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     Blues Blast Newsletter

IllinoisBlues.com

August 16, 2007           

© 2007 IllinoisBlues.com

News, reviews, live Blues show links AND MUCH MORE at Bottom! - Scroll Down!

Hey Blues fans,

The Luther Allison Memorial Blues Fest in East Peoria, IL last Saturday was a hot one!
Both the weather and the Blues were scorching and IllinoisBlues.com has pictures.  CLICK HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

South Side Cindy & The Slip Tones  Mighty Mighty celebration, last Saturday was also a hit.
Click Here to see pictures of the fun!.


 

CROSSROADS GUITAR FESTIVAL 2007

This Blues fan was lucky enough to have a good friend who stood in line early one day last March and bought tickets to the Eric Clapton Crossroads Show on July 28th. This show sold out all 28,000 tickets in 20 minutes! ( THANKS Dianna! We love you Babe!) 

The show included performances by Jeff Beck, Doyle Bramhall II, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Robert Cray, Vince Gill, Buddy Guy, BB King, Alison Krauss and Jerry Douglas, Sonny Landreth, Albert Lee, Los Lobos, John Mayer, John McLaughlin, Willie Nelson, Robert Randolph, Robbie Robertson, Hubert Sumlin, Derek Trucks, Jimmie Vaughan, Johnny Winter, and Steve Winwood. This show was AWESOME. Kinda like being at Woodstock!

IllinoisBlues.com did not work this event to get pictures, (Sorry but "professional cameras" were not allowed and besides who the heck wanted to work at this great show) but we did find a link to an MSN video which has a selection of songs by the artists who played there. This link may not be up much longer so check it out while you can. CLICK HERE to see it.

You can also view some pictures from the show on the Crossroads Guitar Fest website. CLICK HERE to see them

 

New to the Blues Blast and IllinoisBlues.com?

CLICK HERE to go directly to the IllinoisBlues.com list of Live Blues Music. Click a link for more Blues content.   Reviews  Links  Audio Interviews  Photos Videos  Blues Radio   To advertise your blues shows or event for FREE,  Click HERE!

  Blues Basics

 NEW to the Blues? Sometimes it is hard for those new to the Blues to explore this journey called the Blues! IllinoisBlues.com 's weekly artist spotlight introduces (or reminds experienced Blues fans) about a Blues artist or subject worth knowing about.

This week we spotlight Piedmont Blues Artists Cephas & Wiggins . Below is a clip of John Cephas explaining the origin of the Piedmont Blues style and playing a song with Phil Wiggins to demonstrate. This is what Piedmont Blues should sound like. Cephas & Wiggins will be performing at the Old Capital Blues and BBQ in Springfield, Illinois on Saturday August 25th. SCROLL DOWN for complete information on the event.

 

All Music Guide has more great GREAT information and a complete discography of Cephas & Wiggins.  CLICK HERE to read this biography. CLICK HERE to to find out more about the Piedmont Blues style of music

IllinoisBlues.com has added several new Blues videos on our website like the one above. CLICK HERE to view them.

 Blues Radio - Streaming Link of the Week

A Link worth repeating
 WROX Radio - Clarksdale, Mississippi.
http://www.wroxradio.com/
Click Here to listen.

Check out other great Blues Music Streams Click HERE

 Other IMPORTANT News   Help Save the music! Click HERE to Keep Blues Net Radio Alive!

 Blues Link of the Week

Todays Chicago Blues Blogspot

http://todayschicagoblues.blogspot.com/

Freelance writer Karen Hanson has written a great book, Today's Chicago Blues, which is available at major bookstores and online booksellers. She also maintains a web blog dedicated to Chicago Blues. Great site! Check it out CLICK HERE
 

For more Blues links  Click HERE to visit the IllinoisBlues.com Links Page

If you know of a COOL Blues link, please send it to

 Blues Reviews of the Week! 

James “Skyy Dobro” Walker , noted Blues writer and IllinoisBlues.com contributor reviews Lew Jetton & 61 South's CD - Tales From A 2 Lane

Lew Jetton & 61 South
Tales From A 2 Lane
Self Release
www.61south.com
info@61south.com

By James “Skyy Dobro” Walker
12 songs; 41:27 minutes; Highly Recommended

Kentucky’s Lew Jetton may be laughing, but it is a wry, ironic laugh. Jetton is a “newly discovered” artist by the blues world at large, but he and 61 South have been around for 13 years.

