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| May 22, 2009 |
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Volume 4 Issue 18
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DIGITAL EDITION OF THE 2009 BLUES FESTIVAL GUIDE MAGAZINE FOR YOU TO READ AND ENJOY!
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OUR MAGAZINE IS NOW ALSO DIGITAL!
CLICK HERE
No need to worry if you don't receive a copy of the 2009 BLUES FESTIVAL GUIDE magazine from your local blues society or festival this year, because our magazine is now also digital!
Regardless of whether you are in Timbuktu or Los Angeles, you can now read the ENTIRE magazine ONLINE by simply clicking through page by page, or go directly to the page number you wish using the Table of Contents as your guide. You can even click through to advertiser’s website or search for a particular festival or use the Search function.
Email a page or the whole magazine to a friend on the other part of the earth with a simple click. Or you can print out your favorite article as a keepsake. Lots of fun bells and whistles make this Digital magazine a welcome addition to the media products of RBA Publishing.
This helps us distribute more copies of the magazine without using natural resources.
Viewers can find the link on our homepage at bluesfestivalguide.com or click
here: CLICK
Click, read, enjoy and have a bluesy summer!
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ZAC HARMON : : FROM THE ROOT
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Zac Harmon is a rarity in the blues world—someone who can mix blues, reggae, soul and gospel, and then add in exquisite guitar work and terrific vocals. In 2004 Zac won the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, and followed that up with a Blues Music Award in 2006 for Best New Artist.
Zac’s debut NorthernBlues recording, From the Root, is now going to take him to a new level of awareness — by again stretching the boundaries of the blues.
*Voted Best New Blues Artist in the 2006 XM Radio Music Awards.
*Featured in the June/July 2006 issue of Blues Revue as one of the 10 artists representing the future of the blues.
For more: CLICK
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DELTA GROOVE ALL-STAR REVUE : : LIVE AT GROUND ZERO: VOL.1 & VOL.2
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Call it optimism or just a knack for seizing the day, but Delta Groove label head Randy Chortkoff seldom lets an opportunity pass by without finding a way to make the most of it. With Delta Groove artists figuring prominently in the nominations for the annual Blues Music Awards over the last few years, a large portion of his label roster has ended up in the same place at the same time for the awards ceremonies, so Chortkoff has used the opportunity to put on an annual Delta Groove Showcase. When the Blues Music Awards were moved to Tunica, Mississippi for 2008, the Delta Groove Showcase was moved, appropriately enough, to the heart of the Delta and the home of the blues, Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale.
The amazing depth and breadth of the label’s talent was fully on display as Delta Groove took over Ground Zero for what turned out to be one of the biggest blues events in Clarksdale in years. With over twelve hours of world-class live music the result was a blues festival that rivaled many well-known annual events. There was something for just about anyone who loves blues, soul, Americana or any of its offshoots. For those who were fortunate enough to be in Clarksdale that day, it was truly a day to remember. For those who couldn’t be there, Delta Groove is pleased to bring the highlights to you on a two volume set.
Take home the magic of the Delta Groove All-Star Blues Revue with two brand new recordings - “Live At Ground Zero, Vol. 1 & 2”, featuring highlights from last year’s 3rd Annual Delta Groove All-Star Blues Revue in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Tracks include fan favorites plus many new songs unavailable anywhere else by Los Fabulocos, The Insomniacs, Jackie Payne/Steve Edmonson Band, The Mannish Boys, Bobby Jones, Finis Tasby, Johnny Dyer, Kid Ramos, Kirk Fletcher, Phillip Walker, Mike Zito and Jason Ricci & New Blood.
For more: CLICK
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JOE PRICE : : RAIN OR SHINE
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Joe and Vicki Price catapult energetic country blues. This is finger style guitar in the Elmore James/Muddy Waters tradition, a bit rough and tons of fun.
Joe has been performing his ruff and tumble blues for over 35 years; a one-man blues tornado who can pack, command and wring-out a dance-floor with the authority of an eight-piece show band. While Price inhabits classic blues standards as if they were favorite shirts, his own deep and varied bag of original music is so formidable that noted Grammy-award nominated singer/songwriter Greg Brown has long referred to Joe as “the Buddha.”
