When Dave Stewart had his big experience, Joanne Shaw Taylor was only 16. Her skills at the Telecaster were so perfect that the bluesfan and Eurythmics-frontman asked her to join his supergroup D.U.P. to tour europe in 2002. She was also offered a record contract but the label went bust. Today Joanne is 23 and happy about the fact that she took her time with the recording debut: "I wanted to take time out to really work on my craft and make sure that when I did an album it was the best that I could do."

For "White Sugar" Joanne took a plane to Memphis where her label RUF had booked Jim Gaines´ studio. Jim had worked with some of Joanne´s idols like Albert Collins and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He brought in the experienced sessionmen Steve Potts (Drums) und Dave Smith (Bass). "Working with these guys was totally easy. I knew of them because of Luther Allison and the Jonny Lang albums. They didn´t know the tracks until five minutes before we recorded them. I made them listen to the songs once and then play them. It was fantastic. They got so much feeling and soul. They are amazing guys to work with."

She talks about some influences. When Joanne was a little schoolgirl, she was caught by the rough side of the blues: SRV, Albert Collins, the Paladins, Jimi Hendrix. At christmas she got her first electric guitar. The old classical guitar, which she had played since she was eight, vanished from the children´s room. "As soon as I heard SRV and Albert Collins I knew pretty much that I wanted to do that full stop. That was the lifestyle route that I was goin´ to go down. It was never a hobby. It was always very serious and dedicated to it."

"White Sugar" is the proof. The confident and young british woman keeps the traditions of her idols but she is going her own way. With her record debut she demonstrates her talent with ten songs that she has written herself. Playing the hard stuff à la SRV, making us feel the bite of her telecaster just like Albert Collins did or working out charming little riffs from the Jimi Hendrix book - Joanne is always seeking - and finding - new terrain. Funky shuffles, soulful ballads or the hypnotic hookline of the title track, a burning instrumental, she presents her craft powerfully. Some songs were written during the the flight to Memphis, a few others were written 10 years ago and are kind of her signature tunes. There is the autobiographical "Kiss The Ground Goodbye", deep feelings come wirh "Heavy Heart" or "Blackest Day", a song that Joanne wrote when she was 14. "With ´Blackest Day´ I really wanted to show my influences." She can be proud of her first album. ""She´s my pride & joy..." SRV once sang. Her fans will be proud of Joanne, too...

http://joanneshawtaylor.com/

Fowler's guitar work has been compared to Johnny Winter and Jeff Beck, while his slide guitar has a hint of the late Duane Allman. He can play fiery guitar with the best of them, but it's his lyrical work on lap steel and Dobro that makes him stand out among the legions of guitar heroes. Damon's Blind Pig debut showcases his soulful blend of Southern rock, swamp blues and lightning slide runs.

http://www.damonfowler.com/

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR-Jeff Healey

ELECTRIC ARTIST OF THE YEAR-Jeff Healey

 ACOUSTIC ARTIST OF THE YEAR-Harry Manx

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR-John Mays (Fathead)

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR-Suzie Vinnick

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR -Daddy Long Legs

RECORDING OF THE YEAR-Mess of Blues (Stony Plain)-Jeff Healey,Producers: Jeff Healey & Alec Fraser

INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR-Taj Mahal

GUITARIST OF THE YEAR-Jeff Healey

HARMONICA PLAYER OF THE YEAR-Steve Marriner

PIANO/KEYBOARD PLAYER OF THE YEAR-Dave Murphy (Jeff Healey Blues Band)

HORN PLAYER OF THE YEAR-Pat Carey

DRUMMER OF THE YEAR-Al Webster (Jeff Healey Blues Band)

BASSIST OF THE YEAR-Alec Fraser (Jeff Healey Blues Band & Broken Joe)

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR-Paul Reddick

BLUES WITH A FEELING AWARD (Lifetime Achievement)-Amos Garrett

BLUES BOOSTER OF THE YEAR-Rob Bowman

At CES this week, SanDisk surpassed my expectations with the new SlotRadio, a $39.99 MP3 player with a preloaded microSD card containing 1,000 songs. That's four cents a song, plus you get to keep the player, which is capable of playing the SlotMusic albums and other music contained on a microSD card, and also has an integrated FM tuner.

