2016
Inside: Blues in the Schools Kenny Neal coming! Int’l. Blues Challenge Meet Your Board Women Sing the Blues Blast from the Past... and more!
Cover by Bob Cosman
Cover Design by Bob Cosman 1
A Message from the President
By Renee Erickson
Hello Everyone! I’m honored to accept the responsibility of serving as your President for 2017. Before I talk about our hopes and plans for this year, I want to pay my respects to a very special man. As most of you know, your Board of Directors and the entire membership suffered an enormous loss early this year when we lost our dear friend and fellow Board Member, Daniel Hernandez. Daniel loved the Sacramento Blues Society, and I was privileged to have served with him for the last few years. Daniel was our volunteer coordinator and the quiet voice of reason at many of our meetings. His passing has left a void in our hearts and at our meeting table that will not be easily filled. Rest in Peace Daniel. You are loved by many. 2017 is going to be a great year for SBS! There are a few things that I would like to focus on this year. I think that communication between the Board of Directors and our membership is crucial, and I want to encourage every member reading this to communicate any suggestions, concerns, etc. to any one of our Board Members. I know that we have talent and creativity out there! When you are sitting around talking among yourselves, and the subject of SBS comes up and you hear “I really think that SBS should …..”, please let us know about your conversation. The more of you that become involved in SBS, the more successful the Society will be. You are welcome to e-mail me directly at renee-erickson@comcast.net. I promise you that I will respond to your email, and your voice will be heard. Of course, increasing membership is always one of our goals. This year, we are going to work on improving membership benefits for individuals, families, and bands. The second thing that I would like to focus on is the Society becoming more involved in multicultural events in our community. We need your help in several ways; let us know if you hear of an event that you think we should participate in. Volunteer to work at the booth and talk about why you are a member and what the Sacramento Blues Society gives to the community. Again, I’m happy and proud to be serving as President this year, and I hope to hear from many of you!
Renew, Recruit, Refer!
friends & family & refer them to www.sacblues.com for more information! Thank you for supporting your local Blues Society - keeping the blues alive!
By Linda McShane
Hello SBS! As Membership Chair, I am the one who sends you those annoying emails asking you to renew your membership. You can avoid those emails by renewing at any time - you will always receive a full 12 months. If you have questions about your membership just email me at “membership@sacblues.com”. As Members in good standing, I urge you to recruit your
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/
2017 Committee Chairs
2017 Board of Directors
Blues in the Schools - Liz Walker, Lisa Phenix
President: Renee Erickson
Hall of Fame - Sally Katen
Vice President: Scott Willson
Events - Jan Kelley
Secretary: Barbara Katen
Membership & Sponsorships - Linda McShane
Treasurer: Kristen Dahl
Public Relations & Social Media - Scott Willson
Parliamentarian: Dave Alcock
Volunteer Coordinator - Liz Walker
Board Members at Large
Donor Gifts - Scott Willson
Rick Clemens
Blue Notes Newsletter - Jan Kelley & 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 Cari Chenkin
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Blues In The Schools
Dispatch from Memphis & the IBC
By Liz Walker
Springtime is just around the corner, and that means the BITS after-school programs are jumping! We’re pleased to say the BITS program is able to continue funding for the three high school sites. Continuing their tenure with BITS as musicians/instructors, Lew Fratis returns to Woodcreek and Joe Lev is back at West Campus, along with newcomer Larry Schiavone. Also, Peter Philis and Greg King are back for their second year at Rosemont.
This year the SBS sent a solo/duo act to compete on our behalf in the International Blues Challenge, held by the Blues Foundation in Memphis, TN. Our entrants were Christian DeWild and Mike Pavisich, who reported on their experiences below. IBC 2017: A True Soul Shine As I write this, it’s been a week since we returned from the International Blues Challenge held in Memphis, TN, and I am just now coming down from what is a milestone event in my musical career!
We’re excited to see and hear this year’s crop of students, and you will be too. Mark your calendar now for the amazing showcase, Thursday, May 4th at Stoney’s Rockin’ Rodeo (formerly the Stoney Inn). BTW…May 4th is also the Big Day of Giving so please prepare to make your donations to SBS on that day.
