All news BLUES in the US!
All news BLUES in the US!
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Your Blues Internet Magazine |
September 25, 2007 |
© 2007 IllinoisBlues.com
News, reviews, live Blues show links AND MUCH MORE at Bottom! - Scroll Down!
Hey Blues fans,
Last week was a great week for live Blues in the Midwest. There was Bryan Lee at the NV Ultra Lounge in Normal, IL on Thursday. CLICK HERE to see pictures!
Also there was Bobby Rush at the Unity Fest in Rock Island, IL along with an opening act that included Hal Reed, Donald Kinsey and Maestro Sanders (Formerly with Koko Taylor in the 1970's). What a show that one was. IllinoisBlues.com was there and has photos. CLICK HERE to see the fun!
Ok so summer is over but the season for Blues is NOT. This weekend brings the Oktoberfest Blues Night in La Crosse, WI, the Fall Wine & Blues Fest in Hannibal, MO, the Island Splash in Houston, Texas, the Mid-Atlantic Blues and Music Festival in Atlantic City, NJ, the Botany Blues Festival in Clifton, NJ, the San Francisco Blues Festival in CA, the Adams Avenue Street Fair in San Diego, CA, the Benton RockNblues Blowout in Benton, IL and Mark Hummel at Paddy O'Flaherty's in Morton, Illinois next Tuesday, October 2nd (See info below) Support Live Blues near you by attending one of these events!
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Featured Blues Events
Tuesday October 2nd, 2007
Best Western Ashland House
201 Ashland Ave, Morton, IL
309 266-6919
"The Queen of the Blues"
Koko Taylor
October 19, 2007
The New Lafayette Club
1602 South Main Street
Bloomington, IL (309) 828-1212
w/ opening act FunKrazy Band
Tickets $22 in advance, $27 day of show
Tickets available at
www.ticketweb.com,
The New Lafayette Club
and Growing Grounds(309) 827-4343 in Bloomington, IL
3207 N University Peoria Il 61604
Located in the Community Bingo Building
309-681-1241
Upcoming Shows
Quad-Cities "only Blues" venue!
3303 Brady St. Davenport, Iowa * MAP * (563) 324-4619
Friday, 9/28
5:00 p.m. Jack Wessels Band
9:00 p.m. Chris Avey Band
Sunday, 9/30
5:00 p.m. Jack Wessels Blues Jam
8:00 p.m. Steady Rolling
Blues Band
Blues Society News
The Mississippi Valley Blues Society
Last Call for Artist Submissions for 2008 MVBS Blues Festival
Solicitations deadline for Blues artists wishing to perform at the 2008 IH Mississippi Valley Blues fest is September 30, 2007. CDs and promo material must be received by September 30. Mail to: MVBS, Entertainment Committee, 102 S. Harrison St., Davenport IA 52801. Submissions will be kept on file for two years.
Free Blues in the Schools Workshop for Musicians and Educators
Attention Musicians! Internationally-renowned Blues Educator Hawkeye Herman and the MVBS present a FREE workshop: "How to Get Involved in Blues in the Schools" Saturday 6 October from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. (one hour break for lunch on your own). Walk-ins welcome, but early registration is encouraged by calling 563-32-BLUES
Fall Ball October 7, 2007
The annual FALL BALL will be held October 7, 2007at the
Mackinaw Valley Vineyard
33633 Illinois 9, Mackinaw,
IL from Noon to 7:00 P.M. The event features Guitar wizard
Shawn Kellerman and
Guitarist,
singer and songwriter James Armstrong
There will be a Harmonica Workshop, Raffles, and A Classic Car show. Beer and
wines will be available at Mackinaw Valley as well as food from several food
vendors. For information call (309) 359-9463
Solo/Duo Blues Challenge
The Illinois Central Blues Club will be conducting its first Solo/Duo Blues Challenge on November 3, 2007 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Alamo, located at 115 N. 5th St., Springfield, IL. The winner will receive $200 in travel monies to represent the Club at the Blues Foundation International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN during February 2008. Entries must be received by Monday, October 15, 2007 Complete challenge rules and info available at: http://www.icbluesclub.org. Questions? Contact Mark Edmiston, at 217 622-0340 e-mail markredmiston@msn.com , or Charlotte A. Montgomery 217 899-9840
Blue Mondays for October (sponsored by Illinois Central Blues Club )
The Alamo 115 N 5th St, Springfield, IL (217) 523-1455 8:30pm $2 cover
October 1 - Mark Hummel October 8 - Shawn Kellerman October 15 - Kilborn Alley
October 22 - Bill Lupkin October 29 - Springfield Shakey
Send your Society's BIG news or Press Release to:
Blues Link of the Week
Fender Guitar Players Club Website - Blues Page
http://www.fenderplayersclub.com/home/blues.htm
This is a page on the Fenders Players Club website. This site feature all kinds of information for guitarists and bass players. It features beginning to advanced lessons in both guitar and bass in many styles of music including Blues. It also includes information and advice on making a demo, booking gigs, setting the intonation on your guitar and settiing up a PA for a band. If you are a musician there is something for you here for FREE. Also play Jazz, Country or Rock? It's all 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 Radio - Streaming Link of the Week
A World Of Blues from Garden Valley, Ca is a new Blues site offering you 24/7 Streaming Blues on the World Wide Web. After listening for several hours we were really impressed with their music selection. They have both Live DJ shows and canned streams depending on the time of day. Check this one out! Click Here to to go directly to the stream.
