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December 10, 2009           

Hey Blues Fans,

The music award nominations are really heating up for Blues artists. Last week the Grammy nominations were announced and this week The Blues Foundation announced the nominees for the 2010 Blues Music Awards.

The Blues foundation has 26 different Blues nomination categories. With 5 nominees each it means there are 130 artists or recordings nominated. Our hats are off to the hard working nominators!

The Blues Foundation will present the 31st Blues Music Awards on May 6, 2010, at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, TN. The complete list of all the nominees is at the bottom of this issue. With this many nominees, this promises to be a great event.

For information on attending this great event visit the Blues Foundations website at: www.blues.org

Blues Wanderings

We made it out to the Mississippi Valley Blues Society Christmas Party last week in Moline, IL. The entertainment was Detroit Bluesman James Armstrong and it was definitely a Party with a capital P. 

Every time we have had the pleasure of hearing James it has been a real party but he was having an especially good time this night. At one point James leapt up on to the bar and played a smoking lead break that had the crowd howling!

James played some of the tunes from a new CD he is working on. Look for it in the spring. Based on what we heard, we think you are going to like it!

In this issue - Blues Reviews and MORE!

James Walker reviews a new CD from Blue Road. Mark Thompson reviews a new CD by Uphill. Belinda Foster reviews the new Watermelon Slim CD. Steve Jones reviews an new CD by The Cash Box Kings.  All this and MORE! SCROLL DOWN!!!

Blue Road - Live at Gabe’s Backstage Lounge

GMS Records

www.blueroadchicago.com

www.myspace.com/blueroadchicago

11 songs; 69:25 minutes; Splendid

Styles: Blue-Rock; Rock; Soul; Jam

What has caused the most speeding tickets?
(A) Car radio
(B) Car stereo music players
(C) Portable six-pack coolers

Personally, I had better be using the cruise control because when listening to a CD like this one, I can’t control myself. Car radio was good, but stereo players really make the miles go by, especially on a “Blue Road” - road trip. Recorded live and sounding every bit like a party, “Live at Gabe’s Backstage Lounge” is a pure fun release by Blue Road, one of Chicago’s hardest working bands today.

Blue Road features soulful vocalist Jimy Rogers – first famed with the 1960’s white Soul band, The Mauds. Veteran session guitarist Gary Gand handles the six strings, Joan Gand is on classic Hammond B-3 style organ, Graham Nelson guests on blues harp and vocals, R Kelly alumnus Joel Treadwell drums, and soul veteran Steve Nevets plays bass and adds vocals.

Blue Road has recorded three CDs with this latest being a collection of eleven popular covers. The set combines the traditions of Chicago Blues on “She Caught The Katy,” Memphis Soul on “Hold On” and “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy,” and a Rocking attitude on numbers like “I’m Walkin’.” For some rubber-meets-the-road jamming, the group shakes up Buddy Miles’ “Them Changes” into a 13 minute blend of satisfying hot and sweaty vocals, searing guitar and wah-wah, tasty harp, and cranking organ with the "bomb squad" rhythm section alternately soloing and lubricating the engine during this smoldering choogle.

The fun begins right with the first track, a re-make of Isaac Hayes’ and David Porter’s Soul classic “Hold On” that Jimy Rogers first sang up the charts with The Mauds in 1967 on the Mercury Records label.

My personal favorite on the CD is their stirring rendition of Percy Mayfield’s “People Get Ready.” At six minutes, Blue Road takes time to feel each part, for example a 30 second organ intro before searing guitar notes fill the air. After a full minute, Rogers sings the invitation, “People Get Ready....” Joan and Gary Gand really shine on this one with stellar organ and guitar work. Other great workouts are found on Booker T and the MGs’ “Green Onions” and set surpriser, John Fogerty’s “110 in the Shade.”
In the car, this CD is a mile maker. But, you’ve been warned – don’t let your “Blue Road” trip get expensive by “exspeeding” the limit!

Bio:
Jimy Rogers' soulful vocals have long been an important part of the Chicago sound. Rogers founded his original band, the Mauds, in his teens. As the first of the blue-eyed soul bands in Chicago, their concert appearances attracted the attention of Mercury Records with which they signed. They claim to be the first white group to record at Chess Records, home to Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon, even before the Rolling Stones.

Gary Gand is one of the top Chicago blues-rock guitar slingers, leader of long-standing blues jams around Chicago, and his virtuosity is the product of over 30 years on the Chicago music scene, both live and studio. Joan Gand plays classic Hammond B-3, Booker T-style organ and bluesy piano. This musical couple has played together since they were just out of high school, and can read each other's minds. They are the owners of Gand Music and Sound, a music retailer, sound rental, and installation firm.

