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Photo Moments with the 20th Annual BFG Magazine!
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 The unique blues and soul band, A Patch of Blues, pictured here showing off their BFG magazine, features Fati Jones (vocals), Rebecca Egwuenu (lead guitar), Claudia Easterwood (bass), and Stacy “Groove Girl” Norris (drums).
The members developed a friendship at the Fernando Jones Blues Camp in Chicago, where they also developed a love for the blues and their city's heritage.
These ladies are excited to come to Memphis representing the Windy City Blues Society in the International Blues Challenge Youth category showing that the Blues is still alive and well with the younger generation.
Photo: E.D. Norris
ORDER your 2022 Magazine *SEND US A PIC WITH ANNUAL BFG MAG! BFG clients, contact your sales rep for one.
Anyone can Order here! Once you receive, have fun, get creative and SNAP A PHOTO of you, your friends, and/or artists, etc. with the BFG magazine and EMAIL photo, caption (120 words or less), URL if applicable, and photo credit to e-Guide editor!
The Blues Foundation is official sponsor of the 20th Anniversary Blues Festival Guide!
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2023 Keeping the Blues Alive Award Recipients
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 (MEMPHIS, TN) - The KBA Ceremony and Brunch is a ticketed event. To purchase your KBA ticket along with your IBC pass, click here.
Below are the 2023 KBA Award Recipients.
• JOHN GUREGIAN has been spinning the blues on his radio show, Blues Deluxe, hosted on WUML-FM in Lowell, Massachusetts for over 40 years.
• MARILYN STRINGER is among the most prolific photographers currently documenting the blues. She began covering the blues in 2006 and has since become the head photographer for prominent blues festivals in America.
• RON WYNN is a Grammy-nominated blues journalist who has been writing about music for more than forty years. He’s a brilliant writer and intellectual, as well as a living encyclopedia of the blues.
• THE LITTLE VILLAGE FOUNDATION (LVF) was formed as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2015 by Grammy-award-winning keyboardist Jim Pugh. LVF focuses on seeking out, recording, and promoting artists whose music has not yet been discovered outside of their communities.
• BLUE FRONT CAFE is located on Highway 49 in Bentonia, Mississippi, where Jimmy “Duck” Holmes' family first opened it in 1948 It’s the oldest continually operating juke joint in the United States.
• FRANKY BRUNEEL kicked off his blues radio show, Back to the Roots, at age 15 and it ran on several stations throughout Belgium, his native country. In 1991, he began organizing Blues concerts and created a link that brought American artists to Europe for short tours.
•THE SIERRE BLUES FESTIVAL... In 1995 Swiss native Silvio Caldelari established the Blues Bar music club in Sierre, Switzerland. In 2009 he and a group of dedicated volunteers founded the Swiss Blues Society and then launched the first-ever Sierre Blues Festival.
• TEDDY'S JUKE JOINT, located off Highway 61, is one of the last remaining juke joints on the Chitlin' Circuit. After touring the country in the 50s-60s as a DJ, Proprietor Lloyd "Teddy" Johnston, returned to Zachary, Louisiana to expand his childhood home into a bar.
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Soulsville USA – Stax Music Academy - Stax Museum Holiday Bash
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(MEMPHIS, TN) – Memphis is a city like no other. At its heart sits the Soulsville USA neighborhood, home of the original Stax Records, and the Global Capital of Soul. In 2023, the Stax Museum will celebrate 20 years of preserving the legacy of American Soul Music and teaching new generations about the importance of Memphis and Soul Music in global pop culture. Not to mention that over 60% of Stax Music Academy’s 2022 graduates went to college on music scholarships.
As the Stax Music Academy looks forward to a year of celebration and a bright future for Soulsville USA, they need you now more than ever. Consider making a donation to the Soulsville Foundation, the parent organization of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and the Stax Music Academy. Theirs is the only organization dedicated to the past, present, and future of American Soul Music.