Well known in the Kentucky, Tennessee, and Missouri Mid South region, the band is Lew Jetton- guitar, vocals; Sam Moore-guitar, vocals; Dan Bell- Keyboards, guitar, vocals; Greg Walker- bass; and Erik Eicholtz- Drums.

Blues guitarist/singer/song writer Jetton was born in 1959 in Humboldt, Tennessee, and after college graduation in 1981, he worked in radio and then spent many years as a meteorologist and local television personality in Paducah, Kentucky. In 1994, while still working in local TV, he began playing guitar with the Blues band 61 South, based in Paducah. While developing as the front man, Jetton was mentored by friend and late Chicago Blues Legend Snooky Pryor in nearby Ullin, Illinois.

Lew Jetton & 61 South have released 2 CDs: State Line Blues (2000) and Tales From A 2 Lane. Tales... was selected as a “Pick to Click” by XM Satellite Radio Bluesville (Channel 74), which kept originals “Waffle House Woman” and “I Been Cheated” on their hot play list.

Jetton’s voice is an instantly likeable, attention grabbing Southern drawl that a Northern singer might be able to imitate if he tucked a marble inside each cheek.

Their "Southern-Fried" Chicago Blues sound is receiving worldwide critical acclaim for their mix of mostly original blues presented in an upbeat, enthusiastic, and at times, humorous way.

For example, the ubiquitous Waffle House restaurants throughout the South receive a send up with “Waffle House Woman.” “She gives me loving to go / With a sweet jelly roll,” sings Jetton. “300 pounds...she’s not fat, she’s just big boned.”

The entire Tales From A 2 Lane album is loaded with great originals, kicking off with “I Been Cheated” featuring Jetton’s smoking lead guitar. The 12-bar “Tattoo Blues” provides more tongue in cheek lyrics like, “She’s got my name on her arm, but the man before me, too. Well, it works for me, if it works for you!” Get hip to Lew and be among his discoverers, too.

To Purchase this CD - CLICK HERE

IllinoisBlues.com also features another review by Blues Songwriter, Musician, DJ and Journalist, Ben Cox.

South Side Cindy & the Slip-Tones - Mighty Mighty
Sour Wine Records
Running Time: 36:13

By Ben Cox

 South Side Cindy & the Slip-Tones is a progressive blues band in the vein of Ana Popovic and Kenny Wayne Shepherd among others of this new blues world.

Single-handedly, bands like this have revived the riff rock and the classic blues-influenced guitar sounds of the 60s and 70s rock scene here in the States.

Cindy Youngren and her band kick you right in the face with the vocals and guitars on the first three tracks, wailing away like Janis Joplin or her reincarnate on the opening two tracks. Then, she comes right back and sucker-punches you with one of the few close-to-blues tracks “Milkman” on track 3, giving a smoldering vocal along with the in-the-pocket musicianship of this really tight band.

The next real hint at blues comes with “Out of Memphis” with the vocals being handled by back-up singer Wendy Gossett. Gossett gives the rollicking piano justice as you can feel yourself start to boogie woogie right along.

Youngren again helms the mast after that point, with some tracks that kind of run together with the rest. However, track 7 “I’ll See You Again” reaches down to some great southern gospel, and demonstrates some of the most heartfelt writing on the entire disc. Youngren and the band wrote all track on this disc, and in that respect, deserve great credit. The Slip-tones are just oozing with talent, but this effort doesn’t overly demonstrate their blues roots. For a rock crowd, they would be fantastic, especially in the veins of Janis Joplin, Ana Popovic or Joanna Connor, among others. Though deeply progressive blues, this band has some great horizons in store for it when it finds its true identity amongst many of the blues rock bands of today.You can purchase the CD at CD Baby or BandVillage.com.

To Purchase this CD on CD Baby- CLICK HERE.

Click HERE for More reviews and interviews

 Chicago Blues Update

Live Blues reviews by Chicago Blues editor Lordy

Blues Beat: Chicago, Thursday August 4, 2007 (Photos by August Lord)

Toronzo Cannon & the Cannonball Express lit up The Harlem Avenue Lounge on this Friday evening.  Free parking and a six dollar cover get you into the best blues venue in the Chicago suburbs.  This won’t be your dining destination, unless you want chips or popcorn, but there is a White Castle right next door, and they get my scotch on the rocks just right.