Christian and I were very honored to represent Sacramento this year as the Solo/Duo act. We met many other talented musicians from all over the U.S., as well as striking up a conversation with a musician from Switzerland over a beer at Albert’s Bar on Beale Street where, ‘if we come to his town’, he can set us up with a gig! (This may be our chance to finally say “Christian DeWild is big in Europe!”)
We had a great turnout for the annual BITS Appreciation Brunch. Along with the sweet potato pancakes & sausage there was a very rich discussion on the future of BITS. Several new people have expressed an interest in the program, including musician Lisa Phenix, who volunteered to step up as co-chair, and has started working with the committee to learn the ropes. We’re looking forward to the new energy and ideas.
From standing in Sun Studio,where Elvis and countless other artists practiced and recorded, to tracing the footsteps of Robert Johnson and Bessie Smith in Clarksdale, Mississippi, the entire trip was truly a memorable experience. We certainly had a taste of the blues that will be a part of us forever. I feel it will be reflected in the new music we write as well as the songs we already play. Thank you, Sacramento Blue Society! -Mike Pavisich
A Spiritual Experience In addition to what Mike has described about competing in the IBC, the experience of visiting Clarksdale was an almost religious experience for me. Clarksdale was Mecca, the Crossroads was the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Riverside Hotel was the Bodhi Tree. Any place that gave birth to John Lee Hooker, Son House and Muddy Waters must be Heaven. There are many more musicians I could name but these were my Three Wise Men.
Students listening to a BITS program lecture.
Clarksdale today is just a shell of what it was 100 years ago. Most of it has been abandoned, boarded up and neglected, but you can still get a sense of what it must have been like back in the days when John Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williamson were playing in town and spending the night at the Riverside Hotel. Some of the highlights I experienced were: enjoying delicious BBQ & fried catfish at Ground Zero; seeing the Delta Blues Museum (which was originally the wooden cabin Muddy 3
The Sacramento Blues Society welcomes all our newly elected and re-elected Directors, and we look forward to another great year of Keeping the Blues Alive in Sacramento.
“A Spiritual Experience”, con’t. from p. 3
Waters had been raised in) and being personally escorted by the Mayor; and being shown the Riverside Hotel where Bessie Smith took her last swig of gin after the owner graciously opened the hotel for us.
Board Member Introductions Barbara Katen My cousin Sally Katen introduced me to the Sacramento Blues Society about five years ago, and I’ve met some terrific people and made some great friends through my involvement in SBS. For the past four years, I have been serving on the SBS Hall of Fame Committee and the past three years as an SBS Board Member. I hope to be an asset to SBS this upcoming year in the capacity of Secretary. David 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.”
My visit to Clarksdale left a lasting impression, giving me the visual landscape to go with the music, the stories and what remains of the old black and white photographs found in books on the subject of Clarksdale as Ground Zero of the Blues. I want to thank everybody at the SBS for this opportunity. Christian DeWild
Sacramento Blues Society Elects 2017 Board of Directors and New Officers By Cari Chenkin
As we do annually, the SBS held an election for the 2017
Board of Directors. Ballots were sent to all members in late November, and members were asked to either mail in their ballots by December 3, or to bring them to the Annual Meeting & Membership Party to drop into the ballot box.
Voting ended during the party, and ballots were collected and counted. We announced the 2017 Board of Directors immediately after headliner Anthony Paule finished his final set. Some of the current BOD members were not up for election this year, as they are finishing out terms that started last year. Cari Chenkin and Scott Willson remain on the Board for 2017.
Kristen Dahl Kristen is joining the Board again after a few years off. She served on the Board for 3 years from 2011 through 2013, and on the Events committee in 2016. She is also an active member of the Blues Foundation and you can find her name on the wall in the Blues Hall of Fame in Memphis. Now that she's retired she hopes to have more quality time to devote to the Sacramento Blues Society.
