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Febuary 12, 2010 www.bluesfestivalguide.com Volume # 5  Issue # 7

Special Announcements
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House of Blues Radio Hour
Roots Blues Airplay Charts
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It's time to call us and reserve your space in the annual
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NICK CURRAN AND THE LOWLIFES : : REFORM SCHOOL GIRL
Nick Curran is back and sounding better than ever with his new band The Lowlifes, which recall his earlier R&B inspired work for the Texas Jamboree label. Since his debut in 2000, Nick has released four stunning solo albums, recorded and toured as a featured member of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, and even turned his attention in a surprisingly new direction with the punk rock band Deguello. Reform School Girl finds Nick satisfying longtime fans with a return to form and delivering an atomic blast of savage 50's rock & roll, rhythm & blues, rockabilly, and slashing Texas blues inspired by the early influential sounds of Little Richard, Guitar Slim, T-Bone Walker, Johnny ''Guitar'' Watson and Clarence ''Gatemouth'' Brown.
 
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THE NIGHTHAWKS : : LAST TRAIN TO BLUESVILLE
When XM/Sirius blues guru Bill Wax heard that the Nighthawks were doing some acoustic shows, he suggested the band come in and cut some live tracks. The last time the Hawks had done a Bluesville Live Homemade Jam Session, Pete Kanaras and Jan Zukowski were still in the band, and Hawks’ hero and occasional partner in crime Hubert Sumlin was included. So early one weekday morning, the band showed up at the incredible Sirius/XM facilities in downtown D.C. After a short sound check with engineer Michael Taylor and a lot of coffee and bagels, Michael hit the record button and in a couple of hours, the Nighthawks proceeded to knock out all the songs on what became Last Train to Bluesville. A few days later Bill handed the boys a beautifully mixed disk with permission for its release. The only addition was Bill Wolf’s mastering magic.
 
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Music That Changed History and Still Resonates
(NY Times)WASHINGTON — Half a dozen legislators sat a few feet away, under the crystal chandeliers of the East Room of the White House, as Bob Dylan sang “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” poker-faced.
 
“Come senators, congressman, please heed the call,” he rasped. “Don’t stand in the doorway, don’t block up the hall.” His tone was rough but almost wistful; he had turned his old exhortation into an autumnal waltz. Afterward, he stepped offstage and shook President Obama’s hand.
 
It was part of “In Performance at the White House: A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement.” The program was the Black History Month event in Michelle Obama’s continuing music series at the White House, and was broadcast last night on PBS.
 
It was not lost on anyone that Mr. Obama is America’s first African-American president. “The civil rights movement was a movement sustained by music,” Mr. Obama said in opening remarks. The music, he said, “was inspired by the movement and gave strength in return.”
 
Mr. Dylan shared the bill, though not the stage, with fellow musicians who regularly sang at civil-rights rallies in the early 1960s — Joan Baez, and Bernice Johnson Reagon with the Freedom Singers — and a cross-generational gathering of performers: Smokey Robinson, Jennifer Hudson, John Mellencamp, Yolanda Adams, Natalie Cole, the Blind Boys of Alabama and the Howard University Choir.
 
With a new snowstorm moving in on the already snowy capital, the program took place a day early. In the afternoon, Mr. Robinson, Ms. Adams, the Freedom Singers and the Blind Boys sang for schoolchildren in the State Dining Room.
 
If any music can claim to have changed history, it was the songs of the civil rights movement. Rooted in the hymns, gospel and rural ballads of the southland they set out to change, civil rights songs seized a moral high ground with their melodies as well as their words.
 
The lyrics followed through with the eloquence of sermons and slave songs, transforming them into both topical agitprop and long-term bulwarks of resolve — songs like “Eyes on the Prize,” which Mr. Mellencamp, after reminiscing about the teenage African-American bandmate who taught him how to sing and dance, turned into pugnacious slide-guitar rock.
 