Bass and drums are covered by the "bomb squad," R Kelly alumnus Joel Treadwell on drums/veteran Steve Nevets on bass and vocals. Special guests often include Graham Nelson on harp and vocals, backup singers Veronica Stanford and Jocelyn Mallard, and sax man Scott Van Wagner.

Reviewer James "Skyy Dobro" Walker is a noted Blues writer, DJ, Master of Ceremonies, and Blues Blast contributor. His weekly radio show "Friends of the Blues" can be heard Thursdays from 7 - 8 pm and Saturdays 8 pm - Midnight on WKCC 91.1 FM and at www.wkccradio.org in Kankakee, IL

To See James “Skyy Dobro” Walker's CD rating system, CLICK HERE 

For other reviews and interviews on our website CLICK HERE.

 Blues Musicians Place Your Want Ad here for FREE

"workin Blues folks" ONLY can place Want Ads here for FREE.  NO Commercial Ads! 

Buy or sell equipment , musicians wanted, gigs wanted, help wanted, information wanted etc. Limit 100 words. All ads submitted will be used if space allows. If space is limited, ads will be randomly selected to appear in the Blues Blast. Ads may be edited. Send your ad submission to

Equipment Wanted

Looking for a used Victoria 4 x10 bassman amp. Send info to John lee Williamson Conjur Root jwillia100@aol.com

Drummer Available

Steve Parrish / blues drummer for 30 years is available to travel with a working blues group. Hear samples of playing at www.thestellavees.com Ph: (859) 537 5423 Email: stellave@mikrotec.com

Backing Band Available

The Boa Constrictors is a 5-piece, Chicago-style, Blues band featuring Guitar, Bass, Drums, Harmonica, and Keyboards with experience in backing or opening for national/international touring acts, especially harmonica artisis. We are available, as a full or partial band, for select dates in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Our recent experiences include backing James Harman, Jeremy Spencer (ex-Fleetwood Mac), and opening act for Charlie Musselwhite, Jason Ricci, and many others. Our website is www.theboaconstrictors.com. You can contact us at (248) 249-5287 or via email at theboaconstrictors@gmail.com.

Seeking Blues Rhythm Section

Experienced blues band is looking for Bass and Drums to join our project. We have a professional level practice studio in the western suburbs of Chicago. Drums and Bass amp are in studio. All you need to bring is your ax and or sticks. Rock stars need not apply but if you are either a drummer or bass player who loves to play the blues, please call 630-217-9537. Ask for Tom.

Uphill - Blues & Mojo

Self-released

www.uphilltheband.com

13 tracks/56:54

Uphill is a quartet from North Carolina that consists of Chris “Catdaddy” Palestrant on keyboards & vocals, Deacon Blues – Adam Nixon- on electric guitars, harmonica & vocals, Tim Orton on bass and Isaiah Hunter on drums. The setlist is comprised of seven covers and six original compositions, four from Nixon and two from Palestrant.

The problem with recording well-known tunes is that your performance needs to be really strong or very unique to create a lasting impression over better-known renditions. Uphill lays down on a strong take on Howlin’ Wolf’s “Killin” Floor”, with a gruff vocal and distorted guitar from the Deacon. The blues standard, “Help Me”, features Deacon Blues on harmonica, a strong beat from Hunter and Palestrant on organ filling in the arrangement. The Deacon lays down some gritty slide guitar licks on Muddy Water’s “One More Mile” and sings with conviction over the slow beat.

Other covers don’t fare as well. Palestrant’s vocal on “Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu” fails to excite and Hunter plays a stiff beat that never approaches the loose, second-line groove of the original version. Palestrant does take several solos that show he has a solid command of the piano keyboard. The band does a brief, straightforward cover of “Hot Rod Lincoln” that is probably more exciting when heard live from the stage. “Flip, Flop and Fly” gives Palestrant another opportunity to showcase his strong technique on piano but the track ends up feeling lightweight.

