Loose Blues News
Mark Hummel and the Blues Survivors play the Silver Dollar Room September 19. The West Coast Blues Revue calls him "one of the top 3 to 5 living harp blowers."
Holger Petersen Honoured With Order of Canada: CBC Radio's Saturday Night Bluesman, and Stony Plain Records founder and president, Holger Petersen, has been appointed to the Order of Canada. The Order of Canada honours Canadians in all fields, and is the highest honour bestowed by the country for lifetime achievement. Only 4,000 Canadians have been appointed to the Order since it was established in 1967. Holger will be presented with the Order at a formal ceremony at Rideau Hall, home of Canada's Governor General, at a future date. The Citation reads, in part: "In 1976, Holger Petersen founded Stony Plain Records, an Edmonton-based recording and music publishing company. Since then the label has released hundreds of albums that have earned major Canadian music awards on several occasions, including Independent Record Company of the Year. A founder of the Edmonton's Folk Festival, he has been an industry builder who has created new outlets for Canadian talent to develop skills and increase visibility, nationally and internationally". Among other Canadians who work in the arts who were appointed in the semi-annual list are singers Gordon Lightfoot (promoted to Companion of the Order), Lennie Gallant and Wayne Rostad, trumpet star Maynard Ferguson, jazz arranger Ron Collier, and producer Jack , who gave the world the classic Guess Who and Alice Cooper records.
Rez Bluez Productions Invited to be a Partner in Year of the Blues: The Advisory Board of the Year of the Blues, as proclaimed by U.S. Congress, stated, "As per the most recent meeting of the Year of the Blues advisory board, we would like to welcome Rez Bluez Productions as a Year Of The Blues partner". Board members include B.B. King, Koko Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Barry Dolins (Chicago Blues Festival), Bruce Iglauer (Alligator Records), and Nick Spitzer (American Routes), among others. For more info: www.yearoftheblues.org. This honour acknowledges the work of Elaine Bomberry and Rez Bluez Productions, who state that "It will help to bring forth Native blues musicians and their music, and will help in our future Rez Bluez Projects as we begin to peel off some layers on early blues history, which has long over-looked the contribution of Native Americans to the development of the early blues". This history is explored in Part 2 on Rez Bluez, of the "The Aboriginal Music Experience", an award-winning radio documentary series, produced and hosted by Bomberry. Contact: rezbluez@hotmail.com.
Blues on Bellair Coda: The club closed last month. The final performer, Dylan Wickens, notes that "Although the alarm has been rung a couple times prematurely in the past, this really is it for the club. The Jermyns have handed the keys back to the landlord".
Walk of Fame: Numerous musical legends have made their home in the Peterborough area and Red Dog owner John Greco and other Peterborough residents are lobbying to include a "Walk of Fame" as part of the city's new renovation project along Hunter Street. Mayor Sylvia Sullivan has invited Neil Young to Peterborough to present him with the first "star" for the proposed Walk of Fame.
New Blues Radio: Long-time TBS member/volunteer Zoe Chilco is hosting a new two-hour blues program on a new community radio station in Haliburton County, 109 Canoe FM. Their music library is quite limited so musicians with CDs would be well advised to send their music to: Zoe Chilco, c/o Canoe FM, Box 1125, Haliburton, Ontario, K0M 1S0.
"The Texas Longhorn BBQ Bash": Last month, this Labatt's sponsored event forwarded proceeds to The Special Olympics, and featured performers Kat House, Sean Cotton, Michael Theodore, The Johnny Max Band, Frank Cosentino, David Bacha, and others.
Blues on The East Side: The Sixth Annual Blues on The East Side event will be held again at the L'il Big Horn Saloon in Cambridge, on Sunday, November 2, 2003, with proceeds supporting the Cambridge Association for the Mentally Handicapped.. Scheduled performers include Bernard Allison, Popa Chubby, Mel Brown and the Homewreckers, Maria Aurigema with the Livin' Blues Band, David Rotundo and the Blue Canadians, Jimmy Bowskill, and Daddy Long Legs. Door prizes include an electric guitar. Tickets are $30, at 519-623-7490 or www.bluesontheeastside.com.
