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July 2, 2010 www.bluesfestivalguide.com Volume # 5  Issue #27

Special Announcements
CD or DVD Releases
News Flash
Record Label News
Blues Society News
House of Blues Radio Hour
Roots Blues Airplay Charts
Blues Festivals
About Us
BLUES FESTIVAL GUIDE MAGAZINES STILL AVAILABLE
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BLIND WILLY : : WILLING TO CRAWL
The new release, WILLING TO CRAWL by Blind Willy combines the blues, soul, and rock elements with a little swampiness that makes you want to get up and do your groove thang.... Influenced by the classics of yesteryear- Credence Clearwater Revival, Jimi Hendrix, Tony Joe White, Otis Redding, and some of those great New Orleans bands, Blind Willy covers all the bases. This project was put together by Doug Jones of Nashville who co-wrote and covers the vocals, guitars, and harmonica chores on this 5-song EP. He was assisted by one of his "PIC" (partners in crime) that notorious keyboardist from the Allman Brothers, Johnny Neel . Some of the other co-writers on this EP were guitarist Chris Anderson of The Outlaws, Joanna Cotten , Tommy Polk, and Daryl Burgess. The title track "Willing to Crawl" was used in the HBO series "True Blood" and the last track "SWEAT" was used in the film "The Dukes of Hazard: The Beginnings".
 
 Blind Willy is Willing to Crawl if you are willing to listen. Get your copy now!
 
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Jimmy Dawkins Presents : : The Leric Story
Blues artist Jimmy Dawkins had his own record label in the 1980s, Leric Records, with 45s issued by Tail Dragger, Queen Sylvia Embry, Little Johnny Christian and Nora Jean Wallace. Delmark is re-issuing these recordings now on CD for the first time with the addition of unissued sides by Vance Kelly and Big Mojo Elem. 15 songs, 60 minutes with various sidemen including Jimmy Dawkins, Johnny B. Moore, Lafayette Leake, Willie Kent, Eddie "Jewtown" Burks, Michael Coleman and Chico Banks.
 
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JULIUS PITTMAN & THE REVIVAL : : BUCKET LIST
February of 2009 became a musical turning point for Julius Pittman. After enduring years of musical frustration, Julius aka 'Ray' was presented with the opportunity to form a band dedicated to revitalizing 'Old School' Rock & Soul sounds of the Memphis Stax Volt era. The formation of the core talent led to the release of their 2010 CD release "Bucket List".
 
The 'Revival' features some of the most talented musicians in Virginia combined with the unique vocals of keyboardist/leader Julius Pittman which brings to the audience, sounds and dynamics reminiscent of Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Buddy Miles, Jack Mack & The HeartAttack and Tower of Power.
 
The music the 'Revival' presents is a trip back to the days when musicians truely played their instruments without any limits.
What makes this band unique is the fact that each musician is given the freedom to 'spread their wings' and express their individual musical personality.
 
The 'Revival' features founder/keyboardist/vocalist Julius Pittman, guitarists Randy Moss and Velpo Robertson, bassist Audie Stanley, drummer Chris McIntyre, tenor sax player John Stanley, tenor/baritone sax player Howard Smith and trumpeter/flugelhorn Dave Triplett.
 
Julius Pittman & The Revival is managed by Maeco Mgmt
 
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Novel "Southern Cross the Dog" Benefits Foundation
The Blues Foundation is pleased to announce the debut novel and accompanying CD of author Allen Whitley. His novel, “Where Southern Cross the Dog,” is currently available  www.allenwhitley.com/
 
As a former and current board member in the non-profit world, Allen will be donating some of the proceeds of the book to The Blues Foundation. While Allen has no Memphis book signings scheduled, he will be in Clarksdale, MS in August and October conducting signings during the festivals. Make sure to stop by and help raise funds for our organization while getting a great late summer read and a CD compilation containing blues, prison work songs, and oral history narrations recorded during the time period of the novel.
 
For more information, please contact The Blues Foundation or Allen Whitley at 512-965-3089, email allenwhitleybooks@gmail.com, or Facebook.
 
Elevator Pitch
In the late 1930s, Jim Crow walked unopposed in Mississippi, and Europe was preparing for war. Though an ocean apart, the threads of hate and fear bound those disparate places together.
 
Synopsis
When Travis Montgomery returns to Clarksdale after graduating from college, he finds his hometown cloaked in fear—four gruesome murders in six weeks. With no clear motive and few clues, the sheriff doesn’t have a suspect—until Luke Williams, a white sharecropper, confesses.
 