Re-elected for 2017 were Renee Erickson, Dave Alcock, Sally Katen, Barbara Katen and Daniel Hernandez, who sadly passed away before our first 2017 meeting. Newly elected to this year’s Board were Rick Clemens and Kristen Dahl. After the election and the loss of Daniel, Art Quinn volunteered to join the Board and was added. Following the election of Board members, it’s the duty of the new incoming Board to elect a slate of officers who will run the Society for the year. Accordingly, the first order of business at the January 2017 meeting was selecting the members who will serve as officers. Nominations were called for from the Board, and nominees were selected for each position and then voted upon.
“This Society and its direction belong to all of our members, not to a handful of volunteers on the Board. A goal for this year is to hear directly from SBS members about the type of events YOU would like to have and which bands you would like to see here.” Scott Willson
Please meet your new 2017 Officers: President: Renee Erickson Secretary: Barbara Katen Parliamentarian: Dave Alcock.
I joined the Blues Society in November 2015 looking to meet other musicians. Much to my surprise I met a very spry 80-year-old named Valerie Jeanne Anderson and we struck up an instant friendship. Together, we learned we had much in common, and she asked me if I’d be interested in helping the SBS, first as webmaster, later as Board member. Now I volunteer, not only as webmaster, but also work with social media, public relations, and merchandise.
Vice President: Scott Willson Treasurer: Kristen Dahl
Just a reminder, the BOD meetings occur on the second Tuesday of each month, and all SBS members in good standing are welcome to attend. Meeting time is 7 pm; for locations, please check the sacblues.com website for each month’s meeting site. 4
Art Quinn I volunteered to serve on the SBS Board of Directors when I heard about Daniel Hernandez. It was one of those late sleepless nights, when the email from the Society announcing Daniel’s passing caught my attention. I had recently resigned as a curator of photography at the Viewpoint Gallery down on J Street, where I also served as a board member for a time. I contacted Willie Brown, he had SBS call me and I attended the board meeting.
Sally Katen Hi! My name is Sally Katen and I have been on the SBS Board off and on since 2006. In 2006, I took over the Secretary position and kept it for four years. When I termed out in 2010, I had asked then-President Willie Brown if I could try and do something with our Hall of Fame that Marshal Wilkerson had started and that had languished for a year, with no one continuing it. So here we are eight years later and the Hall of Fame now exists as 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.
The board at SBS responded quickly and after attending a meeting, I was sworn in as a board member. I look forward to assisting with the Events committee, taking on some of the load from the current long-serving members of Events. At Viewpoint, I selected and hung photographic shows, including very prominent artists, one of whom even interacted with the members during his show opening remotely, via Skype.
Like all my fellow Board Members have stated, this is your Blues Society. Attend a meeting, volunteer for one of our committees, find out what you would like to do to help. As in any volunteer organization, we need you!
I am also a graphic artist and photographer with the capability to create event graphics. I have a BA Independent Study degree in learning to see from UC Santa Cruz, and I look forward to using all my skills in improving SBS Events. Rick Clemens Hi, I'm Rick Clemens serving you as a first-time 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. I have worked with the youth of our community through various programs such as 4H and Boy Scouts in the Sacramento area, and hope that wonderful experience will continue into our programs here at SBS. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any ideas that can help this organization.
Calling all Volunteers!
By Liz Walker
As in any organization, the SBS is only as strong as the passionate commitment of its members and volunteers. We need YOU to step up and get involved! Find an activity you’d like to be part of and help. None of the fabulous events you’ve been to happen magically - you’re able to enjoy the newsletter, weekly email calendar and cool shows because there is a BODY doing the work to make it all happen.
Cari Chenkin
There are vacant seats on the board of directors and committees that need people (events, membership, BITS, PR, newsletter, etc.) Every organization needs new ideas and energy, and SBS needs yours! I’m your new volunteer coordinator, so please get in touch with me to discuss your role in the Sacramento Blues Society. You can reach me at volunteer@ sacblues.com.
I’m Cari Chenkin and 2017 is my fourth year of serving on the Sacramento Blues Society Board of Directors. I’ve had the privilege of being the SBS President for two terms and am now a co-editor of the Blue Notes newsletter. I was recruited to run for the Board in late 2013 by Jan Kelley, who knew I had previous blues society experience, having served on the Board of Directors and as president for the Sonoma County Blues Society when I lived in Santa Rosa. I love the Blues, and am glad that blues societies exist to promote this essential American art form that’s so dear to my heart.