Talkin' Some More Blues: Mako Funasaka's next seven "Talkin Blues" shows will air on Bravo television commencing on September 9 at 7:30 pm. www.talkinblues.com.
Swing Gang News: Every Sunday night at the Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas West in Toronto, the Swing Gang does its mix of jazz, blues and swing stylings. Recently, guest performers included young Jimmy Bowskill (www.jimmybowskill.com), and Jimmy's little sister, 10 year-old vocalist Stephanie. Before the band, there are free dance lessons at 7pm, taught by Jacqui and Arthur of BeesKnees.
Darrell Nulisch
(right) brought down the house when he closed the Beaches Jazz Festival this summer. For those that were left crying for more, heeee's
baaaack! You can catch him at
the Silver Dollar Room, October 4.
Dior Lounge: This west end club celebrates its 1st Anniversary on September 5, with the band Big Chill, prizes, and food specials. It then continues with its Friday night 9:30 shows, including Jack de Keyzer (September 19), David Rotundo and The Blue Canadians with special guest Enrico Crivellaro (September 26), and, on October 3, there will be a benefit concert for Kadin Kendall featuring The Downchild Blues Band and opening act Johnny Max. The Saturday matinee, at 4:30, is still going strong, with west end blues band The Johnny Max Band, featuring Kevin Higgins on guitar. The Saturday Matinees are no cover, and Friday nights are only $5. The October 3 benefit is $12 in advance and $15 at the door. The Dior Lounge is located at 385 The West Mall, one block south of Burnhamthorpe, about 10 minutes from the airport strip with easy access from highway 427. There is lots of free parking, or the TTC stops at the front door (10 minute bus ride from Kipling subway, or on the all night Bloor bus route).
Quebec Awards: Martin Duhamel was the winner of the Blues Competition at the Festiblues International De Montréal. More info at www.festiblues.com/concoursEN.html. The Lys Blues 2003 Awards, presented by Lenetblues.ca, invite you to vote for your favourite Montréal or Québec blues artists. English instructions are at the bottom of the web page www.lenetblues.com/LysBlues2003.html.
International Songwriting Competition Accepting Entries: The International Songwriting Competition is accepting entries until September 15, 2003. ISC prizes include $100,000 in cash and merchandise, in a total of 13 categories, for 68 winners. ISC is an excellent opportunity for amateur and professional songwriters to gain valuable exposure and win great prizes. ISC's judges are considered the most prestigious and influential in any songwriting competition, and include B.B. King, Monte Lipman (President, Universal Records), Arif Mardin (VP/GM, Manhattan Records), Bruce Lundvall (CEO/President, Capitol Records Jazz/Classics), Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20), Vanessa Carlton, BeBe Winans, Dan Haseltine (Jars Of Clay), Pat Metheny, Paul Oakenfold, Raine Maida (Our Lady Peace), Phil Vassar, Guru (Gang Starr), Frank Callari (Sr. VP A&R/Artist Development, Lost Highway Records), Tina Davis (Sr. VP A&R, Def Jam/Def Soul), Nile Rodgers (Performer/Producer), Rose Noone (Sr. VP A&R, Epic Records), Jimmy Bralower (VP A&R, Atlantic Records), Kim Stephens (VP A&R/Promotion, Lava Records), Tara Griggs-Magee (Sr. VP/GM, Verity Records), Robert Beeson (President, Essential Records), Errol Kolosine (GM, Astralwerks Records) and Michael Gudinski (Chairman, Mushroom Group of Companies). The ISC categories include Blues, as well as AAA/Roots/Americana, Folk/Singer-Songwriter, Jazz, World Music, Country, Gospel/Christian, Pop/Top 40, Rock, R&B/Hip-Hop, Dance/Electronica, Lyrics Only, and Teen. Winners will also benefit from a multilateral promotional campaign designed to give international exposure and attention to their songwriting achievements; and will be included on the ISC Compilation CD distributed to music industry professionals including publishers, A&R representatives, and media. For more information on the contest, an entry form, or to enter online, visit www.songwritingcompetition.com. Entries must be postmarked on or before September 15, 2003.
