The Official Publication of the Sacramento Blues Society
Volume 32; Issue 5
October-November 2011
Karen Lovely Headlines the SBS Annual Member Party—by Jan Kelley; Photo by Bob Cosman
Hold on to your hats, blues babies, Karen Lovely is coming! The Sacramento Blues Society‘s Membership Party in December features Ms. Lovely and her fantastic band and we are in for some fun and frolic!
ternational Blues Challenge, Karen Lovely followed with 2011 BMA Nominations for Best Contemporary Blues Album and Best Contemporary Blues Female Artist. The title track of her sophomore release "Still The Rain" also received a 2011 BMA Nomination for Best Song. She won 3 Muddy Awards in 2010 including Best Female Vocalist and Best Performance for the 2nd year in a row. Backed by her outstanding band, this phenomenal singer delivers a blistering mix of contemporary & old school blues.
Personable, talented, Karen Lovely started singing the blues professionally in September 2007 and released her debut record "Lucky Girl" in November 2008. Seemingly an ―overnight sensation,‖ she & her band have delivered stand out performances that have garnered awards, critical acclaim and standing ovations at festivals and venues throughout the US and Canada.
This show will be a great kick-off for your December activities, so save the date and don‘t be late!
Capturing the 2nd Place Band Prize at the 2010 In-
LEGENDARY RHYTHM & BLUES REVUE So, you can't make the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise departing San Diego on October 23rd? Well, we're bringing some of it to you!! The Sacramento Blues Society is partnering with Carrera Productions & Events to present:
The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue featuring the Tommy Castro Band with Bernard Allison, Curtis Salgado & Deanna Bogart Friday, October 21, 2011 Doors open 6:30 PM; Show starts 7:30 PM Three Stages at Folsom Lake College 10 College Parkway - Folsom, CA 95630 A portion of the proceeds will benefit Folsom Lake College Foundation and the Sacramento Blues Society's "Blues In The Schools" program. Tickets: $20, $30, $40 Get your tickets by going to: http://www.carrera-productions.com/ 1
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Willie’s Wise Words entry (at the time of this note, we don‘t know who our winner will be). There will be a couple of send-off and fundraisers scheduled prior to February, so please come out and support the musicians.
Greetings Sacramento Blues Society (SBS) members and blues enthusiasts, Autumn has arrived, the festival season is winding down, the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, Halloween & Thanksgiving will be here soon and the Sacramento Blues Society keeps rolling along!
The SBS is also working on the upcoming elections for Board of Director positions with the election culminating on December 4th at our 32nd annual ―Membership Show and Hall of Fame Induction‖. As you may know, this show is FREE for all of our SBS members! This year‘s headliner is the talented 2011 Blues Music Award nominee Karen Lovely and her band! If you‘re not familiar with Karen, you‘re in for a real treat! You can read more about this event on other pages within this issue.
Your blues society is gearing up to send our solo/duo entry back to Memphis for the Blues Foundation‘s 28 th International Blues Challenge. This competition brings top -notch talent from all over the world and fills the clubs on Beale Street over a 4-day period. I highly recommend attending this great gathering. There is absolutely nothing like this anywhere else on our planet! Good luck to our
SAVE THE DATES! Oct 2nd Blues on the River @ Swabbies
Speaking about the elections, we are always looking for dedicated and enthusiastic blues loving members willing to contribute to our society. Please consider running for the Board of Directors and help facilitate the blues scene in our area.
Oct 21st Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue @ Three Stages-Folsom
Thanks for your continued support of the Sacramento Blues Society, the Blues In The Schools Program, the benefits, the local clubs, the festivals and the wonderful blues musicians in the area.
Nov 6th Adios Summer Margarita Party @ Stoney Inn
Enjoy the ―Autumn of 2011‖ by catching some blues near you! Definitely catch the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue show on October 21st in Folsom with Tommy Castro, Curtis Salgado, Bernard Allison & Deanna Bogart.
Dec 4th SBS Membership Party w/
The Karen Lovely Band @ VFW Hall Post 67
As always, ―Save me a seat‖.
