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May 15, 2009
Volume 4 Issue 17



Special Announcements
CD or DVD Releases
Contest
News Flash
Record Label News
Blues Society News
House of Blues Radio Hour
Roots Blues Airplay Charts
Blues Festivals
About Us
DIGITAL EDITION OF THE 2009 BLUES FESTIVAL GUIDE MAGAZINE FOR YOU TO READ AND ENJOY!
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!


GEOFF ACHISON : : ONE TICKET, ONE RIDE
One Ticket, One Ride

Equal parts New Orleans Funk, driving Blues, jazzy Soul and outback Mojo, “One Ticket, One Ride” is southern fried music from the very deepest South – Australia! Melbourne based Geoff Achison relocated to the US, specifically Georgia, for nearly two years in 2007. Before returning from this sabbatical he gathered the most sought after musicians in the southeast and crafted a wonderful album highlighting the best of both hemispheres. Showcasing an exciting batch of original songs, Geoff’s latest effort features more funky grooves, sizzling guitar lines and thought provoking lyrics. 
 
There are a number of stand out tracks such as the title song which features Oliver Wood’s (the Wood Brothers) searing slide guitar. ‘Sent to the Edge,' with its driving rhythm, is compelling and powerful, and ‘Bridge’ is an epic showcase for Derek Trucks’ long time drummer Yonrico Scott. On this disc, when the grooves grab you, they don’t let go. All the players are at the top of their game and Geoff Achison gives his best yet as a mature songwriter and tasteful guitarist who still knows how to amaze. The four instrumental tunes interspersed throughout are particularly appealing. They tie the entire package together as a whole.
Geoff has a reputation worldwide as a guitar virtuoso who employs no pedals or gadgets in his playing. He wrenches a dizzying array of tones from the guitar himself. His singular sound has been forged and perfected from scores of touring miles on planes, trains, ships and asphalt. And as with many great players, his live shows have always been the best way to experience him.

But this CD, his 12th, has a number of exceptional moments that jump out of the package. "I'm thrilled with it." Geoff says of One Ticket, One Ride “It's like an audio postcard from the US.”

www.geoffachison.com

NICK MOSS AND THE FLIP TOPS : : LIVE AT CHAN'S - COMBO PLATTER # 2

Chicago blues. Those two words conjure up the most powerful and evocative images in the entire history of American music. Think smoke-filled taverns on the South or West Side nearly ablaze with tremendous displays of electrified Delta beats from dignitaries named Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Rogers, Little Walter, Elmore James, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells and so many more. Imagine sidewalk curbs and street corners on busy Maxwell Street where storied performers like Hound Dog Taylor and Robert Nighthawk wailed the blues for spare change.
 
Chicago blues is now also synonymous with guitarist Nick Moss. Though the golden era of Chicago blues is long past, with many of its key players deceased or retired, this young Chicagoan stands tallest in the current generation of blues performers that honor the letter and spirit of the great urban African-American music. No less than Jimmy Rogers saw Nick as a protege, a torchbearer, and a colleague. Buddy Guy also sanctions his talent: "Nick Moss is one of the local favorites at my club, Legends. I always enjoy the way he plays and works hard to please our audience."

Until now, the clearest picture of what the band does live was illustrated on  Live At Chan’s, recorded at Chan’s Eggroll & Jazz in Woonsocket, RI in July of 2005. Live At Chan’s went on to receive two 2007 Blues Music Award nominations (“Album of the Year” and “Traditional Blues Album of the Year), in addition to the nods for “Band of the Year” and “Instrumentalist: Guitar” [Nick Moss]).


Nick Moss, along with his rock-solid and road-tested band returned to the venerable Chinese restaurant to record Live At Chan’s: Combo Platter No. 2, and this time brought fellow Chicago Blues stalwart, Lurrie Bell along for extra fireworks.

 Sold-out crowds were on hand to witness the smoldering interplay between the two guitarists and the top-shelf Flip Tops as they collectively blew the roof off of Rhode Island's long-standing blues venue.

For more: CLICK

THE MYSTIX : : DOWN TO THE SHORE

"Down to the Shore" represents a journey through field recordings, vintage radio shows and vinyls. To our delight, we rediscovered some of the giants of American roots music that inspired our writings and song selections, and to whom we dedicate these performances.