Across town, Dr. Conrad Higson is developing a cotton harvester, a machine that will replace field hands. Expelled from Germany for publicly humiliating a high ranking officer, the well-respected scientist is secretly spying for the Nazis, hoping for permission to return to his fatherland.
 
While Luke awaits trial, the last four members of Clarksdale’s defunct Ku Klux Klan break him out of jail. Luke turns himself in again hours before the discovery of a fifth mutilated body. But the evidence doesn’t match up, and Travis and his girlfriend, Hannah, the daughter of a prominent African-American family, begin their own investigation, piecing together the circumstances of the murders.
 
As the town reels from a trial, arson, and yet another body, Travis and Hannah persevere in their search for justice as they illuminate the dark soul of the Deep South.
 
A masterful blend of mystery and historical fiction, Where Southern Cross the Dog pits first love and idealism against hatred and racism in Depression-era Mississippi. 
 
Bio
Allen Whitley works in the field of environmental sustainability and has published numerous articles. He serves on the Board of Directors for Goodwill Industries of Central Texas and is a former board member of the Writers’ League of Texas. Through his first novel, Where Southern Cross the Dog, he seeks to bring the rich history of blues to a wider audience and raise funds for two worthy causes.
 
Contact Information
Allen Whitley
www.allenwhitley.com
 

PINETOP PERKINS TURNS 97 THIS COMING JULY 7
All of us here at the Blues Festival Guide would like to wish Pinetop a Happy Birthday! Click here for more on Pinetop Perkins.
 


Eric Clapton’s Guitars and Amps Auction to Benefit the Crossroads Centre, Antigua
The auction of over 100 lots of Guitars and Amps will take place at Bonhams in New York in the Spring of 2011. The auction will comprise of over 64 lots of Guitars and Instruments and 46 lots of Amps with individual estimates ranging from $300 - $600 to $20,000 - $30,000. Guitar highlights include a Fender Custom Shop “one-of-a-kind” Eric Clapton T-Mobile Stratocaster (Est. $15,000 - $22,000) and a Martin Belleza Bianca 000-ECHF prototype guitar (Est. $7,500 - $15,000). Amp highlights include a Derek and the Dominos Marshall speaker stack (Est. $7,500 - $10,500) and various Tweed Twin amps custom made and stage used by Eric Clapton (Ests. range from $4,500 - $12,000).
 
An exact date for the 2011 auction is pending.
 
Click for more
 

 
Sour Note: Economy, Glut Hit Summer Tours
NASHVILLE, TN (AP) -- A slow economy and a glut of choices is turning the once ironclad summer tour season into something of a gamble.

The evidence is everywhere. The always bankable Eagles have canceled dates. Christina Aguilera shut down an entire tour before it got started. Rihanna just canceled her tour opener.
 
Add in what seems like a large number of injuries, illnesses and mysterious happenings that have led to sometimes legitimate cancelations, U2's tour was postponed due to Bono's back surgery, and at least outwardly it looks like summer tours are starting to see the strain the rest of the music industry has been experiencing.
 
 Korn's Jonathan Davis calls it "scary."

"It's just a sign of the times," Davis said. "We're in a bad place now financially, everybody, and I think people are cutting back. Hopefully when this goes away, whenever it does, then things will get better, but it doesn't surprise me that people don't have as much money to spend as they used to."
 
Kevin Lyman, the brains behind The Warped Tour, the Mayhem Festival and the new Country Throwdown Tour, acknowledges he was sweating it last week. The always bankable Warped Tour, a 16-year-old traveling punk festival, was struggling to sell tickets for a Ventura, Calif., show and he was looking at a big loss.
 
He sold 80 percent of his tickets in the last week and ended up with a great turnout, but the struggles he's had this summer, he canceled four Throwdown dates and is worrying about the bottom line more than he has since the late '90s, have him thinking about the mistakes that have been made by the touring industry as a whole.
 
"Two years ago we were talking about the heyday of touring," Lyman said. "A touring industry that's been around 60 years now, in two years we screwed it up."
 
Ozzy Osbourne believes the industry is tone deaf when it comes to the main problem, ticket prices. A premium seat with VIP privileges for a top act can go for more than $1,000. A mediocre seat at one of those shows might cost more than $400.
 
Osbourne, one of rock 'n' roll's most bankable touring stars and the founder of Ozzfest, says "people are getting very greedy."
 
"You can't charge exorbitant ticket prices," he said. "It's crazy. You have to read the market."
 
Sure, ticket sales are down, but that's to be expected and nothing disastrous, as some industry watchers have claimed. He points out that there are several in-demand tours that are doing just fine.
 
Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and James Taylor and Carole King aren't having problems selling tickets, perhaps muscling in on the fans of Aguilera, The Jonas Brothers and The Eagles. That out-of-favor acts like Limp Bizkit canceled shouldn't send folks watchers into a tizzy.
 
"I mean the Limp Bizkit tour was never one that really should've been booked in the first place," Bongiovanni said. "It's hard to say that business is bad because Limp Bizkit couldn't sell tickets. I'm sorry, I don't buy that."
 
He did say that promoters need to get rid of the glut.
 
"We're asking an awful lot of the public," he said. "The acts that are really in demand today, fans are opening their wallets and buying tickets, and they're buying the premium seats, too. But in a down economic market, it just means you aren't going to do the kind of volume that you might expect and people are more selective."
 
Those who make their living one ticket at a time think there's more trouble ahead, though.
 
Lyman and others believe the cause of all these problems is simple. In an effort to shore up record sales that are bottoming out, artists and their managers and agents have turned to summer tours and the large amounts of guaranteed money now being offered upfront to prop up the revenue stream.
 
Instead of taking a year or two off between tours, acts always seem to be on the road, sometimes with nothing new to offer. The bigger the venue, the bigger the guarantee and the bigger the risk that a slow start to ticket sales will lead to cancellation.
 
In desperation, promoters have fallen back on the steep discount, cutting prices, nixing service fees and offering two-for-one deals. Lyman sees this as fool's gold. Once ticket prices are cut, promoters rely on ancillary sales like beer and hot dogs. But he's noticed in these tough economic times, fans will bolt a six pack in the parking lot because it's cheaper than buying $7 beer all night.
 
"I've been saying it for a year now: We are going to train the public to wait for the discount," he said. "Go out for a fair price at the beginning and people will grow into it. But now we've got a lot of damage to fix in this business."
 

Dr. Demento Leaving Radio for the Internet
In this June 24, 2010 photo, radio personality Barret Hansen, known on the airwaves as "Dr. Demento," records his Internet radio show at at his home studio in Lakewood, Calif. After nearly 40 years of broadcasting catchy little tunes celebrating everything from dogs getting run over by lawnmowers to cockroaches devouring entire cities, Dr. Demento is discontinuing his syndicated radio show but will continue broadcasting on the Web. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
 
LOS ANGELES — Listen closely, that's the sound of demented music dying that you're hearing on your radio.
 
After nearly 40 years of broadcasting catchy little tunes celebrating everything from dogs getting run over by lawnmowers to cockroaches devouring entire cities, Dr. Demento is discontinuing his syndicated radio show.
 
By summer's end, the good doctor's hyper-enthusiastic voice will be heard only on the Internet as it introduces oddball classics such as "There's a Fungus Among Us," "Fish Heads" and "Dead Puppies."
 
For decades Demento has been a Sunday-night fixture on radio stations across the country, keeping alive the music of political satirists like Tom Lehrer ("The Vatican Rag"), while making a star of "Weird Al" Yankovic, whose first hit, "My Bologna," debuted on the doctor's show.
 
"He kept my whole career alive by playing Freberg records constantly," says Stan Freberg, the Grammy-winning song satirist who, at 83, continues to write and perform comedy music and make public appearances.
 
Recently, however, the radio stations carrying Demento's show declined to fewer than a dozen. He had planned to stop syndicating it this month until he learned a college station in Amarillo, Texas, had committed to airing it through the summer.
 
Over the decades, Demento, who was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame last year, has kept his playlists contemporary. But it was changing radio formats that did in his syndicated show, said Demento, 69, who in a parallel life is Barret Hansen, music writer and ethnomusicologist. His college master's thesis was on the evolution of rhythm and blues.
 
"With the increasingly narrow casting, as they call it, of radio where stations will pick one relatively restricted format and stick with it 24 hours a day, especially in the music area, my show just got perhaps a little too odd of a duck to fit in," he said.
 
The program has always been built on Demento's personal music collection, which numbers in the hundreds of thousands and includes every recording format from antique wax cylinders to modern-day digital downloads. He says he's long since lost count of how many recordings he keeps in the Southern California home he shares with his wife, Sue, but puts the number somewhere north of 300,000.
 
When he started putting them on the radio in 1970, it wasn't all that unusual for a pop station to play a record by blues-rocker Eric Clapton, followed immediately by one from crooner Frank Sinatra. With that dichotomy, broadcasting a variety show that would include songs like Sheb Wooley's "Purple People Eater" and "Weird Al's" Grammy-winning Michael Jackson takeoff "Eat It" didn't sound so out of place.
 
