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HUNDREDS OF BLUES FESTIVALS
For a complete list of all 2007 Blues Festivals
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DUKE ROBBILLARD : : World Full of Blues
Creating another guitar tour-de-force as Duke delivers a brilliant double-set of varied approaches to the world of blues.
Duke Robillard follows his Grammy nominated release GUITAR GROOVE-A-RAMA with a full 115 minute 2 CD set of blues, swing, funk and original tunes. At a single CD price the 'value added' bonus free CD makes this a set of "All Killer, No Filler" material.
Click Here to purchase from Stony Plain Records
Press the LISTEN button below to hear Duke Robillard perform "Jump the Blues for You" from his new WORLD FULL OF BLUES cd.
To LISTEN it may be
necessary to allow pop-ups. Just hold down the CTRL button on your
keyboard while pressing the following LISTEN button; please allow a few
seconds for juke-box player to open.
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MARIA MULDAUR : : Naughty, Bawdy and Blue
NAUGHTY, BAWDY AND BLUE, Maria Muldaur brings us tough, funny Independent songs by financially, socially, and sexually liberated woman of the 20's - 40's.
*With Special Guest Bonnie Raitt*
"How great to hear these classic blues again, done up right by one of my favorite singers and the incredible James Dapogny's Chicago Jazz Band. I loved joining in on Sippie Wallace's /Separation Blues."
- Bonnie Raitt
Click Here to purchase from Stony Plain Records
Press the LISTEN button below to hear Maria Muldaur and Bonnie Raitt perform "Separation Blues"
To LISTEN it may be
necessary to allow pop-ups. Just hold down the CTRL button on your
keyboard while pressing the following LISTEN button; please allow a few
seconds for juke-box player to open.
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Enter this contest and win!
 Yes it's back! The 3rd annual "Win a Festival Cruise" SweepstakesGRAND PRIZE
 8-Day 7-Night Luxury Mexican Riviera Cruise for two, with 5-star accommodations on Sandy Beaches Cruise #14 with 3-time blues Grammy Winner, Delbert McClinton on-board Holland America's MS Oosterdam. Sailing from San Diego in January 2008. 1 winner - $4,990 value.
SECOND PLACE PRIZE
 Reverend Manta Ray Guitar In a beautiful tobacco sunburst with a flamed maple top (case included) 1 winner - $949 value. THIRD PLACE PRIZES (2 WINNERS) Shopping spree for 5 CDs of your choice From bandVillage.com "Your Source for Independent Music". FOURTH PLACE PRIZES (30 WINNERS) The break-through Blues CD from Roxanne Potvin "The Way it Feels" TO ENTER VISIT www.BluesFestivalGuide.com1 entry person no purchase necessary contest ends September 5, 2007 you will be asked to complete a short confidential survey must be 21 years of age Good Luck! |
Cincy Blues Fest Salutes Cincinnati’s Rich Music Legacy with a Tribute Stage to King Records
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At this years festival The Cincy Blues Society (August 3rd & 4th) will honor King Records and the music and musicians that brought such hits as “Please Please Please”, “Dedicated to the One I Love” and “Fever”.
The King Records label was started In Cincinnati by Syd Nathan in 1943 with $25,000 borrowed from family members. Nathan, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, built the company into the sixth largest record company in the United States by the mid 1960’s.
King Records was very competitive with its low overhead due to the fact that all processes could be done at the Brewster production facility. The artists were recorded, the masters were made, the records were pressed, the album covers were designed and printed, and then the records were warehoused and shipped all from this location close to downtown Cincinnati.
Syd Nathan was also a leader in getting African American and white people to work together as employees for King Records. King hired 400 employees and the musical director, assistant office manager, foreman, set-up man, promotion director, secretary, a dozen stenographers, and 20% of the employees were black. There were also Chinese and Japanese machine operators. All groups got together for summer picnics, Christmas parties, and baseball games. Syd Nathan was truly ahead of his time when it came to race relations.
Ralph Bass was head of A&R at King Records for many years. In 1956, he received a demo from a young singer from Georgia named James Brown. The demo was sent to both King Records and Chess Records of Chicago. In a lucky break, Bass was able to beat the Chess rep to Georgia because his plane was held up due to a snow storm. Bass was the able to sign Brown to a contract and bring him to Cincinnati.