Nixon’s “Big Easy” is a slow, deep blues about New Orleans and failed love that features a measured vocal from Deacon and some of his best guitar work on the disc. The band really excels on the slower tracks, consistently creating the necessary amount of emotional weight needed for a convincing performance. The interplay between Palestrant’s piano and Deacon’s guitar on the opening passage of “My Time (Might Be Over)” perfectly establishes the mood of late-night despair and brooding emotions inherent in the song’s lyrics. Palestrant drives the arrangement on his original, “Nightlife”, seated behind his organ. His spirited vocal works hard to tame the over-wrought lyrics. “The Legend of the One Honest Man” allows the band to show it’s humorous side on an up-tempo rocker. The lone instrumental, “Drop Top”, gives the Deacon and Palestrant an opportunity to stretch out, with the Deacon taking honors for his smooth guitar lines. “Speed Train Blues” open the disc with a boogie beat and has the Deacon on guitar and harp.

There are enough strong performances on this disc to warrant a listen from most blues fans. Given the strength of the band’s original material, they might have been better served to cut back on the covers in favor more of their own songs. Uphill can wring plenty of emotion out of the slower-paced cuts. The faster tempo pieces are a mixed bunch that suffer by comparison. If the band’s live show matches most of the performances on the disc, they should be able to sell plenty of copies of Blues & Mojo from the stage.

For other reviews and interviews on our website CLICK HERE.

Watermelon Slim - Escape From the Chicken Coop

Northern Blues Music

www.watermelonslim.com

13 Tracks 44 min 01 sec

Style: Truck Driver’s Country

William “Bill aka Watermelon Slim” Homans is his name and trucking is his game. And it seems the long hours and years of ‘life on the road’ have not only driven this “wheel man’ down highways suited for crafting his blues singing and songwriting but now also to another dream come true: to record a country music CD, dedicated to Dave Dudley, ‘the father of truck driving county music’.

I have to say I was somewhat surprised after I stuck the CD into my car’s player (and admittedly, I’d not done any homework on Watermelon’s newest release prior to my first listen). I sat back and waited for the unique story telling blues and slide guitar playing tunes that only a 6-time BMA winner can produce. Yet, the next thing I heard come out of my mouth as I was driving down the road, was ‘this ain’t blues! It’s country.”

And then something nostalgic and familiar was aroused within my musical memory of country, the likes of David Allan Coe, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams (Sr and Jr). And I know you remember the Outlaw to Urban Cowboy Craze of the 70’s and 80’s. It then hit me how fitting it was that I had just embarked on a 6 hour drive for the Thanksgiving holidays to go home to family with a bluesman’s truck-driver’s CD. Perfect!

So if you want to see another side of an extremely creative musician who can do it all, get your copy of Escape from the Chicken Coop because you’ll enjoy it as much as any blues CD of Watermelon’s—a man who no one can claim is one-dimensional.

Of the 13 tracks, all songs were written by Watermelon, except for collaborations on Track 3 “You See Me Like I See You” and Track 6 “Should Have Done More”, both co-written with Gary Nicholson (Delbert McClinton songwriter); and Track 4 Roy Acuff’s “Wreck on the Highway”; Track 7 Hank Williams “You Wrote My Life” and Track 9 Sonny Throckmorton’s “The Way I Am”.

You’ll be rocking out country crunk style to Track 1’s “Caterpillar Whine”, laughing at the lyrics of Track 2’s “Skinny Women and Fat Cigars” and Track 10’s “It’s Never Too Hard to be Humble”, two-stepping to the sweet harmonic vocals of Watermelon and Jenny Littleton on Track 3’s “You See Me Like I See You”; and touched by the “Should Have Done More” ballad. Hank Williams lovers will enjoy Slim’s rendition of “You Wrote My Life” and you’ll wrap in true trucker style to Track 12 and 13’s “Truck Drivin’ Songs” and “18, 18 Wheeler”.

Really, blues and country aren’t far apart in the truest sense. They are both early American root music forms whether immigrating from traditional folk, Celtic or Gospel--with country music often thought of as a subgenre of blues. And the talents of Nashville players, producers and songwriters obviously saw what a gem we already knew we had in our own Watermelon Slim. We’re happy to share him because we know Watermelon lives ‘true’ to self and that’s what makes one a blessed and enriched blues or country music jewel. It’s an honor when that person then wants to share their internal joy through their musical and creative gifts. Thank you Watermelon and see you in Nashville (or Clarksdale) real soon.

Reviewer Belinda Foster is a Columnist and Contributing Writer for Greenville SC Magazine “Industry Mag” and former manager of Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’Blues. She currently books blues-rock-jam musicians and is a devoted promoter and supporter of live blues root music and history, making frequent trips to “The Crossroads” and Clarksdale Mississippi, birthplace of the blues. Her column “The Upstate Blues Report” can be found on line at www.industrymag.net.

