BREATHE DEEP is a soulful, blues-rockin’ stew featuring 11 new songs penned by Laurie Morvan. No Working During Drinking Hours, a driving blues shuffle, celebrates having raucous fun in between all the hard work. Saved by the Blues paints a picturesque tale of receiving blues redemption from Robert Johnson at the crossroads one steamy summer night. Mojo Mama takes a funky journey deep into a sexy blues swamp, while It Only Hurts When I Breathe burns slow and powerful.

 

This much anticipated fifth CD follows FIRE IT UP!, which won the 2010 Blues Foundation Award for Best Self-Produced CD.

 

“Morvan has all the soulfulness of Bonnie Raitt and the swaggering, muscular guitar tone of Stevie Ray Vaughan...a blistering, high-energy ending to another great guitar festival” (Ellnora Guitar Festival review, Champaign, IL)

 

“Morvan, who opened the show, also stole it…in a scorching set of original blues rock that left the early arrivals staggering to the CD sales booth.” (Coloma Blues Live! festival review, Coloma, CA)

 

 

Catch the LMB touring throughout the USA and Canada.

 

6/12 Hughesville, PA - Billtown Blues Festival

6/17 Champaign, IL - Taste of Champaign-Urbana Festival

6/18 Parkville , MO - Parkville River Jam Festival

6/24 London, ON Canada - Music Hall Lounge

6/25 Kincardine, ON Canada - Sutton Park Inn

7/01 Indianapolis, IN - 8 Seconds Saloon

7/03 Richmond, IN - 4th Floor Blues Club

7/06 Pekin, IL - Goodfellas

7/07 Decatur, IL - Decatur Club Ballroom

7/08 Quincy, IL - Blues in the District

7/10 Thunder Bay, ON Canada - Thunder Bay Blues Festival

7/13 Des Moines, IA - The Gas Lamp

7/14 North Platte, NE - Fort Cody Trading Co.

7/15 Boulder, CO - Boulder Outlook

7/21 San Francisco, CA - Biscuits & Blues

9/03 Eureka, CA - Blues by the Bay Festival

 

After twenty-plus years of keeping the blues flame burning in the UMASS 5 College area, Wildcat O’Halloran has rebuilt his band with a mix of young studs and old veterans, and produced his masterwork: DRINKIN’ WITH THE HARP GIRLS, a new ten track CD, beautifully recorded at Northampton’s state-of- the-art Spirithouse Studios, with fiery soloing, gritty singing, great interplay, stellar guests…and , of course, Harp Girls !

 

Wildcat has won numerous songwriting honors, including Honorable Mention from Billboard and Runner-up in “Best Song in The World 2010” (He’s just been named “Top Runner Up” for 2011, beating out “a Pointer Sister, a Doobie Brother and a Rolling Stone”, - contest director Gary Allen). His band has been New England Runner –up in Rock-based contests from Seagrams and Stroh’s. They’ve opened for everybody, from Greg Allman to John Lee Hooker, Stray Cats to John Mayall, and been backup band for Bo Diddley and James Cotton. Living Blues Magazine, not always enthusiastic about Massachusetts Blues artists, called him “innovative without being disrespectful; traditional without being moldy”. John Braheny of Taxi called him, “as good a Blues lyricist as I’ve heard…and I’m a Blues Fan!” He’s been called “the Pioneer Valley’s answer to Texas six-string pounder Stevie Ray Vaughn (Valley Advocate). But the best quote might have come from the late Grammy-winning drummer and Wildcat bandmate Kenny Johnson, who said he “must’ve gone to a different music school than the other boys!”.

 

Power-house blues, Memphis soul, and roots rock’n’roll. Featuring the high-octane boogie piano and big soul sounds of vocalist and blues man Victor Wainwright, backed by one of the tightest smokin’ bands on the scene; the WildRoots.

 

Victor, along with producer/bassist/co-writer Stephen Dees have teamed up once again to deliver a blues and American roots ‘tour de force’. In short, they have scored another musical Bull’s Eye! On the heals of their critically acclaimed debut release “Beale Street to the Bayou”; their new CD “Lit Up” is poised to ignite blues fans with a freshness and  flair that’s infectious and impossible to ignore.

 

“Lit Up” Pure dynamite, set to explode, highly combustible, and ready to roll!

 

 

 

HAMMONTON -- The Red, White & Blueberry Festival will celebrate its 25th anniversary this weekend, and the itinerary indicates the celebration of the town's signature crop truly has gotten better with age.

 

The event -- which will be held Sunday on the Hammonton High School grounds -- will "offer a little something for everybody," said festival chairman John Runfolo.

 

"We're very proud of the fact it has grown into a great family event," Runfolo said. "It really is a positive thing for the town of Hammonton."

 

Familiar festival highlights will include the Kiwanis Club pancake breakfast, the blueberry pie-eating contest, a car show staged by Cruisin' Classics Auto Club, children's rides, live music and a variety of strolling entertainers.