James Brown and his Famous Flames recorded “Please, Please, Please” as a demo on February 4, 1956. Half way through Brown’s performance of the song, Syd Nathan jumped up and said, “What the hell are they doing? Stop the song, it’s a stupid tape. It only has one word in it.” After much persuasion, Nathan let them finish the song, but he initially refused to release it. After several pleas by Brown and his manager, Syd Nathan finally released it on March 3, 1956. It took off quickly and eventually sold a million copies.
This episode began the love/hate relationship between James Brown and Syd Nathan. Brown only had minor hits over the next few years, but his road shows drew outstanding crowds. Brown urged Nathan to let him record a live album, but Syd thought no one would listen to songs already recorded. After much insistence and many arguments, Nathan gave in. Brown recorded LIVE AT THE APOLLO and it became a smash hit, moving Brown into the forefront of American rhythm and blues, and into the mainstream of pop music. The Godfather of Soul went on to branch out musically with the JBs, a band featuring a pair of brothers as back up musicians, one who would later become the epitome of funk as Bootsy Collins, a Cincinnati native.
By the mid 1960’s, the massive success of James Brown and of Syd Nathan’s business savvy built King records into one of the leading record companies in the United States. But Nathan’s health was failing and on March 5, 1968, he died.
King Records changed hands numerous times after Nathan’s death. It was sold in 1968 to Starday Records, which was almost immediately sold to Lin Broadcasting. In 1971, Lin sold James Brown’s contract to Polydor, then sold the label to Tennessee Recording and Publishing. The King Records label is now owned by Gusto Records in Nashville.
Though the building where King Records thrived has been abandoned, and the equipment used to make its music is long gone, the spirit of the King Records legacy and its groundbreaking example of pushing the limits of standard musical categories and stereotypes lives on. It continues to inspire musicians worldwide, even if they don’t know that the sound they admire, the players they emulate, and the songs they cover came from Cincinnati’s King Records.
The Cincy Blues Fest hopes to change that. Many have valiantly tried to pull together King memorabilia, restore the original building, and establish a permanent memorial, but it is a daunting effort. By focusing community attention on the music that had such a profound effect, the King Records Tribute at the Cincy Blues Fest will be the catalyst that makes it all happen. This year’s event will serve as the education and motivation to properly recognize the amazing contributions of King Records.
If you would like more information about the 2007 Cincy Blues Fest contact Brad Gerdes at 513-659-4850, email Brad at adman66@aol.com., or visit www.cincyblues.org.
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Eric Clapton and John Mayer Together On Stage In New York
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Last Friday, July 20th Eric Clapton joined John Mayer on stage during his Summer Concert Series performance for ABC-TV's "Good Morning America". The concert took place in New York City's Bryant Park in midtown Manhattan. John performed two songs before being joined by Eric for "Crossroads". After the show was over, John peformed an additional song for the live audience, many who had been in line from 3AM.
"Crossroads" was an appropriate choice as they debuted the new limited edition Eric Clapton Crossroads Stratocaster Guitar and Crossraods '57 Twin Amp. The limited edition guitar and amp became available to the general public today from Fender. The guitars feature a unique "Crossroads Antigua" graphic designed and originally hand-drawn by Eric. The commemorative Crossroads '57 Twin-Amps are modeled after the original '57 Twin. The '57 Twin-Amp is Eric's personal amp of choice for studio and stage use. Interestingly, John's Crossroads Guitar has been customized with a rosewood neck and John's "Big Dipper" electronics, whereas the one played by Eric had a maple neck. After the song, John spoke for a few minutes to the show hosts about the significance of the guitars and the upcoming Crossroads Guitar Festival.
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CROSSROADS GUITAR FESTIVAL TO BE WEBCAST
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Eric Clapton's Crossroads Festival takes place Saturday (28 July) at Toyota Park, in Bridgeville, Illinois. Beginning at 1:30PM EST (10:30AM PST), MSN Music will host a webcast of the event. MSN Music is currently featuring a Q&A with Eric, a festival lineup, and videos from the first festival in 2004.