Check out other great Blues Music Streams Click HERE
Other IMPORTANT News Help Save the music! CLICK HERE to Keep Blues Radio Alive!
Blues Reviews of the Week!
James “Skyy Dobro” Walker , noted Blues writer and IllinoisBlues.com contributor reviews the new CD from Big James and the Chicago Playboys -Thank God I’ve Got The Blues
Big
James and the Chicago Playboys
Thank God I’ve Got The Blues
Jamont Music
www.bigjames.com
By James “Skyy Dobro” Walker
14 songs; 68:54 minutes; Highly Recommended
How many blues bands do you know in which the leader and singer plays a trombone, not a guitar, harmonica, or saxophone? None? You can now drop the “N” from “none” to leave “One.”
And, make that a BIG one, as in Chicago’s Big James Montgomery and his super back up band, the Chicago Playboys.
People always say the backup band was “tight.” Listen, the Chicago Playboys are tighter than a gnat’s ass stretched over a rain barrel! Joining James’ trombone is long time band-regular Charlie Kimble on saxophone while stalwart Kenny Anderson is a studio guest on trumpet and arrangements. Guitar fans fear not; Mike “Priest” Wheeler provides plenty of hot leads throughout while Larry “L-Dub” Williams plays lead-worthy bass. Cleo “Vette” Cole drums beside Joe “Goldie” Blocker on lead and rhythm keyboards. Joanna Connor provides guest slide guitar on a surprising arrangement of “Forever and Ever, Amen” popularized by Country music great, Randy Travis.
Recently featured in a six page article in Living Blues magazine, Big James is a three time winner of the Living Blues Critic’s choice award. He earned his way playing with Little Milton, Albert King, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy, and others. This album, like his live shows, blends a vital mix of blues, R&B, funk, and soul into his own fresh sound. Purchasing this advance copy at an August show is the best money I have spent for two months!
In addition to the surprise cover of “Forever and Ever, Amen,” James sings his heart out on the old Journey song “Lovin,’ Touchin,’ Squeezin’” here listed as “LTS Blues.” It will have you singing the “na-na-na-na-na” chorus one more time.
Best standouts are originals, the title tack, “What It is...,” and “Make It Do What It Do.” For great slow blues, try original “I’m Done This Time” with Wheeler’s guitar healing the blind. Best dance number is “Trying To Live My Life Without You” popularized by O.V. Wright, Otis Clay, Johnny Rivers, and Bob Seger.
As Big James always says, “If you don’t know, now you know!”
Click HERE for More reviews and interviews
Chicago Blues Update
Live Blues reviews by Chicago Blues editor Lordy
Blues Beat: Chicago, Friday September 21, 2007 (Photos by August Lord)
Tommy McCracken & Force of Habit
The Blues Island Pub 2100 W. Vermont
Blue Island, IL 60406
Singer
Tommy McCracken brought his Force of Habit Band to the Blues Island Pub Friday
night.
Band leaders and singers in this genre frequently bring an instrument to the
stage. Usually, it is a guitar, but many times it is a harp, keyboard, or drums.
If Tommy McCracken plays an instrument other than his voice he didn’t bring it
on stage.
McCracken is a very good singer who happens to be in the blues genre. With only a microphone as his prop, McCracken’s voice is sometimes sweet (Bobby Bland) and sometimes a bit edgier (James Brown), but always good. Tommy’s voice is a very capable medium for all the expression blues music needs, whether is clean vibrato or pops and growls.
The audio part of the night was backed by his bandleader/singer/guitarist Bob Johnson, guitarist Jethro Sills and drummer Bob Pasenko. The night had a visual component as well. McCracken keeps his tall frame in motion cutting Elvis-like silhouettes and doing James Brown spins.
He may just stand tall with long arms and fingers heaven-ward, pause in a deep bow, or test his band’s dynamics with a conductor’s arm movements as if he were playing with their collective volume knob. The band must be alert because there are no regular endings to his songs. I found myself appreciating not only his singing voice, but his obvious desire to entertain. He can shout like the others when the song calls for it, but he can sing better than most, and delivers top-notch professional entertainment.
CLICK HERE to visit Lordy's website at ChicagoBluesBeat.com
To see a Chicago Area list of upcoming events CLICK HERE
If you know of a Chicago Blues event or
news,
please send it to
Featured Blues Advertisers
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
Blues Fans & Friends Submissions
Friends of the Blues Kankakee, IL - EARLY Shows Series
7:00 PM Wednesday, Oct 17
Too Slim And The Taildraggers-
Brandon Casey’s Bradley, IL
Blues Want Ads
For Sale
Hammond organ with leslie for the real blues sound...only $850...we can deliver for $$ contact Rob tyedyetheatre@hotmail.com
Musicians Wanted
Female delta Blues guitarist/songwriter seeking rhythm guitarist (slide a plus), and harpist for recording & blues festivals. Chicago suburb. Serious inquiries only. judy4blues@yahoo.com
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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.
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