Cover Design by Bob Cosman 1
A Message from the President
By Renee Erickson
Wow, 2017 flew by! I have enjoyed being your President during the last year. We had big plans; some came to fruition and some, sadly, did not. I have asked for help from our membership in the past, and I am asking again. Please give it some thought. Is there an area that you would be particularly interested in volunteering to help in? We need help in many areas such as planning events, coordinating volunteers, fundraising, helping with the BITS Program, and membership promotion. I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that if you want to help, we will find the best place for you by talking with you and discussing your interests and areas of expertise. I want to thank so many people as we say good bye to 2017, especially all the Board Members who have worked so hard, along with our Committee Chairs, to keep the SBS rolling along and continuing with our mission to support and promote The Blues in our area. We are really excited to have our newest Board Member, Brandon Bentz, join us in 2018. Brandon will be venturing out to start an SBS Chapter in the Marysville area. Thank you also to our many volunteers who we absolutely could not do without. Our volunteers make it possible for us to do the job that you elected us to do. I wanted to highlight one event that was very special to me this year. We got a message from the President of the Houston (TX) Blues Society, Annie Eason, during the summer. Some of their Board Members were going to be in town at The Torch attending Brad Abshear and the Swamp Royals. SBS hosted a small reception for them, and it was absolutely wonderful. They were very impressed with a lot of the programs that we have, and we learned much from them regarding how the Houston Blues Society operates. It was so special to make new friends and be able to bounce ideas off each other. If any of you are in the Houston area, please check out their Facebook page or website, attend an event and let them know that you are from SBS. I have one more year on the Board before I have to take a break because of the term limits set up in our Bylaws. I will continue to do my best to support the SBS and our membership. Thank you, everyone, for your support in 2017. We look forward to a great year in 2018. Our Events Committee is already busy planning!
Cover Story - First VJ Anderson Award Winner, Cynthia Jaynes Early in 2017, in memory of our long-time newsletter editor, former Board member and officer, Valerie Jeanne Anderson, the SBS Board decided to create an annual award to honor the efforts of an outstanding SBS Volunteer. We are proud to announce that the inaugural winner of this award is Cynthia Jaynes, a long-time member, Board Member, officer and one of the mainstays of our Blues in the Schools program. Cynthia received her award at our Member Party on December 2, 2017, and we couldn’t be happier. For more details, please see Jan Kelley’s Member Party Article. Congratulations, Cynthia, and many, many thanks for the countless hours you’ve spent tirelessly promoting the Sacramento Blues Society over the years! The Sacramento Blues Society (SBS) is one of the oldest blues societies in California, founded in 1979. SBS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation formed to preserve and promote blues music as a art form. SBS has kept the blues tradition alive in the Sacramento area by promoting the local blues music scene, bringing internationally renowned artists to the region and publishing the “Blue Notes” six times a year. SBS is an affiliate member of The Blues Foundation, which honored us with a 2015 Keeping the Blues Alive Award, and provides educational opportunities for young people with The Blues Foundation’s “Blues in The Schools” Program. Board of Directors Meetings - 2nd Tuesday of each Month, 7:00 pm. All SBS Members in good standing are invited to attend. For more details, including meeting location, check: www.sacblues.com/whowe-are/
2018 Committee Chairs
2018 Board of Directors
Blues in the Schools - Lisa Phenix
President: Renee Erickson
Hall of Fame - Sally Katen
Vice President: Brandon Bentz
Events - TBD
Secretary: Barbara Katen
Membership & Sponsorships - Linda McShane
Treasurer: Kristen Dahl
Public Relations & Social Media - Art Quinn
Parliamentarian: Dave Alcock
Volunteer Coordinator -Rick Clemens & Janet Hongola
Board Members at Large
Donor Gifts - Sally Katen
Rick Clemens
Blue Notes Newsletter - Cari Chenkin
Sally Katen
Help keep the Blues alive - Contact a Chair or Board Member to volunteer for the Board or a Committee!
Art Quinn
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Board members join the Board and take over at the January meeting of the new year.
Blues In The Schools By TJ Lev
Any member in good standing is eligible to serve on the Board, and our bylaws provide a 2-term limit for members to serve, before being required to sit out at least one year before volunteering again. This policy ensures that “new blood” is constantly enriching the Board, providing fresh insights and ideas. By the way, we do have room on our Board for a couple more people, so if you’d like to serve, please feel free to volunteer! Now, without further ado, here are your 2018 Board of Directors!