For more information visit www.whereseric.com
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Gibson Foundation Announces Support For Free The Children
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Gibson Guitar announced the Gibson Foundation's support of "Free The Children," the world's largest network of children helping children. Gibson Foundation has pledged a five-year commitment, during which it will build five, eight-room school houses in five different provinces of China. These schools will aid thousands of children in China and bring a much needed opportunity for primary education with qualified teachers. Each school will be equipped with textbooks, school furnishings and a playground.
The Gibson Foundation is the philanthropic arm of musical giant Gibson Guitar and focuses on making the world a better place for children through its own initiatives. The support pledged to Free The Children brings together two organizations whose continued mission and goals impact millions each year.
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Dorothy Moore Visits Norica Village
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"If you give me your heart, I'll give you my soul," was playing as Dorothy Moore and the "Best Woman" and also the village leader, marched to the community pavillion to join a wedding party at the village of Norica in Suriname South America recently.
The album cut from FEEL THE LOVE cd, rarely sung live, was a special request at Moore's show in South America, Saturday, July 7, 2007. Moore's song brought a standing ovation.
Suriname media was heavy that week covering the "Back in Time Show" including a story by Jerelino Graham in the Suriname Times. Pansa M of MP Promotions presented the show held at the Anthony Nesty Sporthall.
On Sunday, Moore and business manager, Marcia Weaver, hired "Cowboy" S Rozenblad, a tour guide of 45 years, to find local music. After 45 minutes driving out from Paramaribo, the capital, a van load of performers passed by the taxi. "We found the music" said Cowboy as he followed the performers. After a brief stop by the concerned van load, they said yes please have Dorothy Moore follow them.
The bride, of Indian decent, and groom, of African decent, where thrilled to learn Moore was at the celebration of their wedding. They told her they would have been at the show except they had their wedding on Saturday, 7/7/07, that lucky day. The performers were a cappella gospel singers.
After a traditional meal of rice and chicken feet, and beans with Parbo (Suriname beer), she had to depart for another appointment. Moore missed the Indian dancers and the main meal of roasted pig cooked on the open fire but not the warm reception given by the village people. Guests were still arriving as Cowboy drove Moore away.
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NEW BLUES CLUB IN DALTON, GEORGIA
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When business partners Rich Phillips and Deanna Morris decided to open a downtown blues club, they didn’t look anywhere other than their hometown.
“We thought it would be so neat to go back to downtown Dalton, walk those streets again and remember the things from growing up here,” Phillips said. “The history that goes with downtown Dalton, the stories that we hear about. As a kid I used to eat here at the U.S. Cafe. I couldn’t hear those stories in Chattanooga.”
From those memories sprang the Blues Train Cafe, a live entertainment venue and restaurant at 312 S. Hamilton St, Dalton, GA which opened last month.
“We’re staying true to the roots of blues,” said Phillips, who spent 34 years in radio playing all types of music. “We’re not a southern rock club. You’ll hear some Stevie Ray Vaughn, but you’ll also hear some Muddy Waters. We like to say we offer live blues from the Delta to Detroit.”
Blues Train Cafe features live music four nights a week from acts including the house band Cherry Vendetta to acts from Alabama and Atlanta. Tuesdays are open mic nights.
Phillips said he was a bit surprised to see the number of younger faces at the cafe and credits Eric Clapton and John Mayer for bringing blues to another generation.
“I see people in here from 21 up to 71 enjoying the blues and the atmosphere,” Phillips said.
Although Phillips said they tried to keep the Blues Train Cafe quiet until all of the bugs were worked out, word has slowly spread among Daltonians.
“They’re shocked,” Morris said. “They can’t believe it’s Dalton. They love it. There have been very few that have been negative.”
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Homemade Jamz Blues Band to be profiled by CBS' 'Sunday Morning' later this summer
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The family trio will be profiled by CBS' 'Sunday Morning' later this summer. A crew followed the band to their concert Thursday, July 26th at the W.C. Handy Music Festival in Florence, Alabama.
In February, the band placed second at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, 'the world's largest gathering of blues bands,' very likely causing competing peers more than four or five times their age to sing the blues.