 

 

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Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel honored the 40th Anniversary of Alligator Records with a congratulatory proclamation letter presented to Alligator president and founder Bruce Iglauer on Sunday, June 12, at the Chicago Blues Festival.

 

In his letter to Iglauer, Mayor Emanuel stated, " Chicago is proud to be the home of Alligator Records. Guided by your vision and determination, Alligator Records has produced some of the finest blues talent." He went on to say, “You are a visionary in this genre.”

 

Truer words have never been spoken and on behalf of the BFG staff, “Congratulations Bruce and Happy 40th Anniversary.”

 

Alligator has been at the forefront of modern blues recordings in the industry for several decades. Label to top artists such as Janiva Magness, Tommy Castro, etc. To visit Alligator Records :  www.alligatorrecords.com

 

We are happy to announce that the third annual festival will take place the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th of September, 2011 and will feature bigger stages, additional Morningstar Turf, and thirty-nine shows.

 

 

We have confirmed the king of funk, George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic for Sunday night, and they are bringing a 26 person entourage to fill the giant stage with an exciting and colorful party. Warming up the arena for P-funk will be New Orleans brass sensations, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave., and that's just the tail end of three days of music and fun.

 

 

We are featuring many styles of music for those of you who like variety, but for you roots music fanatics, we'll always have a blues band going on one of the three stages. We have the big band sound of Davina & the Vagabonds and the zany antics of Ryan Shupe & the Rubberband. We have humorist band leader and songwriter Paul Thorn, and this year we are featuring a dance set with the Colorado Blues Dancers backed by California guitarist, Bernie Pearl and his fine band.

 

 

The days will be filled with exciting world class performers you haven't heard before, such as Sherman Robertson out of Houston, Texas, David Maxwell the sensational keyboardist out of Boston, and Paul Oscher who played in Muddy Waters band. England's young, handsome, guitar sensation, Oli Brown, will make his American debut since signing a recording contract with Ruf Records and winning several big awards in Britain. Also Miss Blues, Moreland & Arbuckle, and the return of Wyoming's Taylor Scott & Another Kind of Magick after their trip to Memphis and the fame it brought them.

 

Check the web site in the coming days for early bird ticket specials, news, updates, lineup and other announcements about the festival.

 

 

IN SUPPORT of the 2011 Darwin Blues Festival, GPT Group's Casuarina Square is hosting five festival acts, which began on Monday and will continue until tomorrow on the centre's stage in the eatery.

 

The festival is a key feature of the centre's arts, music and culture program.

 

The program aims to nurture and harness the talent in the Top End across a variety of fields.

 

Casuarina Square centre manager Ben Gill says the arts, music and culture program aims to provide on-stage performance opportunities to the Darwin community, while also attracting Darwin-based events to Casuarina Square.

 

"With almost nine million visitors each year and a range of performance spaces, we are in a great position to promote the great talent visiting and living in the Territory.

 

"The Blues Festival is just one example of Casuarina Square's arts, music and culture program supporting the amateur and professional music and arts scenes in Darwin," Mr Gill says.

 

At one time, Colonial Beach was a popular destination for folks wanting to lounge and relax at its resorts, or gamble at the casinos.

 

Recent efforts by groups and individuals have revitalized the community. For instance, Colonial Beach is now home to a growing and increasingly respected art scene.

 

Dom Salemi and his wife, Charlene, are looking to add to this by putting Colonial Beach on the map as a destination for music lovers.

 

After spending more and more time visiting the town, the couple decided to move to Colonial Beach about two years ago from their Northern Virginia home.

 

"We liked the ambience and that we didn't feel that press of people [as in Northern Virginia]," said Salemi.

 

Now, Salemi is hoping to add some more life to the community.

 

The 2nd Annual Oxford Blues Festival will be held this July 22-24, 2011 in Oxford, MS and at the Foxfire Ranch in Waterford, MS.

 

 

Headlining the festival this year: Magic Slim and the Teardrops; Eddic C. Campbell, Nellie "Tiger" Travis; King Edward and Effie Burt.

 

 

There will be more than 20 bands performing over the weekend. 

 

 

In addition, there will be a panel discussion at the University Museum featuring blues artist/promoter, Dick Waterman; Shelly Ritter of the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale; and Bluesman, Ben Peyton.

 

Starting Saturday morning at 11:00 am there will be blues and barbeque on the lawn of Walton-Young House at the university.  From 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm the City of Oxford will provide Double Decker buses shuttling festival goers back to the square.

 

The Oxford Blues Festival is mostly an indoor festival spread out around 11 locations in Oxford, MS.  The outdoor portion is at the University Museum starting late Saturday morning and Sunday evening at Foxfire Ranch.

 

Tickets may be purchased online at www.oxfordbluesfest.com.  For more information call 662-259-7190 or visit our website, www.oxfordbluesfest.com.