BITS school assemblies are in full swing! I was privileged to attend the Greengate Elementary assembly in Woodland. Greengate is a special needs school; the room was packed, and the students were so responsive from the very first beat, they danced and wiggled with joy! Some even wandered up into the stage area, (followed by their caregivers) but the musicians were so amazing and professional, the music continued on. I was honored to be a small part of it. Thank you to Kyle Rowland, Austin Morgan, Joe Lev and Leigh Lunetta, and a big thank you to Yolo County Arts Commission and Jonelle Castiglia, Greengate principal.
Barbara Katen
As I enter the final year of my term as a Director on the Board of the Sacramento Blues Society, I have decided to make obtaining new membership one of my major goals. I think it is imperative that we make a concerted effort to reach out to the younger generation that will be the future of the Sacramento Blues Society. I hope some of you will join me on this endeavor and I look forward to working with and seeing all of you at our many events.
BITS would like to welcome new volunteers Wreatha Duverney and Pam Meadows. Wreatha has an extensive background in IT finance and project management and will be a big help to organize our database of BITS information. Pam will be assisting with grant writing and hopefully acquiring much needed funding.
Kristen Dahl
If YOU would like to donate to the cause it is now even easier through the Sacramento Blues Society website. Go to www. sacblues.com click on the Blues in the School page, click on Support BITS. All donations are so appreciated. We are gearing up our planning for our 2018 spring after school programs and every little bit helps!
I’ve been an active member of the Sacramento Blues Society for about nine years, serving on the Board of Directors for at least 4 years and on a few committees. I’ve been a member of our parent organization, the Blues Foundation, for over 6 years.
Blues in the Schools graduate highlight: Zach Waters, a 2017 high school graduate and a talented and successful BITS participant gives us an update. The Zach Waters Band is very excited to start their year of 2018! If you haven’t already seen this power trio, this is the year to see them. Playing original rock and roll/blues music, as well as covers, the Zach Waters Band is starting to become a crowd favorite, and were the opening band for our December Member Party. They will start the year with a host of Bay Area shows, a northwest coast spring tour, and a show with Y&T in Pasadena.
I am committed to preserving blues heritage, celebrating live blues performances, expanding local awareness of blues music, and ensuring the future of this uniquely American art form.
Brandon Bentz
I am going to extend the SBS’s footprint of influence in the greater Northern California area, by opening a SBS chapter in Marysville. This will potentially increase SBS membership by attracting members from the Yuba, Sutter and Nevada counties along with other big benefits to the SBS. I will continue to push innovative ideas that can make the Sacramento Blues Society a leader of Blues music in Northern California and across the country.
Zach says “What I loved most about BITS was the opportunity to express myself outside of my daily life. BITS helped me discover what I wanted as an artist, and what kind of work I would need to put in to be successful”. Since his time in Blues In The Schools, Zach Waters has gone on to front his own trio, and play on bills with Dokken, Y&T, Pat Travers, Zepparella, and Chris Cain. For a list of all shows, you can visit their website: www.thezachwatersband.com or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/zachwatersband.
Sally Katen
Hi my name is Sally Katen and I have been on and off the SBS Board since 2006. In 2006, I took over the Secretary position and kept if for four years. When I termed out in 2010, I asked then-President Willie Brown if I could try and do something with our Hall of Fame, since a year had lapsed and no one was promoting it! So, here we are eight years later, and the Hall of Fame is now a special Committee in our Sacramento Blues Society! I returned to the SBS Board in January 2015 and have been excited to watch the new board at work and help in any way I can. Like all my fellow Board Members have stated, this is your Blues Society, so attend a meeting, volunteer for one of our Committees and find out what you would like to do to help, because, as in any volunteer organization, we need you!
Do you want to get involved? We can always use help, so let us know and we will be happy to invite you to our next meeting and dinner. Be kind, and keep the Blues alive! Until next time… Tj.
Meet Your 2018 Board of Directors!
You probably know that the Sacramento Blues Society is an allvolunteer organization, run by a volunteer Board of Directors and specific committees that handle everything we do. Every year, we have our annual election when new Board members and those incumbents who are up for re-election are chosen, Our election occurs at our annual Member Party, and the newly elected 3
Sacramento Blues Society Hosts Another Fantastic Member Party!