On Weds Dec 14, the Stax Museum Holiday Party will happen 6-8 pm at the Soul & Spirits Brewery, 845 N. Main St., Memphis, Tennessee. There will be libations, dancing, games for kids, food trucks, and live music by The MDs, Memphis' only Booker T. & the M.G.'s cover band. You can also make a year-end donation to the Soulsville Foundation at the party and you'll be entered to win prizes.
You can also shop AmazonSmile and a portion of your purchases will benefit the Soulsville Foundation.
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 (LAS VEGAS, NV) - The Big Blues Bender returns to the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, September 7-10, 2023!
Get ready for a musical vacation of a lifetime! 40+ artists, 5 stages, 4 days and nights of 'round the clock world class blues music, all within a four-star Las Vegas resort! Gather your crew and join us for a Bender!
The Bender is a hit!
Only Signature and Luxe rooms remain.
Our On Sale event saw record amounts of traffic and as a result:
• All suites are sold out
• 4-day music only wristbands are sold out
• Big Daddy Baller Upgrades are sold out
Our remaining packages are fantastic rooms, so make your choice and join us for the blues party of the year! September 7-10, 2023. Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino.
Check here for more info on Bender Packages and Add-Ons.
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2023 Classic 1920's Blues Artwork Calendar & 25-track CD
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 Need a unique holiday gift? Alligator Records presents the 2023 "Classic Blues Artwork from the 1920's" calendar with a 25-track CD. you'd better get it while it's hot too, because after 20 years and the rising cost of printing, etc., this will be the final volume so you don't want to miss out. This collection will appeal to anyone interested in blues music and blues music history.
This calendar contains a treasure trove of original blues advertising artwork from the earliest days of recorded blues as well as photographs of blues singers. In addition, the calendar contains a 25-track CD whose songs cleverly match up to the ad or artist featured for the month.
The enclosed CD of rare Pre-War and Post War recordings is perhaps their best ever with a whopping 25 tracks. The Pre-War offerings include a never-before-heard song by Funny Paper Smith, the first version of the blues standard Ain't Gonna Worry My Life Any More by Memphis Willie Borum, two unreleased takes from a 1930 Paramount session with Irene Scruggs and Little Brother Montgomery (the latter's very first recordings), and both sides of Edith North Johnson's missing Paramount recordings.
Also featured are astounding Post War Blues, such as Pete Franklin's Mr. Charlie, and four songs by Playboy Fuller from the original J-V-B master tape. All are lovingly restored as close to perfection as today's technology provides. A full-color CD booklet and tray inlay is included for calendar buyers to insert into their own CD jewel case. Find the final collection here.
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Here's a few ideas for starters...
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 The holiday's are right around the corner folks!
Here's a few gift ideas:
• Checkout MojoHand's store
(samples of his cool, copywritten work at left. Posters, fine art, clothing and more! Please do not duplicate images)
• The final volume of the Classic 1920's Blues Artwork Calendar & 25-track CD (see article this issue)
• Google "blues books" and you'll find hundreds of blues-related books (whether printed, digital or even some audio).
• Gift someone Blues concert or Blues festival tickets and/or festival merch
• Gift someone their favorite band's merch (CDs, Digital downloads, clothing, etc.)
This in turn gifts the artist by purchasing their items!
• Give the gift of a Blues Society membership and/or their merch. Here's a list of Blues Foundation society affiliates FYI
• Donate to your favorite Blues related organization in someone's name
• Checkout the Blues Foundation's store for merch and membership gifts, etc.
• Hey, gift someone a cabin on a Blues cruise (get great ideas in this issue)! Alrighty then!
What would a cool blues gift be to you to give or to receive? Let us know!
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Set Sail on the Biggest Blues Rock Party at Sea
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 Three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated guitar superstar Joe Bonamassa and Sixthman, the leader in festivals and music cruises for more than a decade, have confirmed 12 more artists who will perform at Keeping the Blues Alive At Sea Mediterranean III, the third European voyage of Bonamassa’s world-famous floating blues-rock party at sea. Keeping the Blues Alive At Sea Mediterranean III sails August 17-22, 2023 from Athens, Greece to Dubrovnik, Croatia and Santorini, Greece aboard the luxurious Norwegian Jade. Guests can book their cabins now.