There was other music directly from the civil rights movement, but the night wasn’t all protest songs and repurposed gospel hymns. It ranged through the 1960s, and into the 1970s when Ms. Cole sang Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” from 1971. The tone of the program shifted between celebration and reflection; Mr. Robinson, in a peculiar choice, performed “Abraham, Martin and John,” Dion DiMucci’s elegy for murdered leaders.
 
Ms. Baez called for a singalong from the invited audience, and got one, on “We Shall Overcome.” She recalled the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s deciding to protest the Vietnam War. Before she sang, she told Mr. and Mrs. Obama, “You are so much loved.”
The night kept circling back to gospel. Ms. Adams, a gospel luminary, sang Sam Cooke’s hymnlike “A Change Is Gonna Come,” starting gently and growing joyfully vehement. Jennifer Hudson and Mr. Robinson traded lines on “People Get Ready,” a gospel song that was remade into a pop hit. Ms. Cole sang “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free” with a New Orleans backbeat, but a closing gospel flourish. Mr. Obama joined the closing all-star singalong for “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” often known as the black national anthem.
 
Some of the songs sounded ready to accompany new struggles. Ms. Reagon led the Freedom Singers as a trio, wearing African-tinged choir robes and backed by her daughter Toshi on guitar. The Freedom Singers, who sang for rallies alongside Dr. King, are elderly now, but they tore into “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ’Round” with fierce, jubilant call-and-response. Ms. Reagon paused the music partway through to instruct the audience.
 
“You have to actually sing this song,” she said. “You can never tell when you might need it.”
 

Eric Clapton Announces Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010. Happening 26 June at Chicago's Toyota Park. Tickets On Sale 20 February.
Often credited as being one of the all time greatest guitarists and known amongst his peers as one of the all time greatest collaborators, the ultimate Clapton collaboration will take place June 26, 2010. For one day only, Clapton will gather the past, present and future of guitar music onto one stage for an incredible full day musical event.
 
 The third Crossroads Guitar Festival, scheduled for June 26, 2010 at Toyota Park in Chicago, will be a cornerstone of this year’s summer music festival season. Fans should note that gates open at 10am. All profits from the Festival will benefit The Crossroads Centre in Antigua, a treatment and education facility founded by Clapton for chemically dependent persons. The Festival will be presented by T-Mobile myTouch.
 
Since its inception, Clapton’s vision for the Crossroads Guitar Festival has been to create an event where his friends and contemporaries can have fun and perform together for the benefit of a good cause. This year’s Festival will feature a full day of musical performances with once-in-a-lifetime guitar collaborations. Known as pioneers in their field, the roster of artists spans old and new, from The Allman Brothers Band to BB King to John Mayer (anticipated guest list below). The audience can expect unrivaled entertainment, brilliant guitar work, surprise guests and impromptu jams that are the hallmarks of these performers.
 
The first Crossroads Guitar Festival, in June 2004 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, was an unprecedented collection of guitar icons from blues, rock and contemporary music. The sold-out show was chronicled in a 2-disc DVD that has since gone on to become one of the world’s top-selling music DVD’s, recently achieving the 8x platinum mark in the United States alone. The Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007 was the second such concert by Clapton and was also staged at Toyota Park in July of 2007 and was filmed for a second DVD that met similar acclaim and achieved multi-platinum status.
 
“The Crossroads Festival is the realization of a dream for me, to gather a group of amazingly talented musicians to perform on one stage,” said Clapton. “The Crossroads performers are all musicians I admire and respect.”
 
Tickets for the Crossroads Guitar Festival will go on sale to the public on Saturday, February 20, 2010 at 10am Central Time (11am EST) via www.ticketmaster.com or Ticketmaster phone charge at 800-745-3000 or Ticketmaster retail outlets or the Toyota Park Box Office. Tickets will be priced at $100 plus parking and applicable fees.
 
Guitar Center has partnered with Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival 2010 to present the Guitar Center Village at Crossroads. Fans will be able to arrive early and experience today's top guitar, amp and effects manufacturers, presented through interactive exhibits and displays, including a series of very special guitar clinics conducted on the Ernie Ball Stage by main stage artists and other virtuoso guitarists.
 
