Maple Blues Online - Loose Blues News

Mississippi Heat (left) is a Chicago-based blues band fronted by Pierre Lacocque and Inetta Visor and they will raise the temperature in the Silver Dollar Room on Saturday, October 21st.

Winner's Showcase: Support this year's Toronto Blues Society's Talent Search winners, the Undesirables, at their performance at Hugh's Room on October 6 - this show will be recorded by CBC radio for later broadcast on 'Saturday Night Blues', as one part of the duo's prize package.

Anderson/Sloski Inter-provincial: With special guest Kevin Breit, Anderson/Sloski are scheduled for a CBC Radio-Canada recording of a live concert at Montreal's La Grand Salle de La Maison Frontenac, on 20 October at 8pm, in one of the concerts that CBC's 'Espace Musique' sponsors in Quebec. As part of a special series on the Hammond organ, Anderson/Sloski were invited to be the featured artists on this night, and, joined by the wonderful Kevin Breit, they'll bring a slice of Toronto's Blues and live music scene to Montreal. Search www.youtube.com for a great video clip of Anderson/Sloski.

"Blue Sundays": On the first Sunday of each month, Toronto's Rex Hotel now features a blues matinee, 3:30 to 6:30, with Dr. Nick and the Rollercoasters (guitarist Peter Schmidt, drummer Bob Vespaziani, Jimmy Rasmussen on electric bass, and Doctor Nick on vocals and harp).

Jumpin' Johnny Sansone: In a season that is proving to be one of the best ever for showcasing world-class blues harmonica in Toronto, New Orleans-based singer, songwriter, accordion and harmonica master Jumpin' Johnny Sansone makes a rare "all blues" appearance in Toronto at The Silver Dollar Room, Monday 23 October at 8pm, backed by Maple Blues and Real Blues Awards winners Raoul and The Big Time. For the last several years, Sansone has been a close collaborator of Canadian jazz sensation Jane Bunnett, having recorded songs for her most recent release, Radio Guantanamo. After Hurricane Katrina struck last year, Sansone was forced to leave his beloved Crescent City home of 17 years (he is originally from New Jersey, where he was the former front man for guitar genius Ronnie Earl ), and he temporarily relocated to Toronto where he appeared at last fall's Harmonica Standoff with Raoul and The Big Time. Fortunately, Johnny has been able to return to his home in Louisiana, but, due to the overwhelming response to his short set last year, he will return to Toronto for this special two-set "all blues" show with The Big Time. At this special evening he will showcase his tremendous abilities as a singer and harmonica player, comfortable in both traditional and contemporary blues. Rolling Stone calls Johnny "One of contemporary blues' finest harmonica players".

Blues from the Heart: The Ontario Council of Folk Festivals has announced the winners of their Songs From the Heart Songwriter Awards. Winners in the blues category are Paul Bourdeau & Lynne Hanson for their song, "River By My Side." Ana Miura won the top prize 2006 "Galaxie Rising Stars" award for her song "He Swallows Whiskey." Phil Lafreniere, drummer for Ottawa's Afro-beat group The Souljazz Orchestra (SJO) won in two categories, "French Language" and "Political". The winners will perform at the OCFF Conference in Ottawa where the TBS will also present a showcase of Toronto Blues with Julian Fauth, Digging Roots and The Undesireables with MC Brian Blain. More info at www.ocff.ca

Lys Award Winners: Last month, these Quebec Blues awards honoured Ricky Paquette (New Aritst), Vincent Druda (New Group, and Composer), Guy Bélanger, Sam Harrisson, Costa Zafiropoulos, François Thiffeault, and Jean-Sébastien Chouinard (Performance), Richard Carr (Cabaret), Dale Boyle (Folk Blues Artist), Kevin Mark (Male Artist, and Show of the Year), Lulu Hughes (Artistic Performance), and Nanette Workman (Female Artist, and Record of the Year).

