Bluesletter September 2011

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Fea tu r ed Ar t i c l e s

Mt. Rainier R&B Festival Preview

Big Sky Blues: A Review of the Big SkyBlues Festival in Montana

Dry Side Blues: Reviews fromthe drier side of Washington

Redefining the Word

Favorite: A Review ofthe Rock Cut and BackyardBlues Bash Festivals


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Letter from the Editor

Cover Art:

Dear Bluesletter Readers,

Have you noticed a thing or two about thismonths issue? Apart from the typos I mayhave missed along the way, whats new? Noticeanything different about our cover or interiorlayout? Do you notice an improvement overlast months issue? I sincerely hope so.

For the visual innovations, spark, and layout, we have Jesse Phillips to thank. Shes on-track to graduate in graphic design this year atThe Art Institute of Seattle, and her journeyto the Bluesletter began at this years Safeway

Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland,Oregon. We met in Belltown last month, andshe immediately found ways to put her skills touse for our publication.

I am deeply grateful and humbled that shesincluding our publication in her professionalgraphic design portfolio. I hope that our Augustissue will be a before picture, and subsequenteditions will have her own unique visualpresentations to make the Bluesletter the best local,all-volunteer blues society publication it can be.

Letter from the President 6

Blues Foundation Elections 7

Mt. Rainier R&B Festival Preview 8

Safeway Waterfront Blues Pics 10

Pinetop Perkins Youth Workshop 11

Mt. Baker Blues Fest 12

Big Sky Blues 14

Dry Side Blues 16

August Blues Bash

Redefine the Word Favorite 18

CD Reviews 20

Talent Guide 24

In This Issue...

With Jesse volunteering her time to help, we canonly get better. Well get better by looking likea more professional publication, and providea valuable service in promoting, preservingand capturing one of the most vibrant bluescommunities in the world. Welcome aboardJesse, and well hope well be on your dance cardfor as long as youll have us!

Speaking of volunteers, I am always looking forwriters and photographers to donate their time,expertise and talent to the Bluesletter. If you havea CD review, picture, concert review or preview,or suggestions on how we can improve as a blues

society, please send them to me at [email protected]. I am especially interested in picturesthat show blues fans having fun, because a nightout on the town seeing live blues at the Highway99 Blues Club, Dimitrous Jazz Alley, or ourBlues Bash at the Red Crane is a recipe for fun.

Please enjoy the September issue, and I extenda special welcome to Jesse Phillips, our newestBluesletter Art Director and volunteer!

Eric Steiner,Acting Editor Washington Blues Society Bluesletter

WHO WE ARE:Tim & Michelle Burge

Self-proclaimed Blues

Addicts ... if theres a cure

for this, we dont want it!

WHAT WE DO:We love to support and promote Blues

Musicians, local clubs & festivals through our

photography, as well as network with other

Blues Addicts.

PROUD MEMBERS OF:Washington Blues Society, South Sound Blues

Association & The Blues Foundation

CONTACT INFO:[email protected]


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Celebrating 22 Years of Blues1989 - 2011

September 2011 BluesletterVolume XXIII, Number IX

Publisher Washington Blues Society

Editor Eric Steiner, Acting Editor ([email protected])

Art Director Jesse Phillips ([email protected])

Calendar Maridel Fliss ([email protected] Advertising Malcolm Kennedy ([email protected])

Printer Pacific Publishing Company

www.pacificpublishingcompany.com

Contributing WritersRobert Horn, Eric Steiner, Jerry Peterson, Baggs Groove, Cindy Dyer, Malcolm Kennedy

Rick J. Bowen and Son Jack, Jr.

Contributing PhotographersThe Blues Boss, Jim Salisbury, Eric Steiner, Tim and Michelle Burge, Suzanne Swanson

Cover PhotoCover Photo of Buddy Guy at the 2011 Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival(Photo by Tim & Michelle Burge)

The Bluesletter welcomes stories and photos from WBS members! Features, columns

and reviews are due by the 10th of each month in the following formats: plain text or

Microsoft Word. Graphics must be in high-res 300 dpi .pdf, jpg, or .tiff formats. We

encourage submissions. All submissions become the property of the WBS and will

be used at our discretion. We reserve the right to edit all content. The Bluesletter is

the official monthly publication of the Washington Blues Society. The WBS is not

responsible for the views and opinions expressed in The Bluesletter by any individual.

WBS 2011

Mission StatementThe Washington Blues Society is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to promote, preserve,

and advance the culture and tradition of blues music as an art form. Annual membership is

$25 for individuals, $35 for couples, and $40 for overseas memberships. The Washington

Blues Society is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization and donations are tax-deductible. The

Washington Blues Society is affiliated with The Blues Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee.

Washington Blues SocietyP.O. Box 70604

Seattle, WA 98127www.wablues.org

Blues on the Radio Dial 26

Jam Guide 26

Venue Guide 27

Calendar 30

Across the MembershipDirectors Desk...

Greetings! First of all, my sincerest apologiesfor not being around much this Summer. Asmost of you know, I went back to school inthe Spring and shortly thereafter, got a job.Both have kept me very busy. However, Ihave missed being a part of the WashingtonBlues Society. I have asked the Board ofDirectors if I might be reinstated as yourMembership Director and they were kindenough to welcome me back into the fold.

So, I will work diligently to get things caughtup during my break (Fall Quarter begins9.26.11) and enlist the help of a coupleof Volunteers to assist me going forward.If youre interested in helping out, pleaseemail me at [email protected].

Until next month, safe journey as you travelthat Blues Highway, my friends ...

Michelle BurgeMembership Director


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Hi Blues Fans,

In this months Letter from the President,

Id like to thank my volunteer Board of

Directors, our Officers, and Street Team

members for the work they have done in

what may be our busiest blues year in the

short five years Ive been involved with

the Washington Blues Society.

Under the direction of MerchandisingDirector Tony Frederickson, weve held a

statewide International Blues Competition

this year that concluded with our finals at

the Taste of Music in historic downtown

Snohomish. This journey began in Spokane

when we were hosted by the Inland Empire

Blues Society, and continued to the

UnTapped Blues Festival in partnership

with the Walla Walla Blues Society.

The Highway 99 Blues Club hosted a great

competition, as did the Oxford Saloon in

Snohomish. Rhea Rolfe staffed the events

with able volunteers, and Board Members

Michelle Burge, Antoinette Trizuto, and

Chad Creamer helped out to make each

event a successful one. By the time this

Bluesletter hits members mailboxes or

a club near you (especially the Highway

99 Blues Club, Jazz Alley, or the Oxford

Saloon), we will know which solo/duo

act and which band will represent the

Washington Blues Society at the 2012

International Blues Challenge.

I hope that we can maintain this years

momentum that we achieved through

our local International Blues Challenge

competitions statewide, and based on

the enthusiastic reception we received at

each event, I am confident that we can

grow each event next year. Thanks to

Tonys leadership and commitment, weve

worked together to ensure that we are a

statewide blues organization. While we

have more than a few detractors in the

Letter from the Presidentlocal blues community, I hope that they

will come back if they see a place at our

monthly Blues Bash at Shorelines Red Crane

Restaurant, or participate at special events

like the outstanding Blues for Food, which is

growing to be (pun intended) a full-fledged

blues festival within the Seattle city limits.

I encourage you to learn more about the

International Blues Challenge and put iton your to-do list next February. That

weekend is like a gathering of the blues

tribes from around the world. Over the

past three years, over 90 people from the

Evergreen State have either attended or

performed at this annual Blues Foundation

event. Over 90 people blues lovers all

who made the pilgrimage to Memphis

and the Mississippi Delta in some of the

most difficult economic times since the

Great Depression. I plan to be there next

year and I hope that many more will join

me. If you work for wages, please consider

setting aside an affordable amount each

paycheck, or change your drinking habits

from a triple tall flavored Muy Grande

latte to a drip coffee. Im sure thatll save

a few bucks a day.

If I dont see you in Memphis at the IBC

next year, I hope to see you at the Red

Crane in Shoreline on the second Tuesday

of September for our Blues Bash. Were

fortunate to have Bassic Saxx Lissa

Ramaglia and Scotty Harris open up themeeting, and the Tim Turner Band take

us til our 9:00 PM closing time.

Until then, go see some live blues!

Eric SteinerPresident, Washington Blues Society

Proud Recipient of a 2009 Keeping the Blues

Alive Award, Member, Blues

Foundation Board of Directors

Washington Blues SocietyHotline: 1-888-90BLUES

1-888-902-5837

Proud Recipient of a 2009 Keeping the Blues Alive

Award from The Blues Foundation

2011 Officers

President Eric [email protected]

Vice President [email protected]

Secretary Antoinette [email protected]

Treasurer (Acting) Chad [email protected]

Editor (Acting) Eric [email protected]

2011 Directors

Music Suze [email protected]

Membership Michelle [email protected]

Education Jim [email protected]

Volunteers Rhea [email protected]

Merchandise Tony [email protected]

Advertising Malcolm [email protected]

2011 Street Team

Downtown Seattle Tim & Michelle [email protected]

West Seattle Rev Deb [email protected]

Eastside Jim DiIanni

[email protected] WA Lloyd [email protected]

Peninsula Dan [email protected]

South Sound [email protected]

Central WA Steven J. [email protected],

Eastern WA Cindy [email protected]

Ballard George Jordy [email protected]

Lopez Island Carolyn & Dean [email protected]

Middle East Rocky Rock Khan [email protected]

Editorial Advisory Board & ProofeadersMary McPage Eric Steiner

Carolyn Kennedy Son Jack Jr.