THE MYSTIX, Boston's critically-acclaimed roots band, currently appear at many of New England's top venues and enjoy airplay across the U.S. and around the world.
Their veteran lineup consists of top musicians, who have performed and recorded with some of the country's most respected and well-known artists:

 Mary J. Blige, Li'l Wayne, Robin Thicke, Jerry Lee Lewis Marty Richards/Drums: Gary Burton, Blues Brothers Review, J. Geils Band MartyBallou John Hammond, Edgar Winter, Duke Robillard Tom West/Keyboards: Susan Tedeschi, and Peter Wolf.

THE MYSTIX are fronted by gritty vocalist and song- Writer, Jo Lily, from Boston's legendary Duke and the Drivers. Their inspired original material, combined with their unique interpretations of the music of rural America, is showcased on their new CD, "Down to the Shore". Their previous CD, "Blue Morning", received rave
reviews and charted on American Roots Radio at #16.

Known for their engaging live performances, they continue to garner a growing audience here and abroad.

www.themystix.com



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.



BLUES MUSIC AWARD SHOW



Editors note: I was fortunate enough to attend last weeks Blue Music Awards ceremony in Memphis and I have to tell you, it was a great show. The Blues Foundation out-did themselves this year with a consant barrage of legendary talent taking the stage as well as great performances by the best of the best in todays blues world. The show was streamed live on SIRIUS/XM RADIO so the whole world could listen in and enjoy the show.

Above are just a few of my favorite pictures from the night.

1) B.B. KING
2)JANIVA MAGNESS
3)BILLY GIBSON
4)LIL ED
5)ALBERT CASTIGLIA
6)WATERMELON SLIM

And for a little bit of the unseen Memphis, check out this video of Watermelon Slim & Deak Harp as they jammed under the street lights in Downtown Memphis at 3:00 in the morning. You just cant buy a ticket to see stuff like this and I consider myself damn lucky to have been there.

To see the clip: CLICK


 

GREELEY BLUES JAM - PRESERVIN' THE BLUES!

Enjoy one of the Best Festivals in the West June 12 & 13th in Greeley, Colorado. An all star line up on the main stage includes Walter Trout, Charlie Musselwhite, Marcia Ball, Ronnie Baker Brooks and Doug Kershaw. Future blues star young Michaela Rae, who "wowed" the audience at the youth showcase at the IBC in Memphis with her guitar skills and Jay Gaunt, 14 year old New Jersey gifted harp player will open the main stage.
The Greeley Blues Jam launches on Friday the 12th with a free show in Downtown Greeley-starting at noon and ending at midnight-with some of Colorado's most talented blues performers playing on the street and in many different bars and restaurants---Greeley's answer to Beale Street!

Saturday
the 13th from 11 am to 11 pm, the Festival moves to Island Grove Park-a beautiful venue with on-site camping, 2 stages providing continuous music and a Blues 101 stage teaching kids of all ages how to play the blues!

The festival is going "green" this year and all of our food and beer vendors will be serving in compostable containers with volunteers on hand to help attendees properly dispose of their waste. Even the sod you sit on is recycled-and sold on Sunday at a discounted price!
It all adds up to two days of great music which supports our motto:
"it ain't nothin' but a party"!

For tickets and information go to greeleybluesjam.com. The Greeley Blues Jam is presented by the Greeley Chamber of Commerce and the City of Greeley.

 
BLUES FESTIVAL HELPS BUILD SMALL BUSINESS SKILLS
The Valley Community Development Corp. is sponsoring the “Summer Blues Blast Festival” July 3-5. The goal is to make it a training ground for small business people. Sitting from left are Maxine Lindsey, board member; Roosevelt Sanders, executive director; Lord Hester, consultant; and Willie McLaurin, board member. Standing in back are board members Clifton Williams, left, and Pat Dunne. Photo by Charlie Smith.


Potential entrepreneurs will get real-life training selling products at a new blues festival scheduled for the Fourth of July weekend in Itta Bena.


Greenwood,MS-The “Summer Blues Blast Festival” is being sponsored by the Valley Community Development Corp. as an attempt to build small business skills in the Delta. Organizers are recruiting participants now to go through a training program that will teach business management. They’ll receive instruction in the classroom, operate mock companies and then actually sell to blues fans who attend the festival. “We intend to train people how to start their own business, and how to make money during this bad economy,” Roosevelt Sanders, executive director of the Valley CDC, said.