But those days of radio appear over, says broadcast veteran and University of Southern California's writer-in-residence Norman Corwin.
 
"Radio has been relegated to programs like Rush Limbaugh and other talk shows and (on the music side) niche formats," said Corwin, who has worked in and followed the broadcast industry for more than 70 years. "They do have a huge following, and a huge influence," he says of such shows. "But the variety programs are gone. That's a shame."
 
They've gone to the Internet, says Demento, who has been doing a separate Web show there for several years. On the Web, he says, he can play even a wider selection of music, including tunes too raunchy or outrageous for FCC-regulated terrestrial radio.
 
"I prefer to think of it as just transitioning to a new medium rather than it coming to an end," he says of the show, which will mark its 40th anniversary in October.
 
"It's kind of like when we changed from cassettes to CDs," he adds in that distinctive Dr. Demento voice.
 

Led Zeppelin Sued Over 'Dazed And Confused'
Rock giants Led Zeppelin are being sued over their copyright relating to their classic track 'Dazed And Confused'.
 
Led Zeppelin are one of the most important rock acts of all time. Giving birth to heavy rock, their material continues to inspire forty years after it was first laid down. However their attitude to copyright leaves a lot to be desired.
 
Over the years the band have fought numerous law suits over who actually wrote their songs, and have lost a surprising amount. Blues legend Willie Dixon took the band to task over their classic track 'Whole Lotta Love' which he claimed resembled one of his own songs.
 
Winning in court, the credits for the track now contain his name. Elsewhere, 'The Lemon Song' borrows heavily from Howlin' Wolf's classic blues track 'Killing Floor' with many fans accusing Led Zeppelin of plagiarism.
 
To give the band credit, blues and folk artists regularly lifted each other's arrangements with many tracks effectively be traditional.
However 'Dazed And Confused' is apparently not. Jimmy Page allegedly first heard the track performed in a New York coffee house in 1968, and introduced it into the set for the final line up of The Yardbirds.
 
Becoming a showstopping part of Led Zeppelin's live set, the track appeared on their classic debut album. Yet it seems that the singer in that coffee house has now come forward claiming that the song is not traditional at all.
 
According to TMZ, a singer named Jack Holmes claims that he wrote 'Dazed And Confused' in 1967, a whole two years before Led Zeppelin eventually recorded their version.
 
Yet in good news for Jimmy Page the statute of limitations means that he would only have to pay three years worth of royalties. Why did Jake Holmes wait so long? Who knows..
 
Check out the Jake Holmes version here
 

THE WILLIE BROWN BLUES BENEFIT
The purpose of The Willie Brown Blues Benefit is to raise money to purchase Willie Brown a headstone.  Mr. Brown is currently buried in an unmarked grave in Tunica County, MS.  In order to  have a headstone created and placed at the Good Shepherd Church in Tunica, we need to raise $2100.  Every single cent raised from this benefit will go directly to the purchase and placement of the headstone.
 
The Willie Brown Blues Benefit is a FREE SHOW.  There will be raffles, live auctions, and a donation bucket to raise funds for this worthy cause.
 
Click for more
 

BRIGGS FARM BLUES FESTIVAL
The stage is up.  The grass is mowed.  The food has been ordered.  We are really excited for you to visit us this year and enjoy another awesome lineup of world-class performers.

We have one very special announcement for you! Our Saturday headliner David “Honeyboy” Edwards celebrated his 95th birthday this past week! Born in Shaw, Mississippi in 1915, “Honeyboy” is the last living link to Robert Johnson and one of the last original acoustic Delta blues players.  This living legend will grace our Main Stage on Saturday July 10th at 7:40pm.  He’ll also be doing a workshop on our Back Porch stage on Saturday at 4pm.
Be sure to check out the lineup page for all information on performance days and times, band bios, photos, videos and more!
Reminders…

**Ticket orders placed after July 1st, online or by mail-order, will be held at the gate for you.

**Come to our festival hungry! We’ll be serving up Mississippi Delta-style BBQ:  pulled pork, chicken, smoked sausage, homemade cole slaw, and more.  Our grillmaster is none other than Blues legend Lonnie Shields.  This year, Lonnie’s two sisters will be helping at the grill and making Grandma’s cole slaw!  Campers will also be able to purchase a down-home Southern style breakfast on Saturday and Sunday mornings, courtesy the Unicorn Restaurant in Nescopeck, PA.  Fans know that we serve up some really amazing fresh, roasted corn, so make sure you get in the food line as soon as you get through the gate!