Vicki Price is a distinctive, blues-belting guitarist who is as earthy, unique and seductive as a greenhouse orchid. Her intuitive, swinging blues style, accuracy and lyrical, light-fingered touch are unmistakable. Of course, the intersection/collision of Vicki’s life with that of Joe Price more than 25 years ago accelerated the process, but—make no mistake here — the creative, musical impact of this romantic pairings was and remains a bustling two-way street in nearly every way imaginable, and the artistic achievements of both partners are irrevocably intertwined.
The pair have opened for such notables as John Lee Hooker, Willie Dixon, Homesick James, Honeyboy Edwards, Louisiana Red, The Reverend Al Green, Greg Brown and Iris DeMent . From coast to coast, and from concerts, to clubs, to outdoor festivals, the Price's singular vision and dazzling, irresistible live performances continue to etch a steady, upward arc.
"With five instrumental cuts on the disc, Price, whose voice might generously be described as "Dylanesque," knows which side his bread is buttered on. While so far he's bigger in Dubuque, Davenport and Des Moines than more traditional blues hotbeds, Price has the authenticity of the country blues guitar pioneers of the 1920s, and his writing is always upbeat and occasionally a direct link to the early masters of the idiom".
-Jeff Johnson
Chicago-Sun Times
For more: CLICK
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Enter this contest and win!
ENTER TO BE ON ELWOOD'S GUEST LIST
AND ENJOY LIVE SUMMERTIME BLUES
Elwood Blues (aka Dan Aykroyd), The BluesMobile.com, and The Blues Festival Guide want to get you into a local Blues music festival FOR FREE! We're giving away tickets to over 50 Blues festivals all across the continent, all summer long. 40 Blues fans will each win a pair of tickets to a Blues festival in their area.
The festivals range from small, unique gatherings to large, multiple-stage events. Each festival has its own character. Enter for your chance to win a pair of tickets and choose a festival in your region. 10 winners will be chosen each month in May, June, July, and August, 2009.
There is nothing to purchase, and we'll never sell your information. Entrants must be 18 or older. One winner per household, prizes do not include transportation, accommodations, food, drink, etc. unless otherwise specified. Void where prohibited.
For your chance to get on Elwood's Guest List visit TheBluesMobile.com.
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MAJORS BEAT MARKET BLUES AS DIGITAL MUSIC SALES DOUBLE
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The amount of people buying music digitally doubled in 2008 to 10% of the population, as the value of the music retail market dropped by 6%.
(Telegraph UK) The BPI, the music body which represents the music majors, announced in its statistical handbook that a total of 9.5% of the population bought digital music in 2008, up from 5.1% in 2007.
However, the music body will say that the tough economic climate and the closure of key retailers such as Woolworths pushed the value of the music retail market down by 6% in 2008, while the trade value last year dropped 5.3pc.While the value of the retail music market declined, in volume terms singles sales were up by 33% and album sales were down by 3.2%.
Following the closure of key retailers, the albums market was still dominated by specialists, with HMV the overall market leader with 24.%. Tesco is the biggest supermarket, with a 10.5% share of the market, while iTunes has %.
Despite these pressures, digital music sales have soared with 110m single sales, a rise of 42% on 2007, and 10m digital album downloads, an increase of 65% in 2008.
A third of the population now owns an MP3 player.
Digital singles now account for 95% of the market and digital now accounts for 10% of music spending, up from 6% in 2007. Three albums – Coldplay's Viva La Vida, Kings of Leon's Only By Night and Duffy's Rockferry – sold more than 100,000 digital copies. The BPI added that 23% of people it surveyed between the ages of 16 to 54 use illegal file sharing networks, with two-thirds of people using these services on a monthly basis.
Geoff Taylor, BPI chief executive said: "The impressive fact that one pound in every ten is earned online shows that labels are leading the way in the entertainment world in developing digital services."At the same time these figures also demonstrate that the CD is still a highly valued and loved product and that music fans appreciate the physical album." Leona Lewis had the biggest selling download and most-played track in America with Bleeding Love and Duffy's Mercy was the most-played track in Europe. The BPI added that Mamma Mia! was first soundtrack to sell a million in a year since The Bodyguard in 1993.