The festival will be July 3-5 at Elite Concepts, an apartment complex behind Mississippi Valley State University owned by the Valley CDC. The CDC is a non-profit corporation separate from the university.

Music acts and performing contests will take place on Friday, July 3, and on Saturday, July 4. Sunday will be devoted to gospel artists. Most of the singers will be local, according to Lord Hester, a marketing consultant for the festival.
“This project is designed to bring and keep the money in the Delta,” he said.
Hester has run similar festivals before in Greenville and Atlanta and has lined up several companies whose products the trainees will sell. Items include food, jewelry and products from a company specializing in President Barack Obama-themed gifts.

Hester said people in the Delta are capable of being successful in business if someone shows them the way. “The only thing that is lacking here is training,” he said. “They just don’t know how.”

In addition to its innovative approach to a blues festival, the CDC is using a unique approach to finding entrepreneurs. It plans to hold a series of talent contests throughout the Delta that include dancing and hair styling. The winners will be invited to participate in the job program.

A $5 application fee is the only cost to participants.
Hester hopes to find more job trainees for future festivals from people who are drawn by the music. If the first festival is a success, the CDC is considering holding one up to three times a year. “I don’t believe you’re going to have any General Motors moving into the Delta, so if we’ve got some individual entrepreneurs developing their own businesses in this area, it will be a tremendous boost to the communities,” Pat Dunne, a Valley CDC board member, said.


 
CONCERT IN YOUR HOME?
Some of today's most inspiring artists often perform in half-empty rooms of distracted customers, while competing with televisions and the noise of constant conversation. Then they go home with a tiny percentage of bar sales. That's a shallow way to measure the value of music, don't you think?
 
They deserve better. You deserve better too.

House concerts create a wonderful opportunity for music fans to experience these great artists in a way they never dreamed of. For less than you'd pay at your multiplex, you and your friends can organize personal concerts you'll remember for a lifetime.

For more info and a video introduction: CLICK

 


WINE, BLUES & BREWS FEATURED AT BONSALL ROTARY 2009 FUNDRAISER
If you enjoy the blues, drinking wine, beer and ales, and eating fine foods, plan to attend the fourteenth annual Wine, Brews & Blues Festival, set for Saturday evening, May 30, 2009 at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido.

The event is the annual fundraiser of the Bonsall Rotary Club. Proceeds from the event are used to support local and international charities.

Throughout the night, attendees can dance to the music of Aunt Kizzy’z Boyz, Restless Blues Band, Bill Magee Blues Band and Tate & Sexy Blues Band, The Beachwoods perform on two stages.

“Last year’s festival was a huge success,” explained Bob Spanbauer, president of Bonsall Rotary Club. “The word about our blues festival has spread within music circles. Notable blues bands are now calling us hoping to perform,” Spanbauer added.

In addition to live music, wine, beer and ales will be served by wineries and breweries. Delicious food prepared by fine restaurants and caterers will also be served. Bonsall Rotary Club will also conduct a huge silent auction offering a broad array of items ranging from trips to fine art.

All of this is included in the admission price of $60 per person ($40 for designated drivers).

Guests must be 21 years or older to attend. Attendance is limited. To purchase tickets call (800) 249-2024 or order on line at www.bonsallrotary.com
For hotel and limo information, call (760) 728-0044.


 
INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITTING COMPETITION 2008 WINNERS
The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) is pleased to announce its 2008 winners, including the winners in the Blues category.

Renowned for its prestigious celebrity judges, ISC received over 15,500 songs from amateur and professional songwriters from 100 countries worldwide, confirming ISC's status as the leading global songwriting event. More than $150,000 in cash and prizes is shared among the 62 winners in 20 categories, including an overall Grand Prize of $25,000 (US) cash, the largest cash Grand Prize of any songwriting competition in the world, and over $20,000 in merchandise and services.

 The 2008 Grand Prize is awarded to Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall of Brisbane, QLD, Australia for their song "Caught In The Crowd," a brilliantly quirky pop song with an emotional message about schoolyard bullying and peer pressure.

The Blues category is one of the most highly-anticipated genres in ISC and this year was judged by blues luminaries John Mayall and James Cotton, as well as industry executive Bruce Iglauer (Founder of Alligator Records), and others.

Candace Avery, Founder and Director of ISC, says, "As always, the entries in the Blues category this year represented a wide array of styles, from traditional to contemporary, and is a direct result of blues artists exploring all aspects of the blues. It is such a privilege to be able to hear so many amazing songs every year from so many talented songwriters."