"Touched by the Blues": Blues for Peace (www.BluesForPeace.com) is "dedicating a book to the unsung heroes of blues music, the local blues musicians in every city, town, locale in the world who love the blues and pass it on to the next generation". Submissions are invited regarding "a blues musician who deserves recognition, a band that could use a break, an up-and-coming artist or band who could benefit from promotion, or a story or funny anecdote about playing the blues or meeting a blues great who passed on the blues. Blues For Peace is seeking material for `Touched by the Blues', a book that shines the spotlight on the unsung heroes of the blues and lets people read about the incredible brotherhood of blues. The book will be sold online over the internet. Please submit your stories, profiles, jokes, poems, ideas and laundry lists, and tell your friends. Submit up to 500 words by text file only, no attachments please, to info@bluesforpeace.com, by November 10. (After that, it will have to wait for the next edition, hopefully next year). Advertisers and sponsors, contact us for rates. The book will be edited by Eli Marcus, blues musician and author and recent producer of ŒSummer Blues' festival in Tel Aviv".
Ann Rabson honoured at Queen City Blues Festival: On Saturday, August 2, 2003, Ann Rabson was inducted into the Boogie-Woogie Hall of Fame during festivities at the Queen City Blues Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio. The award honours Rabson's "life-long dedication and contribution to the art of boogie piano." Rabson's boogie-woogie and barrelhouse blues piano style is well known throughout the blues world, where she is recognized as having one of the best left hands in the business. This is despite not taking up the piano until age 35. Her first instrument was guitar, and Acoustic Guitar magazine calls her Piedmont-style fingerpicking "precise and highly original." A multiple W.C. Handy Award nominee, Rabson has been nominated seven times in the Female Traditional Blues Artist category, and as a songwriter for her composition Elevator Man. Her Music Makin' Mama was nominated for Album of the Year in both the Traditional Blues and Acoustic Blues categories. Rabson's busy performance schedule includes solo engagements as well as performances by Ann and the Annimators, featuring various guest rhythm sections. She also appears regularly with Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women, of which she is a co-founder. Her recordings include seven with Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women; two solo recordings, Music Makin' Mama on Alligator records, and her most recent, Struttin' My Stuff, on MC Records; and many appearances as a guest artist, most recently on a forthcoming Pinetop Perkins release. This year marks Rabson's 40th anniversary as a professional musician. She is an active member of the Blues Foundation, and sits on its executive board. She resides in Virginia with her husband, George.
Blues Foundation International Blues Challenge and BluesFirst: The 2004 International Blues Challenge (IBC) and BluesFirst gathering will be held January 29-31, 2004 in Memphis, Tennessee. The Keeping the Blues Alive (KBA) Awards ceremony will take place Saturday, January 31. The 20th annual International Blues Challenge semi-finals and finals bring to BluesFirst the culmination of months of regional competitions staged by Blues Foundation affiliates around the world. Over 80 bands compete for $25,000 in cash and prizes and the title of "Best Unsigned Blues Band." The judges also present a guitarist with the Albert King Award for the most promising guitarist. BluesFirst is an exposition dedicated to providing resource, networking and educational opportunities for blues organizations and societies. The event includes panels on topics relevant to the people who produce and support blues music, from volunteer organizations to emerging bands. The Keeping the Blues Alive (KBA) awards honour the men and women, usually non-performers, who have contributed to the growth of the blues industry. The KBAs, presented in 19 categories, are the opportunity for the blues community to congregate and recognize its peers and the accomplishments of supporting organizations. The Blues Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of blues music. It is the umbrella organization for a worldwide network of 109 affiliated blues societies, and has individual memberships in twenty-four countries. In addition to the W.C. Handy Blues Awards, the Foundation produces the Lifetime Achievement Award, Blues Hall of Fame Induction, and the International Blues Challenge. More information is posted at www.blues.org. Contact Wesley Smith, IBC Producer, 901.527.2583, wesley@blues.org, or Betsie Brown, 2004 IBC Chair, 901.278.6850, betsie@blues.org.