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URBANA’S FREE BLUES FESTIVAL JUNE 26TH & 27TH
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The Urbana Blues, Brews and BBQ Festival
Two days of great food, free family activities, carnival games, an art’s boulevard and live music. Friday night features The Kinsey Report and Sonny Landreth. Saturday’s line-up includes Gina Sicilia, Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin, Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater, Pinetop Perkins with Willie "Big Eyes" Smith and Buckwheat Zydeco.
For more info & tickets: CLICK
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TRASIMENO BLUES CARTOON FEST
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1st International competition on line of satirical design about Blues
Trasimeno Blues Festival presents in its 2009 edition the first Trasimeno Blues Cartoon Fest International competition on line of satirical design about Blues. By a satirical author Nicola Bucci’s idea, the competition is opened to artists of any nationality and participation is for free. Visit the official website: CLICK
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5th ANNUAL HOT BLUES AND BBQ TO BE HELD JUNE 19-20, 2009
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Hot Blues and BBQ, the Village of Oxford, the Oxford Downtown Development Authority, and the Detroit Blues Society are proud to announce that the 5th annual HOT BLUES AND BBQ will be held June 19-20, 2009.
The Friday, June 19th event will be held from 7pm-10pm in Centennial Park in Downtown Oxford, MI. The Saturday June 20th event will be held from 12pm to 1am, in beautiful Scripter Park, in the Village of Oxford, Michigan.
The single largest change this year is the fact that all events on both days are absolutely free of charge for admission. This is being done due the poor state of the Michigan economy and to allow families a weekend of fun without the worries of money.
THE FRIDAY KICKOFF EVENT
The Oxford DDA Kickoff Night will feature Blues performances from 4 regional acts, all of which are well known in their own right. The gates will open at 5:00pm and admission is absolutely free. The musical lineup for this event will feature (along with their performance times):
· MOJO PHOENIX (6:00pm)
· FRONT STREET BLUES BAND (7:00pm)
· TOMAS ESPARZA and the BOA CONSTRICTORS (8:00pm)
· JOSH BOYD AND THE VIP BAND wsg/ MARK “PAZ” PASMAN FROM WCSX
HOT BLUES AND BBQ 2009
Hot Blues and BBQ 2009 will feature spectacular Blues performances from a star-studded cast of musicians from across the USA. Along with the musical performances, the event also features BBQ Vendors, the Hubert
Distributors - Bud Light Beer Garden, Retail Vendors, Swimming, Picnicking, a Playground, Raffles, and an entire day of family fun for all. The gates will open at 11:00am and admission is absolutely free.
The musical lineup for 2009 looks like a who’s who of Blues music and will feature (along with their performance times):
- BEBE AND THE BLUESMASTERS
· DAVID GERALD AND INSURRECTION
- MOTOR HONEY
- THE FLYING LATINI BROTHERS
- CROSSROADS BLUES BAND
- JACOB CLYDE BAND
- FROG AND THE BEEFTONES
- THE BLUESCASTERS
- MEASURED CHAOS
- COUNT BRACEY AND THE PLEASURETONES
- THE ALLIGATORS
- THE MATT BESEY BAND
- MOTOR CITY JOSH
- JASON RICCI AND NEW BLOOD
For more: CLICK
Event / Media Contact:
Steven J. Allen – Executive Producer
40 Burdick Woods Ct.
Oxford, MI 48371
(248) 249-5287
sallen8961@aol.com
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CHARLOTTE BLUESMAN HELPING GIRLS GO TO CAMP
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Bluesman Archie Huntley is performing every Wednesday night at a NoDa club to help raise money for girls to go to summer camp at Girls World in Charlotte.
Huntley, born near Charlotte and raised in a family of 20 children, will perform at the Blues Cafe, a part of Alive Comedy Club and Live Music Venue at 2909 N. Davidson St. Drinks and food are half price after doors open at 6 p.m., said Dianna Davis, owner of Girls World.
Davis started the camp when she couldn't find the right camp for her own children. Girls World, held in Peak Fitness Centers, focuses on self-esteem, motivational, economic and educational workshops. It also offers dance, step, cheering, modeling, music and drama -- and arts and crafts and etiquette.
"Every girl deserves to go to camp," Davis said. "Archie knows this and has offered to help raise the money to send them. We hope to raise a enough money to send a couple of kids to camp each week."