For more information click
 

NEW PRODUCTION COMPANY ANNOUNCES FIRST EVENT
Mardi Gras Valentine¹s Day Costume Ball
Saturday February 13, 2010
Dinner 7 PM   Show 8:30 PM
Ticket Includes Dinner and The Show
Music By Roy Rogers & The Delta Rhythm Kings
With Special Guest Carlos Reyes
$75 Per Person/ $125 VIP Guest Package
No Host Bar
Location at A Beautiful Private Estate
River Highland Ranch & Vineyard, Smartsville, California
Tickets At www.sierramountainproductions.com
530.478.1523
 
Nevada City, Ca. - With over 30 years of combined production experience, Sierra Mountain Productions has been formed to provide the Sierra Foothills with first class events and unparralled service. Our mission is to combine excellence in presenting national music entertainment and special events to the Sierra Nevada Mountains and to provide an unmatched experience for both artists and fans. Sierra Mountain Productions is committed to great event
experiences, artist advocacy, community service, quality and fan-satisfaction.
 
This first event combines the excitement of Mardi Gras Season with the heartfelt loveliness of Valentines Day ­ both events colliding on the same weekend this year. The evening promises to be a fantastic experience featuring authentic New Orleans cuisine, great music from the performers and a beautiful atmosphere on the River Highland Ranch & Vineyard Estate. The menu includes homemade Chicken and Seafood Jambalaya, Buttermilk Cornbread, Orange & Toasted Almond Salad and King Cakes flown in from New Orleans for the occasion.
 
Roy Rogers is an 8 time Grammy nominee and globally acclaimed as one of the finest practitioners of modern slide guitar performing today. His live performances have been well covered and cited by USA Today, Billboard,Guitar Player and he is currently on the worldwide cover of Blues Revue.

Carlos Reyes is a classically trained multi- instrumentalist on violin, mandolin and harp ­ and has thrilled audiences with his talents in the Bay Area for decades. When these two get together ­ it is an inspiring and memorable experience!
 
Come join us February 13th at the River Highland Ranch & Vineyard for the first Mardi Gras Valentine¹s Day Costume Ball. An evening that will be remembered!
 
For more information please contact Gaynell Rogers 530.478.1523
or Cynthia Stewart at 530.277.3831 or go to the website at
www.sierramountainproductions.com -  Thank you!
 

Valentine’s Day Blues: 10 Classic Love Songs
(Ted Drozdowski)Gibson.com - Wanna go with something different for your Valentine’s Day mash-up? Try the blues. Some of the sweetest, saddest and most soulful songs of all time — and plenty of them with stinging guitar — are from the blues canon. Here are 10 classic examples guaranteed to fan the fires of love.
 
“Layla” by Derek & the Dominos: This 1970 classic is the greatest unrequited love song of the rock ‘n’ roll era, inspired by a 12th century Persian poem and Eric Clapton’s infatuation for his friend George Harrison’s wife, Patty. Although there are only 12 lines, the song’s outro guitar duet, led by Duane Allman’s longing slide, speaks volumes.
 
“Have You Ever Loved a Woman” by Freddie King: Les Paul and ES-345 wrangler King was known for a devilish tone he sometimes achieved by using metal fingerpicks. He cut this Billy Myles tune about abject longing in 1960 for the Federal label. It didn’t get much recognition until 1970, when Eric Clapton resurrected the song with Derek & the Dominos and it became one of the all-time great six-string sparring matches — between E.C. and Duane Allman. King’s own performances, however, were never less than absolutely searing.
 
“At Last,” Etta James: Those elegant strings, the gently swaying dance beat and, of course, that sexy, gritty, beautiful voice add up to what may simply be the most gorgeous love song ever put on tape. Sure, Beyonce’s version ain’t chowder, but Ms. James’ original 1961 Chess Records hit is all candlelight and oysters.
 