Big Al Dupree, 1923 - 2003: Born November 7, 1923 in Dallas, Texas, Big Al Dupree passed away Sunday, August 3rd. Alfred Dupree started piano lessons at the age of 5. He was only 13 when he started playing professionally, with John R. Davis and his Dallas Dandies. In 1943 he joined the U.S. Army. After his stint in the service, he returned to Dallas and joined Buster Smith's Heatwaves of Swing as a tenor player, often backing up such names as T-Bone Walker, Pee Wee Crayton, and Al Hibbler. Through the early '50s he worked with his own band, The Dreamers, and did singles on piano at lounges and eateries. In the mid '50s, he went to work for the post office, but didn't stop playing music. Many Dallasites remember him as the pianist at Southern Kitchen East - a spot he held from '67 to '83. In late '94 the energetic 71-year old continued to record, playing swinging piano, singing vocals, and overdubbing on sax.
- Julie Hill
MUSICIAN: HEAL THYSELF - part II
Tendinitis/Bursitis, What's Hurting?
Why are you hurting? The most common complaints for musicians are hand, and arm pain, particularly the forearm, and it's usually due to the repetitive hand and arm movements involved with playing their instrument. Repetitive finger movements (eg. playing repeated notes on the guitar, piano or trumpet) can lead to inflammation and even minor tearing in the tendon structures. Most common warning signs include the following:
· Pain during or after playing or practising
· A feeling of clumsiness
· Tingling or burning
· Difficulty holding on to things
· Weakness
· Coldness in the fingers, especially while playing
· Stiffness or pain in your neck
If any or all of these symptoms are present, you have a problem that should be checked immediately. While a number of things could be happening, including pathology or disease, the most common forms of RSI are tendinitis and bursitis so we'll have a closer look at these.
What Is Tendinitis? Tendons are fibrous cords that attach our body's muscles to our bones. Tendinitis is inflammation or irritation of any part of the tendon or inflammation where the tendon attaches to the bone. Tendons transmit the power generated by a muscle. This allows for smooth movement of the joints
What Is Bursitis? A bursa is a fluid sac that develops between any two movable parts within your body (like a blister but it's a good thing). It might be between two muscles, a muscle and a bone or even two tendons. Its purpose is to prevent or minimize friction between those parts. It's like using oil or grease to help things move smoother and easier. Bursitis is inflammation or irritation of one of the bursa.
Since both of these structures are usually located near joints, patients often believe that there is a joint problem, perhaps even arthritis. Sometimes that's true, but not always. Symptoms of bursitis and tendinitis are similar. There is pain and stiffness aggravated by specific movements. Any tendon or bursa in the body can be affected, but those located around a joint are affected most often. Tendinitis and bursitis are usually temporary problems, but may become recurrent or even chronic if the underlying problem is not treated properly and, most important, maintained properly.
What Causes Tendinitis & Bursitis? While there can be direct trauma to the area, the main cause is REPETITIVE OVERUSE. Overuse can occur at work or at play, and that includes playing your instrument of choice. There is a much greater tendency to develop these problems if your body is out of shape, you have poor posture, or use the arm (or leg) in a weird position. Once in a while an infection occurs in the tissue, causing much of the inflammation but this is not the case with most people. Sometimes a malfunctioning joint will place undue strain on the tendon or abnormal pressure on the bursa that results in the inflammation. In rare instances, disease can also cause a problem. You can see why a full analysis needs to be made before any treatment commences.