2018 Board of Directors, Con’t.
Rick Clemens
By Jan Kelley
Hi, I'm Rick Clemens serving you as a continuing SBS Board member this year. I bring to you a love of the Blues and the wish that I can help this group continue to grow. I accepted a position with our Blues in the Schools (BITS) program, as this is where the future of the Blues will be grown and enjoyed by generations to come.
Saturday, December 2, 2017 and SBS volunteers were hectically placing tables, chairs and decorations around the VFW Hall Post #67 for the SBS Annual Member Party, anxiously working to get it all done in time. The doors were opened at 6:00 for the excited and anticipatory crowd to come in and see with wonder how beautifully decorated the Hall was by a hard-working crew. Amazing blues graphics created and arranged by Fred Stephenson were placed on all the walls throughout the Hall, the tables were delightfully adorned with centerpieces made by Ro Bloodwell and Julia Noto that were pretty blue plates, blue upside-down wine glasses that held black fedoras on top, with candles and silver flowers around, candy canes & snacks too. To top it off, there was a special show of some of the old Sacramento Blues Festivals from the 80’s going on in the bar, produced by Bob Cosman.
Art Quinn
Art Quinn joined the SBS board in 2016, replacing a member who was unable to serve. Art holds an independent study BA from UC Santa Cruz focused on learning to see, including the study if subconscious vision and its connection to the dream state. He served on the board and curatorial committee at The Viewpoint Gallery for 5 years. His professional background includes international marketing, manufacturing, and photography and wad selected as photographer, mariner, and specialty chemical advisor for a National Science Foundation Artists and Writers Grant to the Palmer Station in Antarctica. He currently manufactures, markets and distributes Underwater Glue worldwide.
Hats off to Liz Walker, Renee Erickson, Andi Hernandez, Fred Stephenson, Vickie Lorenz, Jill, Carlton Steger, Dennis Moffett, Barbara Ray and Julia Noto for the hard work they put in getting the Hall done; and also to Liz and Renee for getting new members processed in a timely fashion, which eliminated any crowd waiting to get through the door.
Renee Erickson I am excited to have been elected your President for another year! As I mentioned in my President’s message, we had a lot of plans for last year. Some came to fruition, and some did not, but we’ll keep working on them. This year, I would like to focus on increasing our membership, recruiting volunteers to participate on a committee that is of particular interest to them, and continue to work to form relationships with our local business community that can help us in our mission to keep the Blues tradition alive in Sacramento and surrounding areas. I’ve enjoyed meeting so many of you the last year, and I’m looking forward to 2018 with much enthusiasm and excitement!
Kathy Ely and Donna Walker donated some fabulous raffle prizes that guests were delighted to receive; the archives displaying the SBS history through collections of Blue Notes and newspaper articles were of great interest to many; and this year we had an outstanding collection of Blues books being sold on behalf of the very first President of the SBS, Jeff Hughson, who is currently in ill health. Sound master Gabe Lewin and crew once again managed the sound and lights magnificently. Thank you one and all! The SBS IBC runner-up, The Zach Waters Band, started the party rolling with their hard-driving blues/rock that got people on the dance floor early. Zach is a young man who participated and gained musical knowledge through the SBS’ Blues In The Schools (BITS) program.
Dave Alcock
Dave is a long-standing board member who is dedicated to preserving this American art form called The Blues. He currently serves as the Parliamentarian for the Board of Directors, in addition to being the program director for Blues in The Schools. His previous SBS Board positions include treasurer, events co-chair, and vice president. He is “Passionate about not only preserving and promoting the art form, but probably even more passionate about passing on the Blues onto our next generation.”
A short break and then the Ben Rice Band came on with a blast of blues! This Portland, OR award-winning trio knows how to entertain and soon had dancers crowding the dance floor. Band members consisted of Ben Rice – lap steel guitar, cigar box guitar and electric guitar plus vocals, Alex McEntee – Bass, and the fabulous Dave Melyan – drums, percussion. Their music is a fun mixture of blues, rockabilly, swamp rock, soul and country that melds into a truly unique style that sets them apart from others and has garnered awards. They definitely gained many fans at their initial performance in Sacramento! Another addition to the Member Party is recognition of an outstanding SBS volunteer, which had been initially presented last year at the HOF ceremony. This award is named the Valerie Jeanne Anderson Volunteer Award, in memory of all of VJ’s exemplary volunteer work over the years and presented to members of her family in 2016. This year’s recipient is Cynthia Jaynes “C J”, for her contributions in creating the Blues In The Schools (BITS) program, working tirelessly in getting students from local schools enthused over the
This Space is Available for YOU, if you’re ready to step up and become a Board Member!