Teen guitarist, Ryan Perry and his siblings, who make up Homemade Jamz Blues Band, are not jaded by the attention thrust upon them. During his free time, Ryan likes to go fishing with his brother, Kyle, 13, bass player for the band. Ryan's sister, Taya, 8, drummer for Homemade Jamz, didn't hesitate when asked what she likes to do in her spare time — read. The 'That's So Raven' series based on The Disney Channel show with the same name is her current pick.
Homemade Jamz current lineup was set in December 2005 after Taya replaced the former drummer. Ryan spurred the start of the family musical act with the curiosity of his dad's faux Fender guitar. Renald Perry, father of Ryan, Kyle and Taya, grew up with musical influence from his in his grandmother and uncle and had a love for the blues. He indulged in his attraction to music while stationed in Korea when he bought a guitar on a whim. Perry recalled coming home one evening while stationed in Germany and hearing music from the TV. It was a 7-year-old Ryan, who had mastered German commercial jingles on the guitar. 'It was like the blues were in him just waiting to get out,' Perry said.
This will be the second year Homemade Jamz has played the Handy festival.
'We've been practicing mainly for the Handy festival all year because we want to make a good impression on the Shoals area,' said Renald Perry, who joins his children on stage playing blues harp, genre jargon for the harmonica.
Concert goers can expect to hear another instrument not so common to those outside of blues — a guitar made from car mufflers that Renald Perry said old school bluesmen used.
The band will unveil new songs set for an upcoming CD at the Handy festival, to add to their 24 -song catalog copyrighted with the Library of Congress. Renald Perry writes most lyrics while his children write the music.
As for the future Perry hopes his children will help 'keep the blues alive' as its veteran musicians pass on.
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Reduced Satellite Radio Fees will be implemented when merger is completed
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SIRIUS Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio announced that the merged company will offer American consumers for the first time the opportunity to choose programming on an a la carte basis. This unprecedented offering will provide subscribers with more choices and lower prices and pave the way for a unique form of competition in the entertainment industry -- one based on the individual programming preferences of listeners.
One option will allow subscribers to choose 50 channels for just $6.99 -- a 46 percent decrease from the current standard subscription rate of $12.95. Under this option, customers will also be able to include additional channels for as little as 25 cents each. The second a la carte option will allow subscribers to choose 100 channels and will allow SIRIUS customers to select from some of the best of XM's programming (and XM subscribers to choose from some of the best of SIRIUS' programming).
Both the a la carte packages would require the purchase of a new radio, the companies said.
A combination of Sirius and XM, which broadcast to a combined 14 million subscribers, faces steep regulatory challenges, however. When the companies received their licenses from the FCC to begin offering subscription radio service via satellite, they had agreed not to ever merge.
Yet Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. announced last February that it would acquire XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. for $4.7 billion. The combination requires approval from antitrust regulators and the Federal Communications Commission.
Consumer groups have opposed the deal. The National Association of Broadcasters opposes the acquisition, calling it a "government-sanctioned monopoly."
Sirius and XM hope to close the deal by the end of the year.
And this just announced: Hugh Panero, one of the founders of XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., is departing as CEO of the company, a title he would have lost anyway if XM's proposed combination with rival Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. goes through.
Editors Note: How much for just the blues channels?
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Jessie Mae Hemphill Headstone Dedication Ceremony
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On July 30 a headstone will be dedicated at the grave of blues and gospel artist Jessie Mae Hemphill, who died on July 22, 2006, and was buried a week later on July 30.
Hemphill, who was born October 18, 1923, was best known as a blues guitarist, songwriter and vocalist, and in this capacity toured widely in Europe and won several W.C. Handy Awards for her recordings. For many years she also performed as drummer in fife and drum bands, a long-established musical tradition in her native north Mississippi. Her grandfather was Sid Hemphill, a multi-instrumentalist who was recorded by Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress.
The dedication ceremony will take place beginning at 4:45 pm at the Senatobia Memorial Cemetery, which is located on Highway 51 South in Senatobia, MS. Reverend John Wilkins, the son of early blues and gospel recording artist Robert Wilkins, will lead a prayer service, after which attendees are invited to join in a group performance of Hemphill’s "Lord Help the Poor and Needy.”