2011 Hall of Fame Update—by Sally Katen & Jan Kelley The Hall of Fame (HOF) Committee is working diligently to obtain bios of all the members of our blues community that you nominated, review each thoroughly and research any information we can find online about them. The committee will present names to the SBS Board of Directors at the
October meeting. The Board has final approval of the three nominees chosen for awards this year, and the awards will be presented to the chosen nominees at the December Membership Party. Stay tuned!
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE BLUES? This style of acoustic blues, associated with the southeastern United States, is distinguished by its syncopated fingerpicking style and epitomized in the work of Rev. Gary Davis, Blind Blake, Blind Boy Fuller, Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry, Buddy Moss, and Blind Willie McTell. The style is called: 1. Delta blues, 2. Piedmont blues, 3. Jump blues, 4. Swamp blues Answer found within this newsletter From the Knowledge Card deck, What Do You Know About the Blues? By Cary Wolfson. Reprinted with the permission of the publisher, Pomegranate Communications, Inc., www.Pomegranate.com, (800) 227-1428 2
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Blues In the Schools (BITS)—By Cynthia School is back and there‘s some blues to be taught! But we‘re not going to school – yet. We‘re staying home and bringing the blues to kids at a large housing complex in Roseville. They‘ll be introduced to the blues, complete instrument-making activities and experience the joys of live music with professional guest musicians. Dave Channell of Fire & Wheels will lead the music portion of this program, his wife Kira Channell, a classroom teacher for Sac City School District, will guide the students through the various activities. We believe this will be a very successful program & hope to replicate this at other housing sites.
Jaynes
sium at Folsom‘s Three Stages on Friday, October 21, 2011. Legendary Blues Cruise stars will present to students, educators, and artists the ins and outs of writing and performing blues tunes in today‘s world. Tommy Castro, Curtis Salgado, Bernard Allison and Deanna Bogart are all excited to interface with our young and vibrant new blues enthusiasts. If you have a student interested in attending, see article below, or please call Dave Alcock at 916 342 5584.
We have arranged for BITS students in the Sacramento region to attend a very special singer songwriter sympo-
BITS and Blues Legends—by Dave Alcock Sometimes good fortune shines down on us. Sometimes it is catching the winning touchdown with one second left in the game, other times it is having a chance meeting with someone who will forever change your life. For Blues in the Schools (BITS) it is having Blues legends coming together and holding a lecture and performance for Sacramento‘s youth. On Friday October 21, 2011 Tommy Castro, Curtis Salgado, Bernard Allison and Deanna Bogart will be holding the Blues Legend Symposium at Three Stages in Folsom. What will follow will be nothing short of magic!
formed, the history behind it and the reasons why that song meant so much to them. Then, of course, perform the song. Oh yea, the best part is that it is FREE to all Jr. high and high school students, accompanying parents or guardians, and educators. This will be a private event and reservations will be required. It will be held on Friday October 21, 2011 from 2 pm to 3 pm at the Three Stages performing arts center at Folsom Lake College. So, if you have teens of your own or acquainted with, pile them up in the mini vans and bring them on down. The last time we held one of our All Star Series events, it was with the mighty Joe Bonamassa. It was amazing how many showed up to the event. We only had one school bus come and the rest were teachers and parents driving them to the event: a true minivan brigade. We even had one class that took the light rail. It was simply amazing!
So, how did this all come about? The story is quite simple. Mary Carrera from Carrera Productions came to a board meeting and asked SBS to be a sponsor for the Legendary Rhythm and Blues Review. A few days later the idea came to us to ask if she would be interested in putting on a lecture and performance. She loved the idea, presented it to Three Stages at Folsom Lake College. They loved the idea. The musicians loved it, and it grew to a life of its own. Since then many people have been working hard behind the scenes to make this a reality.
You can help by spreading the word about the events to parents, teachers, students, PTA, or schools. To make reservations email bitsgig@gmail.com. Please include your contact information, school information (if applicable), how many students and adults that will be attending. Together we can make this event a magic experience for all involved.