The first players will contain cards preloaded with Billboard chart hits, which is a fine place to start, but SlotRadio could get really interesting if SanDisk branches out beyond the mainstream. Imagine a collection of the year's top-rated albums by Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, or Nic Harcourt. Or heck, go a little further and hire musicians to curate the collections: imagine Keith Richards' favorite blues songs, or an Alan Bishop collection. You might expect that music nuts--the kinds of people who care about Sublime Frequencies--wouldn't relinquish control of their playlists, but at four cents a song, I'd be happy to save myself the trouble of ripping or downloading 1,000 tracks and let somebody else drive for a while. As long as it's a driver I trust.

Anyone wishing to help secure sponsorship or become a sponsor please contact djdar@blueatheart.com

The Riverwalk Blues and Music Festival is a legacy left behind by the late Don Cohen and should be continued to immortalize this great promoter and supporter of the blues. Continue to check http://www.riverwalkbluesfestival.com/ for upcoming shows and benefits for The Don Cohen Foundation. We appreciate your support

For sponsorship information and all interested food and non food vendors for either event should contact:

dar@blueatheart.com and or productions@blueatheart.com

In coming years we all may look back on the concerts and parties celebrating President Barack Obama's inauguration as when a new generation rediscovered the hope in some of the nation's most treasured symbols -- and, as Obama told the hundreds of thousands gathered in the chill, the hope within themselves.

For all the musical star power and celebrity support that entertained and cheered the new president, there may not have been a more moving moment Sunday than when Obama took the microphone at the Lincoln Memorial and told the throng that the most important thing about the event was not the surrounding marble monuments, but the people who filled the spaces in between.

"It was an amazing day," said John Mellencamp, who sang "Little Pink Houses" at the mall concert. "To see that Americans are finally accepting each other equally, black and white, is something I've wanted for a long time."

After the show, Obama mingled with the performers -- including Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and Beyoncé -- backstage. He gave out hugs and handshakes. He chatted with Mellencamp's sons about the sports they're involved in. "He gave them his undivided attention," Mellencamp said. "I was impressed."

The range of artists who performed here for dignitaries and average people from across the U.S. reflects the diversity Obama hopes to harness and is another reminder of how the musical wing of the entertainment industry touches the nation's soul in all its most thoughtful places.

Who would have imagined seeing Jon Bon Jovi, U2 and Pete Seeger singing in honor of an African American president? It was as much a triumph for the values of the entertainment industry as it was for Obama's support- ers.

It had to be gratifying for the huge Hollywood contingent in the capital to see how the pre- and post-inaugural musical performances stressed the importance of a medium of expression that not only has entertained Americans but also has helped form consciences and politics.

The presence of Seeger, a legendary left-wing activist, on the steps of the memorial established a living link to the 1930s, when American entertainment discovered its social conscience.

The concert also was an example of how Aaron Copland -- a gay Jewish New Yorker -- has become the composer who provides the soundtrack for many serious occasions in America.

His "Fanfare for the Common Man" opened the week's festivities, and his "Lincoln Portrait" -- the spoken parts movingly read by Hollywood favorite Tom Hanks -- was one of last Sunday's emotional high points because it connected the crowd with Lincoln, the emancipator.

Music was everywhere this week in Washington, including the Jonas Brothers playing for young audiences, as well as blues sessions at hole-in-the-wall bars -- such as the Black Cat. Maroon 5 wowed a crowd at Norman Lear's Declare Yourself bash, and Anita Baker and Joss Stone crooned for the crowd at the BET Honors.

But among some Washington visitors, the musicians who bring the most history to their music are those who play jazz, the first authentic American music, whose roots are planted firmly in the African American experience.

On hand to provide that music Monday at a Kennedy Center concert -- organized by Wynton Marsalis -- was Dave Brubeck, Béla Fleck and others.

Fleck, who cut short a trip to Scotland to perform in D.C., summed up the spirit of the week.

"We've regained our self-belief," said Fleck, who masterfully plays America's original instrument, the banjo. "Music hasn't been a focus by the president for a long time. This has sent a message out to the people that music is important again."

FOR MORE INFO CONTACT: philustr8r@aol.com

It's a homecoming for the House of Blues franchise, which opened its charter location in a tiny historic house in Harvard Square in 1992 and closed in 2003. The resurrected club is expected to rev up the local music scene, which never fully picked up the slack after Avalon shut down.

"It's going to be the busiest place that's ever been at that location," said Don Law, president of Live Nation New England. "Avalon and Axis were doing between 100 and 125 shows a year, but House of Blues could do nearly double that, closer to 300."

The club will not, however, bring back the popular dance nights that were a huge part of Avalon's success. "It's really much more of a dedicated performance space than it ever was," Law said.