“I’ll Take Care of You” by Bobby Blue Bland: The first of a string of 11 Top 10 R&B smashes Bland began in 1961, “I’ll Take Care of You” is the great soul-bluesman’s most romantic number. The title says it all, but the warm sincerity in his velvet voice really sells the sentiment.
 
“The Rain Song” by Led Zeppelin: Robert Plant sings so delicately about “the sunlight of his growing” and “the wonder of devotion” that it’s obvious the guy’s smitten. And Jimmy Page gets it, joining in with a mix of acoustic, electric and steel guitars that create a sonic portrait of the serendipity of true love. Bonus: in concert this song gave Pagey a chance to whip out his custom double-neck Gibson EDS-1275 famed for its role in live renditions of “Stairway to Heaven.”
 
“Pride and Joy” by Stevie Ray Vaughan: SRV loves his baby, heart and soul, and plays his backside off to boot. This Valentine’s Day message is as big and clear as the Lone Star State.
 
“Don’t Give Up On Me” by Solomon Burke: Love isn’t just about never having to say you’re sorry. It’s also about second chances, and America’s greatest living soul singer serves that notion up like a warm cup of chocolate in the title track of his 2002 Joe Henry-produced comeback.
 
“Melissa” by The Allman Brothers: The humble devotion of Greg Allman’s lyrics perfectly fits the melodic side of his great band. And with Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks on the job, this Eat a Peach classic is even sweeter today.
 
“When a Man Loves a Woman” by Percy Sledge: Forget the Michael Bolton version and slide on back to 1966 when the great Alabama-born blues and soul man sang it to perfection. That’s why the song notched number one on both the pop and R&B charts back then, and why it’s still an essential part of the Valentine’s Day hit parade 44 years later.
 
“I Just Want to Make Love to You” by Muddy Waters: Sometimes the direct approach is best.
 

Classic Blues Label Blue Horizon To Be Revived
Legendary blues record label Blue Horizon, which launched Fleetwood Mac's career, is to be resurrected.
 
It is being revived by music industry veterans Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, who founded the Sire label and signed Madonna and The Ramones.
 
They will now look for new artists to sign to Blue Horizon, which will start as a digital-only venture.
 
Asked if record labels were outdated, Mr Gottehrer said it would be "quite different" from a traditional label ."We're introducing the label into the world as it is, not as it was. And we're thinking ahead, about the world as it will be." Mr Gottehrer produced the debut albums by Blondie and The Go Gos and now runs digital music distributor The Orchard.
 
The original Blue Horizon existed for just five years from 1966 and released songs such as Fleetwood Mac's Albatross.
 

DO BLUES MUSICIANS DESERVE A LIVING WAGE? ARE YOU HELPING?
Editors note: The following is a note from Detroit Blues Society president Steve Allen all their members. I thought it was appropriate to share with all. As a working musician here in Florida, I can relate!
 
This is a question that really does not need an answer - of course the answer is yes. What this question should be is the GUIDING PRINCIPLE of every Blues Musician in the country. You need to ask yourself this question before accepting a ridiculously cheap gig just to fill your schedule, "ace" another band out of work, or pad your egos.
 
Times are tough out there and some club owners are using this to their full advantage. By accepting a below-scale wage you are cheapening the value of ALL acts and playing right into the hands of greed. Let me give you an example. If you accepted a gig in 1980 for $400 that same gig should be paying over $1,000 today with inflation factored in. Conversely, the $200 gigs that some of you are accepting today would have paid $77 in 1980 - how many of you accepted that amount back then?
 
The next time you are offered a gig "on the cheap", think about what you are doing to all musicians. We are all in the same business of music and need to work WITH each other - not AGAINST each other. Send a strong, positive message to everyone about your integrity.
 
 

THE BLUES FOUNDATION LAUNCHES GENERATION BLUES - EXTENDING YOUTH OUTREACH BEYOND SCHOOLS
Free Foundation Membership Offered to youths Aged 21 and Under
 
[Memphis, TN] The Blues Foundation announces the expansion of its youth education initiative with Generation Blues. This scholarship program will allow qualified applicants under the age of 25 to study their instrument of choice at reputable camps, seminars and workshop programs at Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival, Augusta Heritage Center and Fernando Jones' Columbia College Blues Camp.
 
