Loose Blues News
You
hear the term all too often but Bobby "Blue" Bland (right) is
truly legendary. He plays the Silver Dollar Room on Thursday, Jan 16 with two
shows, 8:30pm & 10:30pm. He is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,
The Blues Foundation’s Hall of Fame and has received Lifetime Achievement
Awards from the Blues Foundation and the Grammys and is generally recognized as
America’s greatest living blues singer. David Owen will be opening with
a solo acoustic set. $40 at the door ($35. advance) and worth every penny.
Awards next month: The East Coast Music Awards will be held in Halifax on February 13 -16, 2003. Nominations for Blues Artist/Group include Charlie A'Court (who is also nominated for new artist/group), Shirley Jackson & Her Good Rockin' Daddys, Ian Janes, the Boyer Band, and Peter Narvaez. Charlie A'Court and Shirley Jackson will also be performing at the event.
Anniversaries: Last month, the Wirkin Firkins - Steve Grisbrook, Gary Kendall, Mike Fitzpatrick, Rod Phillips, and Chuck Jackson - celebrated their second anniversary of Sunday night jams at the The Goose and Firkin', 1875 Leslie (just south of the 401).
Health News: Canadian blues legend Rick Jeffery has received his much needed lung transplant, and is doing well. He is even releasing a new CD in 2003! In the past, many have been fortunate to see Rick play in Dutch Mason's older band line-up. Rick remains one of Canada's best harmonica players, as well as a great singer
We remember: Dave "Snaker" Ray: Dave Ray, of Koerner, Ray & Glover, died in his sleep on November 28, 2002, following his diagnosis with lung cancer last spring. He continued performing up to the end.
Seasonal Altruism: The Swingin' Blackjacks played the 3rd Annual Musicians for the Toronto Humane Society last month at The Vox Restaurant & Club, 474 Adelaide St. East (at Ontario St.), where information on the Toronto Humane Society and pet adoption programs was also available.
The December Benefit at L'Arte resulted in a container of food stuffed to the brim for the hungry people of Toronto, and an auction and other donations raised an additional $429.00 for the Daily Bread Food Bank. Performers included Julian Fauth, Ken Yoshioka, and Toshiki Tsukada, with surprise guest Doc Mclean. The jam lasted well past 3 a.m.
Gary 17's Christmas Solstice party at Healey's last month raised six big boxes of food for the Daily Bread Food Bank. House band Midnite Walk (Rod Phillips, Steve Grisbrook, Garth Vogan and Terry Martel) performed, and backed "a panoply of singers and players" that included Virgil Scott, Michael Keys, Max Brand, Kat Lovett & Robert J. Parker of Kat House, Frank Cosentino and Gord X, Lance Anderson, Paul James, three members of Amy Squire, Jon Knight, Laura Hubert & Peter Hill, Penny Skolski, Gene Hardy, Paul Sweete, Tony "Wild T" Springer and his bass player Guenther Kapelle, Suzie McNeil, Chris Perra, Janice Dudar and Aida Presley. There were also"mini-sets" by Cottonmouth, Brian Gladstone and Tony Quarrington, Sebastian Agnello, the David Bacha Band and Shannon Fayth and her band. Many others musicians were on hand offering to perform, including Danny Marks who graciously gave up stage time to others; Although the event went past 2:40 a.m., even nearly six hours of stage time wasn't enough to allow everyone to perform.
Urgence Noël 2002: Last month Montreal blues artists and other performers presented a benefit at the Medley, to support Moisson Montréal. Performers included Bob Walsh, Mr. Blue Steel, Dawn Tyler Watson, Bob Harrisson, Carl Tremblay & Wemotachi Red Brothers, JD Slim, Kenny Dupree, Steve Rowe, Emmanuelle Julien, Line Bernard, and Jim Zeller.
You Go, Girl!: Deborah Cartmer of Eclectic Blues on
Brock Radio reports that "after a gruelling 6 months, I am happy to finally
report that CFBU 103.7 FM will be going back
on air: the Brock student union agreed to return the station's assets. I
would like to say a very sincere "Thank
You" to all the musicians, labels, promoters and fans who stood by us through
this very difficult period. Your continued support meant a great deal to those
of us in the trenches. And yes, it is now safe to send your CDs!"
Blind Pig Recording artist Bill Perry, (right) one of the
best of the new generation of blues players, will be
playing The Silver Dollar Room on Saturday, February 8.