Initially Avalon and Axis, whose combined capacity was about 2,550, closed to become the Lansdowne Street Music Hall, set to reopen late last year. But those plans were shelved when nightlife impresario Patrick Lyons sold the property to Live Nation, which owns House of Blues.

The Roxy, a club in the Theater District, was poised to benefit from the Avalon/Axis closure, but shortly before the nightspots were shuttered for renovation, the Roxy's capacity was reduced from 1,305 to 775. The mayor's office, citing altercations at and in front of the venue, imposed the reduction.

The Wilbur Theatre has also been booking concerts, and Showcase Live, a gleaming midsize nightclub next to Gillette Stadium, has diverted some of the concert market down to Foxborough.

Law said the Roxy and the Palladium in Worcester are the chief competitors to House of Blues. The Orpheum Theatre, which seats 2,642, is already booked by Live Nation.

The new Lansdowne venue is the company's 13th, and largest location, and also the biggest club complex in Boston. It will have three levels: general admission on the first floor and two seated mezzanine areas. The hall will also be able to scale down to 1,000 seats for smaller shows by closing the third level, Law said.

Bob Koester runs Jazz Record Mart, the nation's oldest and largest jazz and blues music store. The accepted quip about Bob's stock is, "If he ain't got it, nobody gots it!" Bob also is the mad scientist behind Delmark Records. Hundreds of trees have fallen in final sacrifice to become newsprint for what Bob's been doing with American music for the past 55 years plus.

He's the guy who once turned down John Steiner's offer to sell him all his old Paramount Record's stock. Steiner was the man who bought the remnants of Paramount, the manufacturer of some of the best, rarest and most-poorly-produced 78-rpm records ever made. Paramount certainly had some of the best musicians, but they fudged on quality and workmanship, unlike the reputation of the parent company, Wisconsin Chair Company, which is still known today for its quality and workmanship, some seventy-plus years after its demise. Bob is also the guy who "discovered" Sleepy John Estes after he'd been long forgotten.

He was "indie" before the word was coined. He turned his St Louis University school-days hobby into a fulltime business at age 20, and it's now the oldest independent recording label in the US. The genesis of Jazz Record Mart was in Bob's dorm room at school, and has since blossomed into his shop, a warehouse, and a recording studio where he continues to record and produce CDs, vinyl and DVDs for his broad clientele. He also had a habit of turning out full performance recordings of some of the most famous Chicago musicians, Junior Wells included, rather than the chopped down two- or three-minute version of some of their most famous works.

When Junior Wells recorded his most famous album, Hoodoo Man Blues for Delmark in 1965, "It was the first time a working blues band went into the studio and made an LP - it's hard to believe as late as 1965 nobody had done that ..." Bob stated. Other notables Bob has recorded include Luther Allison, Sun Ra, Otis Rush, Robert Junior Lockwood and Carey Bell.

Bob is a man who's on a first-name basis with just about every blues or jazz musician, aficionado, label exec, or club and venue owner in the US, not to mention outside the US. He's been honored by many for his work and for his unstinting preservation of traditional American music, jazz and blues: by the Blues Foundation; by the first Mayor Daley; and by the Blues Music Association (Bob was the first recipient of BMA's Achieving Greater Economic Success (AGES) Award). The Chicago chapter of the people behind the Grammy Awards, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, saw fit to honor him with a Hero Award. Bruce Iglauer, who now runs Alligator Records, began his music career working for Bob. If Bob had agreed to record Hound Dog Taylor and the Houserockers, Bruce might still be a part of Bob's business. Ahh, but that's a story for another day.

For the rest: CLICK

Date: Friday, February 6, 2009, 11:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Venue: Rum Boogie, Beale Street, Memphis
Charge: No cover

To coincide with the 2009 International Blues Challenge (IBC), Blind
Raccoon, is hosting its second annual roots and blues showcase featuring the
following artists, all of whom are Blind Raccoon clients:
Super Chikan
Billy Gibson
Chris James & Patrick Rynn
Dave Fields
Ricky Gene Hall & The Goods
Jon Justice Band
Kim Richardson
Steve Howell & Joe Osborn
Josh Garrett & the Bottomline
Kelly Carmichael
The Delta Flyers
Tas Cru
Davina & The Vagabonds

Brett Fleming of Soul Stew on WEVL Memphis is the Master of Ceremonies for
the afternoon. In addition to performances, members of the audience have the
opportunity to win an Epiphone Les Paul Standard plus DVDs and CDs.