Get your tickets now, if you didn’t get them already!  Oh, and be sure to vote for your favorite You Tube video from last year’s festival.  If you’re a fan of Facebook, become a fan of Briggs Farm Blues Festival. We want 1000 fans by July 9th.  Visit our Facebook page, “like” us, and have some more fun with us!
See you soon!

~The Briggs Farm Crew
 
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Elegant Summer Events in the Roman Amphitheatre at Hotel Villa Padierna, Marbella
 •  Blues, Jazz, Flamenco and Opera Concerts will make Thursday Evenings in the Hotel an unforgettable experience
 
Click for more
 

TEENY TUCKER AWARDED “MONTEREY BAY BLUES ARTIST OF THE YEAR” AT THE MONTEREY BAY BLUES FESTIVAL
MONTEREY, CA – Blues singer Teeny Tucker, whose new CD is titled Keep the Blues Alive, was honored as “Monterey Bay Blues Artist of the Year” during ceremonies Sunday, June 27, following her performance at the 25th Annual Monterey Bay Blues Festival. The diminutive blues songstress was cited for her “leadership, achievement and general support of, and contributions to the blues and its preservation,” said Lee Durley, a member of the festival’s Board of Directors Executive Committee, as he presented Tucker with the award. “It is with great pride that the fabulous Teeny Tucker be awarded the 2010 Monterey Bay Blues Artist of the Year Award,” he added. During the presentation on the main stage, a huge color portrait of Teeny Tucker was unveiled as a backdrop to the festivities. Previous honorees of the “Monterey Bay Blues Artist of the Year” award include Etta James, B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Koko Taylor.
 
The presentation at the Monterey Fairgrounds followed Tucker’s blistering set featuring many of the songs from her just-released CD, Keep the Blues Alive, which is already generating international rave reviews. Prior to her own performance, Tucker joined the Blues in the Schools Honor Band for two songs during their performance on another stage at the festival.
 

BLUES FOR THE ZOO Brings Music to the Mountains
BIG BEAR LAKE, CABLUES FOR THE ZOO Celebrating 50 Years Of Sanctuary, a fundraiser for the Moonridge Animal Park takes place Saturday, August 7, 2010 at the Big Bear Lake Swim Beach Outdoor Amphitheater with a line-up of world class Blues, food booths and artisan fair.  Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the gate. Children 10 and under admitted free of charge.   Parking is $3.00.  Tickets are available from the Big Bear Chamber of Commerce, 630 Bartlett Road (walk in or via phone charge 909 866 4607), at the Moonridge Animal Park Gift Shop, 43285 Goldmine Drive and online here.
 
This lakeside setting provides a scenic backdrop for an afternoon of internationally recognized musicians plus a selection of local arts and crafts with food and beverage menu.  No coolers please. Four restaurants will be offering fresh fare such as spinach-strawberry salad with goat cheese, brie and cracker plates, Chinese Chicken salads along with traditional items such as grilled sausages and hamburgers, pulled pork sandwiches and  taco/quesadilla selections.  Area artisans will have a variety of handmade products for sale including; pottery, gourd art, jewelry, textiles, candles, photography, acrylic block prints and fused glass works.
 
Headlining will be the Delta Guitar Slingers, an all-star group featuring three heralded guitarists from the Blues’ current generation of virtuosos; Lucky Peterson, Michael Burks and Sherman Robertson.  Guy Davis, an east coast singer-songwriter, steeped in the folk tradition shares the bill.  Davis also tips his hat to the great giants of the music, interpreting material by Leadbelly and Muddy Waters.   He is the son of civil rights activists and actors Ozzie Davis and Ruby Dee.  Rounding out the day are Southern California favorites Cafe R&B.  This band is led by powerful singer Roach, described by Hits Magazine as “Etta James riding a Harley out of an active volcano.”  Cafe R&B will perform a mix of originals and Chicago Blues classics.  Music runs 3:00pm to 7:30pm with gates opening at 2:00pm.  Beach chairs and blankets are welcome for festival-style lawn seating.  The Swim Beach will be open to concert attendees.
 
Big Bear Lake is a family-friendly mountain community, known for 300 days of annual sunshine, crisp clean air and resort amenities.  The area offers many outdoor activities including; forest hikes, boating, fishing, kayaking, water skiing, mountain biking trails and horseback riding.  Host lodges for the event include the Best Western Big Bear Chateau (909 866 6666), Northwoods Resort & Conference Center (909 866 3121) and the Black Forest Lodge (800 255 4378), all offering special discount room rates for the weekend.  Lodging/Ticket Packages are available by calling 1-800-4BIG BEAR
 
Friends of the Moonridge Zoo, promoters of the concert, is a nonprofit organization formed to support the Moonridge Animal Park through fundraising, volunteer coordination and educational activities.  The Moonridge Animal Park is a fully licensed, designated care and rehabilitation facility for injured and confiscated animals.  The majority of the rehabilitated animals are successfully released into the wild.   The Moonridge Animal Park also provides a “Home For Life” to over 180 animals representing 85 species.   
 