The symposium will be a singer/songwriter format where each artist will talk about a song they have written or per-
The Elections are Coming! The Elections are Coming! - by Cynthia Jaynes Ever thought of really being a part of the Sacramento Blues Society? How about joining the Board of Directors as we push the Blues into every corner of the region! We‘re lookin for folks who love the blues, care about promoting and preserving this music, are willing and able to be an active participant in our various programs and can
attend monthly meetings. If you are interested in nominating yourself or another likely candidate, please contact Cynthia Jaynes at 916 202 5075 or bits@sacblues.com. Elections will take place at our annual membership holiday celebration in Sacramento on December 4, 2011. 3
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The Great North Coast Road Trip – Photos by Bob Cosman: Contributors: Linda McShane, Charlie Kaplan, Jan Kelley, Bob Cosman, Kathy Ely and Liz Walker
―Red-Hot Blues on the Cool when they realized how many of us had come to eat! Accommodating all of us was a true feat. Our favorite place and server was the AA Bar and Steak House, where we ate a cow!‖
Eureka Waterfront‖ was no exaggeration in billing when it came to the 15th annual Blues by the Bay. Now that the San Francisco Blues Festival is no longer, Blues by the Bay in Eureka has become the favorite for many Sacramento blues fans who leave the heat and smog of Labor Day weekend behind in exchange for cooler temps and clearer skies. With acts like Laurie Morvan, Kaye Bohler, Deanna Bogart, Joe Louis Laurie Morvan Walker, Tommy Castro, Arcata Interfaith Choir, Twice as Good, Tom Rigney, Earl Thomas, John Nemeth and Tower of Power, there was no shortage of first rate blues, funk and soul. Here‘s what a few people had to say:
―I woke up this morning to a North Coast miracle: blue skies, light breeze, and bright sunshineamazing. Quick run to the farmer's market in Arcata. What a delight. The berries, greens, tomatoes, honey, fl owers, peppers, Joe Louis Walker mushrooms, Poem Master, fresh basil, Humboldt cheese mixing with the fresh air blowing in was so welcome. You just start to slow down and chill. Then on to Eureka and the festival. Big barrel of apples awaited each comer at the gate of the festival (remember the barrel of apples at the top of the stairs at the old Filmore?) Laurie Morvan jumped off the stage and set the early morning crowd screaming and my north coast blues pals were all hopping. Next up, Kaye Bohler brought ALL her glory to the stage and worked it. The triad was complete with Deanna Bogart and her soulful piano blues and hot sax. And let me take a moment to acknowledge these blues divas band members. They all brought some fabulous talent to Eureka. What a great start to a great weekend. At some point I realized, this is it. This is all I gotta do for 2 days- catch some rays-catch some air-catch some BLUES."
―Friday morning at 10 am the temperature in Sacramento is 76 & climbing toward a toasty day! We head north looking for the fog and cooler temps but it just seems to get hotter around Clear Lake, so we stop for lunch at a cool spot called the Blue Wing in Upper Lakes. Afterwards we continue our journey north to Eureka where we find - sunshine! ... and it's a beautiful day!‖ Kaye Bohler
―There are 3 variables that in my mind make or break a blues festival. The first, of course, is the music. I look for music of high quality from the openers on up and it must vary in style; gospel, harmonica, guitar, John Nemeth soul, horns, vocals, big bands, tears, dancing, male, female. You get the picture. Second, I need friends to share this festival with. Although we all make new friends at John Nemeth any festival, it‘s great to have as many old friends around me as I can get. It‘s just more fun. And the third, and most difficult to find, the ―vibe‖ I get when I‘m there. How the security treats me, do I feel welcomed by the staff, am I comfortable, is it easy for me to get around, is the food good, is the stress level at or close to
―Driving through the Avenue of the Giants north of Garberville provided us with a perspective of how long we have been on the planet compared to these ancient redwoods. If you haven‘t had the opportunity to experience this drive, you have to add it to your bucket list. What a great way to begin and end this journey. After picnicking among the giants, we arrived in Eureka within ½ hour of about 20 other fellow travelers from Sacramento and the party began.‖
Deanna Bogart
―Most of the 20 or so people from our group stayed in a motel that we practically owned, but the best part of being in this sized group was going out to eat as a group. Bear in mind that Eureka is a pretty small town with restaurants/bars that accommodate around 40 to 50 people comfortably. It was really fun to see the look on the servers‘ faces
Tom Rigney
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Volume 32; Issue 5
October-November 2011
What’s Happening – by Lizzie Walker Summer is over, fall is coming and with it some serious fun happenings. But before we get into what‘s coming up I‘d like to cover what we‘ve done.
and we couldn‘t be more thrilled and thankful. You‘re going to have an extra hour in your day on Nov. 6th so you might as well spend it dancing at the Stoney Inn. It is the 2nd Annual Jeff Watson Band Adios Summer Margarita Party with special guests Daniel Castro and Kyle Rowland. Proceeds from the party will benefit our Blues in the Schools program. This was a really fun party last year with drink/food specials, a cigar bar and more.