Betsie Brown of Blind Raccoon is also leading a publicity and marketing
seminar on Friday from 10:30 a.m. to noon at Rum Boogie for IBC participants
and local musicians. Call 901.268.6065 for more information.

Blind Raccoon



TOO SLIM AND THE TAILDRAGGERS DUE MARCH 17 FROM UNDERWORLD RECORDS

 Underworld Records announces a March 17 release date for Free Your Mind, the new CD from Seattle-based Too Slim and the Taildraggers, with national distribution by Burnside Distribution. Free Your Mind was produced by Todd Smallwood and Timothy Langford and - as its title implies - showcases an impressive musical expansion from the band, which consists of Tim Langford (AKA Too Slim) on guitar and vocals, Dave Nordstrom on bass and Rudy Simone on drums.  

The new CD takes the group's blues-based music to new heights, adding rock and Americana influences that make the disc a joyous listen. All of its 11 songs were written by Tim Langford and demonstrate his growth as a songwriter and observer of the human condition.

http://www.underworldindierecords.com/

Formed in 2004 in the humid, smokey downtown Blues bars of Jakarta, Indonesia, The Blues Shelter are at the cutting edge of modern Blues music. Their voodoo concoction of sound draws from Blues, funk, soul and rock to create a sound that is set to take the World by storm. Their explosive live performances have gained a cult following and a reputation for leaving the crowd screaming for encores from Bali to Burnley and charismatic lead guitarist Gugun has been hailed as "Indonesia's answer to Hendrix."

Whilst living in the Far East, bass-playing Jon sought new avenues for his musical ambitions and in his quest to push the boundaries of Blues music, met local like-minded lead guitarist Gugun. The (then named) ‘Blues Bug' Band was born.
Having played the circuit of Jazz clubs and festivals in the Indonesian capital for some time, Gugun had already developed quite a following of his own but, with their combined playing prowess, they created a sound unique in its own right.
As a trio with former drummer Isman (the boss man), their performances were soon recognized by Billabong who had them representing the surfing brand as their home band in backpacker's paradise Bali.

The band were invited on four separate occasions to the world-famous wave-seeking yacht Indies Trader to play private gigs for the likes of seven-times World surfing Champion Kelly Slater and were present during the filming of audacious surfing video ‘Young Guns II'. Their success was soon appreciated by the music market and at the end of 2004 they released their first independent album ‘Get The Bug.' MTV Indonesia soon got the Bug and had two videos in circulation on their music channels as the band's reputation began to flourish. With the dawn of 2007 came the band's most auspicious year to date. Alongside new drummer Bowie - a highly acclaimed session musician - the Blues Bug released their second album ‘Turn It On' on Sinjitos Records in 2007. ‘Turn it on' was soon voted the voted #1 blues album of the year while lead guitarist Gugun was voted #1 blues guitarist in the whole of south east Asia in 2007 by MTV Trax magazine.

At this point the band realized the advantages of allowing their online fanbase to access their music and the 12 - track album was also made available to downloaders via i-Tunes.com has been a great success. The Band were forced to change their name from the Blues Bug to Blues Shelter Because of an already established Greek band called the blues bug. Their website www.Blues-Shelter.com, developed and maintained by Jon, has attracted online visitors from around the world and works to showcase videos of their live performances via video clips, inform fans of band developments and allows listeners to download their tracks.

But the group's true love is playing live music and their burgeoning on-stage relationship drove crowds to hysteria at various Indonesian beach festivals including the annual Java Jazz festival where they whipped up such a storm they were immediately invited back and are due to appear again in 2009. With Gugun and Bowie flying halfway across the globe to join Jon, the trio is embarking on another 12 - stop UK tour at the beginning of the year (2009).

Discography
Get the Bug - 2004 (Independent)
Turn it on - 2006 (Sinjitos Records, Indonesia) {available to download via i-tunes}

 http://www.blues-shelter.com/

THE INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE IS COMING BACK TO MEMPHIS THIS FEBRUARY. MORE THAN 160 ACTS FROM 36 STATES AND 10 COUNTRIES, INCLUDING AUSTRALIA, CANADA, CROATIA, FRANCE, ISRAEL, ITALY, NORWAY, POLAND AND THE UNITED STATES. IT IS THE WORLD'S LARGEST BATTLE OF THE BANDS. AND IT IS ALL BLUES. MUSIC FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE, NEXT TIME ON THE HOUSE OF BLUES RADIO HOUR.

 visit www.TheBluesMobile.com
for times and stations in your area