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Blues and seeing their improvements over time; writing grants in order to keep the funds coming in; submitting applications to organizations such as the Blues Foundation, which was instrumental in the SBS being a recipient of the Keeping the Blues Alive Award in 2015; and her many hours spent as Secretary on the Board of Directors, maintaining records faithfully for others to follow. We’re all proud of CJ! Congratulations! We welcome our new Board of Directors at this time: Kristen Dahl, Dave Alcock and Brandon Bentz, and thank those who are continuing: Renee Erickson, Barbara Katen, Sally Katen, Art Quinn and Rick Clemens. Thanks for keepin’ it goin’! Survey results have indicated people prefer Saturday night for the Annual Member Party as long as there is food! We aim to please and sure do look forward to another good time in 2018.
Show Reviews - Boz Scaggs, The Texas Troubadours and Jonny Lang By Barbara Katen
Two Evenings with Boz Scaggs at the Harris Center Boz Scaggs has been my main man since 1972 when I first heard the single “Dinah Flo” on the radio which enticed me into springing for the album “My Time” (his 5th for Columbia). I knew Boz had been a founding member of the Steve Miller Band and struck out on his own but until that LP my interest in Boz had been minimal. The first time I saw Boz in concert was 1976 when he was touring promoting his killer album “Silk Degrees.” Is there anyone of my generation that did not have that LP? One time live was all it took and I was in it for the long haul. I can’t remember the number of times I’ve seen Boz in concert since in seats ranging from nose bleed to first row. But never, ever, did I ever expect to be able to sit side stage backstage and watch him in concert. Yes, this old broad can now die happy, well, check numero uno off the bucket list anyway. (Forever indebted to Bobbie & Patrick). Both shows, Monday October 16th, viewed from the audience, and Tuesday, October 17th, viewed from backstage, were exemplary Boz. He played to his audience and we ate it up. The set list for both nights included JoJo, It’s Over, Gone Baby Gone, Dry Spell, Sierra, Some Change, Harbor Lights, Lowdown, Georgia, Look What You’ve Done to Me, Lido Shuffle, What Can I Say, Loan Me a Dime and his ode to Chuck Berry, You Never Can Tell, had me imagining I was dancing with Travolta in Pulp Fiction! After the concert I was introduced to Boz and stood there backstage listening to a couple of his stories while pinching myself the entire time. He’s a real southern gentleman and a bit of a Texas twang is still present in his speaking voice. I can’t say enough good things about Boz, he charmed us while telling us how he had lost his Napa home and studio in the Atlas Fire the week before.What a trooper! I love him more now than ever. I sure know how to pick my musical heroes and Boz is at the top of the list.
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Show Reviews by Barbara Katen, Con’t.
The Texas Troubadours
On November 10, 2017, I headed up 80 on a belated Birthday celebration to see the Texas Troubadours at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley, featuring Ruthie Foster, Jimmy Dale Gilmore & Carrie Rodriguez. All three are critically acclaimed in their own right, but this night, together on stage, swapping songs and collaborating on each other’s material…what a treat! I have been a huge fan of Grammy-nominated, Blues Awards Winner, Ruthie Foster for a while now, having seen her perform live several times in recent years. What a velvety powerhouse voice! And the warmth of her personality just drips off the stage. Jimmie Dale Gilmore, can’t believe I haven’t seen him before! What a character he is. One of the original founders of the legendary band The Flatlanders, he has also been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards. His voice is reminiscent of Willie Nelson and he is a hoot, telling funny tales between songs, cracking both the audience and his fellow performers up. Carrie Rodrigez is the daughter of Texas singer-songwriter, David Rodriguez and the grandniece of Chicana singing star Eva Garza. With an easy, soothing, soft voice Carrie could emote when singing her songs but I have to say, she was at her best when playing the fiddle. She plays a really mean fiddle! Yowza! The Freight & Salvage Coffee House in Berkeley, is a small, intimate venue and I can say, there are really no bad seats in the place. We had General Admission seating and we were fortunate to land seats in the front row. How to describe the vibe? Well, it felt like we were sitting around with old friends drinking coffee and listening to them jam and tell stories. Songs included: Ruthie: Smalltown Blues, Singing the Blues, Hole in My Pocket, Stayed on Freedom, Joy Comes Back, My Kinda Lover, Ring of Fire (her fantastic version stands up right alongside Johnny Cash’s version) and Up Above My Head (gotta love some Sister Rosetta Tharpe). Jimmie Dale’s songlist: Tonight I Think I’m Gonna Go Downtown, Just a Wave Not the Water, Midnight Train, Reunion, Another Colorado and Walkin’ to New Orleans (his moving tribute to Fats Domino that had many singing along). Carrie’s songlist: La Ultima Vez, Absence, Que Manera De Perder and Caricias. The evening ended with a long standing ovation and I got the feeling the Troubadours were having as much fun as the audience was. It was truly a great night of music, covering three separate genres of music from the Lone Star State. And all in all, a terrific way to celebrate a belated Birthday!