The Mid-Summer Madness show at the end of July was a huge success. Had a little construction delay on the patio at PoBoy‘z so we had to move the party indoors but with the temperature breaking the century mark the air conditioning was welcomed. The Daniel Castro Band acted as host to two guest performers and being the accomplished, big hearted performer he is, the sets were seamless and sensational. Ilene McHolland brought her electric cello stylings to rock the house on her last night in the states (before joining her husband in Holland the next day.) Then Danny Sandoval and his horn just blew the roof off. Danny and Daniel found each other‘s groove early and it was amazing!
SBS will be hosting a couple of fundraisers for the winning solo/duo IBC act. But, since the Memphis bound performer(s) has/have not yet been chosen as this goes to print, we have no details as yet. When these are announced I hope you show your love and support.
Kudos to Jason Haxton Productions for bringing the Northern California Blues Festival to Auburn, the first weekend in August. I personally appreciate the effort he made to showcase some local youth bands. These young performers got a chance to strut their stuff and show us all that the blues is alive in the next generation. The introduction of Carolyn Wonderland to northern California was memorable and Kenny Neal just took it over the top. It was a great festival!
Lots of suggestions came in for the headliner for our annual membership party, Dec 4th. I‘m pleased to announce that The Karen Lovely Band is coming to town to deliver their mix of contemporary & classic blues, R&B and Memphis soul. The VFW Hall Post 67 is gonna be rockin! We‘ll have some dinner available and plenty of bartenders. We‘ll also be inducting new members into our Hall of Fame. This party is for YOU, the members, and I sure hope you come.
Everybody loves Swabbies, and we do too, so come on out and enjoy Blues on the River with Mick Martin, Jeff Watson and more on Sunday, Oct 2nd. Tommy Castro is coming to town with his Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue, Oct 21st. This party at the fabulous new Three Stages in Folsom, featuring Curtis Salgado, Bernard Allison & Deanna Bogart will definitely get your blood racing. All four of these pros are taking time in the afternoon to give back to the youth of the region through a BITS presentation
My time as your events chair is drawing to a close. I promised to do things a little different and I hope that you have participated in and enjoyed the shows that SBS has brought to you this year. Be sure to check back to www.sacblues.com for more details on all the upcoming events. Help keep live music going by supporting as many jams, shows, and festivals as you can. Keep on boogeying!
The Great North Coast Road Trip—Continued zero, does the whole damn thing make me smile. Blues by the Bay does it all; as good as it gets, year after year.‖
a pleasurable experience.‖
―Dancing was not only encouraged, it was given the Twice as Nice wooden floor treatment with a large dancing area behind the sound board, where ―down in front!‖ was never heard.‖
‗There was great food (chow mein, pulled pork sandwiches, salmon tacos, oysters on the half shell and ‗gator on a stick, to name just a few items available), along with reasonably priced and sized cocktails, beer and wine. Lodging was plentiful, reasonable and best of all, within walking distance of the festival. Those wristbands came in handy when a camera was left behind or light jacket was needed. Retail therapy was available as well as access to the talent immediately following their sets. Set along the waterfront with beautiful Victorian homes, Halvorsen Park sets quite a backdrop for the festival goers.‖
―The portable bathrooms were well-maintained by the toilet team and clearly marked by gender. Yes, ladies, separate potties for boys and girls! This really cut down on the grossness factor and almost made peeing outdoors
―While the music was outstanding (and understand, it was OUTSTANDING throughout the entire two days), there is more to a successful festival than music alone. Shhh, don‘t tell anyone, but Blues by the Bay has it all!‖ 5
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The Nor-Cal! Auburn Regional Park, August 5 and 6, 2011 —by Steve Cagle; Photos by Bob Cosman As expected, the 11th Annual Northern California Blues Festival was immensely entertaining, with a lineup that completely satisfied everyone who came out for the 2-day event and with proceeds to benefit the Auburn Recreation District Youth Fund and the Blues in the Schools Program. Although the numbers fell short in terms of attendance that were needed to call it a commercial success, the festival was an undeniable artistic success, with something to please every musical taste and blues as the common ingredient. Every performer put on a first-class show and a feeling of friendly camaraderie permeated the park from the first note on Friday evening until the satisfied audience dispersed after headliner Kenny Neal wrapped up his set the following night.