The camp costs $125 a week for each girl. Huntley plans to perform every Wednesday through the summer and donate proceeds for the cause, Davis said. When Huntley was a boy, an older brother sent Archie a guitar while he was fighting in the Korean War. Archie taught himself to play and began performing at 12. His first stage performances were in the family's Baptist church.
Living in New York after school and playing in gospel groups, he remembered men playing guitars back in North Carolina after a hard day's work in the fields. He decided he wanted to play blues.
In 1972, he returned to Charlotte and formed a band called the Golden Eagles. In the mid-1990s, he met legendary blues guitarist B.B. King and began touring with King and his band. Ten years ago, he'd returned to Charlotte and won a part the movie "Shake, Rattle and Roll" with King."He's an amazing performer, and a generous man," Davis said.
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YORK THEATER COMPANY ANNOUNCES BLIND LEMON BLUES OPENING 9/08
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The York Theatre Company is proud to announce two upcoming mainstage productions. Blind Lemon Blues-based upon more than 60 Blind Lemon Jefferson songs - will return to the York Mainstage in Fall 2009. Performances begin September 8th. Spring 2010 will see the Off-Broadway premiere of the new musical Yank!. Performances begin in February 2010. All performances will be at the company's home at The Theatre at Saint Peter's (54th Street just east of Lexington Avenue).
The York Theatre Company was just nominated for five 2009 Drama Desk Awards, four 2009 Lucille Lortel Awards, two Outer Critics Circle Awards, and two Drama League Awards for its productions of Enter Laughing, The Musical and My Vaudeville Man! last season. The York is the only theater in New York City-and one of very few in the world-dedicated to developing and fully producing new musicals, as well as preserving gems from the past. Winner of a special Drama Desk Award for developing and producing new musical theatre, York's intimate, imaginative style of producing both original and classic musicals has resulted in critical acclaim and recognition from artists and audiences alike for almost four decades. Under the guidance of Artistic Director James Morgan since 1997, the York has focused exclusively on new musicals in its Mainstage Series-most of them world, American, or New York premieres-by some of the field's most esteemed creators, and has also helped launch the careers of many talented new writers. The York's Developmental Reading Series, which presents nearly 40 free readings of new musicals every year, was the incubator for the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit Avenue Q, among many other significant shows.
Blind Lemon Blues was created by Alan Govenar and Akin Babatunde, has musical arrangements by Akin Babatunde, Cavin Yarbrough and Alisa Peoples Yarbrough, and is directed and choreographed by Mr. Babatunde. It will be presented by The York Theatre Company and Documentary Arts in association with Central Track Productions.
Blind Lemon Blues was presented as a York mainstage production in 2007 for a special 10-performance run featuring Benita Arterberry, Akin Babatunde, Timothy Parham, Lillias White, Cavin Yarbrough, Alisa Peoples Yarbrough and guitarist Sam Swank. The New York Times declared it "a lively and intelligent new musical-an inspiration!" and Variety concurred, saying "Blues lovers be grateful... very, very grateful-Blind Lemon Jefferson's voice emerges with full force!" Casting for the fall engagement will be announced soon.
Jefferson was a blind street musician who played his guitar with a tin cup tied to it until a Paramount Records scout discovered him. Between 1926 and 1929, Jefferson made more than 80 records and became the biggest selling down-home blues singer in America. Blind Lemon Blues is set in New York City in 1948 at the last recording session of the legendary Huddie Ledbetter, better known as Leadbelly, and combines elements of traditional blues, gospel, rhythm and blues, soul, doo-wop, and rap to evoke the enduring legacy of Blind Lemon and his contemporaries Blind Willie Johnson, Lillian Glinn, Hattie Hudson, Bobbie Cadillac, Lillian Miller and Leadbelly himself.