"Rez Bluez" on CBC Radio One. Last month the second segment of "The Aboriginal Music Experience" of "Rez Bluez" aired, and explored the hidden history, and musical truth of Native peoples and the origins of the blues.
A bluesman by any other name will still play as sweet: In Canada, David Wilcox has had a long, gold-and-platinum rewarded career, and is a renowned live artist, but in the United States he remains unknown. In part that's because there is a David Wilcox in America already - a fine singer-songwriter from Ohio who's long been a fixture on the acoustic music/folk circuits. That's why the Canadian David Wilcox will be known as David K. Wilcox south of the 49th Parallel when his first CD - Rockin' The Boogie on Stony Plain - is released in the U.S. February 25, with Navarre distributing. It's a compilation of some of the best of his blues `n' boogie material released in Canada over the last 20 years, plus three great new songs produced by Colin Linden. Check www.davidwilcoxrocks.com.
Next month, Michael Pickett will be sharing the bill with Nashville's prolific singer/songwriter Alan Rhody at The Rudyard Kipling in Louisville, KY, before heading to Nashville to showcase his acoustic talents at the Folk Alliance Conference, where Michael Jerome Browne will also be showcasing.
NorthernBlues News: Fred Litwin announces that, at the end of January, NorthernBlues Music will be releasing the next Harry Manx CD, Jubilee, which is a collaboration with Kevin Breit. Jubilee is a mixture of blues, jazz, country, and South Asian music, and has some interesting covers including Jimi Hendrix's `Voodoo Child', and the Doobie Brothers' `Takin' it to the Streets', as well as some Harry Manx and Kevin Breit originals. Fred advises that 2003 "will be an incredible year, our upcoming releases are incredible. You can read more at www.northernblues.com, and we'll be making a special announcement at the upcoming Blues Summit in Toronto at the end of January."
Peter's Players: Peter Swanek presents more blues north of the GTA, with a series of three shows in Newmarket at The Long Weekend, 81 Davis Drive (under Persecchini's Fitness Club). On January 11 it's the Dylan Wickens Band, on February 8, Paul Reddick + the Sidemen, and, on March 1, Jack de Keyzer.
Grand River Blues Society: Anyone along the Grand River, such as KW, Cambridge, Elora/Fergus, or Brantford, who supports the blues, can contact Kevin Doyle at k.doyle8574@rogers.com.
Cameo Blues Band CD Launch: Make It Real Records presented a performance by the Cameos last month in Toronto, featuring tunes from their new CD All Play and No Work. Ray Harrison put the band together in 1978, and they were the house band at the venerable Hotel Isabella. Three Downchild Blues Band singers have fronted the Cameos, including their current singer Chuck Jackson, as well as Hock Walsh and Tony Flaim. The current band also includes Ray Harrison on keyboards, producer Lance Anderson, John Bride on guitar, Michael Sloski on drums, and Tom Griffiths on bass. The new CD also features vocal performances by Cameo alumni John Dickie, Malcolm Tomlinson, and Walter Zwol. Guest performers include Fred Keeler (guitar), Michael Fonfara (organ, piano) and Terry Blersh (guitar).
Stickmen CD release: The debut CD by The Stickmen, Side One, was released last month at the Orbit Room, 580A College St. in Toronto. The CD is all original material of the Stickmen's New Orleans funk (or, as they refer to it, swampboogiestankfunk). The Stickmen are Bernie LaBarge on guitar and vocals, Brent Barkman on Hammond B3, Gene Falbo on bass, and Jim Casson on drums. Side One is available at www.iridescentmusic.ca/stickmen.html.
Ottawa Bluesfest Booted: Mark Monahan, Executive Director of the Cisco Systems Bluesfest, advises that the NCC (the National Capital Commission) has booted the Bluesfest out of Confederation park, which accounted for roughly half of its space at last year's festival. According to a newspaper story, there were complaints from the jazz festival, which was on the following weekend, including that the site was left dirty. The NCC claims that having two festivals too close together violates their rule about having sufficient "grieving time" between events. The NCC has decided that the Ottawa Bluesfest will no longer be welcome in Confederation Park. The festival organizers are asking for support. The decision was made without public consultation, and they feel that a show of community support may assist the NCC to reconsider. Comments can be forwarded to Marcel Beaudry, chairman of the National Capital Commission, mbeaudry@ncc-ccn.ca, and should be copied to Mr. Mac Harb, M.P. (Ottawa Centre), harb.m@parl.gc.ca, Hon. Sheila Copps, Minister of Canadian Heritage, sheila_copps@pch.gc.ca, and Hon. John Manley, M.P. (Ottawa South) Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, jmanley@fin.gc.ca. More information on this decision is available at www.ottawa-bluesfest.ca, or in the Ottawa Citizen front page article of December 13th, www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/story.