Sacramento Blues Society‘s own Lizzie Walker, who rode continuously throughout the festival grounds on her intimidating pink scooter. Nevertheless, the entire event was remarkably smooth, peaceful and incident-free.
MC Dave Alcock next welcomed his old friend Mick Martin to the stage. His rocking opener, ―Gonna Have a Good Time‖ was elevated by an exceptionally tight and talented 2011 edition of the Blues Rockers, including veteran guitarist and Stoneground alumnus Tim Barnes, bassist Steve Shofer, Entry to the spacious area earmarked for the event took Tim Barnes drummer Bruce festival goers through an outdoor bazaar comprised of Pressley and keyboardist Russ vendors selling arts and crafts, clothing, food and beverages. Po‘ Boyz proprietor Brenda Taylor Skarsten. Shifting musical styles and coordinated the volunteer effort and her trusty sidekick hairpin tempo changes kept the crowd Bruce Pressley Sherell sold tickets for eats and drinks while throwing in a on its feet and migrating to the stage side of good cheer at no extra charge. On numerous front grass to dance in ever-growing numbers. Mick and occasions festival producer Jason Haxton could be seen company moved adeptly from blues shuffle to rock to funk engaged in good-natured conversation with others, always to soul and places in between. After a dozen songs that displaying an upbeat and positive attitude despite wrapped up with the the pressures of being ―the man in charge‖ of the Stoneground chestnut ―Total Destruction (To Your Mind),‖ proceedings. Mick brought out his 18-year Dave Alcock of old harp blowing protégé, the Sacramento Kyle Rowland, to close out Blues Society‘s the set with a rousing Blues in the demonstration of crossSchools Program generational harmonica call Todd Morgan & Emblems served as Master Kyle Rowland, Steve Shofer & Mick Martin and response. of Ceremonies for the festival, and got things rolling by introducing opening act Todd Morgan and the The crowd continued to swell Emblems. The young band leader came onstage busting respectably as night Michael Jackson moves that fit perfectly with his tenor approached, but before voice. If he had thrown in a moonwalk, Todd could have Friday‘s headliners took the easily jettisoned his set into a MJ tribute, but instead he wheel and drove the show home, Jason Haxton drew took it to Memphis with his rockabilly and roots-flavored repertoire. Perched at an electric piano, the retro-fitted the name of the first raffle front man fleet-fingered through Jerry Lee Lewis roadhouse prize winner, who received a rockers and vintage crowd-pleasers mixed with original guitar autographed by artists tunes, many of them plucked from his EP that began to performing at the festival. Dave Alcock and Jason Haxton MC Dave Alcock then seem more like a box set. presenting guitar to winner brought out San Francisco Patrons continued to arrive at a leisurely pace and stake claim to their piece of the grassy hill that looked legends Big down onto the stage. The well-organized stage crew Brother and the changed out the equipment with remarkable Holding expedience and efficiency, among them former Company, Sacramento Blues Society board member and local B3 whose hero John Noxon. A biker presence at an outdoor memorable music event in Northern California is not unheard of, sound and and doing her job keeping the peace and terrorizing familiar music the locals at this festival was none other than the might have set Big Brother & the Holding Company 6
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The Nor-Cal! - continued off a massive group flashback for the over-50‘s in the audience. Three original members from the glory days with Janis fronted the current lineup, with vocalist Stefanie Keys doing an admirable and gutsy job stepping into the shoes (and nearly identical bellbottoms) of the incomparable Joplin. Their set was rife with their psychedelic-era anthems including ―Down On Me,‖ ―Piece of My Heart,‖ and ―Bye, Bye Baby.‖ It seemed as though the band members had not significantly advanced their music skills since the 60‘s, yet this worked to their advantage by making it easy for them to recreate those sounds of yesteryear in their original glory.
chops of someone twice her age to everyone‘s amazement.