“Signs of the Time” with Jonny Lang “What a year it has been in music here in River City! Jonny Lang, another young blues heavyweight blew through on Sunday night, December 3rd on his tour to promote his newest CD “Signs” which has been bouncing all over the top 15 of the Billboard Blues Chart for a several months now. And what a fantabulous CD it is!
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Recovering from a bout with the flu you would never know Jonny was still under the weather. Giving us his all he blew us into the neo-classical Crest rafters with his virtuoso guitar work and throaty,
raspy bluesy voice sounding so much older than his years. I heard Jonny is from North Dakota….what??? Talk about melting the northern ice caps with all that heat, he put on a hellacious show. Jonny performed the songs off his new CD including the title cut: Signs, Snakes, Last Man Standing, Bring Me Back Home as well as his oldie but goodies, Rack ‘Em Up, Red Light, Angel of Mercy and his signature encore song Lie to Me. We were lucky enough to have a couple minutes of Jonny’s time during the soundcheck and I can tell you what impressed me (other than the music…duh) was how he looked us dead straight in the eyes with a huge smile when shaking our hand, like he was honored to be meeting us! NOW that’s a gift! Yeah, I’ll go see Jonny Lang over and over again (and have) because he is such an immense talent and one can never get enough of a good thing! Just love these young whippersnappers keeping the blues alive…Go Jonny Go!!
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SBS Events Roundup
Johnny Rawls to Headline SBS Show!
By Jan Kelley Hey Blues Buddies! After a very joyful holiday season that included our successful Member Party, we can look forward to some great events the Events Committee is already planning for 2018!
The Sacramento Blues Society is pleased to present a special fundraiser show featuring the great Johnny Rawls on March 25, 2018, at Goldfield Trading Post in Sacramento. Read on for the “411” about Johnny!
The SBS will be teaming up with Swell Productions in an event not to be missed! We are bringing back to California, former resident and blues guitar extraordinaire James Armstrong! Here’s a little of his history: James was born in Los Angeles, CA in 1957; his mother was a blues singer and father played jazz guitar. He formed his first band at age 17, began playing professionally in the Smokey Wilson band in his early 20’s, and continuously advanced his career with many other Blues notables.
Johnny Rawls Biography
Johnny Rawls is a soul blues legend. In fact, the term “soul blues” was invented to describe his music. With a career spanning more than 50 years, he’s done it all. He’s an internationally recognized recording artist, music producer, and songwriter who tours extensively throughout North America and overseas. The Blues Music Awards, Blues Blast Awards, Living Blues Critics Poll Awards, and the W. C. Handy Awards have all acknowledged Johnny with multiple awards and nominations, including Soul Blues Album of the Year and Soul Blues Artist of the Year. Living Blues Magazine described him as a “soul-blues renaissance man” when he was featured on the cover in 2002. Johnny is honored to be mentioned on two markers along the Mississippi Blues Trail – one in Hattiesburg, MS, marking the Hi-Hat Club, and another in Rocklin ME marking Mississippi to Maine.
Armstrong was about to tour with his critically acclaimed first album, Sleeping with a Stranger, when tragedy struck. The events surrounding a home invasion left Armstrong without the use of his left hand and arm, including permanent nerve damage. This threatened to end his career forever, but thanks to the support of friends, fans and the blues community Armstrong came back two years later with a second album, Dark Night. James has received several music awards for his songwriting and music performances and is now residing in the East Coast. He is currently touring, promoting his new release Blues Been Good to Me.