This 5-night music festival will feature two unique sets from Bonamassa along with dozens of electrifying live performances and once-in-a-lifetime collaborations by a spectacular lineup of hand-picked special guests that include Blackberry Smoke, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Jimmy Vivino, Kirk Fletcher, as well as the 12 artists just added to this year’s Mediterranean cruise lineup – Ruthie Fletcher, King King, Vanessa Collier, Henrik Freischlader, Cardinal Black, Bywater Call, Johnny A, Eddie 9V, Dom Martin, The Cinelli Brothers, True Strays, and Alice Armstrong.
In addition to the non-stop music, guests will enjoy an array of unique activities and special programming geared towards the ultimate blues enthusiasts.
Between the non-stop music and onboard events, the ship will dock at stunning ports in two of the most breathtaking cities in the world — Dubrovnik, Croatia, a medieval city adorned with cobblestone lanes that lead to world class restaurants with delicious cuisine, and Santorini, Greece, known for its iconic whitewashed architecture, steep cliffs, and stunning sea views. Shore excursions will be available to purchase until 4-6 weeks prior to sailing.
Keeping the Blues Alive At Sea Mediterranean III will once again benefit the Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation (KTBA), dedicated to providing students and teachers the resources and tools needed to further music education.
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Blues Against Hunger’s Annual Holiday Extravaganza Sunday Dec 18th in Baja
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 The 2022 Blues Against Hunger (BAHS) Holiday Extravaganza starts at 1pm at the beautiful Vista Hermosa Resort in Rosarito Beach/Puerto Nuevo, Baja, Mexico. Featured artists include “The Queen of Steam” Michele Lundeen from San Diego, CA and Hafid Hernandez from Tijuana, who will be raffling off a custom walnut Telecaster for the cause.
Also appearing will be The Wild Pack, Sweet Sixx, and many more guest appearances. Join BAHS for this annual holiday extravaganza concert and jam, food drive, fundraiser, silent auction, and guitar giveaway!
Tickets prices are $10dlls single and $60dlls for a table of 6. Bring 10 pounds of non-perishable food and get $5 off each ticket, plus a raffle ticket.
Find tickets to the BAHS Holiday Extravaganza here.
This is a food drive and fundraiser first and foremost and BAHS year-end goal weight is 8165 kilos / 18,000 pounds and they need 574 kilos / 1265 pounds in 3 weeks to reach their goal! They are inviting blues lovers and all in the outlying areas of San Felipe, Rosarito, La Mision, and La Salina areas to help feed families and children in need!
Get in the holiday spirit! Your food and cash donations help BAHS feed those in need.
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Which Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise Hits Your Groove?
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- Join Waitlist for #38 Eastern Caribbean!
- #39 Mexican Riviera Sales Launch Dec 9
- Prebook #40 Western Carribbean
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 LRBC #38 Eastern Caribbean
Cabins SOLD OUT &
Wait List is HOT!
Jan. 28 ~ Feb. 4, 2023
Ft. Lauderdale, FL to St. John, St. Maarten & Half Moon Cay (Bahamas Private Island). Sailing on Holland America’s ms Nieuw Statendam.
Band Lineup, Cabin Pricing & More Here! Join the Waitlist by visiting here or call (816) 753-7979
~  LRBC #39 Mexican Riviera
~
Pre-Book Now!
#40 Western Caribbean
Jan 28 ~ Feb 4, 2024
Sailing on Holland America’s Pinnacle-class ms Nieuw Statendam from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Grand Cayman, Roatán, Honduras & Costa Maya, Mexico. By placing a fully-refundable prebook deposit of $500 per cabin, you’ll reserve a space in line to book a cabin once the band announcement is made in early Spring.
(816) 753-7979 to place your deposit!
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LEGENDARY RHYTHM & BLUES CRUISE
More Than A Cruise… More Than A Festival…
More Than You Can Imagine!
The Best Blues Experience on the Planet!