The acoustics are great and the elevated stage is visible from just about any seat in the bar.  Barkeeper Kenny Z features top-notch artists in the very talented Chicago blues circuit, every weekend and most weekdays.  If you’re in the area, this place is about as close to a sure thing as you can get. 

Left hander Toronzo brings several axes, but my favorite is the Gibson Flying V.  The V on a lefty reminds me of one of my favorites, legend Albert King.  The difference is Zo has his guitars strung correctly.  Toronzo was accompanied by guitarist Matthew James, drummer Greg Haar and his usual bassist Goji Tanabe.  Toronzo mixes and matches blues idioms to come up with some fresh arrangements that are still true blues.  Toronzo shows some influence from that other lefty, Jimi.  To demonstrate his on-the-fly versatility, he took one song from Alabama (Sweet Home Alabama) to the Islands (reggae beat) and back, all within the blues context.  While he did play under his leg and with his tongue, he did not ignite his instrument.  Between songs is never a dead space with Cannon, as he is either setting up the next song, or engaging the crowd with a comment, story, or “now we’re going to do something like this here….” 

I got to the bar early to meet NBC about the state of the blues in our fair city.  The subject always gets me going, but I still had enough in me to take in three blazing sets of Toronzo Cannon.  Before I knew it, it was closing time.  Damn.  -  Lordy

For more Chicago live Blues information  Click HERE to visit Lordy's website at ChicagoBluesBeat.com  To see more pictures by Lordy from this show CLICK HERE

If you know of a Chicago Blues event or news, please send it to

Featured Blues Events


Quad-Cities "only Blues" venue!

3303 Brady St. Davenport, Iowa  * MAP *  (563) 324-4619

Reverend Raven & the Chain Smokin' Altar Boys

Thursday, August 16, 2007 - 8:30 - FREE Show!

Friday, August 17 Jack Wessels Band  5:00 p.m.  Wade Braggs and Blueluck 9:00 p.m.  Sunday, August 19 Jack Wessels Blues Jam 5:00 p.m.  Steady Rolling Blues Band 8:00 p.m.

7th Annual

August 23-25, 2007

The Longbranch, Winton, MN - DIRECTIONS

Thursday, August 23

7:00 Both Barrels

9:00 PM Scottie Miller and the Re-Uptake Inhibitors

Friday, August 24

3:00 PM  Scottie Miller and the Re-Uptake Inhibitors

5:00 PM Reverend Raven and the Chain Smokin' Alter Boys

7:00 PM Jason Ricci & New Blood

9:00 PM Shawn Kellerman

Saturday, August 25

1:00 PM Lisa Wenger

3:00 PM  Johnny Rawls

5:00 PM  Diunna Greenleaf and Blue Mercy

7:00 PM Paul Mayasich With Benderheads

9:00 PM Anthony Gomes

For more information call 218 365-2440     www.elyblues.com

Downtown Springfield & The Illinois Central Blues Club present

Old Capitol Blues & BBQ

August 25, 2007 11:am to Midnight
Fifth & Washington Streets - Downtown Springfield, IL
2 Stages, 15 Bands, Admission is just $5

Neuhoff Media Main Stage

3:00pm Cephas & Wiggins

5:00pm Little Rachel & the Rhythm Busters

7:30pm Zac Harmon

9:30pm Sonny Landreth

Illinois Central Blues Club Stage

Illinois Central Blues Challenge - 10 Bands competing

11:00 Red Light Blues Band

11:30 Sofa Kings

12:00 Groove Daddies

12:30 Darrien Saffron & the Soul Sensations

1:00 The Rich Fabec Band

1:30 Texas Groove

2:00 The Blu Tonz

2:30 Pleasure Chest Blues Band

3:00 The Low Down Blues Band

3:30 Frank Herrin's Blues Power

4:00pm Bill Lupkin & the Chicago Blues Coalition  w/ Willie "Big Eyes" Smith

Glenn Kaiser

Christian Blues
August 31st, 2007 7:00p.m
Glen Oak Park Pavilion - 2200 Prospect Peoria, IL
Sponsored by Peoria Outreach Center Church

To see what Christian Blues sounds like, CLICK HERE

For more information call 309 676-1100

All roads lead to Sun Prairie for the 1st Annual

Sun Prairie Blues Fest

Angell Park, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

Saturday, September 8, 2007 Noon to 10:00 p.m.