For other reviews and interviews on our website CLICK HERE.

Musical Instruments Stores

 Sponsor of the

2009 Blues Blast Music Awards

Visit their Stores at the following locations

4400 E. New York Street
Aurora, IL 60504

and

1432 Butterfield Rd.
Downers Grove, IL

or online at

www.BestBuy.com/MIgear

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The Friends of the Blues - Kankakee, IL

The Friends of the Blues in Kankakee IL are having a special edition of their Friends of the Blues Radio Show on Saturday night, December 12, 8 pm - Midnight. It is in conjunction with WKCC's first public radio fund drive. Tune: 91.1 FM in the Kankakee area or audio stream at www.wkccradio.org.

Mid North Michigan Blues Society - Petoskey, MI

Mid North Michigan Blues Society is holding a fundraising event for Thornetta Davis to send Her to Memphis TN to compete in the 2010 International Blues Challenge. The event is at 7:00pm December 31, 2009 at UAW Local 21 Hall, 703 Rose St. at Hannah, Traverse City MI. Thornetta Davis will provide entertainment after an opening set by Juke. Tickets are $30 per person or $50 per couple. Bring your own food and drink. For more information go to www.mnmbs.org or call (989) 370-8334.

The Blues, Jazz & Folk Music Society - Marietta, Ohio

The Blues, Jazz & Folk Music Society presents the “Memphis-Bound GetDown”, a special benefit concert December 12, 2009 at The Comfort Inn, 700 Pike Street, in Marietta, OH. Music starts at 8PM. Admission at the door will be $10. Comfort Inn phone is 740-374-8190.  The event features Long Tall Deb & The Drifter Kings of Columbus and Paul Miles from Detroit, winners of the 17th annual River City Ohio Blues Competition. Proceeds from the event will help fund their trip to compete in the 2010 International Blues Challenge (IBC), in Memphis, Tennessee. Both acts will have their CD’s for sale. A 50/50 drawing and all donations will go to support these musicians. For more info contact: Steve Wells 304-295-4323 bluesphotog@yahoo.com

Also the Blues, Jazz & Folk Music Society will hold its 18th Annual Blues Competition on February 19 and 20, 2010, at the historic Lafayette Hotel in Marietta, Ohio. Blues Bands and Solo/Dou blues acts will compete for cash prizes and BJFMS sponsorship to the International Blues Challenge (IBC) in Memphis.

First-place will receive $1,000. dollars in cash and BJFMS sponsorship to the IIBC in January, 2011. Second place wins $200 and third-place wins $100. NO geographic restrictions apply. Any serious blues musician is invited to apply. Winning this preliminary competition gets your ticket punched to Memphis. Gain valuable exposure to record labels, A&R representatives, blues industry professionals and festival promoters capable of providing real career advancement.

Complete information, format, application & rules are available online at www.bjfm.org. Deadline for application submission is January 9, 2010. More information: contact Steve Wells at 304.295.4323 or bluesphotog@yahoo.com

Blues Blowtorch Society – Bloomington, IL

The Blues Blowtorch Blues Society presents 3rd Friday Blues - The Treehouse Lounge, 2060 Ireland Grove Rd, Bloomington, IL (309) 662-5231 A blues show the 3rd Friday of every month at 7:00 PM. December 18th – Kilborn Alley Blues Band

BLUE MONDAY SHOWS - Held at the Alamo 115 N 5th St, Springfield, IL (217) 523-1455 every Monday 8:30pm $2 cover.  Dec 14 - Reverend Raven & the Chain Smoking Alter Boys, Dec 21 - The Suns of Circumstance, Dec 28 - Sally Weisenburg

Nosek’s harp work is one of the brightest spots on this nicely done CD that is filled with great musician work. He gets way down and dirty when he needs to and has a great sounding style. Koopman’s guitar work is also quite well done; he and Nosek aptly share the microphone work when Wilson is not out front. “Beedy Eyes” is Willie “Big Eyes” Smith’s son and is a chip off the old block on the skins. Boeger’s upright bass sound blends with Smith’s drumming to give a solid basis for the band. The addition of Oscar Wilson makes the band even more solid and gives them an “authentic” South Side bluesman to front for their youthful skills. After nine great live cuts I was ready for a longer evening of listening to these guys perform live. They are talented and tight little band whom I am sure we will be hearing more and more about as people get turned on to their brand of the blues!.

Reviewer Steve Jones is secretary of the Crossroads Blues Society in Rockford. IL.

For other reviews and interviews on our website CLICK HERE.

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