Click for more
 

     
Soul music: Christian performers unify R&B: religion and blues
(Lawrence Ks) - They call him the Electric Reverend.
 
His full-bodied music is as bluesy as they come, and its Christian lessons are as authentic as any available behind the pulpit.
 
He’s Jimmie Bratcher, a real preacher who left a church job for another calling: bringing people to Christ through music, or more aptly, through singing the blues. Since he made that change 10 years ago, the Kansas City-based musician has spent thousands of Saturday nights performing and Sunday mornings preaching wherever on the road God has called him.
 
And tonight, God calls him to Lawrence for a special session as headliner of the first outdoor summer concert at BridgePointe Community Church. It’s a slightly different venue than the one Bratcher will be attending later this summer — the annual biker rally in Sturgis, S.D., where he’ll be on the same bill as Bob Dylan, ZZ Top and Ozzy Osbourne at The Buffalo Chip.
 
A church lawn and a national biker convention might seem like opposite ends of the professional spectrum as far as venues go, but Bratcher is thrilled to reach any soul with ears.
 
“That’s the biggest biker party on the planet,” Bratcher says of the Sturgis show. “And (tonight) is just a church event, trying to reach people in the community, share with them the message of God’s goodness and his love. That’s really all I’m concerned about, is that people know that God loves them, and cares for them, and wants to be involved in their lives.”
 
 “Give Thanks.”
That’s exactly the goal, says the Rev. Dennis Carnahan, leader of the church, 601 W. 29th St. Terrace, himself a personal friend of Bratcher’s and a professional musician. Carnahan cooked up a three-concert series as a way to bring good music and Christ to anyone in the mood for a free show and summer staples like hot dogs and potato chips.
 
“They’re faith-based groups, but I think they’ll have a broad appeal. More than just, for Christian people, I think anybody would enjoy it,” says Carnahan, who says he got the idea from a summer concert series held by the city of Olathe. “I mean, these are groups who are doing what they’re doing and they’re doing it very well, and so we just want to make that available to the community as well. It’s just something that I think fits well with our community, it’s just something else to do in the summer.”
 
The concerts will all be on the first Friday of each month, which coincides with the church’s regular musical jam session. Those are normally inside the building at what BridgePointe refers to as the Koinonia Cafe. Carnahan says the church usually gets 70 to 100 people for the cafe jam sessions and expects about triple that amount tonight and for the other concerts, which feature Stan Pollmann, Jeannie Furst and Furst Light, Lester Estelle and Friends and AZ U R.
 
The music tonight will be heavy on the blues, with both artists — Bratcher and Mission Blues — leaning heavily toward music’s mainstream.
 
“We’re probably one of the few crossover Christian bands. You could take our stuff and go to a bar and play it, which we’ve done and people like it,” says Billy Fields of Mission Blues, who says the band recently played in a mainstream Westport locale. “It is not subtle, but it’s not, you know, we don’t take the Bible and thump you on the head with it. We just want to get the word out through our music, and then if people have any questions about it when we’re done, then we’ll sit and talk with them for as long as they want to.”
 
That’s despite the fact that the Lee’s Summit band started in 1991 as a vehicle for Christian outreach to young teens. The members quickly figured out that adults preferred their music more than kids, even if the chosen genre confused the target audience.
 
“At the time when we started, you know, other Christians said, ‘We don’t get this, how can you have blues and be a Christian?’ But we explained to them that that was actually the hook,” Fields says. “There wasn’t many, if any, back in 1991, playing the Christian blues. So we feel like we kind of helped start that out.
 
“We just write about life and our experiences. That’s how we wound up doing the blues.”
 
Bratcher was a musician first, before being saved in the mid-1970s. He put down the guitar and became a self-studied preacher at the Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Mo. He and his wife both worked at the church, but after picking music back up in the mid-1990s, they decided to quit their church jobs and hit the road to share the gospel through music. Bratcher still preaches when invited to churches on the road, but he says his music has allowed him to touch more souls than he ever did in a stable church environment.
 
“I look at it in that we have received radio play around the world. My preaching has not done that for me,” Bratcher says. “My preaching puts me in front of thousands of people every year. My music puts me in front of millions every year.
 