Born in Mississippi in 1951, Johnny grew up in Purvis (near Hattiesburg) and Gulfport. Johnny’s interest in music began in early childhood. He started out playing clarinet in the school band when he was in 5th grade. Over the next couple of years, he graduated to saxophone, trumpet and other instruments. Johnny became interested in guitar at age 13, when he heard his grandfather playing one Christmas morning. By high school, Johnny was playing professionally, backing artists including ZZ Hill, Little Johnny Taylor, Joe Tex, and The Sweet Inspirations. In the mid-1970s, Johnny became the band director for soul singer O.V. Wright, and toured with O.V. until his death in 1980. From 1980 – 1985, Johnny was the band director for Little Johnny Taylor.
Then in March, we’re excited to bring the great Johnny Rawls to Sacramento. As our newly reformed (for 2018) Events Committee gets up and running, there will be more events to enjoy. Here’s what’s coming up for January and February:
2018 Upcoming Events 1/31: James Armstrong, (SBS SHOW) Momo Lounge, Sacramento 2/3: Kyle Rowland Band, The Torch Club, Sacramento 2/10: Daniel Castro, The Torch Club, Sacramento 2/11: Guitar Shorty, Powerhouse Pub, Folsom 2/17: The Dennis Jones Band, The Torch Club, Sacramento 2/18: Laurie Morvan Band, Powerhouse Pub, Folsom 2/25: Shari Puorto Band, Powerhouse Pub, Folsom 3/1: Janiva Magness, Sofia Tsakopoulos Ctr. , Sacramento 3/25: Johnny Rawls, (SBS SHOW) Goldfield Trading Post, Sacramento
In 1985, Johnny began touring as a solo artist and made his first solo recording. More than 100 of Johnny’s songs have been recorded, making him one of the most prolific songwriters in blues today. He has released more than 15 albums since his debut solo album, Here We Go, in 1996 on JSP Records. In 2002, he created his own record company, Deep South Soul. Johnny’s latest CD “Waiting for the Train” on Catfood Records was released in September 2017, and has been recognized as one of the top 50 blues albums of the year by Roots Music Report. Every year since 2002, Johnny has been nominated for the Blues Music Awards by the Blues Foundation and 2018 is no exception. “Waiting for the Train” is nominated for Soul Blues Album of the Year and Johnny is nominated for Soul Blues Male Artist. Johnny tours extensively throughout the US, and internationally. Whether he’s playing in a small intimate club, or at a major blues festival, Johnny always delivers a high-energy show, giving his all, and audiences everywhere love him.
Johnny Rawls Awards and Recognition:
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Blues Music Awards - Soul Blues Album of the Year – 16 nominations, (2002-2018) winner 2010 Blues Music Awards - Soul Blues Artist of the Year – 16 nominations (2002-2018) Blues Music Awards - Blues Song of the Year – nomination
W. C. Handy Award – 2 nominations Blues Blast - Soul Album of the Year – winner 2015 (with Otis Clay) Living Blues Critics Poll - Best Soul Blues Album of the Year - winner 2009, 2011, 2014 Living Blues Critics Poll – Most Outstanding Blues Singer – winner 2014
Regional Recognition:
West Coast Blues Society Awards – multiple winner Oklahoma Blues Society Hall of Fame Milwaukee Whammy Award
Johnny Rawls
Blast from the Past - Historical Perspective By Bob Cosman Hey there Blues Lovers! This time we go back to December 2006 – March 2007. As always, this is a transition period for our BOD with VALERIE JEANNE ANDERSON out and WILLIE BROWN in as President, JOHN NOXON out and STAN ALVES in as Vice President, KATHRYN NICHOLSON out and SALLY KATEN in as Secretary and PAT HANNON out and JASON HAXTON in as Treasurer. The always present CHARLES WASHINGTON served at Parliamentarian. Other board members included CATHY DUBETS, KIM DUVALL, ANDY SHUFELBERGER and DEMOUY WILLIAMS. Thanks go out to each one of them for their dedication to the SBS. We also held out 27th ANNIVERSARY party with headliner THE DANIEL CASTRO BAND supported by THE BLUE MARVELZ and THE WHITEWATER BLUES BAND at the Clarion Hotel Ballroom. The SBS had over 35 member bands at the time including: ROCK OF AGES, THE DAVE CHANNELL BAND, EQUINOX BLUES REVIEW, LISA PHENIX, BONE JELLI and the JEFF WATSON BAND. The now long-gone CONSTABLE JACK’S had a memorable month, first with owners TIM AND JACQUI LOOPER celebrating Jacqui’s birthday in November and MARSHAL WILKERSON and SMOKED SUGAR, a live show. MICK MARTIN & THE BLUES ROCKERS