The Soulshakers
The nostalgic set was given a boost by the second cameo festival appearance of Sacramento‘s Kyle Rowland, this time accompanied by 14year old guitar Kyle, Stephanie Keys, Jiimmy Cleary whippersnapper Jimmy Cleary for an extended version of ―I Need A Man To Love.‖ While stretching out mid-song, the Holding Company stepped back and gave the spotlight to Kyle and Jimmy, who picked up their queue and shifted into jam mode, blending effortlessly with the old guard‘s groove. Understandably impressed, the band invited Kyle back for their take on Joplin‘s non-Big Brother mega-hit ―Me and Bobby McGee.‖ Before the song ended, Kyle was dancing on stage with singer Keys. Both Kyle and Jimmy returned to help close out day one of the festival with the encore ―Ball and Chain.‖
With the audience now stirred to attention, Citrus Heights band The Soulshakers took over and kept the energy level climbing with their blend of funk, rock and old school blues. The Jeff Watson Band promised to deliver an exceptional performance with a few special guests and they did not disappoint. In addition to keyboard player Russ Skarsten, bassist Jim Cobb and Jeff Watson & jim Cobb drummer Kenny Nichols, who was making a whirlwind festival appearance prior to an evening gig in Detroit, Jeff brought out the big guns in fellow guitarists Terry Hiatt and Daniel Castro. The set opened with a new song cowritten by the entire band, with Terry Hiatt joining in soon afterwards for a trio of tunes, Daniel Castro & Jeff Watson followed by Mr. Castro, who steered the others into an extended jam with an Allman Brothers groove during ―Got My Mojo Workin‘.‖ An unexpected treat was the appearance of Danny Hull, formerly of the Doobie Brothers, who brought out his harmonica Terry Hiatt and joined in as the three guitarists (referred to by Hiatt as ―guitarmageddon‖) tore through an exhilarating version of ―Let the Good Times Roll.‖ After taking turns belting out lead solos, the three guitar players chimed in for an ear-splitting 6-string chorus as the music boiled over the stage. There were plenty of blown minds in the aftermath, but thankfully no casualties were reported.
Saturday was the big day at the Northern California Blues Festival, and music fans lined up early outside the gate, most looking well-rested rather Population 5 than looking like they‘d pulled an all-nighter. Starting the full day of music were two bands that shared top honors in the ―Next Breakout Band Competition, Age 25 or Less‖ with third cowinner Todd Morgan and the Emblems. The challenge of getting a pulse from the festival-goers this early in the day was assigned to Population 5, an energetic rock band with a big sound and not a single band member old enough to drive. Although they are not a blues band by any stretch, the talent they displayed was undeniably impressive. The big wake up call came when 12-year old keyboard player Emma Griffin-Ortiz took the microphone and sang with the vocal
When the smoke had cleared, the Bay Area All-Stars took the stage, with their ―Sweet Meat Horn Section‖ in
Emma Griffin-Ortiz
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The Nor-Cal! - continued tow and ready to support a revolving door of top-shelf soul and blues singers that accompany this product of the Bay Area Blues Society based in Oakland. A lot of west coast music history comes with this ensemble, and they wasted no time showing what they got as the band tore into a funk intro that featured tight horn lines and a fat organ solo. The vocalists took their turns at the mic, singing from the catalog of great American blues and soul, from ―Down Home Blues‖ to ―Knock On Wood‖ to ―What‘s Goin‘ On,‖ every gem was embellished by the precision instrumentation and heart and soul crooning. You could have easily said ―Good enough‖ about the program up to that point, but it was only halfway over. The crowded stage cleared and seemed spacious in the company of the three musicians that followed, although band namesake and leader Dennis Jones‘ towering and muscular frame made his commanding presence known immediately. This was the second appearance at the Northern CA Blues Festival for the L.A.-based power trio that includes bassist Sam Correa and drummer Michael Tumar, following their debut a year earlier that stunned Dennis Jones and amazed an audience previously unfamiliar with the band‘s take-no-prisoners approach to the blues. They wasted no time tearing into their set, opening with ―Kill the Pain,‖ a dark ode to what remained of a drug and alcohol-addled ex, and then roared through a hard and heavy sampling of tunes from the band‘s three albums before wrapping up their sonic blues assault with a preview from their upcoming fourth release. After the set, Dennis made his way to the autograph table to sign cds, but before he could settle in the canopy
shading the area had to be raised to accommodate his height. Want to hear about the rest? Tune in next issue for photos and story on Carolyn Wonderland and Kenny Neal and the Neal Family Band.