Special Thanks Webmaster The Sheriff

([email protected])

Web Hosting Adhost(www.adhost.com)

WBS Logo Phil Chesnut([email protected])


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Advertising Rates:

Space Reservations 5th of the month

Camera Ready Art 12th of every month

Graphics: 300 dpi

PDF, TIF or JPG

Text: Plain .txt or Word

Full Page: $260 (7 x 9.5)

Half Page: $150 (7 x 4.5)

Back Half Page: $200 (7 x 4.5)

Quarter Page: $90 (4.5 x 3.5)

Fifth Page: $65 (3.5 x 3.5)

Business Card: $25 (3.5 x 2.00)

ADD COLOR: ADD 25%

Weve Got Discounts!20% off- 12 month pre-payment

15% off- 6 month pre-payment

10% off- 3 month pre-payment

Contact: [email protected]

September 2011

DEADLINES:

AdvertisingSpace Reservations:September 5th

[email protected]

Calendar: September [email protected]

Editorial Submissions: September [email protected]

Camera ReadyAd ArtDue:September 12th

[email protected]

THANK YOU FOR READING

THE BLUESLETTER AND

SUPPORTING LIVE BLUES IN

THE EVERGREEN STATE!

ATTENTION BLUES MUSICIANS:

WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR

LATEST CD REVIEWED IN THE

BLUESLETTER?

GOT A BLUES CD FOR US?

Need help in getting the word about your

music? Wed like to help. While we

cannot predict when or if a review will land

in the pages of the Bluesletter, wed liketo encourage musicians to consider the

Washington Blues Society a resource.

If you would like your CD reviewed by

one of our reviewers, please send two

copies (one for the reviewer and one for

our monthly CD giveaways at the Blues

Bash) to the following address:

Washington Blues Society

ATTN: CD Reviews

PO Box 70604

Seattle, WA 98027

Memphis, TN August 16, 2011. The

annual election of The Blues Foundations

Board of Directors and its officers has

been completed. The eight recently-elected

members will join the 25-member Board

and begin three-year terms at the next

Board meeting on August 27 in Memphis,

TN. The Board Development Committeewas especially interested in individuals in

a position to assist The Blues Foundation

with ongoing plans to establish a Blues

Hall of Fame at its new permanent home

at 421 South Main in downtown Memphis.

New members elected to the Board are:

Alan Maites, Robinson & Maites Marketing

Agency, Chicago, IL; Les Walgreen, Peaux

Deaux Productions, Chicago, IL; and Olga

Wilhelmine, a New Orleans-based per-

former. Board members who were elected

to a second term are: Thomas Cain, BMI,

Nashville, TN; Thomas Ruf, Ruf Records,

Germany; Joey Sichting, FedEx Services,

Memphis, TN; Ricky Stevens, a Blues fan

from Coldwater, MS, and Cassie Taylor, a

Boulder, CO-based performer.

The new Board selected the followingBoard members to leadership positions:

Bill Wax, Host and Program Director of

Sirius XMs B.B. Kings Bluesville channel,

Washington, DC, and Eric Simonsen, a

retired corporate executive and blues

fan, Ivins, UT, were elected President

and Vice-President, respectively.

Additional members of the Executive

Committee are: Gary Anton, a Talla-

hassee, FL, attorney and owner of the

Bradfordville Blues Club; Kevin Kane,

President and CEO of the Memphis

Convention and Visitors Bureau; and

Dorothy Moore, a Jackson, MS Grammy-

nominated singer. Clay Purdom, an

attorney with the Memphis law firm of

Martin, Tate, Morrow & Marston, was

elected Treasurer.

The newly-elected members and officers

join fellow Board members Phil Barkett

III, Kathy Bolmer, Jostein Forsberg, Zac

Harmon, Stefan Levy, Jerry Boogie Mason

Ron Partain, Hugh Southard, Eric Steiner

Bob Trenchard and Laurie Tucker.

The Blues Foundation is Memphis-based

but world-renown as THE organization

dedicated to preserving our blues music

history, celebrating recording and per

formance excellence, supporting blues

education and ensuring the future othis uniquely American art form.

Founded in 1980, The Blues Foun

dation has 4500 individual members

and 195 affiliated local blues societie

representing another 50,000 fans and

professionals around the world. It

signature honors and events--the Blues

Music Awards, Blues Hall of Fame, Inter

national Blues Challenge and Keeping

the Blues Alive Awards--make it the

international center of blues music. Its

HART Fund provides the blues com

munity with medical assistance while

its Sound Healthcare program offer

musicians health insurance access.

Blues in the Schools programs and Gen

eration Blues scholarships expose new

generations to blues music. Throughou

the year, the Foundation staff serve

the worldwide Blues community with

answers, contact information and news


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The 5th Annual Mount Rainer Rhythmand Blues Festival at the Mineral LakeEvent Center on September 24th willbe truly international, and will featurethree bands that were in the finals this year at the International Blues Challenge(IBC) in Memphis and performed at thehistoric Orpheum Theater. Another bandperforming in Mineral this year is headingto Memphis next year to represent theSouth Sound Blues Association (SSBA) at

the 2012 IBC, and even another band willbe competing in the regional IBC finals torepresent the Washington Blues Society(WBS) next year at the IBC. This yearsFestival also showcases Pacific Northwestlegends of the stage who will make thisfestival a day of music not to be missed.

Starting things off with a bang will be NickVigarinos Back Porch Stomp, who were inthe IBC finals this year and have been inhigh demand around the country since then.Nick is a master of the slide guitar and hasdeveloped a style of his own that continues

to amaze fans and fellow musicians alike.

Legendary Pacific Northwest Band LittleBill and the Blue Notes follow Nick, andLittle Bill has been in the over 55 years andhas performed more than 10,000 shows inhis career. Bill continues to be one of thebusiest performers on the scene today.Little Bill is a genuine music legend aroundthese parts and the City of Tacoma has evendedicated a day to him for eternity.Deb Rhymer starts off our internationalshowcase after Little Bills set. Debs thepresident of the Victoria Blues Society in

Canada and has performed internationallyfor many years. She is well known for herBette Midler tribute shows, but she canalso flat out sing the blues like very fewwomen can. A real powerhouse vocalist inthe blues and beyond!

The Randy Oxford Band an internationallytouring band with IBC finalist experience will be up next. Randys band featuresmusicians from four different countries,making this a truly international and diverse

set. After their recent success at the IBC inMemphis, they continue to be in demandas far away as Quebec where they recentlyperformed at the world famous FestivalInternational du Blues de Tremblant. Theywere the first band from Washington stateto ever play this prestigious festival. Theyare currently putting together additionaltours around the U.S. and beyond.

Things will continue to heat up with the

Red Hot Blues Sisters for a hour of powerblues. These dynamic performers willbe representing the South Sound BluesAssociation at the 2012 International BluesChallenge in Memphis. You will see whythey are headed back to Memphis when you watch them perform. Featuring therecipient of the BB award from the WBS

for female vocalist of the year, Suze Sims,The Red Hotz continue to tour the U.S.and Europe regularly.

Now that the stage will have been set onfire, Maia Santel and Her All Star Band willbring the swing or throw down the blueslike nobodys business. Maia put this amazingall-star Blend together exclusively for this

festival. This is a show with so much goingon, you wont want to leave the dance floor.Continuing in an international vein,Germanys Georg Schroeter and MarcBreitfelder will be up next. They mademusic history this year as the first Europeanact to win the IBC. They are traveling witha quartet and and they are ending theirNorth American tour at this festival. This will be the bands only Washington Stateappearance on this tour! Georg on Pianoand vocals and Marc playing world class

harmonica, have brought their unique bluestyle to the forefront of contemporary blue

Last but not least, the Rafael TranquilinBand will close the festival with a guitadriven musical journey. Rafaels hot newband will be competing in the WashingtoBlues Society finals to represent the WBat the 2012 IBC. Rafaels style of playinguitar and singing are like nothing else inthe music world today. Rafael has been

on tour with the Randy Oxford banfor several years now. When he is notouring with Randy, he has time to creathis own kind of show that is full of energypassion and spirit, that makes this band thperfect closing act to an amazing day ointernational style Blues. You will not wanto miss this world class closing act.Join us for a 12 hour Musical Extravaganzaon Saturday September 24th at this beautifuplace on Earth, near the foot of Mt. Rainier

The Mineral Lake Event Center is just 9

minutes or less from most major metro areas iWestern Washington and Portland, OregonRain or Shine. Indoor stages. Campinand RV on site. Plenty of additional lodginnearby. There will be a legendary bonfire onsite, and there will be open jamming arounthe bonfire for all musicians. Come early oFriday and stay through Sunday if youd likas there will be plenty of activities to do in tharea for the entire family.

PREVIEW:

5th AnnualMt. Rainier

R & B Festival

Join us for a 12 hourMusical Extravaganza

on Saturday September

24th at this beautifulplace on Earth, near thefoot of Mt. Rainier.

