...raw or polished - the “gem” that needs to be discovered. Unsigned Only is looking for the total package.
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Winners of Annual Maple Blues Awards in Toronto Jan 20
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 The Ottawa Citizen - It’s a banner year once again at the Maple Blues Awards for Ottawa’s super Blues group MonkeyJunk.
(Photo from l-r) Steve Marriner, Matt Sobb and Tony Diteodoro of MonkeyJunk.
Photo: Chris Mikula, The Ottawa Citizen
The band picked up five awards (on six nominations) including Entertainer of the Year, Electric Act of the Year, Recording of the Year for All Frequencies, Songwriter of the Year and Harmonica Player of the Year for Steve Marriner, one of the members of the band. The others are Matt Sobb and Tony Diteodoro. The album All Frequencies beat out One of a Kind by Gatineau’s Ben Racine, among others.
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Blues Foundation News: Download free IBC Program
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 On Tuesday, January 21, the IBC International Showcase was hosted by the Beale Street Merchants Assoc. at the New Daisy Theater. Wednesday, January 22 was round one of the IBC Quarterfinals for solo/duo and bands at various venues up and down Beale Street. Thursday, January 22 is round two.
The 30th IBC program is available online. You can find who is playing where beginning on page 14. Click here for the entire program and checkout all the bands from around the world and more.
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#23 Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise Great Lineup
+ Remaining Cabins are on Sale Now... go for it!
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Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise #23 Mexican Riviera • Oct. 4~11, 2014
Roundtrip from Los Angeles to Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas & Mazatlan
Open Cabin Sales on Sale now!
Very Important: In order to select a stateroom for the #23 Mexican Riviera cruise you will need to have your user name and password. This will allow you to access our reservation system. If you have forgotten your user name/password, click to reset. Unsure or need help creating an account?
Please email Bluesin@BluesCruise.com.
LEGENDARY RHYTHM & BLUES CRUISE
313 Lawrence Ave., Kansas City, MO 64111
For reservations & info see:
More Than A Cruise... More Than A Festival... More Than You Can Imagine!
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Steel City Blues Society receives coveted Arts Grant
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 The Steel City Blues Society (Phoenixville, Pennsylvania) has recently received a Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts grant. The society cultivates and preserves the tradition of blues music through community events such as the Phoenixville Blues Festival. They also help the youth in the community discover the joy of music by raising awareness and funds for the “The Give the Gift of Music Foundation,” a nonprofit organization established to assist underprivileged children in the area to have access to music lessons and after school programs. ...
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We have late night blues, early morning blues, blues for a hot summer day, driving blues, blues for lost love, blues for found love…. And when the clouds gather and the sky opens up, we have blues for that too. Come inside, and cozy up.
Blues for a rainy day. Next time, in the Bluesmobile.
For a list of stations where you can find BluesMobile Radio Click Here |
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Tomcat Courtney ... "Cook My Breakfast"
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Happy 85th Birthday Tomcat! (1/22/14)
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Did you know that I do Custom Comic Strips & Comic Pages as gifts?
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Roots Blues Airplay Charts
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To view our entire calendar of more than 500 festivals, click here! |
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ATTENTION:
FESTIVAL PROMOTERS
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LIST YOUR FESTIVAL WITH US FREE!
Website - E-Guide - Magazine
If you host or know of a Blues Festival & don't see here or in our online listings...
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FOR TONS MORE FESTIVAL LISTINGS SEE OUR COMPREHENSIVE WEBSITE
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Thursday-Sunday
January 16th-26th 2014
Coral Gables, Florida USA
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| | Sunday-Sunday
January 19th-26th 2014
Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA
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Friday - Saturday
January 24th - February 1st 2014
Ferndale, Michigan USA
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| | Saturday
February 1st 2014
Mt. Martha, Victoria Australia
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Friday-Saturday
February 7th-8th 2014
Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania USA
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| | Friday-Sunday
February 7th-9th 2014
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania USA
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Saturday
February 8th 2014
Des Moines, Iowa USA
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| | Thursday-Sunday
February 13th-16th 2014
Boquete, Chiriqui Panama
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Saturday-Sunday
February 15th-16th 2014
Clearwater, Florida USA
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| | Saturday-Sunday
February 15th-16th 2014
Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA
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Sunday
February 23rd 2014
Anaheim, California USA
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February 24th-March 2nd 2014
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada
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 RBA Publishing Inc is based in Reno, Nevada USA. We are woman owned and operated.
We produce the annual Blues Festival Guide magazine (publishing our 11th annual in 2013), affiliated with the top-ranking website: www.BluesFestivalGuide.com, and this weekly blues newsletter: The Blues Festival E-Guide with approximately 28,500 weekly subscribers.
Contact our home office to find out how to advertise in this e-weekly newsletter. Call 775-337-8344.
Information both editorial and advertising in the Blues Festival E-Guide is believed to be correct but not guaranteed. Double check info carefully before you attend any event or send money for anything. We do not write the news... we just report it.
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