Camps, seminars and workshops attended by Generation Blues scholarship recipients may take place throughout the year, in the recipients' choice of locations. Participants are awarded the scholarships on a bi-annual basis, and participation is open to anyone under the age of 25 and interested in the blues. Applicants must write a letter of intent and provide letters of recommendation. Video submissions are also accepted. First deadline for submissions is April 2, 2010.
 
Blues Foundation board member and leader in the Generation Blues initiative Cassie Taylor adds that "this is a wonderful way to ensure the future of the blues by helping young people get the education they need and deserve to help them grow as a blues artist." Taylor started her career in blues music as a teenager when she toured successfully with her father, trance blues artist Otis Taylor.
 
Generation Blues joins a number of other successful youth initiatives launched by The Blues Foundation, including the popular Blues in the Schools which supports blues educators by providing a classroom curriculum that incorporates elements of history, math, English, music, and other disciplines as they can relate to the entire blues industry of making and promoting blues music. Youths under age 21 may also take advantage of free individual membership of The Blues Foundation.
 
By offering individuals up to the age of 21 free membership, the Foundation invites even more young blues lovers to get started on a lifetime of participation in the activities of their local blues society and The Blues Foundation. Generation Blues is one of the latest programs announced to further assist blues musicians and those making their careers within the blues music community. Also recently announced was the Foundation's alliance with Sound Healthcare, providing healthcare benefits and access to insurance programs to those in need within the blues community.
 
Click for more
 

 
 
BLUES ROCKER BEN ROBINSON TO BE FEATURED ARTIST FOR LAGUNA GUITAR'S
Click  for more on Laguna Guitars
 
Click  for more on Ben Robinson
 

COLLINGWOOD SPRING BLUES SERIES AT BLUE MOUNTAIN FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS CENTRE
WAYNE BUTTERY & ROLY PLATT PERFORM FEBRUARY 18, 7 TO 9 PM
 
Canadian blues veterans Wayne Buttery and Roly Platt bring their new show to the Spring Blues Series at the Arts Centre, 163 Hurontario Street, Collingwood on February 18, doors open 6:30 music starts at 7 pm.
 
The series is an initiative of the Collingwood Jazz & Blues Society, sponsored in part by the Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts.
Curley Bridges kicked off the series with a great performance to an enthusiastic standing room only audience at the first concert January 21.
 
The Arts Centre is an intimate venue perfectly suited to present these veteran artists who in addition to their music will relate some of their personal experiences, tall tales and war stories of life on the road in the blues world. Seating is limited.
 
Advance tickets $10.00 at the Crow’s Nest, 239 Hurontario Street, Collingwood or by calling 705-444-4449. $15.00 at the door.
Special pricing for Collingwood Jazz & Blues Society members.
2010 Society memberships will be available at the concert.
 
Click for more
 

"Blues Where You Least Expect It" gives new meaning to music genre
KASU streams Saturday night blues show
 
Jonesboro,AR - What do the music of B.B. King, Bob Dylan and Motorhead have in common? The average music lover wouldn't expect there are any similarities at all, but that is exactly what the host of KASU's "Blues Where You Least Expect It," Jim Drennen, is trying to disprove.
 
"It [the show] highlights artists and groups that are not known for the blues, but somewhere along the line they have written a blues song or more likely they've covered it," Jim "The Generator Man" Drennen said.
 
Drennen chooses a different, unexpected theme for each show, covering many aspects of the musical spectrum."It [the show] covers all genres: country, pop, bluegrass, but you can't be known for the blues," Drennen said.
 
Although Drennen has been hosting the show in KASU for over a year, when KASU began streaming live on the Web in January, "Blues Where You Least Expect It" was one of the first shows to stream. When they [the station] got the funding to stream online, I just got caught up in that whirlwind," Drennen said.
 