For more: CLICK
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OKLAHOMA BLUES HALL OF FAME
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INDUCTION GALA
2009 Inductees
Bill Davis
Wes Reynolds
Chester Thompson
Earnest ‘E.T.’ Tanter
Walter Watson and Pure Silk
Mike Kern - Education
Media Award
Jammin John Peters
2009 Volunteers of the Year:
Donna & Lee Mayo
When: starts at 7:00 p.m. Saturday, May 23rd, with a barbecue dinner. The event will run past midnight, with performances by Pure Silk, Wes Reynolds, Selby Minner, Tony Mathews, more
Where: Down Home Blues Club, 701 D.C. Minner Street, Rentiesville 70 miles SE of Tulsa. 125 miles E of OKC, at the crossroads of I-40 and US 69
Admission: $10; $5 after midnight
For more: CLICK
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MUSIC MAKER MAESTRO KEEPS ARTIST'S SINGING THE BLUES
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Tim Duffy, head of the Music Maker Relief Foundation, accompanies a cardboard cutout of blues musician Cootie Stark of Greenville, S.C. - PHOTO BY TED RICHARDSON
HILLSBOROUGH -- Keeping a charitable organization going is tough even in the best of times. But it's even harder when times are tight, and things are incredibly tight right now for Music Maker Relief Foundation.
"The recession's been huge," Music Maker president Tim Duffy says, sitting at his computer in the foundation's Hillsborough offices. "If we didn't have some working capital from what a big donor gave us a few years ago, it would be ugly. We've scrimped, dropped staff, taken pay cuts -- anything to save. But what I just can't bring myself to cut down on is this."
On his computer, Duffy calls up a ledger that shows a series of checks made out to Music Maker Relief Foundation recipients. Most of the checks aren't large -- $25 for groceries here, $50 for prescriptions there, a few hundred bucks for rent -- but for the people getting the money, it's huge.
Duffy started Music Maker 15 years ago with a unique mission, to support the artists who have created traditional Southern music. Music Maker pays about $50,000 a year in grants to older, impoverished musicians, most of whom are struggling to survive on Social Security. Past and present Music Maker artists include Durham patriarch John Dee Holeman, buck-dancing legend Algia Mae Hinton and the late Etta Baker, one of the most renowned Piedmont blues guitarists in the world.
In addition to direct financial assistance, Duffy helps musicians find gigs, and he records their music for compact discs they can sell at the shows. Last year, Music Maker acts performed in 22 states across America and in 14 countries.
"He's helped me a whole lot," says Music Maker regular Captain Luke (Luther Mayer), a blues singer from Winston-Salem. "I can't get around too good anymore, and he's kept me in cars, food, anything I need. I get plenty of work through him, too, all over and across the water -- France, Switzerland, Germany, Argentina, all those places. I've been halfway around the world with him. He's one of the best, just like a son to me." It's a full-time job and then some. As the public face of Music Maker, Duffy serves as champion and supporter of his artists, and he can come on a little strong. But Duffy is not afraid to ruffle feathers, if he thinks it's called for. "I've seen Tim work, and everything he says he's doing, he actually is doing," says Dom Flemons of the old-time group Carolina Chocolate Drops. "I've spent a lot of time with Tim at his house and seen how he works. He'll go the extra mile where other people either don't want to, or just can't."
As Music Maker's president, Duffy serves as unofficial manager to Music Maker acts. He'll often step in and be a sideman when they perform, too. This past week, he accompanied Holeman on a performance at New York City's Apollo Theatre.
But managing cash flow -- enticing money from donors and then passing it out -- takes up most of Duffy's time. The need is relentless, and growing. Duffy is in constant touch with his people, helping them out when they need money to replace a rotten floor, or put down a deposit on a new apartment, or pay for prescription medication.
Donations are vital
Duffy's wife, Denise, is Music Maker's treasurer ("because they can't con anyone else into doing it," she cracks). She notes that the work puts them in touch with the richest of the rich as well as the poorest of the poor, but also plenty in between. "Our biggest single source of income is still donations," she says. "People who send anywhere from $20 up to $5,000. The top-end wealthy took a big hit in this recession, and what saved us is the middle-class fans who stayed committed. Maybe they used to send $250 and that's down to $100, but they're still there. It's moving, the way people have stuck with us."
For more info: CLICK
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BLUES OWNER PLANS TO REVIVE KIEL OPERA HOUSE
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If all goes according to David Checketts' plan, the Kiel Opera House will be open for holiday shows before Christmas of 2010.
The Blues owner and his partners recently unveiled a long-awaited proposal to revive the historic downtown concert hall, and to do it right away."Why wait?" Checketts said Friday. His New York-based SCP Worldwide and McEagle Properties, of O'Fallon, Mo., hope to start work on the $74 million rehab project in August, allowing them to open for the holiday season of 2010.
They plan a full revamp and upgrade of the interior of the Kiel, which has sat empty since 1991, and say they'll recreate as much as possible of its old glory.