Diagnosis As with any musculoskeletal condition, diagnosis of tendinitis and bursitis requires a good case history, physical examination and possibly xrays to rule out pathology or bony abnormalities. While tendons and bursae are not visible on xrays, they can leave telltale signs.
Treatment The difficulty in treating these injuries is usually due to the length of time that passes between the early development of symptoms and the inability to perform. I have a sign in my office that reads "The six most common words heard in my office are "I THOUGHT IT WOULD GO AWAY"" This is very common with patients suffering from RSI. Many musicians are currently attempting to play through it, even though their arms, elbows, shoulders, or neck are extremely painful. Are you one of them? . You have to realize that pain is your body's warning signal. It is like the oil light in your car. If the oil light goes on, do you say "I think that will turn off by its self. It can't be that important." Wouldn't that be ridiculous? Eventually, the engine would dry out, heat up, and for all intensive purposes seize up and be destroyed.
Treatment of these conditions must start with the underlying cause. To treat your symptoms without first dealing with the cause will not only result in a failure to obtain the desired result but will likely cause more serious injury to the affected tissue. It's imperative to have a proper analysis by someone trained in the biomechanics of your body. Eg. Chiropractor, physiotherapist trained in the biomechanics, sports therapist, or sometimes an athletic trainer. The typical medical approach is to take anti-inflammatories or send you for therapy where they put a machine on you that is designed to decrease the inflammation. In extreme cases, corticosteroid injections are used. The thing to remember is that inflammation is a natural part of your body's healing mechanism. To remove this vital part of the process, takes away the body's ability to heal itself properly. The result is recurrent problems, damage in the form of scaring and possible damage to surrounding tissues that have had to do the work of the problem area, including the joints (arthritis).
Once the problem has been determined and is being dealt with, symptomatic treatment can commence. Start by avoiding or at least reducing the activity that is aggravating the problem. Apply ice to the affected area frequently through the day. The usual approach is to put ice on for 15 to 20 minutes and off for 15 to 20 minutes. Continue this cycle three of four times before taking a break. Some practitioners will use a combination of heat and ice. I find that you have to be careful doing that as the application of heat can cause more inflammation. I'd stick with the ice unless you are under the direct care of someone that knows what they are doing. When performing the activity that has caused the injury, proper positioning of your limbs (hands or legs) is very important. Also be sure your overall body posture is adequate. You might even go back to your music teacher (no matter how long ago that was) and ask them to observe your technique. You just might find that your technique has become lazy. (I can't tell you how many joint problems I've fixed by sending the patient back to their golf or tennis pro.) Be sure to warm up before practising or preforming. Remember those warm up exercises your piano teacher made you do? Why did you stop? Oh yeah, I'm older and don't have to do those any more. If you try these suggestions on your own but it continues to get worse or you can't get it under control yourself you must see a health care professional that can help you determine what is really wrong, that way the underlying cause can be explored and dealt with properly. Over the counter antiinflammatory medications reduce inflammation and pain and allow you continue playing but do NOT correct the problem. Continuing to play without dealing with the problem is like turning off the smoke alarm without putting out the fire.
Once the acute attack of tendinitis or bursitis subsides, preventing recurrences is crucial. Proper conditioning, proper joint positioning, and appropriate splints may be necessary when practising. I won't address this issue as your health care professional knows better what the problems were in the first place.
Next Time: A Guide to Maintenance and Prevention
(Larry McCarthy has been a chiropractor since 1976 and is located in Etobicoke. He's a long time volunteer with the TBS and currently serves on the TBS board as one of the volunteer coordinators. While he's not a musician himself, his two sons are. Dan is a professional jazz vibraphonist in Toronto with extensive training in percussion, while Steve is a bass player in a local rock band and also plays trumpet. Questions can be directed to Larry by e-mail at lmccarthy@cmcc.ca or by calling his office at 416-747-6678.)
Toronto Blues Society Copyright _ 2003