Drennen, a retired electrician, has no background in radio and "volunteers all of this" to KASU. The local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union, of which he is a part, sponsors Drennen's show.
 
"I didn't have any clue where to start all of this; it was not a pretty sight in the beginning," Drennen said. "All I had was an idea, a couple of songs and a little history about the bands; that was it."
Of course, Drennen can't record and produce the show alone. This is where Corey "Archduke" Spencer, a 2008 broadcast journalism graduate, comes in.
 
"He's the talent, I'm the producer," Spencer said. Spencer began working with Drennen during his last semester at ASU, and after graduating he continued to help with the production of the show.
Spencer and Drennen record all of the shows ahead of time instead of airing them live and write scripts that provide specific time frames to be filled.
 
Drennen said that on average it takes him about 10 hours of preparation to produce a 30 minute segment, while Spencer handles the editing.
 
"For a half-hour show, it takes us maybe 15 or 20 minutes to record it, and then it takes me about 4 or 5 hours to get it just the way I want it," Spencer said. "Fix the mess-ups, get the levels right and get it mixed down to a single file, so I'd say maybe 15 hours."
 
Drennen got the idea for the show because of his appreciation for blues music and his "vast music library.""I'm doing this for fun, no other reason," Drennen said. Drennen chooses a different theme for each show, incorporating various artists and genres to provide a unique compilation, such as a previous show with a heavy metal theme.
 
The show is not designed for traditional blues lovers, but those tuning in must understand the typical blues progression that defines the musical style.
 
"In order to appreciate this type of a show, you have to have a fairly broad knowledge of blues artists and their music, and equally if not larger knowledge of music outside of that realm," Drennen said. "Then you have to have a mechanism to find those artists that do blues songs, and that's the hard part."
 
Spencer added that many popular musicians, such as Justin Timberlake, sample "the defining musical structure" of blues music in many songs.
 
"This show shows you the blues is everywhere, even if you don't know it; in some songs it is hidden pretty deep," Spencer said. "One of the best things about the show is that now I can actually hear the blues deeper in the music and can appreciate it."
 
"Blues Where You Least Expect It" can be heard at 9 p.m. every Saturday on KASU, 91.9 FM, and online at www.kasu.org.
 

NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI TO BE INVADED BY BLUES HARMONICA LOVERS YOUNG & OLD
MAY 22nd and MAY 23rd, 2010
 
Registration is now open for Hill Country Harmonica , a two-day
intensive retreat for blues harmonica students of all levels, featuring workshops, jam sessions, and concerts. Headlining the event is Grammy-nominated Chicago legend Billy Branch and world renowned performer/instructor Adam Gussow (from Satan and Adam). This event is to be hosted on the Foxfire Ranch in Waterford, Mississippi.
 
Also teaching and performing at the event are Mississippi hill country bluesmen Terry "Harmonica" Bean and Bill "Howl-N-Madd" Perry, Memphis teen sensation Brandon Bailey, and very special guest Billy Gibson, a.k.a. "the prince of Beale Street" and winner of the 2009 Blues Music Award for "Instrumentalist - Harmonica."
 
Adam Gussow, headliner and host of the event, says "Hill Country
Harmonica is the biggest harmonica-focused event ever to take place in North Mississippi. Many people are familiar with the region's
music-they've heard of R. L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough-but the hill country is NOT known for harmonica playing. we thought it might be fun to bring together some of the most exciting contemporary harp players from the Mississippi-Memphis-Chicago axis and create a student-focused environment in which great music gets made by everybody from the pros down to the raw beginner."
 
"We're going to talk Mississippi blues repertoire," adds Gussow. "We're going to talk grooves, we're going to talk about how harp players can accompany guitarists-and Bill Perry, Terry Bean, and my buddy Charlie Hilbert are going to work with and back up our attendees. Billy Branch, who has been teaching in the Chicago public schools for 20 years, is going to teach us Little Walter's 'Juke.' I'm going to talk about foundational techniques, including tone production, and I'm going to talk about overblows. Soup to nuts. We're going to create a face-to-face community of harmonica players for a couple of days in the beautiful hills of North Mississippi".
 