"When you're going to take a historical treasure and bring it back, you want to take a lot of attention to the integrity of the building," Checketts said. "We'll bring it alive exactly like it was (when it opened in 1934), with improved sound and lighting."
Paying for it, though, remains a challenge.
SCP plans to fund the $74 million project with a mix of bonds, tax credits and private financing. Members of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen introduced a bill Friday that would issue $29 million in bonds for the Kiel, to be repaid over 25 years with the 5 percent "amusement tax" the Blues pay on each ticket they sell. Last season, the team paid about $1.5 million in those taxes, said Jeff Rainford, a top aide to Mayor Francis Slay. That's money that would go to the Kiel instead. But, he said, the city will get some of it back in increased sales tax revenue from the Kiel. The deal does not make the Kiel eligible for tax increment financing.And Checketts' group must pay off the balance of those bonds with their own funds if the team should move or not be able to pay them off in taxes. The deal also relies on $28.6 million from several tax credit programs, including the state historic tax credit. Applications for those credits are under way, said SCP president Kenneth Munoz.
The rest of the money — about $16 million — will come from private sources, in the form of loans and cash from the partners. A weak bond market has been blamed for delays in the Cardinals' Ballpark Village project next to Busch Stadium, though Munoz said the smaller, single-use Kiel project should have an easier time getting financing. Still, he acknowledged that the tight credit climate poses some challenges."There are a few financial-world issues yet to be achieved," he said. "We're working on it." The next step comes Wednesday, when the plan goes before a subcommittee of the Board of Aldermen. It will need the board's OK for the bonds, and for adjustments to the agreement between the city, which owns the Kiel, and SCP, which holds the lease on it and neighboring Scottrade Center. Slay is "strongly supportive" of the plan, Rainford said, and thinks reviving the Kiel could give a big lift to downtown and the whole city.
"It's a tough project at a tough time. But everyone believes in it because of the iconic nature of the building," Rainford said. "The Kiel Opera House is part of St. Louis' heritage."
SCP is not the first group to study restoring the Kiel. A previous Blues ownership group that built what's now Scottrade Center was supposed to renovate the Opera House as part of a deal with the city, but said escalating costs for fixing up the old building and lost income from a hockey lockout prevented completion of the project. Several other efforts have failed since. But SCP's connections in the entertainment industry and experience renovating Manhattan's Radio City Music Hall give supporters hope that this time they'll succeed. The other partner, Paul McKee's McEagle Properties, is perhaps best known for the 1,200-acre planned community of WingHaven in O'Fallon. It's also one of the companies linked to McKee that controls hundreds of vacant properties in the city expected to be part of a massive redevelopment project..
St. Louis resident Ed Golterman has been working to find someone to reopen the grand old hall for 11 years, and he called Friday's news "an incredibly positive development." "I'm just tickled pink," he said.
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WITH TIGHTER BUDGET, BLUES FEST ROLLS ON
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The show will go on for the IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival.
(Davenport,IA) Despite financial setbacks suffered by the annual event last year, blues fans will be able to flock back to LeClaire Park on the Davenport riverfront for its 25th anniversary the weekend of July 2-4.
A combination of a flooded park in 2008 — which forced events to be moved to downtown streets and indoors to the Adler Theatre — plus the struggling economy this year put the hosting Mississippi Valley Blues Society in need of $50,000 in seed money for this year’s festival.
So far, $43,000 of that has been raised, according to Blues Society president Bob Covemaker. Several money-saving alternatives, including shortening the three-day festival or moving to a less-expensive location, were discussed, he said.
Some members even mentioned eliminating the festival, he added.
“It was discussed, but it was not an idea seriously considered,” Covemaker said after a Thursday afternoon announcement of the acts scheduled for this year’s Blues Fest.
Instead, the festival is asking its entertainers, agents and vendors to cut back their rates. “Even though we are paying less money, we’re getting the same quality we have before,” Covemaker said. “They’re working with us and making concessions, trying to keep this festival alive.”
Although the past few years have included headliners such as Robert Randolph and the Family Band, as well as the late Ike Turner, Covemaker said it is the acts in the mid-range of fame that have drawn the most interest through the years.