Sam Correa
Michael Tumar
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE BLUES? The answer is b. Lighter and not nearly so dolorous as Delta blues, Piedmont blues was especially popular in both the countryside and the cities of Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. In the thirties and forties, records from the Piedmont region sold extremely well to black buyers, with tunes like Blind Boy Fuller‘s ―Step It Up and Go‖ moving over 500,000 copies. A strong ragtime influence made it easy to dance to. Rev. Gary Davis spent the latter part of his life in New York, where he made a lasting impression on young folk-blues artists like Taj Mahal, Bob Dylan, David Bromberg, and Ry Cooder, Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady‘s first Hot Tuna album drew heavily on the Piedmont tradition. Among the more current crop of true Piedmont artists, perhaps the best known are the duo of John Cephas and Phil Wiggins, along with the sublime Etta Baker. From the Knowledge Card deck, What Do You Know About the Blues? By Cary Wolfson. Reprinted with the permission of the publisher, Pomegranate Communications, Inc., www.Pomegranate.com, (800) 227-1428 8
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CD Reviews
Candy Kane Sister Vagabond Delta Groove Music I just got done grooving to Candye Kane‘s new cd featuring our friend Laura Chavez. What a delight! If you‘ve ever heard Candye do her live show you know that it‘s all about the story behind the song and that‘s certainly true on this cd. Candye and Laura wrote the majority of the tracks and each is imbued with joy, heartache, hope and love. Laura‘s guitar playing has matured; she‘s trying new things, taking chances and is stronger than ever. Though she can still certainly rip it up (i.e., ‗Hard Knock Gal‘) it‘s nice to hear the subtle guitar strains in ‗Down With the Blues‘, as well as the gumbo beat of ‗Have a Nice Day‘. These two have certainly found their musical partner. I dug it all. Lizzie
Hey, Blues lovers! We know you love the blues and here's an opportunity to hear even more: SBS constantly receives CDs to review, and Kristen has agreed to Chair a CD Review committee and needs members. Please join and share the awesome, sometimes quirky, and always interesting stream of original music that comes to SBS. Contact kay.dee55@yahoo.com for details.
Bobby Blues Ray Blues Knight of the West Coast Sac Soul City Local blues singer Bobby Ray is back! His gospel upbringing in the churches of Arkansas prepared him for his jump into the Northern California soul scene back in the 60's. Fast-forward to the summer of 2011 and Bobby has produced a solid disc of blues/soul favorites. His swarthy voice is fully
captured on "Blues Knight of the West Coast." The nine tracks show why Ray was called "The Blues Knight of the West Coast" during the late 60's, which become the title of this CD. Bobby selected some of the better musicians around the area to contribute to this offering; rolling through standards such as ‗Driving Wheel‘ with Reggie Marks leading the horn section, ‗Somebody Have Mercy‘ & ‗Somewhere Down The L ine‘ and with Rick Estrin sitting in on ‗Everyday I Have The Blues‘. Besides the above mentioned Rick Estrin & Reggie Marks; this disc also includes: Kenny Marghese & Lew Fratis (guitar), Dale Lyberger (bass), Jeff Minnieweather (drums), Jim Monroe (keys), Stan Powell (harmonica) and additional horns by Dave Johnson & Randy Starks. This is a nice sampler of blues/soul music made by our community of musicians.
SBS CD Review Committee
When you introduce your business to our members with a contribution of a $100.00 annual business membership, you will receive a web-link from our site and a business card size acknowledgement in each of our bi-monthly newsletters to show your support for our Blues Music and Education programs.
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Please Patronize the following Businesses and venues that Support your Blues Society
Louie’s Cocktail Lounge 3030 Mather Field Road Rancho Cordova CA 95670 916-262-9151 louiescoctaillounge.com
Northern California Blues Festival
313 Laurence Ave.
3941 Park Dr., Ste. 20-339 El Dorado Hills, CA 95762-4549 (916) 350-4640
Kansas City, Mo 64111
e-mail: info@norcalbluesfest.com Website: http://www.norcalbluesfest.com
1-888-BLUESIN’ www.bluescruise.com 10
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New Bands receive a Free Business card size ad in the first Blue Notes Following your membership date and follow-up listings for as long as you remain a Band Member, a link from our website to yours and the announcements and offers to Musicians received on our website .