"There really has never been an event like this for blues harmonica
players specifically and the blues lover at large" says Jeff Silverman
of harmonica411, co-sponsor of the event. "Yes there are harp clinics and yes there are the occasional jam camps, but Billy Branch teaching and sharing the instrument in Mississippi? His blues lineage goes back through James Cotton, Junior Wells all the way to Sonny Boy. Billy IS the blues harp." "And let's not forget Adam Gussow," Silverman adds, "who was busking the streets of Harlem for years before being discovered and playing all over the world with Mr. Satan.
 
 Brandon Bailey - a kid out of South Memphis - won the Orpheum Star Search with he was only 16. He's blending blues
harmonica and beat-box stuff into 'harp-boxing'; a whole new
contemporary sound. Bill Perry just came in second in this year's
International Blues Challenge in Memphis in the solo/duo category, and he's been teaching the blues at the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale. And Billy Gibson? He's one of the most exciting harp players anybody has ever seen or heard."
 
Hill Country Harmonica is a two day blues Harp Homecoming event from May 22nd and 23rd, 2010 in Waterford, Mississippi. FREE onsite camping!
 
There are additional camping and motels nearby.
(Foxfire Ranch is 50 miles south of the Memphis International Airport and easily accessible by major highways.)
 
Registration is $150.00 for player/students, $50.00 for non-players
accompanying a player. Children 12 and under get in FREE!
 
For additional information on this event please visit
 

Albert Castiglia to "Take a Paws for the Claws" in Nassau County to Benefit Humane Society
Photo-Gordon Bulcock
 
Always eager to lend his string-bending skills to a good cause, Albert Castiglia (pronounced KA-Steel-YA), will make a tour-stop at Fernandina Beach on Friday, Feb. 19, to help raise funds and awareness for the Nassau County Humane Society.  With almost 25 years of service to the people and pets of Nassau County, the Society’s latest initiative aims to bring a first-of-its-kind, green, low-impact animal care facility to Amelia Island.
 
It may have been a generous spirit that lead him to his first career in social work, and it may have been his generosity as a musician that prompted the opportunity to play sideman to the legendary Hoodoo Man himself, Mr. Junior Wells, but it’s the generosity of his muses that have propelled Albert Castiglia into the national spotlight as one of today’s top blues songwriters and a front man to be reckoned with on any stage. 
 
Soulful and gritty, Albert Castiglia’s feel for the blues is intrinsic, his musicianship polished and his stage presence charismatic. He emotes with a tone that is at once fresh and hauntingly reminiscent of the past masters. No stranger to the area, Albert’s a mainstay on the Florida club and festival circuit and has been featured on the Springing the Blues Festival on multiple occasions.
 
Albert teamed up with New Jersey-based Blues Leaf Records for two of his last three CDs, and last year, These Are the Days proved to be a breakout release, garnering four nominations and two wins among the Critics Choice, BMA and Blues Blast Awards. One of the panhandle state’s premier resident entertainers, Albert is called on to tour out of state with increasing frequency.  He has plans to travel the US extensively this summer in support of his next cd, expected to hit the streets in July.
 
Albert Prefers Boxers
 
Ask him and he’ll tell you that he’s a boxer man for life. He has a pair at home now that he rescued, and that he calls to check on daily when he’s on the road.  Needless to say, we’re talking about the dog breed here and not the undergarment, about which he has expressed no publicly preference.   Boxers seem like the perfect fit for this amiable musician once you observe his rough-and-tumble, yet playful nature both on and off the stage, begging the question “do we pick pets whose spirit resembles our own, or do our pets find us through some otherworldly kinship that defies explanation?” In either event, Albert hopes that his appearance will help fuel this organization whose mission is so close to his heart, that of connecting pets in need of people with people in need of pets.
 