“And so, to me, that’s a big deal and I should pay attention to it, and we do.”
 


NEWS FROM ALLIGATOR
BLUES MASTER CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE RETURNS TO ALLIGATOR RECORDS!
 
NEW CD, THE WELL, SET FOR AUGUST 24 RELEASE
 
Harmonica master, vocalist, songwriter and guitarist Charlie Musselwhite returns to Alligator Records -- where he recorded three successful albums in the late 1990s -- with The Well, set for an August 24 street date. The album is an authentic slice of Charlie's deep blues roots with musical flavors from Mississippi to Chicago to California, including help on one song from legendary vocalist and friend Mavis Staples. Rolling Stone calls Musselwhite "compelling and original," and says, "His harp playing is superb, exhilarating and forthright. His unabashed excellence sets the standard for blues bands everywhere."
The Well is the first full-band recording in Musselwhite's almost 50-year career in which he wrote every track on the album, and it is the most personal and emotionally open cycle of songs he has ever created. The Well was recorded at Los Angeles' legendary Sunset Sound, with guitarist Dave Gonzales (Paladins, Hacienda Brothers), bassist John Bazz (The Blasters) and drummer Stephen Hodges (Tom Waits, Mavis Staples), and was produced by Chris Goldsmith (Ruthie Foster, Grammy-winning Blind Boys Of Alabama). The revealing, autobiographical songs recall specific events and places in Musselwhite's amazingly colorful life. His worldly-wise vocals and masterful harmonica work are perfectly matched with the stories he tells. Simply put, The Well is Charlie Musselwhite at his very best.
 
According to Alligator president Bruce Iglauer, having Musselwhite back on the label is pure pleasure. "I'm thrilled to welcome Charlie back to the Alligator Records family. He's a true icon of American roots music, a brilliant harmonica player and a true storyteller as a vocalist and songwriter. Charlie's a great guy to work with, a real road warrior who is out there pleasing the fans night after night. We're looking forward to renewing a great relationship." And Musselwhite couldn't agree more, saying, "I don't think anybody is happier than I am being back in the Alligator family. It feels good to be home."
 
With 30 solo albums to his credit, Musselwhite has  appeared on numerous recordings as a featured player with Tom Waits, Eddie Vedder, Ben Harper, John Lee Hooker, Bonnie Raitt, Blind Boys Of Alabama, INXS, and most recently, Cyndi Lauper, and has shared stages with countless blues and rock musicians. He was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Blues Hall Of Fame in 2010, has been nominated for six Grammy Awards and has won 23 Blues Music Awards. DownBeat calls him, "the undisputed champion of the blues harmonica."
 
With The Well, Charlie Musselwhite returns with the strongest, most intimate album of his career - a powerful, personal collection of songs. Musselwhite's blues, imparting his hard-won knowledge and working class wisdom, are a window into the deep well of his Mississippi soul.
 
Click for more


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SACRAMENTO BLUES SOCIETY
Sacramento foundation funnels $109,000 in grants to arts groups
 
The Sacramento Region Community Foundation has awarded $109,000 in grants to support 18 local arts groups, ranging from La Raza Galeria Posada to California Lectures.
 
The SRCF grants are awarded from the foundation's Arts Growth Circle and Experiential Arts Grants through the Advancing Sacramento Arts initiative funded by the James Irvine Foundation.
 
The 12 Arts Growth Circle grant recipients receiving capacity-building support are: A Day in the Life Project, Allied Ceramics Institute, Celebration Arts, Center for Contemporary Art Sacramento, Elk Grove Youth Dance, Instituto Mazatlan Bellas Arts de Sacramento, MatrixArts, Pence Gallery, Sacramento Blues Society, Short Center, Verge Gallery & Studio Project, and VOX Sacramento.
Capacity building" includes helping groups develop specific skills for strengthening their organization through board engagement, more-effective fundraising and stronger marketing. The skills are taught through a series of classes and workshops.
 
When the organizations complete the capacity- building process, they are eligible to apply for an encouragement grant to put their new skills into practice.

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BLUES FESTIVAL SEASON!:
  
Elwood hits the blues festival circuit again, with Sheryl O’Grady from the Blues Festival Guide. You will learn the where and when of some of the hundreds of blues festivals happening this summer in the U.S. and Canada, and hear some of the players making the rounds: Elvin Bishop, Duke Robillard, Joe Louis Walker, Magic Slim, Watermelon Slim, Candye Kane, Canadian newcomers Monkey Junk, Shemekia Copeland, and more. And a surprising change of pace on a posthumous new release from the late guitar maestro Jeff Healey.
 