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 Canadian Gary Cain doesn’t pussyfoot. Not musically, not lyrically. Bombast meets social consciousness on his album, Next Stop, where we get Cain in triplicate: a one-man power trio. Handling all guitar, bass and drum parts, Cain never walks through the door; he kicks it open.
The majority of his ten original tunes on this album follow a pattern of sorts. Aggressive, churning guitar riffs open most every track and serve as a vehicle for his pointed, no-nonsense lyrics.
“Gary Cain is a Canadian-born guitarist, singer, and songwriter with one foot planted firmly in the blues, and the other foot planted in seemingly everything else. He’s been called “ridiculously talented” and a “jaw-dropper.” - Blues Matters Magazine.
The foundation of his virtuosic style was laid via marathon practice sessions as a youngster in his parents’ basement. “Back then it’s all I would do some days – sometimes 13, 14 hours a day. I’d have to be reminded to eat.” says Cain. Long days pouring over the musical styles of blues legends gave him a deep respect for the music, but he’s not beholden to it. “I’m not a purist.” he says, “What made those players so great was what they brought to the music to make it their own. Albert King was the best Albert King there’ll ever be. You gotta do your own thing with it.”
“a stunning tour de force of musicianship” – Blues Blast Magazine
With sharp lyrics and stellar guitar playing on this latest opus, Cain more than qualifies as an artist to be reckoned with.
Website
 "Gatekeeper"
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The Teskey Brothers "Highway Home For Christmas"
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Just In Case... plus Holidays & Birthdays
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 • Dec = "Month of Giving"
• Dec 25 Christmas Day
Birthdays upcoming of note:
Dec 2 Tal Wilkenfeld (1986); Dec 4 Larry Davis (1936-1994); Dec 5 Alec "Rice" Miller aka Sonny Boy Williamson II (1912-1965), Kim Simmonds (1947), "Little Richard" Penniman (1932-2020); Dec 6 Sean Carney; Dec 8 Gregg Allman (1947-2017); Dec 9 Junior Wells (1934-1998), Dec 10 Guitar Slim (1926-1959); Dec 11 Big Mama Thornton (1926-1984 pictured); Dec 12 Joe Williams (1918-1999), Lonesome Sundown (1928-1955); Dec 13 Lurrie Bell (1958), Lucky Peterson (1964-2020); Dec 15 Andrew “Big Voice” Odom (1936), Mark Hummel (1955), Nick Moss (1969)
Just in Case: Dec 2, 2022 is "National Bartenders Day" or "Bartender Appreciation Day"... not just about alcohol.
Oh, and Dec 4, 2022 is "National Cookie Day!" Just sayin'... Oh, maybe they mean time to bake holiday cookies not just eat them! Okay.
Dec 8th is "Pretend to Be A Time Traveler Day" Okay, I know that sounds silly, but honestly, what artist would you like to experience in person if you time travelled? Go ahead... I think it's healthy to have an imagination, long as it doesn't hurt anyone!
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Missed your Weekly e-Guide?
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Billboard #1 Blues Albums
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Billboard & iTunes #1 Blues Album - as of Dec 1, 2022
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#1 Billboard
LARKIN POE
Blood Harmony
#1 iTunes
CHRISTINE MCVIE
The Legendary Christine Perfect Album
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BFG Twitter-Instagram-Facebook
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Join Blues Freaks at our Tweeter feed & on Instagram
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Hey, come on over and Join 14.3k+ Blues Freaks at our TWITTER feed @BluesFestGuide
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  Also Follow us on INSTAGRAM with 10.4+ BluesersSee awesome, bluesy festival photos
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Then please drop on by and "LIKE" us and get
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Over 183K blues fans can't be wrong!
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Radio Submit Roots Blues Chart
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20th Annual Blues Festival Guide
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20th Annual Blues Festival Guide Magazine
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 You can not only get a hard copy of the magazine via select festivals, blues societies or by ordering, but our 20th Anniversary digital edition of the Blues Festival Guide is available on our website! Click the image at left to read and enjoy all 84 pages. Turn on the speaker to hear Tulle Brae singing "Seven Bridges."