Early Blues Women
As Adapted by Jan Kelley
On Valentine’s Day 1920, Mamie Smith stepped up to the acoustical horn in the Okeh Company recording studios, shouted out “That Thing Called Love” for the disc spinning behind the curtain in the next room, and made history with the first recording by a black woman vocalist. 5
hearted Blues,” which was widely popular and sold an estimated 80,000 copies, propelling Smith into the blues spotlight.
“Early Blues Women”, con’t. from p. 5
“That Thing Called Love” was not authentic blues, but its immediate success led to a second recording by Smith of “Crazy Blues”. This recording, a true blues song, sold 75,000 copies in the first month and opened the door to a generation of leading vocalists who came to be known as the “Classic Blues” singers.
In her recording career, Bessie Smith worked with many important jazz performers, including James P. Johnson, with whom she recorded one of her most famous songs, “Backwater Blues”. She also collaborated with the legendary jazz artist Louis Armstrong on several tunes, and by the end of the 1920s, Smith was the highest-paid black performer of her day and had earned the title “Empress of the Blues”.
In the decade that followed, Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Ida Cox, Alberta Hunter and many other great women vocalists, who had already transformed the blues from a local folk tradition into a performing art, now established it in the broader popular culture.
By the end of 1931, Smith had stopped working with Columbia Records as her popularity declined. However, Smith adapted her repertoire and continued to tour. In 1933, Smith was contacted by producer John Hammond to make new recordings, which hinted at the coming Swing Era.
These blues women ushered black culture into the American mainstream, “indelibly recreating a world of black experience and making visible the lives and aspirations of millions of black Americans”, in the words of Sandra Lieb, a biographer of Ma Rainey.1 Bessie Smith (1894-1937)
Over the next few years, Smith continued to perform. However, on September 26, 1937, Smith was in an automobile accident enroute to a show in Memphis; she was thrown from the vehicle and badly injured. She died of her wounds in a Clarksdale, Mississippi hospital. As with many artists, Smith gained wider recognition after her passing.2 Gertrude “Ma” Rainey (1886-1939)
Styled as the “Mother of the Blues”, Gertrude Pridgett Rainey, better known as “Ma” Rainey, was one of the most important of the early blues singers. In her 35 years of touring, and recordings she made with Paramount, the Georgia native did much to establish the “classic” blues in American musical life. At age 18, Bessie, out of necessity, began performing as a street singer in Tennessee, accompanied on the guitar by one of her younger brothers. She began performing as a dancer in the minstrels, of which blues vocalist Ma Rainey was a member. Rainey took Smith under her wing, and over the next decade Smith continued to perform at various theaters and on the vaudeville circuit. In 1923, she was discovered by a representative from Columbia Records, with whom she signed a contract and made her first song recordings. Among them was a track titled “Down-
6
She played a central role in connecting the less polished, male-dominated country blues and the smoother, female-centered urban blues of the 1920s. Walking on stage, she made an incredible impression before she even began singing, with her thick straightened hair sticking out all over, her huge teeth capped in gold, an ostrich plume in her hand, and a long triple necklace of shining gold coins sparkling against her sequined dress. The gravelly timbre of her contralto voice, with its range of only about an octave, enraptured audiences wherever she went. She generally sang without melodic embellishment, in a raspy, deep voice that had an emotional appeal for listeners.
Rainey showed musical talent early on, beginning her career at age 14 in a local talent show. She soon began traveling in vaudeville and minstrel shows, where she met and married William “Pa” Rainey, who was a minstrel show manager. Together they toured the South, the Midwest, and Mexico for more than three decades.
a teenager to tour with a minstrel revue. She excelled at vaudeville singing, but when the popularity of vaudeville began to fade, she transformed herself into a formidable blues singer.