For a list of stations where you can find House of Blues Radio
 
 



Click on festival name to click through to festival website.
VISIT THE BLUES FESTIVAL GUIDE WEBSITE FOR ALL THE FESTIVALS
Over 500 festivals are listed on the website www.BluesFestivalGuide.com
20th Annual High Sierra Music Festival
Thursday-Sunday,
July 1-4, 2010

Quincy, California, U.S.
www.highsierramusic.com
BB King Homecoming: "Blues, Bikes & BBQ"
Friday-Saturday,
July 2-3, 2010

Indianola, Mississippi, U.S.
www.indianolams.org
Mississippi Valley Blues Festival
Friday-Sunday,
July 2-4, 2010

Davenport, Iowa, U.S.
http://mvbs.org
Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival
Friday-Monday,
July 2-4, 2010

Portland, Oregon, U.S.
www.waterfrontbluesfest.com
Delta Music Experience Series
Friday-Monday,
July 2-5, 2010

Pacific Northwest, OR, U.S.
www.deltamusicexperience.com/
Sand Lake Blues Fest
Saturday,
July 3, 2010

National City, MI, U.S.
www.sandlakebluesfest.com
Red, White & Blues Festival
Sunday,
July 4, 2010

Pleasanton, California, U.S.
www.bayareabluessociety.net
Cisco Blues Fest
Wednesday-Sunday,
July 7-18, 2010

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
www.ottawabluesfest.ca/en/
Home Grown Blues Series
Thursday,
July 8, 2010

Oakland, CA, U.S.
Website
Greenwood Blues Cruise
Thursday-Saturday,
July 8-10, 2010

Greenwood, SC, U.S.
www.greenwoodbluescruise.com
Kalamazoo Valley Blues Festival
Thursday-Saturday,
July 8-10, 2010

Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S.
www.kvba.org
Big Rib BBQ & Blues Festival
Thursday-Sunday,
July 8-11, 2010

Rochester, New York, U.S.
Website
Louisville Blues-n-Barbecue Festival
Friday-Saturday,
July 9-10, 2010

Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
www.bisigimpactgroup.com
Briggs Farm Blues Festival
Friday-Saturday,
July 9-10, 2010

Nescopeck, Pennsylvania, U.S.
www.briggsfarm.com
South Loup River Blues Fest
Friday-Saturday,
July 9-10, 2010

Arnold, Nebraska, U.S.
www.southloupbluesfest.com
Thunder Bay Blues Festival
Friday-Sunday,
July 9-11, 2010

Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
www.tbayblues.ca
Great South Bay Music Festival
Friday-Sunday,
July 9-11, 2010

Patchogue, New York, U.S.
www.greatsouthbaymusicfestival.com
Anglesea Blues Festival
Friday-Sunday,
July 9-11, 2010

North Wildwood, New Jersey
www.angleseablues.com
Festival International Du Blues De Tremblant
Friday-Sunday,
July 9-18, 2010

Mont Tremblant, Quebec, U.S.
www.tremblantblues.com
Grassroots Blues Festival
Saturday,
July 10, 2010

Duck Hill, Mississippi, U.S.
www.grassrootsblues.com
Lakefront Jazz and Blues Festival
Saturday,
July 10, 2010

Prior Lake, Minnesota, U.S.
www.lakefrontjazz.com
Gold Country Blues Fest
Saturday,
July 10, 2010

Auburn, California, U.S.

www.goldcountrybluesfest.com
Animas River Blues
Saturday,
July 10, 2010

Aztec, NM, U.S.
http://animasriverblues.com
Ritzville Blues Festival
Saturday,
July 10, 2010

Ritzville, Washington, U.S.
www.ritzvilleblues.com
14th Annual Sedalia Blues Festival & Competition
Saturday,
July 10, 2010

Big Island, Virginia, U.S.
www.sedaliacenter.org

North Atlantic Blues Festival
Saturday-Sunday,
July 10-11, 2010

Rockland, Maine, U.S.
www.northatlanticbluesfestival.com
Hayward Russell City Blues Festival
Saturday-Sunday,
July 10-11, 2010

Hayward, CA, U.S.
http://www.bayareabluessociety.net
9th Annual Treasure Lake Music Fest
Saturday-Sunday,
July 10-11, 2010

DuBois, Pennsylvania, U.S.
http://treasurelakeskilodge.net
Virginia Blues & Jazz Festival
Sunday-Tuesday,
July 11-13, 2010

Hot Springs, Virginia, U.S.
www.vabluesfest.org
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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