Tickets and all festival relatedinfo at minerallake.com and

visitrainier.comRandy Oxford at Oxford Entertainment a253-973-9024 oxfordentertainment.com

Gary Johnson, Mineral Lake Event Center a360-492-5039 minerallakeeventcenter.com

Sponsored in part by: The Dispatch in Eatonvill

Mount Rainier Regional Visitor Center at Minera

Oxford Entertainment, and Teninos Scatter Cree

Winery. Special thanks to the Washington Blue

Society and the South Sound Blues Association.


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Building off the great success of the first

two years, The Pinetop Perkins Foundation

plans to expand their workshop offerings

next year to include a harmonica master

class, along with the piano and guitar work-

shops. The overall goal of the workshops

is to preserve Pinetops legacy by bringing

support and encouragement to young mu-sicians at the beginning of their careers.

The 2012 Workshops will be held from

June 13 to 15 at the Shack Up Inn and

Hopsons Commissary in Clarksdale,

Mississippi. This will be followed by a

performance and jam at the world famous

Ground Zero blues club in Clarksdale.

While the workshops will continue to be

available to both the young and the young

at heart, scholarships will be available to

youth ages 12-21 only.

The harmonica workshop will be led by Gary

Allegretto. Winner of the 2011 Keeping

the Blues Alive award for Blues Education

from The Blues Foundation, Allegretto has

decades of experience performing, recording

and especially teaching harmonica to youth

around the world. Since 1985, through his

nonprofit organization Harmonikids, he has

provided music therapy and harmonicas

to many thousands of children around

the world with a wide range of physical,

emotional, and/or economic disadvantages,

Bob Margolin returns to lead the guitar

workshops. A Pinetop Perkins Founda-

tion board member and recording artist

Margolin, is widely recognized as one ofthe best blues guitar players in the country.

A member of the Muddy Waters band

for seven years, he has won numerous

awards and active performance schedule.

As an educator, he has taught blues guitar

workshops, has an instructional video on

Muddy Waters guitar style, and has given

PINETOP

PERKINSFOUNDATION

EXPANDS THEYOUTH WORKSHOP

SERIES FOR 2012

workshops at Blues Festivals and event

worldwide.

The piano workshop leader will be an

nounced in the next few months. The cos

remains at $395 which includes a meet and

greet dinner and jam on the evening of June

12th, two and a half days of instruction

nightly jams, and lunch for two days. I

does not include lodging.

Bob Margolins deep passion, knowledge

and incredible ability to play Delta style

blues guitar coupled with the accommoda

tions in Clarksdale, make this workshop

unlike any musical experience I have ever

had. John Sillaman Workshop Attendee

The workshop was a great opportunity

for my kids! They expanded their musica

horizons, learned new ways to play the

blues and gained a greater appreciation for

the stories behind the blues. Dara BiggerParent of Attendees

Further information; please visit the Pi

netop Perkins Foundation website at www

pinetopperkinsfoundation.org.


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I told the vendor at the BBQ booth that

I would mention to readers of this article

that they need to put the ribs he cooks on

their bucket list. His ribs were most amaz-

ingly good ribs I remember ever eating.

Try to pull a piece of meat by the bone

and it wont move as the bone comes out.

You then find out that you have a huge

amount of meat in front of you. Guys

bigger than me had a hard time finishing

their plate because of how much meat wasthere. I came back from Mt Baker three

pounds heavier, and I only ate at two food

vendors there. Wait. This is the Blues-

letter. This is is supposed to be a music

review. OK. I will say that you must go

to the Mt Baker Blues Festival next year

to get those ribs, and to get some of the

best music on this planet.

I got some emails from festival goers who

said that this may have been the best Mt

Baker Blues Festival ever because of the

lineup, the talent who dropped in on thejams, and the great beer servers in the beer

garden (Note to Editor: I made up the

statement about the beer servers because

of my own beer serving ego).

From Friday through Sunday and into

Monday morning (or maybe the jam went

on till Tuesday so someone who was sober

the whole time needs to be consulted on

that). Friday at about 5:30 Jesse James and

the MOB started playing. These young

blues musicians showed a little of the

future of the blues. Someday they will be

old enough to have a beer in nightclubs,

and by then, they will have had many years

of experience playing at events like this.

The Chris Eger Band followed, and Chris

showed guitar greatness at the afterhours

jams each night as well. I was impressed

and told him that when I caught up with

him to have a conversation sometime

around 2 AM Sunday morning.

If you havent seen Hamilton Loomis per-

form live, you need to. Whether hes in

Texas or Washington State, or some other

part of the world, Loomis is worth the trip!

He is a good singer, great guitar player,

and great entertainer. He also jammed

after hours with good guitar players like

Chris Eger. Each performer sold CDs

through the Washington Blues Society

booth, and the booth was busy morning,

noon and night. Tony Frederickson and

Chad Creamer were busier retail clerks

than I ever see at a Starbucks location

at daybreak, and Hamilton Loomis CD

sales were very, very popular.

Bright and early at 11:30 Saturday morning,

Jumpin Josh and Felicia kicked things off

with a good set, followed by James King

and the Southsiders. James King has a

good, new band and Im confident that

they will be recognized by our societys

membership at BB Awards events. Look

at the schedule in The Bluesletter each

month to find out where to go see them

play live.

Those who have seen the CD Woodbury

Band perform know why he wins BB

Awards for Best Electric Guitar. His

band has no weak links. After his set

CD said the band will review some of the

flaws they noticed. I point this out only

to mention that, as part of the audience

I sure didnt notice any imperfections

CD has decidedly high standards, this is

one example of the attention to detail and

professionalism that of many of our blues

bands, band leaders, and guitar player

are around here.

Mid-afternoon the band that is sometimes

called The House Band at Mt Baker

took the stage and showed why The Fa

Tones are often the most popular band

at this festival. The Fat Tones have a

singing bass player, a guitar player tha

shares have amazing harmonies, and they

also put on a great visual show. Bobby

Patterson has won some major awards a

a guitar player, and has to be seen as wel

as heard to be fully appreciated.

There were two performances this year

that made about half the crowd fall deeply

in lust. For straight women, it was Shane

Dwight. For straight men, it was Ana

Popovic. Ana Popovic comes on stage

after her band gets the crowd going. Her

bass player is an entertainer at A level tha

can steal the show from almost anyone bu

Ana. After a song or two he introduced

her with rivers of sweat already running

down his face and tight black clothing

Ana came out wearing just a pair of black

leather pumps with 5 high heels withlittle silver chains, (oh, and a tight shor

purple dress, I guess). Her guitar playing

was good, and she did some blues classics

along with some original songs. Her band

is very good at making sure the crowd is

entertained. I was talking to Al Owen (a

good harmonica player himself) later and

told him that deaf people could still have

loved her performance. He then pointed

out that blind people could have loved

her performance too. So we agreed tha

it was good for many.

The Average White Band was up next

and they are as great now as they were

back in the days when they first rose to

dominance on the music scene. They

started in the British Isles and conquered

I told the vendor at theBBQ booth that I wouldmention to readers ofthis article that they

need to put the ribs hecooks on their bucket list.

He then pointed out thatblind people could have

loved her performance too

Mt. Bakerreachedgreat

Heightsin 2011A Review of the Mt. BakerBlues FestivalB y Ro bert Ho rn


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does. We would have rather have gone

blind than to watch him go.

The whole crowd stayed to hear Shane

Dwight. I took some pictures of his fingers

on the guitar strings, doing what mere

mortals cant do to make the sounds

intended for the other world. Shane

was great on guitar and vocals. Women

seemed to like him for other reasons,

too. He asked Who will drive me to my

hotel? and a lot of women standing next

to husbands and boy-friends raised their

hands. I found out later who was supposed

to have answered his question. If shes

reading this Bluesletter, I need to get her

Facebook contact again, largely because

my memory was not perfect because I

had a beer in my hand at, I forget, 2:30

AM or 3:00 AM.

I was ready to come back to Earth by

Monday afternoon (worn out) but it was

sure a great party.

I was ready to come

back to Earth by Mondayafternoon (worn out) butit was sure a great party.

America. They sounded great at Baker

this year. They were followed by another

bluesman from Europe, Matt Schofield.

Schofield was voted by UKs Guitar &

Bass Magazine as One of the Top Ten

Greatest Blues Guitarists of All Time from

the UK. The crowd at Mt Baker found

out why. Someone in the same league

as Keith Richards and Eric Clapton on

stage showed one more reason why the

Mt Baker Blues Festival must be on your

blues bucket list. This is the kind of talent

we now expect, and get, at this festival.

I didnt get much sleep before the music

began on Sunday. There was a gospel show

in the building at the festival site and my

camping neighbors went to it.

Mark Whitman and Sweet Talking Jones

put on a great show as other campers woke

up, and I got some good photos of this

good Washington band on stage.

One of the great guitar players in this

region got on stage on Sunday afternoon.

There is a YouTube video of Fat James

at Mt Baker that shows what I am talking

about. He put on a great performance

people talked about all day. Late Sunday

night (actually Monday morning) Fat James,

Chris Eger, and Shane Dwight were on

the jam stage with Shanes bass player and

other festival greats and put on what some

sober people say was the hi-light of the

year. Three guitar greats playing together,about three inches from each other, and

taking each other higher, was something

to experience.

