Members' Update
Snail Mail: Internet users disdainfully refer to postal delivery as "snail mail", as in it is ridiculously slow compared to email. The TBS has tried to be
as zippy as we can be here in the 21st century. We've launched a good website, an email discussion group, and if you're holding some paper in your hand,
you're familiar with our Maple Blues mag. (Not everyone will be holding this text in their hands.)
After many grumbles from the jungle of blues fans in our membership over delayed and mucked up postal delivery, we plan to revert back to a more reliable approach. Some years ago we developed an "ad mail" rate with the post office that allowed us to mail Maple Blues to our membership and to music industry folk for a reasonable rate. We no longer feel our membership can live with anything but "first class" postal delivery. That means that Charter Members will be receiving their Maple Blues in an envelope, a few days after it has been mailed as opposed to the irregular delivery that we have witnessed in recent times. If you have been thinking of upgrading your General Membership to Charter, this would be a good time to cut the cheque. Please let us know if you've received your Maple Blues in a timely fashion.
Blues Boosterism: The 3rd Annual Maple Blues Awards takes place at the Pheonix Concert Theatre on Tuesday, February 8. Tickets are going fast and it looks like the family gathering of blues fans and artists will be taking it up another notch. Each year our venue has increased in size, and our programming has been stepped up. Gary Kendall has offered to host a select crew of musicians to perform pre-show, during the show, and in the ultimate jam that follows. Special guest artists Big Dave McLean (Winnipeg) and Sue Foley (Ottawa) will help enrich an evening anchored by CTV talk talent, Mike Bullard and presenters Holger Petersen (CBC Radio) and John Valenteyn (CJRT).
The official "Blues Booster" award will be assigned to none other that the producer of Fredericton's Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival,
Brent Staeben.