Al Zaid & Classic Soul 916-627-8627 www.gigsalad.com/ al_zaid_classic_soul_band_ sacramento Andy Keene & Kinda Blue 916-799-1544 ajkeane3@aol.com Blues Farm Band Dave Broida 916-996-5222 BluzHoundz Dave Anthony 916-991-6148 Bobby “Blues” Ray, Jim Monroe & The Blue Knights 916-422-5830 Chicken & Dumpling www.chickenanddumpling.net 530-753-5265 or 530-902-7209 Delta Wires Prima Management 510-814-0872 info@deltawires.com Derek Abel Band 707-580-7052 derekabelband@gmail.com Diamond Bob & the Alley Sneakers bobperro@yahoo.com 408-313-7194 www.diamondbobsblues.com Doni Harvey 415-308-2836 www.doniharvey.com
Isis & Cold Truth 408-835-4168 Myspace.com/coldtruthband\ Jeff Watson Band 916-709-9696 jeffwatsonband.com myspace.com/jeffwatsonband Johnny “Guitar” Knox Dave Croall & the Soothers 916-455-6349 rightdave@hotmail.com Katie Knipp Solo singer/songwriter http://www.katieknipp.com/ (415) 272-7581 katiek4604@comcast.net O Street Jumps Dan 916 -944-7292 Cari 916-725-4889
Spotted Dog Rockin’ Blues Revue Greg Gartrell—916-332-5417 raulduke52@sbcglobal.net www,spotteddogmusic.com Steve Foster Band 916-276-9170 Stevefosterband @comcast.net The BluSoul Band Daniel Watts 916-899-1043 www.theblusoulband.com The Blues Vandals 916-384-7457 bluesvandals.com Two Tone Steiny & the Cadillacs 916-765-5564 twotonesteiny@yahoo.com
Phil Berkowitz & the Dirty Cats 415-337-5448 www.philberkowitz.com
Used Blues Band Sean McGroarty 916-204-9800 Sean@myifp.com
Russell Bleus Band Clint Marrs, Vocals & Guitar 530-307-1709 crmarrs@crmarrs.com
Volker Strifler Band 707-363-0080 www.volkerstrifler.com
Rube & the Rhythm Rockers 530-518-9546 www.myspace.com/ruberhythmrockers Snake Alley Tommy Ing 707-495-4779 www.snakealley bluesband.com
Gary Mendoza Band 916-599-9947 www.garymendozaband.com 11
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U. S. POSTAGE PAID SACRAMENTO, CA PERMIT NO. 2149
Primary Business Address Your Address Line 2 Blue Notes! is The official bi-monthly Newsletter of the Sacramento Blues Society. Co-editors Vj Anderson & Jan Kelley, Send information for the newsletter to editor@sacblues.com or mail to Editor, P. O. Box 60580 Sacramento, CA 958600580
Visit our website at SBS Board of Directors
www.sacblues.com Current calendar, news, past newsletters and more! Not a member? You will find Membership forms online.
The Sacramento Blues Society (SBS) Is a 501 ( c ) 3 nonprofit corporation formed to preserve and promote blues music as an art form. Sacramento Blues Society is one of the oldest blues societies in California, founded 1979. SBS has kept the blues tradition alive in the Sacramento area by promoting the local blues music scene and bringing internationally renowned artists to the region. SBS is an affiliate member of The Blues Foundation. SBS provides educational opportunities for young people with the Foundation’s “Blues In The Schools” Program. SBS produces a newsletter, “Blue Notes” Bi-Monthly (six times a year) and mails to our membership. 12
Dave Alcock Willie Brown—President Roni Cook Kristen Dahl-Parliamentarian Cynthia Jaynes Kathleen Kelly-Treasurer Linda McShane Charlene Metzler–Secretary Dennis Moffett—Vice President Liz Walker
Board of Directors Meetings
are the 2nd Tuesday of each month 7:00 PM at the SMUD Building, 6301 S Street, Sacramento, CA. All SBS members in good standing are invited to attend.