The tombstone was donated in part by the Rodgers Funeral Home in Coldwater, Mississippi, with additional expenses provided by funds raised for funeral expenses following Hemphill’s death.
“By erecting this tombstone we wanted to publicly memorialize the important contributions to north Mississippi blues traditions made by Jessie Mae,” says Olga Wilhelmine Mathus, who founded the Jessie Mae Hemphill Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of north Mississippi music. “Her music was timeless, and we wanted to ensure that people can discover and learn about her music and the musical traditions of her family for generations to come.“
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Australia has a Legendary Blues TRAIN !
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Victoria’s historic coastal town of Queenscliff is home to the world’s one and only Blues Train. It is a unique experience that combines four of Australia’s best live blues performers and the beautiful scenery of the Bellarine Peninsula on the Drysdale railway line whilst aboard a real moving vintage steam train. It is one of Australia’s most spectacular entertainment experiences.
Nothing captures the spirit of the blues quite like a steam train. Listening to the train whistle and the clickety-clack you can imagine the old blues masters jamming it up on Mississippi freight trains as they were “ridin’ the blinds” around America’s Deep South.
The Blues Train leaves Queenscliff Railway Station after guests have enjoyed a meal provided by Pasquini’s Deli of Point Lonsdale, complemented by fine Australian and local wines. The steam train then makes its way along 16 kilometres of track, gently rocking from side to side, seemingly in beat with the music.
At each of the stops, Suma Park and Drysdale, revellers swap carriages to see another of the four great blues acts performing on the train. Drinks are available from the mobile bar that miraculously appears on each platform (it’s a converted guard’s van). You can sit back, relax and listen to the music with a drink in one of the seated carriages or get up and boogie the blues away in one of the dance carriages.
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Blues radio show "The South Side" finds a new home
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(HUMBOLDT COUNTY, California) After nearly six years on public radio station KHSU, blues and rhythm & blues show "The South Side" will move to top-rated progressive commercial station KHUM starting August 3rd.
The show will continue to air each Friday from 8 to 10pm and will still be
available as a live web stream, now at www.khum.com. KHUM "Radio Without the Rules" can be heard at 104.7 FM and 104.3 FM.
New mailing address for record service for the show is: KHUM, Chas Lewis, P.O. Box 25, Ferndale, CA 95536-0025.
Ferndale is located approximately two hours south of the Oregon border and 20 miles south of Eureka on the far northern California coast.
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Etta James out, Chaka Khan in
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Blues legend Etta James is in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles due to complications from abdominal operation she had in June. While James, 69, is in stable condition, she will bow out of the 2007 B.B. King Blues Festival lineup. Chaka Khan will step in for James for most of the festival.
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NEWS FROM TELARC, RUF and REPRISE RECORDS
Corey Harris (Telarc Records)
Once the future of acoustic finger-picked blues, Corey Harris turns to reggae for his ninth studio album.
Firmly entrenched in what has become known as the roots reggae style - basically the rhythmic style of the music's critical heyday, the early '70s - his tenor has the appropriate sweetness. And he assimilates the lyrical subject matter quite well, writing with conviction about the tried-and-true reggae subjects: faith, injustice and unity. A pleasant listen, ZION CROSSROADS is the result of being inspired by genre's past - traces of Burning Spear, Horace Andy, Toots Hibbert and Peter Tosh hang over this effort - rather than a declaration for the future.
Bob Brozman (Ruf Records)
Bob Brozman is currently working finishing mixes on POST-INDUSTRIAL BLUES, for October 2007 release, on Ruf Records. Bob explained in a recent interview that he's taking new risks in writing lyrics, experimenting with new ways of singing, playing new instruments, trying new ways of improvising, and that many of the songs are slightly orchestral.
Eric Clapton (Reprise Records)
Eric Clapton is releasing an autobiography and a greatest hits double CD titled "Complete Clapton" set for an October 9, 2007 release!
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News from Oregon, Texas and info about a "paperless" ticketing system for festivals.