Ma Rainey was one of the first women to incorporate blues into minstrel and vaudeville stage shows, blending styles from country blues, early jazz, and her own personal style. By the time she began recording with Paramount Records in 1923, she had toured extensively as “Madame”, earning an enduring reputation as a key figure among the early female blues singers. In 1912, the young Bessie Smith joined her troupe in Chattanooga, TN. While Rainey’s influence on Smith’s style has been exaggerated, her uniquely penetrating voice did help shape the young singer’s development, something clearly audible in Smith’s early recordings. Though they sang together for only a short time, they were two of the most important figures in the development of what later came to be called classical blues, a musical style widely popularized by Bessie Smith, who came to be known as the “Empress of the Blues”.
In 1923, she made her first blues recordings, “Graveyard Dream Blues” and “Weary Way Blues” for the Paramount label. She met with immediate success and went on to record 78 songs between 1923 and 1929, including her best song “Wild Women Don’t Have the Blues”. Cox wrote most of the songs she recorded. As Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey achieved success and popularity, Paramount promoted Cox as the “Uncrowned Queen of the Blues”.
In 1923, Rainey began a five-year association with Paramount, becoming one of the first women to record the blues professionally, eventually producing more than 100 recordings of her own compositions with some of the finest musicians of the day. Her early discs – Boweavil Blues (1923) and Moonshine Blues- soon spread her reputation outside the South. Louis Armstrong accompanied her in Jelly Bean Blues (1924) and later, her Georgia Jazz Band included other notables. One of the few times her flair for comedy comes through is in her widely popular Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (1927). She had a raw, “moaning” style and exquisite phrasing, revealing her deep connection with the pain of jealousy, poverty, sexual abuse, and loneliness of sharecroppers and southern blacks.
Like Smith and Rainey, Cox toured the blues circuit with pianists, including the renowned Jelly Roll Morton. A savvy business woman, Cox served as her own manager and producer, and enjoyed a lucrative career. In 1939 Cox performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City as part of John Hammond’s second presentation of From Spirituals to Swing. She sang “Lowdown Dirty Shame” and “Fore Day Creep” before a sold-out, integrated audience. The historic concert introduced the blues diva to a crowd that was perhaps just beginning to appreciate the artistry and significance of black music.
Changing urban musical tastes began diminishing her appeal and in 1928 Paramount dropped her. The Great Depression further eroded her audiences, and she retired in 1933 in Columbus and Rome, Georgia, where she managed two theaters. She died of heart disease in 1939 at the age of 53.
After suffering a stroke in 1945, Cox lived in Chicago for a brief time before returning to the South in 1949. With her music career behind her, she sang exclusively in her church choir until 1961, when she made one last recording, “Blues for Rampart Street” at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Cox died on November 10, 1967.
Rainey’s death came just as her work began gaining serious attention among collectors and critics. She was inducted into the Blues Foundation’s Blues Hall of Fame in 1983, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1992, and Georgia Women of Achievement in 1993. In 1994 the U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp in her honor.3
Cox’s song “Wild Women Don’t Have the Blues” became the signature song for the rhythm and blues vocalist Francine Reed. Reed, who has toured with the country/pop musician Lyle Lovett, gives a rousing performance of “Wild Women” on his 1999 album, Live in Texas.4
Ida Cox (1896-1967) Ida Cox was a vaudeville performer and a pioneering blues singer, who, along with Bessie Smith and Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, founded the female blues genre. Cox left home as
These three women are notable in the parallel of their lives: all were teenagers when they began singing in vaudeville and 7
This year’s Big D.O.G. occurs on May 4, which coincidentally is also the date of our BITS Showcase - a perfect opportunity to “multi-task” your support for the SBS by attending the Showcase AND donating to the SBS at the same time! Stay tuned for more information on how and where to donate, by checking our website and Facebook page.
“Early Blues Women”, con’t. from p. 7
minstrels; Ma and Ida recorded with the Paramount label for several years beginning in 1923 with Smith joining in 1933; they collaborated with some of the greats such as Louis Armstrong and recruited by producer John Hammond; lost their popularity as the Swing Era ushered in; and sang ‘til the very end of their lives.
Oo-Wee Baby, Won’tcha Let Me Take You On a Sea Cruise?!