Featuring

Wayne Baker Brooks

Shari Davis & the Hootchy-Kootchy Band

Tate’s and the 008 Blues Band

Queenie and the Blue Cats

The Cashbox Kings

Paul Flipowicz Blues Band

Tickets: $10.00 in advance / $15.00 at the gate

For Complete Information and schedule CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE to visit Festival website!

500 N Campbell Ave  Springfield, MO

Friday, September 7, 2007

6:30PM  Aunt Kizzy'z Boyz

8:00PM  Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials

9:30PM Joe Bonamassa

Saturday, September 8, 2007

1:00PM The Cate Brothers (Reunion)

3:00PM Lara Price Band

5:00PM Anthony Gomes

7:00PM Leon Russell

9:00PM  North Mississippi All Stars

CLICK HERE for Ticket Info   * Map *

 Festival Website: http://www.greaterozarksbluesfest.com

 Featured Blues Advertisers

South Side Cindy & The Slip Tones

Newest CD

Mighty Mighty

CLICK HERE to Purchase this CD

Dave's Blues Radio Show
Tuesdays - 11:30am to 2:00pm
Playing Blues, R&B, Gospel music from 1935 to 1970's
on WEFT 90.1fm www.weft.org
 Requests? - dwright@ntslink.net  

 

MALKUM GIBSON and THE MIGHTY JUKE

"REAL BLUES.......REAL HOT"
Our CD's - "HooDoo Blues" & "Its Gonna Be Alright

Top 100 CD's list April, May, June in Real Blues Magazine

Mr. B.B. King said of Malkum"THis guy is marvelous. He has a rare talent".    "solid blues.. the whole band plays with good energy.. good harp tone"  Bruce Iglauer Alligator Records

Performing Coast to Coast  Booking  by - Village Music  513-305-5931
 villagemusiccenter@yahoo.com
Oh Whata' Records
 www.handlebarproductions.com

www.myspace.com/malkumgibsonandthemightyjuke

 Blues Society News

Call for Blues Performers

The West Virginia Blues Society is calling for Blues bands and solo/duo blues acts to compete for cash prizes and WVBS sponsorship to the Blues Foundation's International Blues Challenge held every year in Memphis, Tennessee.

The Appalachian Blues Competition will be conducted October 6, 2007 at the Holiday Inn-Charleston House Hotel in Charleston, WV.  The West Virginia Blues Society has 18 competition slots to be filled by regional blues acts from all over West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and other states. As the competition grows, so does the level of talent. If your band has the Mojo this could be your ticket to Memphis for the Big Show. This is the ONLY Blues Talent Competition in West Virginia recognized by the Blues Foundation. So, tune up and show up with your best Blues.

While the competition cannot be considered a purely "amateur" contest, the goal of The International Blues Challenge is to seek out the best "undiscovered" Blues band and the best "undiscovered" solo/duo Blues performer in the United State and beyond. The IBC is a real opportunity for discovery to musicians that are truly unknown and unsigned to a record company.

The International Blues Challenge in Memphis is restricted to acts representing an affiliated organization of the Blues Foundation, of which WVBS is one.  The IBC is the largest gathering of blues bands in the world (around 150) and has evolved into the Nation's most respected showcase for Blues musicians ready to take their act to the national stage. Each affiliate of The Blues Foundation has the right to send a band or a solo/duo act to represent the organization at the IBC Semi-Finals on world famous Beale Street in Memphis. The list of blues greats that have competed in the IBC over the years is impressive indeed: Slick Ballinger, Michael Burks, Tommy Castro, Albert Cummings, Delta Moon, Larry Gardner, Dianna Greenleaf, Zac Harmon, Richard Johnston, Matthew Skoller, Susan Tedeschi, John Weston and Michelle Wilson. Musicians from around the world have commented that just getting the chance to play on historic Beale Street is worth the trip.

The first-place winner of Blues Competition will receive $750 dollars in cash and WVBS sponsorship to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in early 2008, where they can gain valuable exposure to record label A&R representatives Blues industry professionals, and festival promoters capable of providing real career advancement for a serious blues musician. The second place winner will receive $200 in cash and third-place winner will receive $100 in cash. The big winners, however, are the Blues fans who enjoy a day of Blues entertainment.