Winning First Place in the Blues category is Darren Watson (Auckland, New Zealand) for his song "All Going Wrong." Watson is a singer/songwriter from Wellington, New Zealand who has been performing his unique brand of blues since 1985. He led the legendary '80s New Zealand blues band Smoke Shop. Several of the band's singles, penned by Watson, made it into the New Zealand pop charts, and the band supported nationwide tours by Koko Taylor, George Thorogood, and Robert Cray. He has been nominated for several RIANZ (Recording Industry Association of New Zealand) awards, including a nomination for Best Roots Album at the New Zealand Music Awards, and two nominations for his vocal abilities.

Uros Peric (Celje, Slovenia) is awarded Second Place for his song, "U.P. Down Blues." Peric is a young Slovenian musician (piano, vocal), songwriter, and composer. As a singer, he prefers jazz, blues, and soul music, and he also writes well in all three genres. He has performed his Tribute to Ray Charles in 11 different countries (including USA, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Serbia, Slovenia, and France), and he always adds some of his own songs to the program. Among other venues, Peric has performed at the French Quarter Festivals in New Orleans, and was the first Slovenian to perform at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2006. Since then, he has released four albums, two with Click Records (Germany) and two with RTV Slovenia.

Third Place honors are claimed by Chris James and Patrick Rynn (Chicago, IL, USA) for their song "Mister Coffee." Many blues fans are well aware of James and Rynn as longtime leaders of their own band, The Blue Four, as well as their work with an array of blues legends such as like Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Elmore James and Charlie Christian. The bluesmen formed their musical partnership in Chicago in 1990 and have been inseparable ever since. They were recently nominated by the Blues Foundation for a 2009 Blues Music Award in the category of "Best New Artist Debut" for the CD "Stop and Think About It" on Earwig Records.

In addition to these winners, 12 other Blues songs garnered an Honorable Mention in the category:
"Black Dog" - Mickey Pantelous - Athens, Greece _
"Blind Man" - Thessex Johns (Johnny Drummer) - Chicago, IL, USA _
"Falling" - Garry Meziere (Ellen Whyte) - Oregon City, OR, USA
"Get Up (Raise Your Head)" - Marshall Okell, Mathew Cummings (Marshall & The Fro) - Byron Bay, NSW, Australia_
"I Pray Most Everyday" Gina Sicilia - Philadelphia, PA, USA_
"I Wish You Well" - Sam McClain, Pat Herlehy (Mighty Sam McClain) - Newmarket, NH, USA
"Looking the World Straight In The Eye" -J W-Jones ( J. Wynne-Jones) - Ottawa, ON, Canada
"My Blues Keep Bringin' Me Home" - Dalannah Gail Bowen, Michael Creber - Vancouver, BC, Canada
"Natural Condition" - - Karl Francis Morgan - Perth, WA, Australia _
"Reason To Stay" - Carole Fredericks, Gildas Arzel - Canandaigua, NY, USA _
"Somebody Else's But Mine" - Bob Tunnoch (Fathead) - Toronto, ON, Canada _
"Trapped" - Dorothy Ellis (Miss Blues)- Norman, OK, USA_

For a complete list of 2008 ISC winners and to hear the winning songs, CLICK






ERIC CLAPTON JOINS JOE BONAMASSA ON-STAGE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL
(from MODERN GUITARS MAGAZINE) What could be better for contemporary blues-rock artist Joe Bonamassa than selling out London's Royal Albert Hall? Being joined on stage by the man whose name is so closely associated with both the history of the venue and the blues-rock genre, Eric Clapton, who made a guest appearance at last night's sold-out Bonamassa show to perform "Further On Up The Road." Bonamassa described the experience as, "Twenty years of professional sweat and toil all culminating into one moment."

The May 4th concert was part of Bonamassa's United Kingdom, Europe and U.S. tour in support of his February 24, 2009, release, The Ballad of John Henry, which debuted in the number one spot on Billboard's Blues Chart (as did Bonamassa's previous studio release, Sloe Gin). He's now on the European leg of the tour, which wraps on August 1 at the Notodden Blues Festival in Norway, after which he returns to the U.S. for a number of dates in August, October and November before heading back to Europe on October 23 for a show at the Olympia in Paris.