Ronnie Earl Stony Plain Debut: The first release under the new contract between Stony Plain and guitarist Ronnie Earl is due in February. I Feel Like Goin' On will be released in Canada in mid-February, and on February 25 in the U.S. (via Navarre) and around the world. It's an instrumental outing, with the exception of a single vocal from Boston's Silver Leaf Gospel Singers on "Mary Don't You Weep." Earl says it's his favourite studio recording of the dozen-odd CDs he's released since leaving Roomful of Blues in the late '80s. The two-time W.C. Handy Award winner can be checked out at www.ronnieearl.com.
Guitar Duet Reprise: The critical and sales success of the Stony Plain release Conversations in Swing Guitar, the set of duets between Duke Robillard and Herb Ellis, is being followed up by MORE Conversations in Swing Guitar, desribed as another offering for all guitar fans, whether blues or jazz.
Close blues encounters of the celebrity kind: Jay McShann, the Kansas City pioneer who's still active at age 87, was recently flown to California by actor/director Clint Eastwood, who is preparing an instalment of an upcoming blues series that will be seen on the PBS-TV network - the blues "answer", if you will, to Ken Burns' celebrated jazz series. The actor, incidentally, played a four-handed piano duet with McShann for the documentary. Jay McShann will be releasing a new recording, Goin' to Kansas City on Stony Plain in the spring, which will also feature special guests Maria Muldaur, Johnnie Johnson, and Duke Robillard. The new release is produced by Stony Plain head honcho Holger Petersen.
"Howlin' For Hubert Sumlin": 71 year-old Hubert Sumlin, legendary blues guitarist (Howlin' Wolf), has recently undergone surgery to remove a cancerous lung. The other lung is described as satisfactory. Sumlin , now 71, had continued to play until as recently as July, on a U.K. tour with David Maxwell on keyboards. The "Howlin' for Hubert" benefit concert, with proceeds to assist Sumlin with his medical expenses, will be performed at B.B. King's club, 237 West 42nd St. in New York City, on Wednesday January 22nd, at 8 p.m. Performers include Maxwell on keys and Levon Helm on drums, with Shemekia Copeland on vocals, Jon Paris (Johnny Winter Band), Michael Hill's Mob, David Johansen, Marc Ribot, and Jimmy Vivino, among other special guests. Tickets are US$30, and are available at Ticketmaster (in Toronto, 416-870-8000), or at B.B. King's Box Office (no service charge), 212-997-4144, 10 a.m. to midnight
"Friendly French Blues": "My name is Xavier, and I live in south of France. I have a great Blues involvement in France. I write chronicles on a web zine, I play a radio show every week on Tuesday evening, I'm a member of different French Blues Awards, and of course I run a lot of miles for Blues Concerts. Blues Music is not my job, just a big passion. I hope to discover the Canadian Blues or Northern Blues. Xavier, www.deltablues.fr.st, Live tous les mardis à 1930, Rediff tous les dimanches à 1930".
Blues Etc.: A new digital blues magazine, monthly via email, free from Bahia Blanca Argentina, debuted last month. Created by Leandro Crisafulli and Pablo Piñeiro (lamazafmtop@yahoo.com.ar), the zine includes bios, reviews, news, interviews, links, and more. The editors are also the hosts of Blues etc., a blues radio show which airs on Sundays from 2200 to 0100 on 104.3 FM TOP. Piñeiro is also the creator, host and producer of LA MAZA, a rock and blues radio show on Saturdays from 2100 to 0030, and he also appears with Pablo Fucile on Encrucijada on Sundays from 2000 to 2200. TOP FM is the only alternative radio in Bahia Blanca, and features diverse musical styles including rock, metal, gothic, hardcore, rock&roll, R&B, and blues. For the digital blues magazine, email bbetc2002@yahoo.com.ar.
- Julie Hill
Toronto Blues Society Copyright _ 2003