1 Calliope Film Resources. The Classic Blues and the Women Who Sang Them.” Copyright 2000 CFR.
WIN A CRUISE! Courtesy of the SBS!
http://www.calliope.org/blues/blues.html. January 2012 2-The Biography.com website. http://www.biography.com/people/bessiesmith-9486520 3-Orr, N.L. “Gertrude “Ma” Rainey (1886-1939)” New Georgia Encyclopedia. 29 Mach 2013 Web. 12 January 2017 4-Freeman, Greg. “Ida Cox (1896-1967)” New Georgia Encyclopedia. 13 August 2013 Web. 12 January 2017
SBS Participates in 2017 Big Day of Giving
As we have for the past couple of years, once again the Sacramento Blues Society wil participate in the 2017 version of the nationwide “Big Day of Giving”.
Ever been on a cruise? Ever been on a Blues cruise? Now’s your chance to win a cruise for two in a veranda cabin on the October 2017 Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise.
If you didn’t already know, Big Day of Giving is a 24-hour online giving challenge that brings together the region’s nonprofit community to help raise much needed unrestricted funds and shine a spotlight on the work nonprofits do to make the Sacramento region the place we call home.
The Sacramento Blues Society is selling raffle tickets at only $20 each for YOUR chance to win! Tickets can be purchased through any Board member or Events person and at our events. The drawing will be in August 2017 at our IBC competition. Only a limited number of tickets will be sold, so get yours now!
For the past few years, the Big Day of Giving and GivingEdge have worked in unison to unite our community, raising more than $16 million for local nonprofits and providing donors the opportunity to learn more about the causes they care about.
Declared the biggest and best blues festival of the floating kind, this cruise will take you from Ft Lauderdale to Aruba, Curacao and Hall Moon Cay, Bahamas (Beach Party) on the Holland America MS Nieuw Amsterdam October 21-28, 2017.
Big Day of Giving is an opportunity for donors to show their community pride and support the nonprofits that make our region great, and it is also a year-long capacity building program that helps local nonprofits hone their skills in marketing, social media, and board and donor engagement. Each time a participating nonprofit puts these skills to work throughout the year, we consider Big Day of Giving a success!
Artists Announced include Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ Band, Booker T. Jones Presents: A Stax Revue (10-Piece), Elvin Bishop, Bettye LaVette, John Nemeth, Monster Mike Welch & Vanessa Collier, Cyril Neville’s Royal Southern Brotherhood, Ruthie Foster Quintet, Wee Willie Walker & Frank Bey w/Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra, Samantha Fish, The California Honeydrops, Coco Montoya, Victor Wainwright & the Wildroots Revue, Mr. Sipp, and many more!
One of the wonderful aspects of the Big D.O.G. is that sometimes it offers opportunities to have donations matched by philanthropists or organizations, increasing the impact of every donation. 8
Tickets can be purchased by sending a check to: SBS, P O Box 60580, Sacramento, CA 95860-0580; be sure to specify what it’s for and your tickets will be mailed to you.
In Memoriam Remembering Daniel Hernandez
Our good friend Daniel Hernandez left our world, leaving it a little colder and emptier. Daniel Raul Hernandez, Sr., died unexpectedly on January 7, 2017. Born to Ruth and Zacarias Hernandez, he lived his entire life in Sacramento. Daniel was the youngest of 12 children. He is survived by his wife, Andi Hernandez, stepson Joey; sons Daniel jr. and Robert, whom he shared with former spouse of 22 years, Lydia Meneses. Daniel was a proud and loving grandfather of Briana, India and Riviera. He is also survived by numerous siblings, nieces and nephews. He graduated from Burbank High School, and worked for Sacramento Regional Transit for over 20 years. As an avid dancer and patron of live music, Daniel served on the Board of Direcdtors of the Sacramento Blues Society. He also enjoyed working on home improvement projects, and always made time to help out family and friends in need. Affectionately known as “Uncle Dan”, he enjoyed the outdoors and playing racquetball. He especially loved camping, planning family reunions, attending Giants games in San Francisco, and posting selfies on Facebook asking “Can you guess where I am?” Daniel lived life to the fullesst, was greatly loved, and all who knew him will miss his beautiful smile and loving heart. A funeral mass was held on January 17, 2017 and a Celebration of Life on February 18, which was celebrated with music and dancing at the Powerhouse Pub. Our most sincere sympathy goes out to his family. Thanks to the efforts of Kelcey Ham and Demouy Williams, the SBS sponsored an all-day Blues Stage at the 21st Jazz Jubilee (now known as The Sacramento Music Festival). Local bands Mick Martin & The Blues Rockers, Glen Lane and The Soul of The Blues, Lena Mosley & The Badd Shoes Blues Band, and The Blues Ambassadors, with special guest Jimmy McCracklin, entertained about 1500 blues fans all day long. Johnny “Guitar” Knox worked the streets with acoustic blues and Omar “The Magnificent” Sharriff appeared at the Radisson Hotel & the Sacramento Inn.