I was very impressed by the Canadian blues

band, The Twisters. The harmonica play-

ing of Dave Hoerl and the guitar playing

of Brandon Isaak, along with the humor

and bass playing of Keith Picot were very

noticeable, but the drumming of Chip

Hart was also key to the greatness of the

band and its show.

What should I tell you about Curtis Sal-

gado and his big band? Curtis is one of

the worlds vocal greats and harmonica

greats. He brought the horn section and

the back-up vocalists too so this show just

like he does at his home Waterfront Blues

Festival in Portland. I will never forget

this show. It doesnt get much better than

Curtis on songs like Im Too Loose or

Id Rather Go Blind or anything else he

Ana Popovic at Mount Baker by the Blues Boss


14/32

14

The 2nd Annual Big Sky Blues Festival,

held on August 6th and 7th in Noxon,

Montana - a beautiful little town nestled in

the mountains, on the Clark Fork River.

Montanas Vista Power was kind enough

to allow this festival to return to their

property, which is also a public park and

recreation area. When we first crossed

the bridge over the Clark Fork River into

Noxon, there was a very special feeling

that this could be one of those really big

annual events, once the word got out about

how beautiful this place really is.

There appears to be unlimited room

for camping and RVs. Promoters LorneRiddell and Randy Oxford with Buzz

Productions and Oxford Entertainment

were thrilled with the increased attendance

over last years debut festival.

It was obvious the word was spread around

by last years attendees, said Riddell, we

saw many returnees who brought many

more friends with them this year, and

this is what we needed to keep this young

festival going into its 3rd year (now set for

August of 2012) People came from as far

away as New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado,Southern,California and San Francisco.

There was a particularly large showing

from Washington state.

Oxford, who recruited the entertainment,

said I hired bands from Washington,

Idaho and Montana, who all had good

followings of their own, and they delivered

by spreading the word to their fan base,

and many of those fans showed up.

When you are trying to develop some-

thing new like this in the mountains of

Montana, you really need a joint promo-

tional effort by the bands, the fans whowere there last year, the regional media

and the festival promoters, to pull it off,

said the award-winning Oxford.

The weather was perfect, the water was just

right for swimming, the dogs were chasing

Frisbees and retrieving their thrown toys

and the quality of the stage, lighting and

the sound were top notch.

Riddell, who also owns the Naughty Pine

Saloon 15 minutes east of Noxon, in

Trout Creek, hired The Fat Tones for

a pre-festival party Friday night at the

saloon. The band set the Tone for the

weekend. Everybody did Get Toned

and they were ready for two more days

of great music and sunshine under the

big Montana sky.

A new band from Everett and Arlington

RJ Knapp and the 21st Century Bluzmen

kicked things into high gear on Saturday

by making a dramatic entrance on theirHarleys. The crowd went wild over tha

grand entrance, and their great set of

music that featured RJs sizzling guitar

work and great singing, plus the band

two female vocalists. The bar was set high

for the weekend, next up was an exciting

band from Sand Point, Idaho, The John

Kelly Band. John is an accomplished

guitarist and singer and had the crowd

lined up to buy his CDs.

Another relatively new band from Kalispell

The Smokehouse Blues Band, wowed thecrowd with authentic, original blues. Jus

when the crowd thought they knew wha

this festival was all about, next up was

Tacomas 13 year old guitar sensation

Nolan Garrett and His Trio. Oxford firs

met Nolan at Jazzbones youth jams when

Nolan was just nine years old. The Big

Sky Blues Festival has vowed to alway

showcase at least one youth band each

year; Nolan didnt disappoint. The main

comment during Nolans set and well after

was, hes only 13? Amazing!

Now that the festival goers were blown

away by the kid, The Fat Tones were

up. These guys continue to deliver high

energy sets of music night after night and

year after year, and they always bring their

fans, Fat Heads, with them.

Now that everybody was Toned, the

road-tested and International Blues Chal

lenge veterans of the Randy Oxford Band

Big SkyBluesA Review of the 2nd Annual Big Sky Blues Festival

By Baggs Groove

The weather was perfect,

the water was just rightfor swimming, the dogswere chasing Frisbees

and retrieving theirthrown toys and thequality of the stage,

lighting and the sound

were top notch.


15/32

15

fan base, great sponsors, hard working

volunteers, fabulous food and beverage

vendors from Idaho and Montana, and

many arts and crafts vendors.

The Washington Blues Society set up

camp with Tony, Al and Susie doing

what they do so well: promote the music

we all love and sell blues merchandise.

Tony helped Oxford with the MC duties

throughout the weekend, and did a fan-

tastic job letting the festival crowd know

about upcoming blues shows around the

region and on the high seas.

Each band at this festival, and many bands

who werent, benefited from the Washing-ton Blues Societys booth and presence.

Tony and his volunteers promoted CDs

on consignment from artists throughout

the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

One additional benefit from the blues

societys support is that it appears to

have sparked a local blues organization,

The Flathead Blues Society, to regroup

and to return to the blues scene. I know

Many players from

throughout the weekendjammed together

many for the first timetogether and it

made a great festivaleven better!

took the stage as the sun was setting.

Montanas Severson Productions provided

great sound and lights, and complemented

Randy Oxfords excellent set.

Closing out the night was another rela-

tively new band from Kalispell , the

Kenny James Miller Band. This band

made it to the Washington Blues Society

finals last month at the Taste of Mus ic

in Snohomish. Its not easy for a trio

to put on a 90 minute show that keeps

an audience on their feet and leaves

them wanting more. Very few trios can

pull this off the way these guys did. Their

set was full of great originals and each

performer showcased his considerableblues chops.

The festivals last day featured perfect

weather day and it started with a bang:

two other Washington Blues Society

International Blues Challenge finalists

started it up. The Vaughn Jensen Band

and the Coyote Kings with Mush Mor-

gan show that the Tri-Cities and Walla

Walla definitely have blues powerhouse

talent. Spokanes Big Mumbo Blues

Band followed, and each of these acts

brought their A Game to Noxon.

The ultimate ending to the 2nd Annual

Big Sky Blues Festival was the closing jam

session. Many players from throughout

the weekend jammed together many

for the first time together and it made

a great festival even better!

The festival was supported by the little

town of Noxon, a solid and multi-state

that the blues societys president, Eric

Steiner, wil l encourage them to join

the constellation of blues societies tha

make up the Blues Foundation. Thicombined support is sure to help build

this fest iva l in to a big annual even

under the big sky of Montana.

You can visit www.bigskybluesfestival

com in the coming months for more

information about next years Augus

2012 festival. Make it a part of your

2012 blues festival plans as I highly

recommend the Big Sky Blues Festival

Nolan Garrett at Big Sky by Jerry Peterson


16/32

16

It is my pleasure to bring you a quick

rundown on two Dry Side festivals: the

Rock Cut Blues Festival near Kettle Falls,

Washington on July 22nd and 23rd, and

the Big Sky Festival in Noxon, Montana on

August 6th and 7th. Sweetie loves being

in the water and spent lots of time in the

Kettle and Clark Fork rivers respectively,

with blue skies and temperatures in the

mid-80s for both events. We have those

over here on the Dry Side.

The Rock Cut Blues Festival began Friday,

July 22nd with Son Jack, Jr. on guitar and

vocals and Michael Wilde on harmonica.

They were followed by the Sarah Brown,

a strong-voiced Colville-area phenomenon

that led her trio through a cool arrange-

ment of Stormy Monday, and originals

including Im Just Trying to Tell You.

Eddie Turner closed the festival on Friday.

Eddies a A powerful guitar player, he led

his rhythm section through J.B. Lenoirs

classic Talk to Your Daughter. He alsorevealed one of his major influences as he

brought out a medley that melded portions

of Purple Haze and VooDoo Child.

Gary Yeoman and VooDoo Church kicked

the festivities off on Saturday. One of

Spokanes true blues purveyors, originals

13 Candles and Man Builds a House

blended perfectly with Howlin Wolf covers.

Next up were the fabulous Fat Tones. In

the middle of their set, the strap holding

Uncle Bobs borrowed bass dropped to

the stage, but Gary Yeoman leaped up

and repaired the guitar without missing

a beat. Way to go, Yo! The Tones were

followed by the Pat Coast Band, led by

the singer-songwriter-guitar master himself

who called guitarist Bobby Patterson of

the Tones up. I enjoyed Big Mumbos

set, and Pat Barclays six-pack of award-

winning players showed the crowd why

they are in the our societys Hall of Fame

as the Best Blues Band. Jennifer Kemples

vocals from their new album, How Blue

Can Blue Get? shows that shes the next

Etta James. The Randy Oxford Band

played last, and provided the crowd with

an exciting nightcap. Randys sextet, led

by guitarist Rafael Tranquilino, took solos

to the next level, with each player doing

whatever was necessary to show just how

good he/she was, and the crowd responded

by shaking what their mammas gave them.

The Second Annual Big Sky Blues Festival

was held in Avistas Pigeon Creek Park,

just across the Clark Fork in Noxon,

Montana. Friday night, we headed into

Trout Creek for the festival prefunction

with the Fat Tones at the Naughty Pine

Saloon. We showed the locals how the

FatHeads roll and they were eager to

see Tones set on Saturday.