While a guest appearance by three-time Rock And Roll Hall of Famer Eric Clapton during a soldout RAH concert qualifiies as a milestone in 31-year-old (he turned 32 on May 8) Bonamassa's career, it's but one of a series of events signalling the growing recognition of his talent. He was featured on the cover of the April, 2009, edition of Guitar Player, recently won “Best Blues Guitarist" in that magazine's readers’ choice polls for the third consecutive year, and in 2008 was honored with the issuing of the “Inspired By Joe Bonamassa Aged Les Paul Goldtop” from Gibson Custom.

Joe is a former member of The Blues Foundation's Board of Directors.


 


Mississippi Celebrates Its Grammy Legacy
JACKSON, MS (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) -- The State of Mississippi's continuing "Birthplace of America's Music" campaign gets a big boost this month with the third annual "Mississippi The Birthplace of America's Music Celebrates Its Grammy Legacy" gala. This year the event moves from Jackson, the state capital, to Tunica, situated in the storied Mississippi Delta and just 30 miles south of Memphis. The evening, starring a host of music greats, underscores the fact that Mississippi has been one of the most fertile breeding grounds for music of all kinds with a rich history of producing numerous Grammy winners and nominees.

The program will take place on Thursday, May 28th at Bluesville, part of Harrah's Horseshoe Casino and Hotel complex. Proceeds from the evening will benefit the Mississippi Blues Commission's Blues Trail project that places interpretive markers at notable historical sites related to the history and growth of the blues throughout the state. Hosted by Governor Haley Barbour and First Lady Marsha Barbour and sponsored by Mississippi's own musical innovators Peavey Electronics Corporation, the gala will feature performances by an array of talent reflecting the diversity of the state's contribution to numerous genres of music. Headliners include country superstar Marty Stuart, the legendary Charley Pride, R&B icon Dorothy Moore and mythic blues man Pinetop Perkins. Joining them will be soul-gospel greats The Williams Brothers, contemporary blues showman Eddie Cotton, Nanette Workman, one of French Canada's most celebrated vocalists, blues and jazz pianist Eden Brent and Brandon Bennett paying tribute to Tupelo's Elvis Presley. James Burton, the former Elvis Presley sideman who has become a star attraction in his own right will also perform. Sharing emcee duties are noted film actress Joey Lauren Adams and award winning singer/songwriter Paul Overstreet who will also be one of the evening's musical performers.


 
GUITAR AFFAIR LAUNCHES UNIQUE NEW SERVICE FOR GUITAR ENTHUSIASTS
Dulles, Virginia (PRWEB) May 15, 2009 -- Guitar Affair, an innovative online service that provides high-end guitars on a rental basis − shipped to wherever the customer happens to be − today announced general availability of its offering that has been in testing with select customers since January.

GUITAR AFFAIR is an innovative online service that provides high-end guitars on a rental basis to customers in their homes or on business trips and vacations.


The new Guitar Affair service targets guitar enthusiasts who frequently travel for business as well as those who wish to demo limited availability guitars prior to purchasing them. Under the new program, customers can rent a variety of high-end and boutique guitars, and have them shipped to any location in the US; be it their residence, a hotel where they are residing for business, or a vacation location. In addition to well known guitars like Gibson and Fender Custom Shop guitars, Guitar Affair has struck dealer relationships with small and boutique manufacturers whose guitars are seldom seen in stores. For those who are trying a guitar prior to purchase, Guitar Affair rebates the rental fees when the customer elects to purchase a guitar. The new service allows guitar enthusiasts to enjoy high-end instruments wherever they are, and to demo boutique instruments that would often have to be purchased without trying them.

A new Guitar Affair customer recently related his experience with Guitar Affair, stating that "what I received was an exquisite instrument in mint condition, delivered quickly and with no question about its safety in shipping." 'It arrived humidity controlled with new strings, the best gig-bag I've ever seen and a strap so comfortable I'd like to make blankets out of it. I'm genuinely impressed and I suspect your other customers will be as well.'


 
BLUES IN ST- BARTH

 

JAM NIGHT OF THE WEEK
Where: Ground Zero Blues Club- Clarksdale, MS

When: Thursday nights

Why: There is always a local hosting band with plenty of area blues veterans as special guests. Plus, blues-playing fans and professional musicians from around the world sign up and sit in throughout the night. It's been going on every Thursday night for over five years and kicks off a week of live blues at Ground Zero Blues Club
and Clarksdale's funky little juke joints.