Blast from the Past
Historical Perspective By Bob Cosman
This month we check out what was going on with the SBS in July 1994. Our board of directors and chairpersons list had19 members, led by President Jeff Bradford, Vice President Dave Marquez, Treasurer Sheila Brown, and Secretary Linda Ham. Some of the supporting cast consisted of Photographer Paul Luscher, Membership Ramona Cota, Blue Notes Editor Jack Oudiz, Volunteers Pat Camper, and Calendar Jean Coughlin. We had 615 members at the time, down from a previous high of 700, one of the largest blues societies in the country at the time.
A few items taken at random from the July 1994 issue of Blue Notes…the May/June issue of “Living Blues Magazine” included part 2 of Maureen Jung’s Sacramento Blues article. This installment introduces Bobby “Blues” Ray, Lena Mosley, Artus “A.J.”Joyce, and Maurice McKinnes to the rest of the world… Rick Estrin and Little Charlie & The Nightcats won the 1994 W.C. Handy Award for Best Blues Song of the year “My Next Ex Wife”…Johnny Heartsman, Arbess Williams, & The Hollywood Texas Blues Band played at a benefit for the Placer County SPCA at the Gold Country Fairgrounds in Auburn for $8…member Karen Woodward wrote an in-depth review of the Chicago Blues Festival…The Coolerators performed at the Thursday Night Market on July 21st…Steve “Bluesharp” Harvell gave us a good read with his interview of harp master William Clarke.
July ‘94’s “Blues in the Park” held in Tahoe Park featured the Johnny Nocturne Band, led by tenor saxophonist John Firmin and featuring the powerful voice of Brenda Boykin. Also, a look at the cover of that month’s Blue Notes shows a young Anthony Paule, who headlined the SBS Membership party this past December. Rounding out the show was former Lowell Fulson Band member Earl ‘Good Rockin’ Brown and the new upcoming local band The Chrome Addicts consisting of Tommy Young (harmonica & vocals), Ben Thompson (standup bass), HOF member Robert Sidwell on guitar, and Brad Cross on drums. Once again, SBS asked all attendees to bring canned goods to donate to the Sacramento Food Bank, as the price of admission.
That’s it, see ya! 9
UPCOMING EVENTS!
By Renee Erickson
March 31st is our first event, and we are welcoming Kenny Neal to Sacramento! Kenny is a 2017 Grammy Nominee and a 2017 BMA Nominee. This exciting event will be at Station 1, just above Burgers and Brew at 317 3rd Street in West Sacramento, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Tickets are $20.00 for members and $25.00 for non-members. We are excited and hoping to see all of you there! Let’s make this first event of 2017 one to remember!
2017 Upcoming Events 3/11:
Dr. Marie Trout, Harris Center, Folsom
Walter Trout, Harris Center, Folsom
On April 30th, at the same venue, we are presenting “Women Sing the Blues” from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. We have Beth Reid-Grigsby, Lisa Phenix, Val Starr, Dana Moret, Su Mac and Lena Mosley, accompanied by the HOF Jammerz - Joe Lev, Rat-A-Tat Pat, Lew Fratis and Jimmy Pailer. They will all be coming together for a wonderful afternoon of amazing music. The tickets for this event are $10.00 for members and $15.00 for non-members.