Saturday started with RJ Knapp and the

21st Century Blues Review, a three-piece

with two female singers fronted by RJ

Knapp on guitar and vocals. They were

followed by the Mike Kelly Band, a trio

fronted by Mike Kelly and his very cool

straw hat on guitar and vocals. Next up

was the Nolan Garrett Trio. Nolan is an

amazing 13-year old who led his group

through an hour-long set of traditional

blues, with a few originals thrown in.

The Smokehouse Blues Band, a Flathead

Valley quartet fronted by Dick Reed on

guitar and vocals, brought some big blues

to the festival. The folks that had seen

them at the Naughty Pine were ready, and

the Fat Tones didnt disappoint. The set

seared with red-hot blues, and the encore

Illustrated Man, blew the whole thing

wide open. The sweaty masses surged

once again to the sounds of the Randy

Oxford Band, who soloed on until it was

time for the Kenny James Miller Band

to close the festival. Ken Sederdahl ledhis powerhouse trio though most of their

latest CD, Revelator, and expressed his

appreciation for having the privilege o

playing this event. I want to express my

thanks to Bill Holmes, Randy Oxford, and

all of the attendees for putting together two

immensely pleasurable and memorable

social and musical experiences. On the

Dry Side of the Evergreen State!

Dry

SideBluesA Review of the Rock Cutand Big Sky Blues Festivals

By Jerry Peterson, Vice President

Inland Empire Blues Society

Jennifer Kemples vocals

from their new album,How Blue Can Blue Get?

shows that shes thenext Etta James.

The sweaty massessurged once again to

the sounds of the RandyOxford Band, who soloedon until it was time forthe Kenny James Miller

Band to close the festival.

Leanne Trevayalan by John Salisbury at Rock Cut


17/32

interpretations of Willie Dixons That

Same Thing, Look On Yonders Wall,

and I especially appreciated the free-form

and extended jam that Jason led during

the Paul Butterfield classic, Lovin Cup.

Lonesome Mikes harp set the stage for

that cover, and they played a rarely-heard

James Cotton tune, Boogie Thing to the

delight of the dancers on the dancefloor.

Lollar is the co-owner of Lollar Guitars,

a world-class manufacturing company thatmakes guitar pickups and other parts for the

instrument that Les Paul helped introduce

to the world in the 20th century, and his

voice and guitar playing at the Red Crane

were perfect for the bands blues set.

When the worlds blues talent want their

guitar pickups done just so, they (meaning

Buddy Guy, Steve Miller, and a customer

list thats simply awe-inducing) call, text,

Skype, phone or email his company. Hes

no stranger to the Pacific Northwest blues

community having played in the 80s with

the likes of Pat Lynch and Ray Varner.

Im quite positive that our paths may have

crossed back in the day at Astor Park,

Parkers (before it was a casino, kitty-

corner to the Red Crane), or The Hall of

Fame on The Ave in the U District. I

wish One More Mile had CDs we could

sell from the merchandise booth, because

these guys can really put on a show.

After our raffle, the AlleyKatz took the

Washington Blues Society Music Direc-

tor Suze Sims has a lot on her plate these

days. Shes a Red Hot Blues Sister, and

this band will represent the South

Sound Blues Association at the

2012 International Blues Challenge

in Memphis. Shes also part of

the innovative group that played

our July Blues Bash, the Blues

Buskers. The Buskers include

fellow Red Hot Blues Sister Teri

Anne Wilson, and Best of theBlues (BB Award) winning play-

ers Nick Vigarino on guitar and

Charlene Grant on bass.

Our Blues Bashes have tended

to feature an acoustic opening act from

7:00 PM to 7:45 PM, and then we break

for announcements and our free monthly

raffle. Merchandise Director Tony Fred-

erickson usually recruits a Vanna White

for the Night to help draw raffle tickets

out of a Red Crane Restaurant champagne

bucket, and at least 10 members or fansgo home with a new blues CD, t-shirt or

Seattle Mariners baseball memorabilia.

Well, the August bash was different.

Music Director Sims lamented she was

having some difficulties recruiting solo,

duo, or acoustic acts for our monthly

Blues Bashes. If the August meeting

of the Washington Blues Society is any

indication of the talent that is willing to

volunteer to play our meeting, Ill tell

Ms. Sims to stop stressin. The open-

ing act, hailing from Vashon Island, was

One More Mile, featuring Tom Bean on

guitar, Lonesome Mike Nichols on harp

and vocals, Jason Lollar on guitar, and an

engine room with David Salonen on bass

and Sam Veatch drums.

One More Miles set featured a range

of blues, ranging from the West Coast

instrumental vibe of San Ho Zay, to the

gritty and nuanced Chicago blues-tinged

stage. This purrfectly good band worked

through a delightful set of music tha

included blues classics like Aint No

Brakeman and Dont Need No Doctor,

but I was intrigued with their 6-song/$5

EP that they sold from the bandstand

They played Tobacco Road and An

gel From Montgomery from that disc

and I particularly enjoyed the way tha

lead singer Katy Miller interpreted John

Prines lyrics. Slow and sultry, with a jus

a wistful tinge that put just the right edge

on one of that former Chicago postmans

signature songs. Jim Barnes on keyboard

and Alan Edwards on bass ushered

in a great cover of Sweet Home

Chicago, which is one of my fa

vorite songs, too, because I grew

up in the shadow of the City of

Big Shoulders.

Dave McCabe and Justin Dean

rounded out the AlleyKatz on drumand guitar, and I would recommend

this band to fans who like their

blues diverse, with just a touch of

rock, folk or country. I hope tha

theyll continue to rehearse and I

hope that clubs will take notice of the way

Katy Miller can front a talented outfit like

the AlleyKatz.

The next time I see Music Director Sims

Ill tell that Red Hot Blues Sister not to

worry. Tonights show at the Red Cran

in Shoreline offered up to solid bands withsolid blues sets. Whether you prefer music

inspired by Cotton, Butterfield, Mayall

Raitt, or Dixon, or venture farther afield

in country blues, trance blues or blues tha

sample rap or hip-hop, youll enjoy the musi

cal diversity of our monthly Blues Bashes

This month, weve got Bassic Saxx the

award-winning duo of Scotty Harris and

Lissa Ramaglia opening the evening, and

one of the finest players to ever pick up

a Gibson guitar in the Pacific Northwest

the Tim Sherman Band.

All ages. Second Tuesday of each month

First set at seven; free raffle giveaways

before the second set that begins at eight

Well finish up at nine, and have a great

time. See you there!

17

...Ill tell that Red Hot BluesSister not to worry.

August Blues

BashOne More Mile and the AlleyKatzBy Eric Steiner -President of the Washington Blues Society


18/32

18

As the festival season winds down, I am

reminded of the great things about go-

ing to festivals: there are always several

bands on the line-up, the great way they

sound in the open air, and even if you goto festivals every weekend (like our Rhea

and Tony from the WBS), you are bound

to see some new favorite bands while

still enjoying your old favorites and, as

always adding to your collection of CDs

and T-shirts.

I just attended two of my favorite festivals

at opposite ends of the state, Rock Cut

by Orient and Backyard Blues Bash by

Goldendale. For $45-50, you get camp-

ing and two days of music at an intimate

setting, with grass and trees, surrounded

by musicians and fellow blues lovers. At

these smaller festivals, you get the privilege

of an entire weekend of unrestricted roam-

ing around and dancing. That freedom

allows you to get up close and personal

with your favorite musicians, especially

if you hang out by the WBS booth! Its

fun to visit and get to know the musicians

and show them your love and respect for

the talent they share with us.

At Rock Cut, the July 22-23rd weekend,

a local favorite and one of my new favor-

ites is the Sara Brown Band, who played

Friday night. I was honored to be able to

spend some time between bands to talk

with some of the band members. Sara

spent some time in Hollywood and won

Singer of the Year at Universal Studios

in 2002. She gave up those bright lights

for her husband and bass player, Jesse

Brown, and settled down in the small townof Kettle Falls. She is like a grown-up

Shirley Temple with her big smile and

bubbly personality. She can sing out the

low, growly notes of the Thrill is Gone

and the sweetness of one of their originals

Lay Me on Down. She sealed the deal

with me when she ended the night with an

encore of Adeles Rollin in the Deep.

Guitar player Dave Kelley, previously with

Dr. Mellow and The Mojos, has the clear,

clean sound of a seasoned musician. I

know Dave on a personal level and I amamazed of his talent for making guitars

and violins, they are beautiful works of art.

He can cut down a tree and masterfully

turn it into a working instrument! He

also has a sideline business of repairing

string instruments. So you can see from

all this extensive musical knowledge, he

knows how to handle a guitar and trust

me, he doesnt disappoint. To round out

the band, they are accompanied by the

solid beat of the drummer, Jeff Curtiss.

Friday night ended with Eddie Turner,

who really ripped it up. As usual, the

festival continued on Saturday with a

great mixture of new favorites and re-

discovering old favorites. The line-up

included VooDoo Church, Son Jack, JR,

Fat Tones, Pat Coast, and Big Mumbo

Blues Band with the sensational sax and

killer keys. And ending the night was

the Randy Oxford Band who always puts

on a great show.