were a regular fixture on the 1st Saturday of the month. Every Wednesday night THE STONEY INN has a jam that has been hosted for 5 years running by GREG GARTRELL & THE BLUENATICS with DON GATES and RICHARD “THE WOLF” HENSON. The big story at the time was the SBS IBC competition held at the CLARION HOTEL BALLROOM. Thanks to a story by STEVE CAGLE we learned that there were 14 BANDS from as far as San Jose, Santa Rosa and Lake Tahoe competing for a trip to Memphis. When the smoke cleared it was THE LARA PRICE BAND featuring LAURA CHAVEZ (band) and MARTA GEE (solo) coming out on top. Thanks to LIL B ANGEL B, BURWELL BRIGGS, FRED”THE DEACON” BAKER, KENNY (OBD) VAN CRUMPHAUT, BIG JOHN EVANS, JOHN NOXON and RANDY & KATHY MEUSLING among others for their hard work. To quote Steve” WHAT A GREAT BLUES SOCIETY WE HAVE”.
Sacramento Blues Society Publications Blues News, Weekly E-mail - Willie Brown Blue Notes, Bi-Monthly Newsletter Cari Chenkin Blues Notes Ad Rates: www.sacblues.com/advertising-rates Website: www.sacblues.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/sacblues/ 9
Hall of Fame Update - Nominations Time!
the Blue Notes deadline of August 1st for publication. However, if a nomination does not meet the deadline, it will be assigned for consideration the next year.
By Sally Katen Each year the Sacramento Blues Society asks for nominations of people who live in the Greater Sacramento Area who have been either a performer (musician/vocalist), promoter, or a non-performer supporter of the blues with 20 or more years’ influence in the area, and who are determined, under the guidelines, to be deserving of recognition.
The HOF Committee starts working on bios as we receive nominations. We take the names that have been submitted, not only for the current year, but for each previous year. (I have saved each nomination since I took over the Hall of Fame in 2010). Each committee member may have one, or as many as three bios to write up on the nominees received for that year. Then we discuss each nominee and their dedication, their local contribution to our Sacramento area and if they are local area residents to be qualified. Over several hours and several meetings, we select up to five deserving people to induct into the current year’s Hall of Fame.
Here’s a “factoid” about the process and how we count on not only SBS Members, but blues lovers in our area! Did you know that you do not need to be a SBS Member to submit a nomination or to be a Hall of Fame Inductee/Member? But you do need to be a Sacramento area resident to qualify for nomination, or to have been a resident when qualifying activities were performed. To help the Sacramento Blues Society Hall of Fame, we need to know who you feel would be worthy to be part of the HOF. If you are interested in nominating someone, please submit your nominations online at sacblues.com/blues-hall-of-fame, or mail names to our P.O. Box 60580, Sacramento, Ca. 95860-0580 or hand a list of names to a SBS board member.
In 2017 the Hall of Fame Committee decided to create a Volunteer Award in our dear friend Valerie Jeanne Anderson’s name. We gave out the inaugural award this past December at our Member Party, to Cynthia Jaynes. We will continue to honor a special Volunteer each year in Val’s honor! All past Hall of Fame inductees are listed online at sacblues.com (with photos and bios). If you’re ever in the Torch Club, please check out our Wall of Fame with photos and our perpetual plaque. There are seven years of Inductees on the Wall and we, the Hall of Fame Committee and our SBS Board Members, are really proud of not only the Wall, but all the Inductees, knowing that the nominations originated from the blues fans!! Thank You! Looking forward to a great 2017! See you at a Blues Event!
We are a committee of 9 SBS HOF blues lovers and HOF Inducted Members who feel that there are many dedicated, blues lovers and players that have made a difference in the blues in the Sacramento area. You may submit as many different nominations each year as you want. The more names we receive, the harder we work to verify their contributions. We accept names each year over a 9-month period, which is October through June. The deadline for receiving nominations is June 30th, 2018 which gives us time to meet
Sacramento Blues Society Sponsors & Donors Thank you for your support and generosity! Members, please patronize our Sponsoring Businesses!