Cisco Systems Ottawa Bluesfest wins another Pinnacle Award: Each year, the International Festivals and Events Association recognizes outstanding examples of special events promotions with its Pinnacle Awards competition. This year, Ottawa's Cisco Systems Bluesfest added another Pinnacle Award, honoured with the 2006 gold award for 'Best Event Program'. For nearly three decades, IFEA media awards have honoured many outstanding promotional and media initiatives, with categories ranging from 'Most Creative News Stunt' to 'Best Ad Series'. With nearly 1,400 total entries in 57 different categories, competition is high, with entrants as prominent as the Kentucky Derby Festival, and as diverse as the Beijing Daxing Watermelon Festival.

Letter From Kenny Neal: "Dear Friends, Family and Fans - Through the years I have entertained you, spent time with you, gotten to know many of you, and can call many of you my friend. I enjoy making music for you more than you will ever know. And you have shown your appreciation for my efforts in so many ways. I am and will always be grateful for your support, your enjoyment and your friendship. Now I must take this opportunity to share something personal with you. A few months ago, during a routine physical, I was told by my doctor that I have an illness that required extensive treatment and plenty of rest. The doctor said that the treatment would take 48 weeks. However, they said I could finish out the summer schedule of festivals and club dates before I began the treatment. That was very important to me, as I wanted to see all of you before I started. Due to the extensiveness of the treatment, I must take a year off from performing. This in no way diminishes my love of the blues, nor does it mean that I won't be involved with all of you. You see, I am sending out my band, including the addition of my son, Kenny Jr., daughter, Syreeta and nephew, Tyree to carry on the Kenny Neal tradition. They will be my emissaries. They will keep you posted as to my progress. I know your love and support for me will carry over to them. I am still recording music at home, finishing up my Christmas CD as you read this. The Kenny Neal Band that will be representing me, looks forward to bringing you great "blues" joy in the future. There will be many surprise guests sitting in with them so be sure to continue checking the website calendar. We will all keep you informed and I welcome your letters and your prayers. Thank you for always being there for me. God Bless and Good Blues To You. You can write me at the address below or you can email me at boogamusic@hotmail.com, I prefer a written letter since I'll have a lot of time to read. All The Best - Kenny Neal, 3790 El Camino Real #168, Palo Alto, CA 94306".

Bonnie Lee 1931 - 2006: Bonnie Lee, one of the last great voices in urban women's blues, passed away on September 7, 2006. Born in 1931 near the Texas-Louisiana border, the young Bonnie played piano and sang gospel in her hometown church. In her teens, she toured the South as a singer with The Great Minstrel Show; but her life took a new direction when she caught a ride with a moving van driver and headed north to Chicago. Living with an aunt on the South Side, she made her debut as a performer in neighbourhood clubs - first as a dancer, then a singer. Her powerful voice delivered blues in the full range from flirty simper to throaty growl, and her reputation grew as she gained experience. Her friend Willie Kent also led her to make two excellent recordings ('Sweetheart of the Blues' on Delmark, and 'I'm Good!' on Wolf Records), which unveiled the richness of her singing to a wider audience; and her voice also appears on several compilations of Chicago blueswomen.

Voting members of the Toronto Blues Society are eligible to run for the 2007 Toronto Blues Society Board of Directors.

In order to run, you must be a member in good standing, and you must be nominated in writing by three voting members of the society. Deadline to receive nominations is 5pm November 17. The slate of candidates will be announced in the December issue of MapleBlues.

Elections will take place at the Annual General Meeting December 5, 2006 at the TBS office.

Get involved! The TBS is looking for volunteers for its upcoming events. Volunteers receive free admission to events and other perks. To find out how, call the office now!

Members, please send us your current email address to ensure that you receive all the latest blues news including information about very special deals for TBS members. Email to: info@torontobluessociety.com

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To make it easier for you to own a new TBS T-Shirt or other merchandise, we have added secure transactions on our website to allow you to buy merchandise over the Internet.
Visit our merch page.

You may also take advantage of our Secure On-line Processing to renew your membership with a VISA card at our join up page.

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