Two weeks later finds me at the Backyard

Blues Bash at Pine Springs Resort at the

opposite side of the state. An old favorite

is Blues Attitude, who is a fun band with

some great music. They did an awesome

job with the Friday night jam. We heard

a preview of Vaughn Jensen, who is also

an old favorite from my stomping grounds

of Tri-Cities. Leanne Trevalyan (from

Junkyard Jane and The Trevalyan Triangle)

was also there to sing a little and get u

all ready for her acoustical set the next

day. Also up was new favorite, and grea

blues harp player with a lively voice, Tuck

Foster and his new band Tuck Foster and

The Mossrites , which is named after his

old friend and bass player, Patrick Moss

lifelong love for the Mosrite guitars, which

he plays to this day.

Another talented musician included an

acoustical guitar player with half an arm

but twice the heart, who put it all out there

when she sang. Charlotte Wilson told

me of her inspiring story the next day

who credits Vaughn Jensen for gettingher out in the music scene again after a

life changing accident. She was already

an accomplished musician when she fel

from a ladder and broke both her wrist

two and a half years ago. After already

a tragic and career pausing incident, she

was thrown another obstacle with an

infection in the bone and the loss of her

hand. For now, shes figured out how to

tape a pick device on so she can strum and

I was amazed how much movement and

control she has. This is just proof of the

power that music can have on ones life

and the motivation some have in order

to keep it there.

Leanne Trevalyan started out our beautifu

Saturday, surrounded by good old Mother

Nature and talk of the bear sightings the

previous night. She braved it out solo with

a fun set and created a nice atmosphere

for the bands to follow.

Another new favorite, Tommy Hogan

Redefinethe WordFavoriteat a Blues

FestivalA Review of the Rock Cut andBackyard Blues Bash FestivalsB y C indy Dyer

Two weeks later finds me

at the Backyard BluesBash at Pine SpringsResort at the opposite

side of the state.

I just attended two of myfavorite festivals atopposite ends of the

state, Rock Cut by Orientand Backyard Blues Bash

by Goldendale.


19/32

19

really tore up the stage and got people

hopping up off their chairs. Then, an

old favorite of many, Billy Roy Danger

and the Rectifiers (also of Junkyard Jane)

entertained us with his story-telling songs.

He ended his set with a fun and provoca-

tive I Want Candy while venturing off

the stage, kneeling to the women in the

audience while serenading them with his

guitar, to put it lightly.

We were also honored to hear from Two

Tone Steiny and the Cadillacs out of Cali-

fornia. And what more can I say about

a long time favorite, Too Slim and the

Taildraggers? The music just gets inside

you and EVERYONE has to move young

and old (another great thing about festivals

the diversity of ages among the people).

It must be something about Tommy and

Pollys combined beat along with Tims

electrifying sound that just keeps you going

and going and dancing your ass off andit wasnt only me!

The Vaughn Jensen band topped the night

off and kept us moving into the late hours.

He was joined by an extraordinary harp

player who wowed us with his train song

story. Vaughns friend, Charlotte, also

amazed us again with a few songs at the end.

Great times! Great people! Great music!

As you can see, its impossible to label

one band a favorite. So be sure to take

advantage of wonderful displays of music

and always find the joy in the journey and

Dance Away!

Great times! Greatpeople! Great music!

As you can see, itsimpossible to label one

band a favorite.


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20

John MayallToughEagle Records

www.eaglerockent.com

After Mayalls 2007 tribute album to Freddie King

he laid off his band of many years and slowed

down his pace somewhat. For Tough John hired

a completely new outfit only bringing back Tom

Canning on keys and much of this project ha

a decidedly more rocking than his recent offer

ings. John Mayall has been making records since

1965 there have been some good ones, some no

so much and some great ones. Along the way

Mayall has written many great songs and hereon Tough he includes three originals along with

covers by Harper, ex-Bluesbreaker Walter Trout

Dave Fields, Gary Nicholson, Curtis Salgado

and more. In my opinion, although well versed

at all the instruments he plays, Mayall is often

at his best when playing the harmonica as on

Trouts Playing With A Losing Hand and the

original That Good Old Rockin Blues which

is reminiscent of the Stones at their best. I am

trying to decide if Mayall titled this CD Tough

because of the hard rocking stance that many o

the tracks have or as a nod to his composition

Tough Times Ahead, about the trying times o

the aftermath of the global financial meltdownThe Dave Fields cut Train To My Heart has

a driving beat and blazing guitars that is sure

to appeal to fans of hard blues rock. The mid

tempo blues shuffle Eye For An Eye is a sure

winner as is his own Slow Train To Nowhere,

a mellow piano shuffle about leaving the fas

and wild life behind. The up beat piano driven

shuffle The Sum of Something composed

by Curtis Salgado will have you snapping you

fingers and tapping your toes. Overall Tough i

a good album with a few gems that Mayall fan

are sure to enjoy. Malcolm Kennedy

Grady ChampionDreamin

GSM Music

2010 international Blues Challenge winner Grady

Champion proves the blues has a future with therelease of fifth album Dreamin. The ten track

album of original material, produced by Cham-

pion and partners in crime Zac Harmon and

Christopher Troy, mixes elements of a variety

of styles from traditional blues to sweaty R&B,

gospel ,pop and soul, all recorded with finesse

rarely found on independent CDs . Although

billed as contemporary blues their use of hip hop

influenced electronic percussion, soulful backups

and effects, alongside gritty guitar and wailing

harmonica, Champion and Co. may have created

a new genre something akin to Neo-Blues. All

the songs feature Champions smoky tenor and

hot harp playing reminiscent of a young JamesBrown or little Walter. Champion knows when to

lay it down smooth and when to shout. Strongest

among the tracks are the sassy title tune, featuring

backups from Sue Ann Carwell who sang on Purple

Rain. The foot stomping Same Train, brings

the blues in the twenty first century. Make That

Monkey Jump, is sure fired to bring the house

down, and old school fans get a nod with Thank

You for Giving Me the Blues, with its new spin

on a twelve bar. Grady Champion proves he is

here to stay and worthy of the accolades with

Dreamin, a champion indeed. - Rick J Bowen.

T-Town AcesAll InBlues Town Records

www.t-townaces.com

The T-Town Aces, the 2011 BB Award nomi-

nated Best New Band, consists of 2/3 of the

multi-award winning Crossroads Band. Their

name is a nod to three of the five band members

currently living in or near Tacoma, and the Aces

refers to blues legends Louis and Dave Myers

on guitar and bass with Fred Below on drums

(the unit who backed both Junior Wells andLittle Walter). To say that their new CD All In

deserves attention would be an understatement.

In a departure from the three Crossroads CD,

All In was recorded at Elliott Bay Recording

Company instead of Casa de Bailey Studio.

They open All In with Amos Milburns House

Party (Tonight) a song that is very popular in

the T-Town Aces live sets featuring Dennis

Ellis on vocals and wailing sax showing why

many consider him one of the best players and

vocalists in town. New guitarist Curtis Smith

struts his stuff on Earl Hookers classic Guitar

Rumba. There are many highlights on this CD,

including the two Steve Bailey originals the selfexplanatory Unemployment Blues with its slow

driving beat and warbling harp, and the upbeat

Potato Digger, rife with double entendre

Steves bottle neck slide playing and Dennis

beating sax solo. All In is on my short list for

Best Blues CD of 2011, and both Dennis and

Steve are on my list for several nominations

including Performer of the Year, Hall of Fame

and more. - Malcolm Kennedy

Blues ReviewsNew Blues that you can Use


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21

Steve DawsonNightshadeBlack Hen Music

www.blackhenmusic.com

Steve Dawson is the British Columbia-based

mastermind behind the BMA nominated Mis

sissippi Sheiks Tribute CD and concert DVD

projects, and Nightshade shows him to be a very

adept tunesmith and an amazingly talented multinstrumentalist playing both electric and acoustic

on large variety of instruments. His music hi

not exactly blues yet it is; but it is so much more

Nightshade is possibly the best CD I have heard

in awhile. From the opening bars of the infectiou

Torn and Frayed I was hooked. The haunting

harmonies with Alice Dawson and the rousing

bass lines provided by Keith Lowe along with

Steves dazzling picking and engaging vocal

make Darker Still stands out. Walk On, a

mid-tempo lope, reminds me of something JJ

Cale would do with the line times are better

ahead, so walk on and Fairweather Friends

could be a rootsy breakout single AAA radioThe moody slow paced The Fray again feature

great harmonies this time with Jeanne Tolmie and

a Neal Young-esque feel to the languid electric

guitar solos. The only cover song here is a re

prise of the Sheiks Gulf Coast Bay one of the

standouts from both tribute projects and it stand

out here too with a toe tapping beat, outstanding

musicianship and vocals, it is positively vibrant.

can not recommend Nightshade highly enough

its not all blues; but these songs deserve to be

heard in heavy rotation. - Malcolm Kennedy

Marcia BallRoadside Attractions

Alligator Records

www.alligator.com

Marcia Ball needs no introduction with the nu-

merous BMAs she has received, not to mention

three Grammy nominated CDs, nor does her

brand of rollicking boogie piano driven blues.