3/31:
Kenny Neal & Neal Family Band, Station 1, W. Sacramento
4/30:
Women Sing the Blues, Station 1, W. Sacramento
5/4: BITS Showcase, Stoney’s Rockin’ Rodeo, Sacramento 8/5:
I also want to mention the 8th Annual Blues by the River on Saturday, October 7th. Save the date because we all love this one! More information on the lineup for this event and others will be coming in the May/June Blue Notes edition as we gear up for Summer!
SBS Int’l. Blues Challenge Competition, Stoney Inn
9/24: SBS Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Harlow’s
Sacramento Blues Society Publications Blues News, Weekly E-mail Willie Brown Blue Notes, Bi-Monthly Newsletter Jan Kelley & Cari Chenkin Blues Notes Ad Rates: www.sacblues.com/ advertising-rates Website: www.sacblues.com Webmaster: Scott Willson Facebook: www.facebook.com/ sacblues/ 10
Sacramento Blues Society Member Bands Got an event or an occasion? Need music? Hire an SBS Member Band! Big Earl and the Cryin’ Shame bigearl@gmail.com
Dave Croall & The Soothers rightdave@hotmail.com
Dee McFarlane mcfarlane09@earthlink.net
Jeramy Norris & the Dangerous Mood basschips@comcast.net
Ranell Carpenter Band www.ranellcarpenter.com
Loose Gravel TKmus@sbcglobal.net
Ray “Catfish” Copeland Band www.raycatfishcopeland.com
Marshall Wilkerson & Propaganda Mike Hammar & The Nails propagandarecordsonline.com djgehres@gmail.com
Chicken & Dumpling cmoriel@ucdavis.edu
Nedra Russ www.njrmusic.com
Red’s Blues bethgrigsby@comcast.net
The Bluez Houndz whse2000@sbcglobal.net
The Bongo Furys www.reverbnation,com/thebongofurys
The Christian DeWild Band www.christiandewildband.com
Melonnee Desiree & Cauzin’a Ruckus www.melonneedesiree.com
Strictly for Kicks info@strictlyforkicks.com
Rube & the Rhythm Rockers srube@sbcglobal.com
Tessie Marie & the Poor Man Band tattooedsoul1@yahoo.com
The Used Blues Band usedbluesband@hotmail.com
The William Mylar Band mylar@mylarville.com
Todd Morgan & The Emblems m-blmz@sbcglobal.net
Tony Westlake and the Tuff Times Two Tone Steiny & The Cadillacs iridemotorcycles@sbcglobal.net https://twotonesteiny.wordpress.com
The Dennis James Blues Party fredzo@surewest.net
SBS Membership Benefits for Bands and Musicians 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!
Sacramento Blues Society Sponsors & Donors Thank you for your support and generosity! Members, please patronize our Sponsoring Businesses!
Gold Sponsor Carrera Productions www.carrera-productions.com
Business Members The Torch Club
Debra Schottgen
Swell Productions
Stoney’s Rockin’ Rodeo www.stoneyinn.com
Style Magazine http://www.stylemg.com/
THIS SPACE AVAILABLE Your name could be here!
www.swell-productions.com
Business Owners, if you don’t see your name here, why not join or renew your sponsorship today? 11
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.
Saturday, March 11, 2017 Doors 7:00p, Show 8:00p Tickets $20, $30, $40 only at harriscenter.net Harris Center 10 College Parkway, Folsom presented by
After years as an A-list side man with John Lee Hooker, John Mayall, and Canned Heat, Walter Trout has enjoyed playing his emotional brand of fired-up, hardcore guitar heavy music, writing and recording his own songs for over 20 years as a solo artist. On “ALIVE in Amsterdam,” released in June 2016, Trout has never sounded so alive. Last summer he blew the roof off venues from Royal Albert Hall to Buddy Guy’s Legends club in Chicago. Walter shows you magic in the studio — but on stage is where he truly comes alive! Don’t miss this event!
carrera-productions.com Other Upcoming SP Events Louie Anderson 4/6/17 | Marc Cohn 4/30/17 | and more to come!
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