Gold Sponsor
Bronze Sponsors
Carrera Productions www.carrera-productions.com
Arnold Law Firm www.justice4you.com
Silver Sponsor
David Roy Furnas drfurnas@me.com
BG Phillips Photography www.bgphillipsphotography.com The Torch Club
www.torchclub.com
Blue Sponsors
Music Sacramento
Powerhouse Pub www.powerhousepub.com
Swell Productions
bray38@hotmail.com
www.swell-productions.com
Stoney’s Rockin’ Rodeo
www.stoneyinn.com
Style Magazine www.stylemg.com
Guitar Workshop www.guitarworkshoponline.com
2020 Eyes / Ron Kehoe twentytwentyeyes.com
Debra Schottgen debras1023@gmail.com
Business Owners, if you don’t see your name here, why not join or renew your sponsorship today? 10
Sacramento Blues Society Member Bands Got an event or an occasion? Need music? Hire an SBS Member Band!
Leo Bootes abysswego@yahoo.com
Dave Croall rightdave@hotmail.com
Matt Rainey & Dippin’ Sauce dippinsauce@gmail.com
Dr. Rock & the Stuff drrock@bookthestuff.com
Rick Estrin www.rickestrin.com
FoxTrot Mary foxtrotmary@pacbell.net
Derek Fresquez fresquez135@gmail.com
Guitar Mac www.guitarmac.net
Jeramy Norris & the Dangerous Mood basschips@comcast.net
Joe Lev / Joe Lev & Friends www.facebook.com/joelevandfriends
Julie & the Jukes cmoriel@ucdavis.edu
Melonnee Desiree & Cauzin’ a Ruckus www.melonneedesiree.com
Mick Martin / Mick Martin & the Blues Rockers http://micksbluesrockers.com/
nJr Nedra & Julio www.njrmusic.com
John Noxon johnnoxon123@gmail.com
Lisa Phenix www.lisaphenix.com
Red’s Blues bethgrigsby@comcast.net
Rube & the Rhythm Rockers srube@sbcglobal.net
The Andrew Little Band alittleguitarplayer@yahoo.com
The Austin Mo Xperience austinmo.xperience@gmail. com
The Bluez Houndz whse2000@sbcglobal.net
The Bongo Furys www.reverbnation.com/thebongofurys
The Christian DeWild Band christiandewild@yahoo.com
The Dennis James Blues Party fredzo@surewest.net
The Fabulous Blues Shifters pkoolmusic@gmail.com
The Gary Mendoza Band garymendozaband@yahoo. com
The Gold Souls www.thegoldsouls.com
The Jimmy Smith Band jimmysmithband@gmail.com
The Hucklebucks thehucklebucks@lancet.com
The Michael Ray Band sacblues@hotmail.com
The Midtown Creepers jmcguiresac@earthlink.net
The Ray Copeland Band www.raycatfishcopeland.com
The Ryder Green Band www.rydergreenmusic.com
The William Mylar Band mylar@mylarville.com
The Zach Waters Band www.thezachwatersband.com
Todd Morgan &The Emblems toddmorganandtheemblems. com
Tony Westlake & the Tuff Times tatttblues@gmail.com
Two Tone Steiny Val Starr &The Blues twotonesteiny.wordpress.com Rockets www.valstarrandthebluesrocket.com
SBS Membership Benefits for Bands and Musicians
Zola Moon z.moon@comcast.net
Musicians, did you know that, as one of the benefits of your Sacramento Blues Society membership, you can have your very own web page, right on the SBS website? For a sample of just how cool that is, check out our member band Red’s Blues’ page on our website: http://www.sacblues.com/portfolio/reds-blues/. If you haven’t already taken advantage of this great benefit, why not start now? And if your band isn’t yet an SBS Member Band, now is a great time to join!
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P. O. Box 60580 Sacramento, CA 95860-0580
Blue Notes is the official bi-monthly newsletter of the Sacramento Blues Society. Editor: Jan Kelley Send information for the newsletter to: editor@sacblues.com, or mail to Editor at the above address. Not a Member? Join on our website, www.sacblues.com.
Janna & Kimi @ Sac Blues Member Party Johnny Rawls & Band - Coming Soon!
Sally Katen with Boz Scaggs
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