 

"It's Just a Reason to Celebrate!"

 

 

This successor to 2009's Grammy-nominated, self-titled project follows the same mission and approach — celebrate the glory and tradition of Chicago blues with an all-star ensemble — and achieves even richer results. The core group (Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy Branch, Lurrie Bell and Carlos Johnson) played with the postwar masters of Chicago blues, including Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Howlin' Wolf and Sunnyland Slim. They're supplemented by some of the city's younger working artists and guests such as Buddy Guy, James Cotton and Magic Slim.

 

Both albums feature interpretations of classics from the late 1940s and 1950s, but this time more of the focus is on songs that overtly laid the groundwork for rock 'n' roll, such as Rocket 88, Reelin' and Rockin' and Howlin' forMy Baby. With references to the "need to make a dollar," being "careful how you vote" and, yes, jelly rolls, the songs demonstrate their relevance to any era.

I am the curious type by nature.  So, for me to be able to ask questions of different people of different occupations opens up a whole new world for me.  I was wondering what would be easier to broadcast: a blues club or a blues festival?  I posed this question to Roy Prescott, Blues Summit Host, Morning Drive Host, 93.5 WMWV

 

For more information, please visit ALL ABOUT AL @ http://WWW.AlStoneBlues.com

This is hilarious!!  Something to perk up your dreary day......

Click the link below...

 

 

 

CHICAGO (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) -- The late Sam Cooke will be celebrated with the naming of 36th Street at Cottage Grove Avenue, Chicago, Illinois as Sam Cooke Way on Saturday, June 18.
The ceremony and celebration of Cooke, who grew up in Chicago, is being headed by Gregg Parker, CEO, historian and founder of the Chicago Blues Museum and Record Row Foundation.

 

The location of Sam Cooke Way is in the midst of Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood, birthplace to some of Chicago’s most talented artists in music and the associated arts. It is where the Cooke family settled after migrating from Clarksdale, Mississippi in the early 1930’s, initially residing at 3527 Cottage Grove Avenue and later moving to 724 E. 36th Street.

 

Young Sam Cooke attended the neighborhood's Doolittle Elementary School and, in 1948, was a graduate of Phillips High School.

 

One thing I tried to play when I was young and couldn’t come anywhere close to making an actual tune with is a harmonica. I always thought that dude from Blues Traveler could play the crap out of a harmonica so it couldn’t be that hard, I was very wrong. If you are an aspiring harmonica player that wants to take digital lessons with you on how to play wherever you and your trusty instrument might go the FlashHarp is for you.

 

This thing is a combination of a normal harmonica that you can actually play and a flash drive. One end of the FlashHarp has a USB connector on it and you can plug that end into your computer to retrieve lessons on playing. The flash drive has 2GB of storage and you can store other files on the FlashHarp too. The USB connector has a plastic cap to keep it safe.

 

The instrument is made in the USA by hand with high quality parts. The dimensions of the FlashHarp are 3.5″ x 1 3/16″ x 15/16″. You can order the 2GB version of the drive right now for $49.95 with free shipping. There was also a 4GB version available to purchase, but the item has been removed.

 

 

For the first time in 18 years, the Sarasota Blues Festival is in new hands.

 

ExtremeTix, a leader in ticket technology and entertainment services, and its entertainment division, Three Zebras, have announced the acquisition of the venerable festival from executive producer Barbara Strauss. Financial details were not disclosed.

 

Strauss, who says she’s ready to move on to other projects, will remain for one year as executive producer to help with the transition and will serve as a consultant to future festivals.

 

“It’s a dream come true, really,” Strauss said. “I wanted the charity money to stay in Sarasota, and they said absolutely. All Faiths Food Bank is grandfathered in. And they’re not going to raise the prices at the festival. It’s business as usual, that’s it.”

    

 

Big Bill Broonzy was there at pretty much every crossroads of 20th Century blues – from the Delta to Chicago to the fifties blues revival.  A new biography, I Feel So Good: The Life and Times of Big Bill Broonzy, is out.  Author Bob Riesman joins Elwood.   Eric Clapton will be heard, along with Little Walter, Muddy Waters, and Broonzy himself, with his blues standard, “Key to the Highway,” and choice naughty blues from his heyday in 1930’s Chicago.  Plus: a great new jumping band out of Toronto, the 24th Street Wailers out of Toronto.  On the giveaway side, the Doors’ Ray Manzarek and slide guitar genius Roy Rogers have a new CD called Translucent Blues.  Five copies will be won.  And, to celebrate the release of the new CD from Hot Tuna, somebody out there will win a gorgeous, custom Jorma Kaukonen Model Martin Acoustic Guitar, signed and numbered by Jorma himself.

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, Yvonne Varner, editor@bluesfestivaleguide.com

or contact our home office at 775-337-8626, eguide@bluesfestivalguide.com
 

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