Marcia is supported by a crack outfit on her

fifth Alligator Records CD Roadside Attrac-tions with Colin Linden and Mike Schermer

alternating on guitar and Reese Wynans adding

his deft touch on B-3 to a pair of selections.

The dozen tracks are all penned or co-written

by Marcia (a first in her 40+ year 15 album

career) and they are a delight. The second line

beat of We Fell Hard is accent by the Mingo

Fishtrap Horns of Dan Bechdolt-tenor sax,

Steve Butts-trumpet and Greg Wilson-baritone

sax. The bluesy shuffle of Look Before You

Leap again has the Fishtrap Horns and an

adroit solo by Schermer. Marcia also shows

another side on the slower cuts like Between

Here and Kingdom Come This Used To BeParadise, a heartfelt song about the Louisiana

wetlands and I Heard It All with lyrics that

reprise the theme of Robert Crays Right Next

Door adding yet another dimension to this

multi faceted artist. The upbeat swinging sounds

of Sugar Boogie will have them dancing in

the aisles and highlights some clever interac-

tion between Schermers six string and Thad

Scott on sax. There is not a dud in the bunch

so if you enjoy piano boogie blues at its finest

get yourself a copy of Marcia Balls Roadside

Attractions! - Malcolm Kennedy

Marion JamesEssenceEller Soul Records

www.ellersoulrecords.com

Nashville isnt exactly known as a hot bed for

the blues; but there is a blues scene there andthere are a couple studios and a few good musi-

cians there, too. Marion had a top 10 hit back in

1966 and also for a brief time in the early 60s

her band included 2/3 of the Band of Gypsys,

Hendrix and Billy Cox. Husband Jimmy Stuart

is a trumpet player and arranged horn charts

for Bobby Bland and Junior Parker among

others (although hes not on this CD). Essence

was originally recorded in 2003 and features a

bevy of Nashvilles finest studio musicians and

it shows on the CD. Essence opens with a cool

70s style R&B number called Tables as in

the tables gonna turn on you, you, you with a

Tower of Power horns groove. Give Me Loveopens with a mellow groove with a horn section.

Lets Straighten It Out has a Barry White feel,

a relationship song about fixing things before

they fall apart. Marion shows another side in

the jazzy 24 Hours and then the sultry cocktail

lounge jazz of Until The Real Thing Comes

Along. The displays vocal range as the piano

plays tastefully behind and guitarist Jack Pearson

(Allman Brothers) adds an artistic touch. The

horns are back for the blues of Please Dont

Waste My Time which features a gritty s lide

solo. From smoky sax and/or piano driven jazz

to tough R&B, Essence brings a lot to the table

without feeling disjointed. Well worth checkingout. - Malcolm Kennedy

Lauren JordanDreamsBloo Productions

Dreams is not a blues CD; but when you hear

her you agree that the lush voice of the 23 year

old Bay Areas Lauren Jordan will be making

its mark for some time to come. The perco-

lating short opening Warm Up is just that,

and shows that the supporting cast has some

chops. There is plenty of good R&B on these

10 original songs. I found them to be lyricallyweak at times, but Laurens vocal affectations

are not overdone. Thats quite unlike what is

so common with R&B chanteuses these days.

The mellow As I Am was a standout as Lau-

ren sings about angels flying high, and with a a

tasteful guitar solo by Anthony Paule. Smokin

Train seems a little incongruous with its C&W

shuffle emulating a moving train; but it is s till a

good track. The guitar playing develops a pleas -

ingly deep groove on Heaven or Hell driven

by a pulsing beat, the solo crisp and sweet and

Laurens beautiful vocals. - Malcolm Kennedy

Terry Garland & Lil RonnieLive at the Canal ClubEller Soul Records

www.ellersoulrecords.com

On Live at the Canal Club you have the duo o

master guitarist and vocalist Terry Garland along

with blues harpist extraordinaire and vocalis

Lil Ronnie Owens (Lil Ronnie & the Grand

Dukes) swaggering their way through 11 tracks

with six originals sprinkled in amongst somchoice cover selections like Stagger Lee, I

Cant Be Satisfied, Willie Dixons Crazy Mixed

Up World and a pair of lesser known Jimmy

Reeds songs. Terrys Trouble On the Way i

gritty low down in the dirt blues while Ronnies

Bettin On My Baby has a slicker uptown vibe

and some reed bending harp too. Ronnies foo

stomping harp fueled instrumental Think Big

elicited a rousing response from the audience

that harp players and enthusiasts like me are sure

to enjoy. Of special note is Terrys buzzing slide

on Muddys I Cant Be Satisfied, front porch

blues at its best. If you like blues duos then Live

at the Canal Club is for you. - Malcolm Kennedy


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The TwistersCome Out SwinginNorthernBlues Music

www.northernblues.com

From the ambling blues, smooth harmonica of

Dave Hurricane Hoerl, silky guitar and satin

vocals from Brandon Isaak on the opening trackIll Make It Up To You, I had my toes tap-

ping. I knew right away that the Twisters that this

2009 follow up to their highly acclaimed After

the Storm (NorthernBlues) would be another

one fat with killer tunes, and that is certainly

the case. It was nominated for the 2009 Blues

Album of the Year by the Western Canada Music

Awards and the Twisters also received five 2009

Maple Blues Award Nominations including Best

Recording and Electric Act. Known for their

understated yet lively playing, the Twisters play

a swinging West Coast Blues style; but they

can play a tough and gritty Chicago style as the

do on Dirty Boy Blues. Somethings GottaGive has a 50s style pop ballad feel to it that

has a sweet groove and is one of five tracks that

feature Hoerl on vocals. Kenny Blues Boss

Wayne guests on keys as does Jerry Cook on

sax filling out the sound. I Refuse To Get Old

is a Delta style solo acoustic with harp accents

and Long Overdue is a harp burner that is

sure to please. The Twisters tore it up at at the

2011 Mt Baker R&B Festival and will be back

down on September 17th at the Highway 99

Blues Club and I highly recommend this CD

and this band. I would be remiss if I didnt

mention the Twisters Theme, a catchy number

where they sing: Were the Twisters/playing inyour townwe like to jump and swing, having

a blast, laying it down. - Malcolm Kennedy

Roomful of Blues

Hook, Line & Sinker Alligator Recordswww.alligator.com

Roomful has again made some line-up change

since their 2008 Alligator Records release Rais

ing A Ruckus with Phil Pemberton taking ove

on vocals, Doug Woolverton taking over the

trumpet chair from the late great Bob Enos and

John Turner on bass. This years Hook, Line &

Sinker opens with the signature Roomful Horn

Section and Chris Vachons brilliant, yet under

rated, guitar playing and shows Pemberton to be

a first class vocalist on par with Roomful alumn

like Salgado, Norcia and DuFresne.) Roomful o

Blues is synonymous with upbeat jumping, bouncy

swinging tunes played with gusto and the dozen

well chosen covers included on Hook, Line &

Sinker fit the bill to the tee. On Gatemouth Brown

classics like She Walks Right In and Gate

Walks To Board, Vachons considerable skill

on guitar, with that of the consistently dazzling and

in demand Roomful horn players, shine brightly

This band just keeps cranking out great release

and for Hook, Line & Sinker the dig deep into

the songbooks to pull out another batch of win

ners. Highly recommended. - Malcolm Kenned

Elvin Bishop sRaisin Hell RevueLive on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues CruiseDelta Groove Music

www.deltagroovemusic.com

Well, if the formula for an excellent live blues

album wasnt already completely certified with

Tommy Castros Delta Groove LRCB Revue

release or Joe Louis Walkers Blues Conspirac

then Elvin Bishop Live on the Legendary Rhythm& Blues Cruise has certainly confirmed it with

this offering. If you want to make a kick ass CD

all you have to do is get yourself booked as a the

headliners on one of the Legendary Rhythm &

Blues Cruises, pick out a few of your biggest hits

and a nice selection of choice blues standard

and grab your favorite fellow LRBC entertainer

to lend their talents and then just let the tape

roll. Elvin picked Finis Tasby (Mannish Boys

John Nemeth, Kid Andersen (Rick Estrin & the

Nightcats) and longtime bandmate and BMA

nominated sax man Terry Hanck. Live on the

Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise opens with

a fun Elvin Bishop classic Callin All Cowswith help on vocals by his band, Steve Willis on

accordion and both Elvin and Bob Welch on

slide guitar. John Nemeth (who sings on fou

cuts) lends his elite vocal talents to Elvins 75

hit Fooled Around and Fell In Love, and in

my very biased opinion is even better than the

original. Elvin Bishops Raisin Hell Revue-Live

on the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise is a

fantastic CD. - Malcolm Kennedy

The CD Woodbury BandSunbanks Live!Self released

www.cdwoodbury.com

There have been several really good live al-

bums recorded at the multi BB Award winning

Sunbanks R&B Festivals and the 2011 release

by the CD Woodbury Band, Sunbanks Live!

is another distinguished example. Clint has

been plying his trade for years playing in Polly

OKearys Rhythm Method, The Mark DuFresne

Band as well as other projects. Woodburysband is the former rhythm section from Tim

Caseys Bluescats; Chris Kliemann on keys,

Don Montana on drums, Mike Fish on bass,

and rounding things out is multi instrumentalist

Mike Marinig on sax, flute and more. Sunbanks

Live! contains ten selections including Two

Wheels an ode to the open road sung and

penned by Don. Mike provides a polished sax

solo to which CD ads some slick guitar and

Chris some tinkling ivories. The covers start

with a tune I never tire of, Bobby Blue Blands

Further On Up The Road on which CD and

his cohorts dazzle. Freddy Kings Pack It Up

positively struts and Woodburys guitar solosears while the jazzy Prisoner of Love puts

some focus on Mikes ripping saxophone and

Chris keyboards. CD and company show even

more diversity on the soulful version of Can I

Change My Mind, which is definitely one of

the highlights of the set, and I am certain it had

the Sunbanks crowd up dancing. Speaking of

BB Awards, Clint has racked up a few recently

with back to back Best Electric Guitar awards

in 2010 and 2011 plus Best New Band in 2010.