For more: CLICK





ALLIGATOR RECORDS PREPARES "TWISTED" FROM RICK ESTRIN AND THE THE NIGHTCATS
Alligator Records has set a June 2 release date for Twisted, the debut release from Rick Estrin And The Nightcats. For more than 30 years and nine albums, harmonica master/vocalist/songwriter Rick Estrin fronted the jumping, swinging Little Charlie And The The Nightcats, featuring guitarist Little Charlie Baty. With Baty’s recent retirement from touring, Estrin—along with the Nightcats’ longtime rhythm section of J. Hansen and Lorenzo Farrell and a new member, fiery guitarist Kid Andersen—takes the lead on his own. The band’s debut album, Twisted, while still swinging the blues, is a harmonica-driven, rocking, guitar-fueled rave-up. Featuring 14 songs (including 10 Estrin originals, two by Kid Andersen, one by Hansen, and a superb band-created instrumental), Twisted showcases Rick’s seemingly effortless command of the harmonica, his streetwise vocals and his remarkable original songs.

Rick Estrin ranks among the very best harp players, singers and songwriters in the blues world today. His work on the reeds is deep in the tradition of harmonica masters Sonny Boy Williamson II and Little Walter Jacobs, while at the same time pushing that tradition forward. His award-winning original songs have been favorably compared with those of Willie Dixon and the team of Leiber and Stoller. And his hipster, street-smart vocals are the perfect vehicle for driving those songs home.

In addition to his harmonica and vocal skills, Rick Estrin is a songwriter of unparalleled talent. Critics have compared him to Cab Calloway, Louis Jordan and Willie Dixon. Blues Revue declared, “Estrin has created some of the finest blues songs of any artist on the planet. His carefully wrought lyrics penetrate human weakness with the precision of a boxer, though more often than not, he chooses to leave you laughing after the blow’s been struck.”

Besides Estrin’s songwriting and musical skills, he is among the most entertaining and colorful showmen around. His quick wit and his signature look—coifed hair, pencil-thin mustache and sharp attire—add even more color to his performances. “People don’t go out to see people who look like themselves,” says Rick. “They want to see something special. I was schooled in this business to be a showman, and that’s what you get when you come to see me perform.”

 


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WEST VIRGINIA BLUES SOCIETY
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The West Virginia Blues Society's Charlie West Blues Concert and Festival will be held from 1 to 11 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at Oakes Field.

The USO-type concert will be featured after the Armed Forces Day Parade, which will be held at noon, with all proceeds benefiting the West Virginia Guard and their Family Relief Fund.

The concert will feature a performance by Jason Ricci and New Blood at 8 p.m. Albert Castiglia will perform at 9:30 p.m.

Bands from five states will perform and there will be food and craft vendors.
To purchase tickets in advance or to help sponsor the event, visit the Web site at www.wvbluessociety.org/. All military and their families will get in free. Tickets will be $15 for society members and $20 for non-members. Bring lawn chairs and blankets to sit on. A Winter upright piano, donated by Arbogast Piano, will be raffled.
 
For information, call 304-746-5552.

 

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MICK FLEETWOOD:










Mick Fleetwood takes time out from touring with Fleetwood Mac to talk with Elwood about his new band, The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band (featuring Rick Vito), and their live CD, BLUE AGAIN. Plus tunes from the early days of Fleetwood Mac, like the very first version of “Black Magic Woman,” written by Mac’s founding guitar player, Peter Green. Also: some of Mick’s musical influences, like Muddy Waters and Elmore James. The show closes with a fusion of western blues and eastern music from Canadian slide player Doug Cox and classical Indian musician Salil Bhatt. And this week, there is a chance for some lucky listeners to win a copy of MAKE A MOVE from Hill Country Revue, the gritty new blues band formed by Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars.