“You can’t equate the quality of the lineup with the dollar amount and make an accurate comparison,” he added. “The lineup has not seriously suffered at all.”
“I still think we have a great lineup,” said Karen McFarland, co-chair of the entertainment committee along with Covemaker. “We have a better lineup than the Chicago Blues Festival.”
This year will feature a “retro night” on the opening day, including $5 admission and acts that played the festival during its first five years, including Bob Dorr and the Blue Band, Hawkeye Herman and Bo Ramsey.
Headliners include Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers, and Saffire — The Uppity Blues Women.
Of the $43,000 raised by the Blues Society, $15,000 has come from benefit concerts, $20,000 from the Riverboat Development Authority for the festival’s blues education component and $8,000 from members of a silver anniversary club who paid $1,000 apiece to help the festival.
For more: CLICK
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JAM NIGHT OF THE WEEK
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The Clubhouse
435 Dolley Madison Rd
Greensboro, NC 27410
(336) 856-9555
Hosted by Tim Buffington and Shiela Klinefelter at The Clubhouse for about 8 years.
"Our Jam is a place where everybody will get a chance to play and be treated well. Our jammers range from seasoned veterans to new players who are just finding the blues. We truly enjoy sharing our love for the Blues and nurturing new talent and generations of players."
For more: CLICK
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SACRAMENTO BLUES SOCIETY
Sacramento, California on May 30, 2009. The Sacramento Blues Society will be presenting "Blues In The Schools Benefit" featuring: The Daniel Castro Band.
This will be a benefit to support the Sacramento Blues Society's "Blues In The Schools" program.
Blues In The Schools Benefit
Saturday, May 30, 2009
VFW Hall #67
2784 Stockton Blvd. (North of Broadway)
(916) 712-7277
2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Cover: $15.00 General - $8.00 Society Members - $8.00 students (under 21) w/ID
All Ages Welcome
Daniel Castro is a force on guitar. With his pure passionate sound reminiscent of B.B. King, Albert King and Albert Collins, he is on the forefront of the Bay Area Blues Scene. Arriving in the Bay Area only a short time ago with his trademark Fender Telecaster and backed by one of the hottest bands around, he has already gained quite a reputation as a Bluesman.
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SUMMERTIME BLUES FESTIVALS:
 
SUMMERTIME MEANS WALL-TO-WALL BORDER-TO-BORDER BLUES. IT IS MUSIC FESTIVAL TIME! BREAK OUT THE SUNSCREEN AND COOLERS, SAVE UP YOUR GAS MONEY, AND GET READY TO FIND A BLUES FESTIVAL NEAR YOU. JOIN ELWOOD BLUES THIS WEEK ON THE HOUSE OF BLUES RADIO HOUR FOR OUR LOOK AT SUMMER BLUES FESTIVALS AND LARGE AUDIO HELPINGS OF THE HEADLINERS YOU CAN GO SEE LIVE.
visit www.TheBluesMobile.com
for times and stations in your area
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Click on festival name to click through to festival website.
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Blues & Roots Festival
Friday-Saturday, May 22-23, 2009
Mönsterås, Kalmar län , Sweden
www.bluesfestival.nu
**46 (0) 499 17446
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Twisted Pines Music & Arts
Friday-Sunday, May 22-24, 2009
Penetanguishene, Ontario, Canada
www.twistedpines.com
800-263-7745
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The Great American Backyard
Friday-Sunday, May 22-24, 2009
Virginia Beach, VA, U.S.
website
757-425-3111
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Alabama Down Home Blues Festival
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.
www.brimstoneentertainmentinc.net
256-536-4312
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Chautauqua Hills Blues Festival
Saturday-Sunday, May 23-24, 2009
Sedan, Kansas, U.S.
www.cqbluesfest.com
620-725-3834
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Belvidere Blues
Saturday-Sunday, May 23-24, 2009
Belvidere, Tennessee, U.S.
www.jazzsouth.org
931-607-0416
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Santa Cruz Blues Festival
Saturday-Sunday, May 23-24, 2009
Aptos, California, U.S.
www.santacruzbluesfestival.com
831-479-9814
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Bayou n' Boogie Fest
Saturday-Sunday, May 23-24, 2009
Smithfield, Rhode Island, U.S.
www.bayounboogiefest.com
401-965-0849
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Blues, Brews and BBQ
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Syracuse, NY , U.S.