Pick up a copy Sunbanks Live! and find out

what all the fuss is about. - Malcolm Kennedy

More...


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Strummin DogSignify(Self-Released)

You know that anyone who pursues a musical

path based on country and delta blues is doing

so out of a love for the music and not for the

money, but this new release from StrumminDog out of Sitka, Alaska might just buck that

trend. He declares his intentions right out the

gate with a powerful arrangement of Muddys

I Cant Be Satisfied that is akin to a Charley

Patton/Alvin Youngblood/John Hurt mash up

and is one of the most original arrangements of

this blues standard to have come along in many

years.The CD features 12 tracks including 4

self-penned songs (more on those later) and

the cover artist selection would make any roots

blues fan salivate, featuring Son House, Robert

Johnson, Charley Patton and more. Strummin

Dogs guitar chops are unquestionable and are

showcased beautifully here, in songs that spanthe spectrum of juke joint foot stompers (for

example, Son Houses County Farm) to gentle

fingerpicked ballads (such as Robert Johnsons

Travellin Riverside Blues). While there are

high watermark versions of some classic blues

on this album, the original material is strong and

varied, and provides perhaps just a glimpse of

a the real man inside the gruff exterior called

Strummin Dog. In the impassioned Locked Into

Something you can palpably feel his yearning

for change anything but this. Theres a nice

skipping- down-the-country-lane feel to Bring

Her Back Home and theres a definite hint of

Sonny & Brownie on Good Woman Blues as

Gary Gouker adds some tasteful harp without

the duo being slavish to the form. Gouker plays

on 4 tracks and plays it like a pro just enough

in all the right places. If these guys ever wanted

to hit the road as duo, theyd be working every

night. The raw authenticity on this album is

undeniable, compelling and a joy to the ears.

This is a must buy album for lovers of real

downhome blues. Son Jack, Jr.

http://strummindog.bandcamp.com/releases

The Forty Foursfeaturing Kid RamosBoogie DiseaseRip Cat Records

www.ripcatrecords.com

There are several really good blues bands ou

there who who have taken the tough post-wa

Chicago sound and pumped new life into itUpdating the music; but keeping the raw core o

it. Well, add to this list the 44s 2010 debut on

Rip Cat Records featuring Kid Ramos. Boogie

Disease is a monster with nine tracks that clock

in at a short 39 minutes of unpretentious full on

blues. The LA-based band features Johnny Main

on guitar, vocals; Tex Nakamura on harp, Mike

Turturro on upright bass, J.R. Lozano on drum

and producer Kid Ramos guitar on four cuts.

like every song from the first note to the last; but

a few stand out like the propulsive, raw to the

bone, methodic band original title cut Boogie

Disease with Kid Ramos and Lester Butler

harp driven So Low Down which just plain

smokes. Texs cracker jack reed bending harp

playing is barely contained on William Clarke

incendiary instrumental Blowin Like Hell.

They breath fresh life into Wolfs Commit A

Crime performing it at a slow and deliberate

pace which allows the song to maintain much

of the menace without attempting to out-wol

the Wolf, which some have tried; only to come

not even close. If it sounds like Im raving abou

Boogie Disease well thats because I am. It i

100% solid blues and I recommend it extremely

highly. - Malcolm Kennedy

Tempa & the TantrumsVoodoo & AngelsSelf released

www.revebnation.com/tempaandthetantrums

Although only a 5 track EP from 2007, Voodoo &

Angels shows that Tempa & the Tantrums is a root

band with enormous potential. Opening with the

original Zydeco Jam what becomes immediately

apparent is that the guest musicians like Gerry

Cavagnaro on accordion and Mike Cutler onscrub board are essential to filling out the sound

of the band, which are guitarist Joseph Barton

David Foret-bass and Phil Bassist-drums. The

take Zydeco Jam far into the dark swamps. Nex

is Misty Blue a deep soul, torch song featurin

Dave Camp on tenor sax and Joe Sellars on key

and showcasing Tempas remarkable, expressive

and untamed vocals. They offer up an inspired

reading on the Supremes first Billboard Ho

100 #1 hit Where Did Our Love Go on which

Barton cuts loose a little with some spicy guita

lines. Tempa is now currently working with a new

line-up featuring Naor Nave and Jon Woodhead

on guitars, vocals and songwriting, and I am looking for their next CD, which I understand is in

the works. -Malcolm Kennedy

Tad RobinsonBack in StyleSevern Records

www.severnrecords.com

Tad Robinson, 2010 BMA Soul Blues Artist

of the Year Nominee released an exceptional

record last year. If hes an unfamiliar name,

there is no better place to start than Tads Back

In Style (Severn Records). The velvety smooth

Rained All Night is backed by the Memphis

Horns Wayne Jackson on trumpet with Jack

Hale-trombone and Tom McGinley-baritone sax;

Kevin Anker-Hammond organ and Alex Schultz

on guitar; but it is Robinsons vocals that really

get it sounding like a gem from the Stax vaults.

Tad takes it into the blues for the mid tempo

Full Attention Blues and demonstrates some of

his chops on the blues harp while Harold Floodplays sparse yet stinging guitar and the three piece

horn section rounds out the sound. Just Out of

My Reach has a Motown groove and I easily

envision the slick matching suits of the back up

singers with them all doing the synchronized dance

moves. Another one that had me grooving was

Turn To The Music with Anker on Hammond

and Wurlitzer, Dan Hovey providing the jazzy

guitar; Kenny Rittenhouse-trumpet and Jerry

Queene-tenor sax. If your thing is the real deal

1960s to 1970s soul and I do mean soul, then

get yourself a copy of Back In Style and while

your at it, pick up Tads 2007 Severn CD, A

New Point Of View. - Malcolm Kennedy


24/32

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A.H.L. (206) 935-4592Annieville Blues (206) 994-9413

AlleyKattz (425) 273-4172

Al Earick Band (253) 278-0330

Author Unknown (206) 355-5952

Baby Gramps Trio (425) 483-2835

Back Porch Blues (425) 299-0468

Badd Dog Blues Society (360) 733-7464

Bay Street Blues Band (360) 731-1975

Billy Barner (253) 884-6308

Becki Sue & Her Big Rockin Daddies! (360) 357-5454

Norm Bellas & the Funkstars (206) 722-6551

The Black River Blues (206) 396-1563

The Blackstone Players (425) 327-0018

Blackie Jo James & The Natives (206) 634-1431Blues Attitude (360) 701-6490

Blue 55 (206) 216-0554

Blue Healers (206) 440-7867

BluesBerry Marmalade (206) JAY-WARD

Blues To Do Monthly (206) 328-0662

Brian Lee & the Orbiters www.brianleeorbiters.com

Brian Lee Trio (206) 390-2408

Blues Playground (425) 359-3755

Blues Redemption http://www.bluesredemption.com

(The) Blues Sheriff (206) 979-0666

Blues to Burn (253) 945-7441

Bill Brown and The Kingbees 206-276-6600

Bump Kitchen (253) 223-4333, (360) 259-1545

Brian Butler Band (206) 361-9625Tim Casey & The Bluescats (425) 531-1793

Charlie Butts & the Filtertips (509) 325-3016

Malcolm Clark Band (253) 853-7749

Colonel (360) 293-7931

Coyote Blues (360) 420-2535

Kimball Conant & the Fugitives (206) 938-6096

Jack Cook & Phantoms of Soul (206) 517-5294

Rod Cook & Toast (206) 878-7910

Cooke & Green (253) 945-7441

John Scooch Cugnos Delta 88 Revival (360) 352-3735

Crossroads Band (206) 935-8985

Daddy Treetops (206) 601-1769

Double Cookin (253) 945-7441

Double Scotts on the Rocks (206) 418-1180

Dudley Taft (206)795-6509

Roger Enders Road to Ruin (206) 369-7616

Sammy Eubanks (509) 879-0340

Richard Evans (206) 799-4856

Fat Cat (425) 487-6139

Fat Tones (509) 869-0350

Julie Duke Band 206-459-0860.

Kim Field & the Mighty Titans of Tone (206) 295-8306

Gary Frazier (206) 851-1169

Free Reign Blues Band (425) 823-3561

Fil Gumbo (425) 788-2776

Nicole Fournier & Her 3 Lb Universe (253) 576-7600

Jimmy Frees Friends (206) 546-3733

Bluesletter September 2011

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Transcript of Bluesletter September 2011