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




Click on festival name to click through to festival website.
Jeffersontown - Crusade Blues Festival
Friday-Saturday, May 15-16, 2009

Louisville, Kentucky, U.S
www.jtownbluesfest.org
502-639-8750
Hoopee Jam
Friday-Sunday, May 15-17, 2009

Norristown, GA, U.S
www.hoopeejam.com
678-691-0724
Chicago Blues Tour
Saturday, May 16, 2009

Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
http://festival.chicagobluestour.com
866-LIVEBLUES
Charlie West Blues Fest

Saturday, May 16, 2009

South Charleston, West Virginia, U.S
www.wvbluessociety.org
304-389-1439

Bourbon Street Blues Fest
Saturday, May 16, 2009

Lebanon, Twp-Hunterdon County,
New Jersey, U.S
www.bourbonstreetbluesfest.com
Playing with Fire

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Omaha, Nebraska, U.S
www.playingwithfireomaha.net
402-960-1001

Valley Gator Blues Festival
Saturday, May 16, 2009

Flint , Michigan, U.S
www.valleyschool.org
810-767-4004
FEST BLUES KOLIN 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009

Kolín, Středočeský kraj, Czech Republic
www.bluesfest.cz
+420 602 364 950
Doheny Blues Festival

Saturday-Sunday, May 16-17, 2009

Dana Point, California, U.S.
www.omegaevents.com/dohenyblues
949-360-7800

Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival

Saturday-Sunday, May 16-17, 2009

Annapolis, Maryland, U.S.
www.bayblues.org
410-257-7413

Chamizal Blues & Jazz Festival
Saturday-Sunday, May 16-17, 2009

El Paso, TX, U.S.
www.myspace.com/epbluesandjazz09
915-526-0719
BluesBaltica
Thursday-Sunday, May 21-24, 2009

Eutin, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
www.bluesfest-eutin.de
+49 4527 1066
Blues & Roots Festival
Friday-Saturday, May 22-23, 2009

Mönsterås, Kalmar län , Sweden
www.bluesfestival.nu
**46 (0) 499 17446
Twisted Pines Music & Arts
Friday-Sunday, May 22-24, 2009

Penetanguishene, Ontario, Canada
www.twistedpines.com
800-263-7745
The Great American Backyard

Friday-Sunday, May 22-24, 2009
Virginia Beach, VA, U.S.
website
757-425-3111

Alabama Down Home Blues Festival
Saturday, May 23, 2009

Huntsville, Alabama, U.S.
www.brimstoneentertainmentinc.net
256-536-4312
Chautauqua Hills Blues Festival
Saturday-Sunday, May 23-24, 2009

Sedan, Kansas, U.S.
www.cqbluesfest.com
620-725-3834
Belvidere Blues
Saturday-Sunday, May 23-24, 2009

Belvidere, Tennessee, U.S.
www.jazzsouth.org
931-607-0416
Santa Cruz Blues Festival
Saturday-Sunday, May 23-24, 2009

Aptos, California, U.S.
www.santacruzbluesfestival.com
831-479-9814
Bayou n' Boogie Fest
Saturday-Sunday, May 23-24, 2009

Smithfield, Rhode Island, U.S.
www.bayounboogiefest.com
401-965-0849
Blues, Brews and BBQ

Sunday , May 24, 2009

Syracuse, NY , U.S.
www.tk99.net
315-472-9111

California Blues Festival
Monday, May 25, 2009

San Francisco, California, U.S.
www.myspace.com/cabluesfest
415-756-3845
Eureka Springs Blues Weekend
Thursday-Sunday, May 28-31, 2009

Eureka Springs, Arkansas, U.S.
www.EurekaSpringsBlues.com
888-855-7823
Western Maryland Blues Fest
Thursday-Sunday, May 28-31, 2009

Hagerstown, Maryland, U.S.
www.blues-fest.org
301-739-8577 ext 116
Blues On Broadbeach
Thursday-Sunday, May 28-31, 2009

Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia
www.bluesonbroadbeach.com
+61 7 5539 8416
Freedom Creek Festival
Friday-Saturday, May 29-30, 2009

Aliceville, Alabama, U.S.
www.willie-king.com
205 752 6263
Smokin' In Steele BBQ and Blues
Friday-Saturday, May 29-30, 2009
Owatonna, MN, U.S.
www.smokininsteele.com
507-279-4015
Ozark National Blues Festival
Friday-Saturday, May 29-30, 2009

Eureka Springs, Arkansas , U.S.
website
479-363-9100
Michael Arnone's Crawfish Fest
Friday-Sunday, May 29-31, 2009

Augusta, NJ, U.S.
www.crawfishfest.com
Harford County Blues Festival
Saturday, May 30, 2009

Rockfield Manor, Bel Air,
Maryland, U.S.
www.rockfieldmanor.com
410-638-4565
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 entering 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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