www.tk99.net
315-472-9111
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Keepin' the Blues Alive Fundraiser
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
www.clevelandblues.org
216-392-7103
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California Blues Festival
Monday, May 25, 2009
San Francisco, California, U.S.
www.myspace.com/cabluesfest
415-756-3845
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Eureka Springs Blues Weekend
Thursday-Sunday, May 28-31, 2009
Eureka Springs, Arkansas, U.S.
www.EurekaSpringsBlues.com
888-855-7823
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Western Maryland Blues Fest
Thursday-Sunday, May 28-31, 2009
Hagerstown, Maryland, U.S.
www.blues-fest.org
301-739-8577 ext 116
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Blues On Broadbeach
Thursday-Sunday, May 28-31, 2009
Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia
www.bluesonbroadbeach.com
+61 7 5539 8416
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Freedom Creek Festival
Friday-Saturday, May 29-30, 2009
Aliceville, Alabama, U.S.
www.willie-king.com
205 752 6263
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Smokin' In Steele BBQ and Blues
Friday-Saturday, May 29-30, 2009
Owatonna, MN, U.S.
www.smokininsteele.com
507-279-4015
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Ozark National Blues Festival
Friday-Saturday, May 29-30, 2009
Eureka Springs, Arkansas , U.S.
myspace.com/ozarknationalbluesfest
479-363-9100
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Michael Arnone's Crawfish Fest
Friday-Sunday, May 29-31, 2009
Augusta, NJ, U.S.
www.crawfishfest.com
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Harford County Blues Festival
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Rockfield Manor, Bel Air, Maryland, U.S.
www.rockfieldmanor.com
410-638-4565
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Watseka Theatre Blues, BBQ & Arts Fest!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Watseka, Illinois, U.S.
www.WatsekaTheatre.com
815-993-6585
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Blues Bash 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Trempealeau, Wisconsin, U.S.
www.trempealeauhotel.com
608-534-6898
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7th Annual Groovin' in The Grove Summer Concerts
Saturday, May 30, 2009
9 Week Saturday Series
Lisa Haley and The Zydekats
Lodi, California, U.S.
www.jessiesgrovewinery.com
209-368-0880
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Wine, Brews & Blues Festival
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Escondido, CA, U.S.
www.bonsallrotary.com
800-249-2024
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Orangeville Blues & Jazz Festival
Thursday-Sunday, June 4-7, 2009
Orangeville, Ontario, Canada
www.orangevillebluesandjazz.ca
1-888-79BLUES
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Vancouver Island Blues Bash
Friday-Monday, June 4-7, 2009
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
www.jazzvictoria.ca
250-388-4423
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B. B. King Homecoming Festival
Friday, June 5, 2009
Indianola, Mississippi, U.S.
www.indianolams.org
662-887-4454
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Kaavi Blues 2009
Friday-Saturday, June 5-6, 2009
Kaavi, Koillis-Savo, Finland
www.kaaviblues.com
+358409132042
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The 18th Annual Shannon Blues & Heritage Festival
Friday-Saturday, June 5-6, 2009
Jackson, Tennessee, U.S.
www.downtownjackson.com
731-427-7573
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Pender Harbour Blues Festival
Friday-Sunday, June 5-7, 2009
Garden Bay , British Columbia, Canada
www.penderharbourbluesfestival.com
778-222-0072
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Red Bank Jazz & Blues Festival
Friday-Sunday, June 5-7, 2009
Red Bank, New Jersey, U.S.
www.redbankfestival.com
732-933-1984
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RBA Publishing Inc is based in Reno, NV with a satellite office in Beverly Hills, Florida. We produce the annual Blues Festival Guide magazine (now in its 7th year), the top-ranking website: www.BluesFestivalGuide.com, and this weekly blues newsletter: The Blues Festival E-Guide with approximately 20,000 weekly subscribers. We look forward to your suggestions, critiques, questions, etc.
Reach the E-Guide editor, Gordon Bulcock, gordon@bluesfestivalguide.com
or contact our home office at 775-337-8626, eguide@bluesfestivalguide.com
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Information - both editorial and advertising - in the Blues Festival E-Guide - is believed to be correct but not guaranteed - so check it carefully before you attend any event or send money for anything. We do not write the news... just report it.
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