Winners at The International Blues Challenge in Memphis,  the city considered by many as the home of the Blues and the birthplace of Rock 'n Roll, receive cash and prizes such as professional consultations and assistance, gigs at some of the country's best festivals, interviews in the world's leading Blues publications, free website design and hosting, and even a slot on the "2009 Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise."

CONTACT PERSON FOR COMPETITION PARTICIPANTS: Complete information, application & rules are available online at  http://www.wvbluessociety.org/appalachian_blues_band_competiti.

Deadline for application submission is September 1, 2007. For more information contact Competition Director, Jack Rice at 304-389-1439 or e-mail: bkravenhawk@hotmail.com or Assistant Competition Director, Steve Criner at 304-549-2486 or e-mail: stephencriner@yahoo.com

ABOUT WVBS:  The West Virginia Blues Society is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and preserving the history and heritage of Blues music as an American art form through education, activities and events.

Send your Society's BIG news or Press Release to: 

 Blues Fans & Friends Submissions

August 8 - December
Special exhibit in honor of the Sunflower Festival - Photos of contemporary Blues artists from around the USA by photographer/Blues writer: Gary Eckart.

A limited edition of these photographed, numbered and signed by the photographer will be for sale at:

Rock 'n Roll and Blues Museum
113 East 2nd St. Clarksdale Ms. 38104
901-605-8662
www.rockmuseum.biz

 Blues Want Ads

Blues writers, journalists and photographers wanted in most major markets

Write, edit or produce for a national music company. Recent grads and college students welcome. Low/no pay, long hours! (This is the Blues after all!) Advanced experience opportunities. Internship possibilities for for college students in media, radio & television, communication, marketing, public relations or music degree programs. Contact: 
 

 Place Your Blues Want Ad for Free

Place your WANT AD here for FREE. Buy or sell, musicians wanted, gigs wanted etc. Limit 500 words. One ad per week will be randomly selected to appear in the Blues Blast.

 Send your ad submission to

 

 Mojo Street Teams

Do you enjoy listening to Blues CD's and telling others about how great they were? Do you go to live Blues shows and want to share the great music you hear? Want to help "Keep The Blues Alive" in YOUR backyard?

IllinoisBlues.com is looking to find a few good Blues folk for our new Mojo Street Teams. We are seeking Blues news, reviews, photos, interviews, videos and commentary to share on our site with other Blues fans everywhere. Our  street teams will help promote Blues in YOUR backyard by letting the world know about events in YOUR area.

 

If you are a Blues fan, photo journalist, writer, musician or just a plain ole Joe, please email us today at  

Live Blues Calendar
 

 Performance dates were submitted by Musicians, Club Owners, Blues Societies and Blues festivals.

IllinoisBlues.com is not responsible for errors or omissions.

CLICK HERE - for the Latest Complete Blues Calendar on our website at: IllinoisBlues.com.


or click a state to see Blues shows by State

Alabama  Arkansas  Indiana  Illinois  Iowa  Kansas  Kentucky  Michigan 
Minnesota  Mississippi   Missouri  Okalahoma  Ohio  Pennsylvania  Tennessee  Texas  Wisconsin  Other

 Submit your blues performances for FREE at: http://www.illinoisblues.com/submitnews.htm

 

 Advertise with IllinoisBlues.com

Click Here to become A proud sponsor of IllinoisBlues.com                                  Advertise in the Blues with IllinoisBlues.com

llinoisBlues.com covers Blues all over the US - NOT just in Illinois!

You can post your festivals and performance dates on our website for FREE at:

http://www.illinoisblues.com/submitnews.htm

 

If you list your performance dates they will go to thousands of Blues fans in the next Blues Blast emails. They will also be listed on the Blues Shows page at http://www.illinoisblues.com/bluesshows.htm 

IllinoisBlues.com also offers paid/sponsored advertising for Festivals and Club Owners, Recording Companies and Performers selling their own music or performances. We can put your Blues advertisement on our homepage at: http://www.illinoisblues.com  either as a sponsored event or as a featured event, product, recording or merchandise .

We have a very large and growing email list of Blues Fans, Musicians, Club Owners, Blues Societies and Festival Promoters all over the Central US. We send out weekly Blues Blasts of Blues events and news. With paid advertising we can feature your event or product in these emails. Our website is new and is growing fast. We are getting an enormous amount of visitors and hits. Our rates are very reasonable.

Kick your MOJO into High Gear
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