Blues legend Bobby Rush calls our magazine: "The roadmap to everything blues." Indeed, the articles offer something for everyone, all blues related, of course. This year’s engaging editorial from aficionados in the blues community includes articles from Victor Wainwright, Mitch Woods, Reverend Billy C. Wirtz and Roger Stolle among others.
Our cover by photographer Marilyn Stringer features the talented Tullie Brae and Calvin Johnson at the 2021 North Atlantic Blues Festival!
You can also order your own hard copy here!
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To view entire calendar of festivals & Live Streams, click here!
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ATTENTION:
FESTIVAL PROMOTERS
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LIST YOUR FESTIVAL ON OUR
WEBSITE FOR FREE HERE
To highlight your festival on our web and here in the e-Guide Festival Calendar please EMAIL for ad rates
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Due to space constraints
Not all upcoming Blues festivals/events are listed here
For a complete list & links see our comprehensive website.
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NOTE: Highlighted/Linked events
are paid "Featured" ads.
Checkout our website Festival page!
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Bradenton Blues Festival
Dec-02-2022 – Dec-03-2022
Bradenton, Florida, USA
Tim Fik
Birthday Blues Bash
Dec-11-2022
Gainesville, Florida, USA
MLK Blues Festival
Jan-12-2023 – Jan-15-2023
Chester, South Carolina, USA
Go Mexico Rock ‘n Blues
Explosion Festival
Jan-21-2023 – Jan-29-2023
Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Mexico
Clarksdale Film
& Music Festival
Jan-27-2023 – Jan-29-2023
Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA
The February Blues XXIV
Feb-02-2023 – Feb-26-2023
Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada
Cincinnati Winter Blues
Experience IV
Feb-11-2023
Mason, Ohio, USA
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| | For more festivals & events plus links
please go to our website
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Saskatoon Blues Festival
Feb-27-2023 – Mar-05-2023
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
2023 Byron Bay Bluesfest
April-6-2023 - April-10-2023
Byron Bay, Australia
Juke Joint Festival
& Related Events
Apr-13-2023 – Apr-16-2023
Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA
Baton Rouge
Blues Festival
April-22-2023 – April-23-2023
Baton Rouge, Louisiana USA
10th Annual Big Island
Jazz & Blues Festival
Jun-01-2023 – Jun-03-2023
Kailua Kona, Hawaii, USA
Billtown Blues Festival
Jun-09-2023 – Jun-10-2023
Hughesville, Pennsylvania, USA
Waterfront Blues Fest
July-1-2023 - July-4-2023
Portland, Oregon USA
Tampa Bay Blues Festival
July 14-16, 2023
St. Petersburg, Florida USA
North Atlantic Blues Festival
July 15-16, 2023
Rockland, Maine USA
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We continue to stay optimistic!
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We're thinking of you.. here's to good health & good music!
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 RBA Publishing/Blues Festival Guide
P.O. Box 920, Arcata, CA 95518
Call 707-630-3304
We welcome e-Guide suggestions and questions. You can reach our E-Guide editor, Michele Lundeen (pictured here) via EMAIL.
Michele is also a singer, songwriter, performer and bandleader based in the San Diego County, California area and nicknamed the "Queen of Steam" for her high energy and passionate style.
RBA Publishing, Inc. in business since 1993, is a boutique, blues-specific PR and marketing firm based on the West Coast. We help musicians, festivals, labels and music-related brands. Our digital campaigns target fans, industry and influencers. We are masterful at email marketing, social media, fan acquisition and long-term marketing plans. Our media services are supported by people who understand and love the blues genre. Publishers of the annual Blues Festival Guide magazine, our top-ranking website, and e-Guide newsletter with approx. 30,000 weekly subscribers, we have been blues industry leaders for 20 years. Please contact us at 707-630 3304 or EMAIL to find out how we can help you!
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 do CD/DVD reviews nor write the news... we just share and report it.
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Fair Use Act statement and disclaimer
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Hey blues lovers! Got 