At the historic Palace Saloon, you can soak in the ambiance of 100 years of celebration of every kind, in rooms that offer a variety of unique settings and moods. The classy and beautifully appointed Sheffield’s room should be perfectly suited for the task at hand. 
 
Friday, February 19, 2010
Sheffield's at the Palace Saloon
117 Centre Street, Downtown
Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
6:30pm /$20.00
 
For more information click
 


VALENTINES BLUES:
 
The Radio Hour opens its annual box of chocolates this Valentine’s Day week, with lovestruck blues from the Rolling Stones, John Lee Hooker, Bonnie Raitt, Susan Tedeschi, Delbert McClinton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, BB King, George Thorogood, and more. As a special treat, brand new music from the Fabulous Thunderbirds, and a chance for five of you to win new southern blues rock from duo Dangerous Dan Toler and Johnny Townsend, thanks to their label Garage Door Records.
 

    for times and stations in your area.
 



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
Attention Festival Promoters
Post information about your 2010 festival asap.
Get a FREE listing on the website, in the E-guide.
 
FREE is a pretty good deal...don't miss out.  Our readers are looking for you!
Lowcountry Blues Bash
Friday- Tuesday,
February 5-16, 2010

Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.
www.bluesbash.com
 
21st Annual Riverwalk Blues and Music Festival
Friday-Sunday,
February 12-14, 2010
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
www.riverwalkbluesfestival.com
Charleston Blues Festival
Saturday,
February 13, 2010

Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.
www.charlestonbluesfestival.com
Broadstairs Blues Bash
Friday-Monday, February 19-21, 2010

Broadstairs, Kent,
Fat Tuesday - The Fish House's 6th Annual Mardi Gras Celebration
Tuesday,
February 16, 2010

Miami, Florida, U.S.
www.thefishhouse.com
 
Saskatoon Blues Festival
Saturday-Sunday,
February 25-28, 2010
Saskatoon, SK, Canada
Click Here for Website
Seia Jazz & Blues
Friday-Saturday,
February 26-27, 2010

Seia, Guarda, Portugal
http://seiajazzeblues.blogspot.com
Phuket International Blues Rock Festival
Friday-Saturday,
February 26-27, 2010

Karon, Phuket, Thailand
www.phuketbluesfestival.com
Costa Rica Blues Festival
Saturday,
February 27, 2010

San Jose, Costa Rica
www.crbluesfest.com
Blues Blast
Saturday, February 27, 2010

Mesa, Arizona, U.S.
www.bluesblast.info
Kissimmee Festival of Rhythm & Blues
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Kissimmee, Florida, U.S.
www.kissimmeechamber.com
      
Mr. Sam's 2nd Annual Love Cruise
Monday-Saturday, March 1-6, 2010

From New Orleans to Progreso, Yucatan and Cozumel, Mexico
www.mrsammusic.net
Pickle's Blues Extravaganza
Friday-Saturday, March 5-6, 2010

Lima, Ohio, U.S.
www.bluescommittee.com
Tri-City Blues Fest
Sunday, March 7, 2010

Fremont, California, U.S.
www.tricityblues.com
Bonita Blues Festival
Friday-Saturday, March 12-13,
2010 Bonita Springs, Florida, U.S.
http://www.bonitablues.com
Johnnie Walker St. John Blues Festival
Wednesday, March 17-21, 2010

St. John, United States Virgin Islands, U.S.
www.stjohnbluesfestival.com
Breda Blues Night
Friday, March 19, 2010

Breda, Noord Brabant, Netherlands
www.myspace.com/bluesbreda
Plymouth Rock Blues Festival
Saturday, March 20 2010

Plymouth, Massachusetts, U.S.
www.plymouthrockbluesfestival.com
Blues Harmonica Jam Camp
Tuesday, March 23-27, 2010
Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S.
www.harmonicajamcamp.com
4th Annual "Blues & Art Fiesta
Saturday-Sunday, March 27-28, 2010
San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico
www.bluesandarts.com
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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