Corvallis (Oregon) festival allowed free admission, yet made more money than ever before
Free admission worked out well for Downtown Corvallis Association.The Red White & Blues Riverfront Festival is planning an encore.
Under pressure from the Riverfront Commission, the DCA agreed to drop the $5 admission charge for the first time in the event’s 13-year history, raising fears that it might not survive. It was a make-or-break year for the city’s summertime blues bash.
Some citizens had objected to the idea of excluding the nonpaying public from a public park, while some First Street merchants had balked at seeing potential customers corralled inside a 6-foot-high, tarp-covered fence full of vendors hawking beer, food and souvenirs.
This year’s festival had a 4-foot fence, with no tarp to block prying eyes, and gates at either end were left open to allow the public to come and go at will.
That seems to have boosted turnout, which organizers estimate — very roughly — totaled about 10,000.The higher attendance numbers boosted sales of beer, which grossed $9,345 this year, clearing about $5,000 after expenses.
Attendees also gave generously at two donation boxes set up at the gates, chipping in almost $7,900 to help defray festival costs and getting strings of red, white and blue plastic beads or flashing festival pins in return. (The bill for the bling: $1,400.)
The Downtown Corvalis Association was encouraged by those financial results and hopes to return to booking regional and national headliners after sticking almost entirely with local acts this year in a cost-cutting move.
According to preliminary figures, it appears the festival will even have a bit of a nest egg going into next year. The outdoor concert July 3 and 4 in Riverfront Commemorative Park brought in almost $41,500 in sponsorships, donations and concession revenue. Not all the bills are in yet, but after paying an estimated $27,700 in expenses, that should leave a healthy $13,000-plus in the bank.
Paperless Tickets Hit The Right Note
To buy tickets fans simply log on to new mobile ticketing website www.tixmob.com and pay for their tickets using a credit or debit card and have them delivered immediately to their mobile phone.
Festival goers can choose to receive all tickets on one phone or, for those buying multiple tickets, to have them delivered direct to their friends’ mobiles. Unlike traditional ticketing services tixmob charges no costly delivery fees. You simply pay the face value of the ticket plus a nominal processing charge and tickets will be available right up until the final minutes before the event starts.
Texas International Blues Festival
The Texas International Blues Festival will be returning to the Sons of Hermann Hall, Saturday, August 25, 2007. Any bands that would like to perfrom at this years event. Please send a complete promo-kit to J&B Productions, P.O. Box 720251 Dallas, Tx. 75372. Call 214-823-3966 or Email jeb@brightok.net
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NEWS FROM MISSISSIPPI
Sunflower River Blues Association (Clarksdale, MS)
The Sunflower River Blues Association unveiled its 20th anniversary commemorative poster for this year's upcoming Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival, with a special two-part celebration at the Delta Blues Museum and Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale. The artist who created the poster design, Cristen Craven Barnard, has also designed previous Sunflower River Festival posters, as well as artwork for the Arkansas Blues and Heritage festival, formerly the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena. Posters are available for purchase at Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art in Clarksdale at (662) 624-5992, as well as the festival. Proceeds from poster sales and T-shirts benefit the free festival.
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MICHAEL BLOOMFIELD REMEMBERED:
Michael Bloomfield played lead guitar in the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, helped Bob Dylan go electric, and was taken from this earth far too early. He would have been 64 on July 28th. Join Elwood Blues for a salute to the music of guitar legend Michael Bloomfield, along with Charlie Musselwhite, Paul Butterfield, Al Kooper and Bob Dylan. This week on the House of Blues Radio Hour.
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For years, the Blues Festival Guide Magazine received numerous requests for updates on festivals via email, and on January 10, 2006, the Marketing Director of the Blues Festival Guide magazine, Nancy Edwards partnered with the magazine (RBA Publishing) and published the first emailed issue of the E-Guide E-Newsletter.
The E-Guide is a wonderful resource for everyone interested in Blues! You can expect to see the E-Guide in your inbox weekly. Please email the editor with any questions at
nancy@bluesfestivalEguide.com
To reach thousands of blues enthusiasts, click here to learn how to advertise in this Blues Festival E-Guide E-Newsletter.
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