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A letter from the president S
ince the last quarter Newsletter, a number of things have transpired.
The first was the arrival of the Cinelli Brothers from England when they performed two shows on September 21st at the Side Bar on Market Street. It was an outstanding event enjoyed by a sell-out crowd during the early show and dancing in the aisles at the late show. If you were there, you know what a big deal it was. If you missed it, well, you lost out on a stellar performance. They then went on to tour the East Coast of the United States during the rest of their visit.
The second thing was the announcement, sadly, of the cancellation of the 2025 Billtown Blues Festival. This was a most difficult decision reached by our Board of Directors with the concurrence of our CORE members during our annual meeting on September 25th. As you may have read in our press release, the weather Gods were not kind to us this past June and this had a direct impact on attendance. With attendance being down significantly, our gate sales were way down. Basic Econ 101 tells us, when sales are down, income is down. And that drained our coffers to a point we no longer had sufficient funds available
to meet our minimum requirements for putting on next year’s festival.
The festival has been in existence for 34 years and we have hosted more top ranked Blues artists than can be named here. When one looks back at who has performed here during the past, it is simply mind blowing that we were able to get them here to our little venue. If interested, you can find the list on our website www.billtownblues.org. Once on our home page, click on “Festival Photo Archive” to view the list.
For the BBA Festival to have survived for 34 years is a testament to all of our sponsors who have supported us since the very beginning in 1990. I would love to list every one of them here but space does not allow it. Many are local businesses and corporations, some big, some small, but every one a very important cog in the wheel of supporting live blues music. We thank them all from the bottom of our hearts!
So where is the Billtown Blues Association headed now? The Cliff’s Notes version is, nowhere. We are still here and plan to have lower key local events throughout the year.
Our first upcoming event will be our annual Fall Into The Blues concert at the Genetti Hotel Garden Terrace Room on Sunday, November 17th. This is our annual fundraiser
WHO WE ARE
BBA MISSION STATEMENT:
to help support the two groups we are sending to Memphis in January. We have a great lineup scheduled for you, which includes The Cadillac Cats, Nick Andrew Staver, Sean Farley, and Nate Myers. Doors open at 3:30 and the music begins at 4 p.m. Come out and enjoy the great music and the fine food prepared by the Genetti Chef and show your support for the Billtown Blues Association. Entry is $20 at the door for non-members and $15 for BBA members. That’s less than $5 per hour for live music!
Another event will be our annual Audition Concert in March of 2025 where we will have several groups vying to win the privilege to compete at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in January of 2026. Please stay tuned to our website and social media page for all upcoming events.
And since it’s just ahead of us, the BBA wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving , a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
~ David Strickler, BBA president
The Billtown Blues Association, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, an affiliated Member of the Blues Foundation and a recipient of a “Keeping the Blues Alive” award. Our goals are to preserve, promote and present the Blues.
NEWSLETTER STATEMENT:
The Billtown Blue Notes is a quarterly newsletter written by the Billtown Blues Newsletter Committee and published in cooperation with the Sun-Gazette. It is a labor of love written by our member volunteers. The opinions of our writers do not necessarily reflect the views of the BBA or the Sun-Gazette.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
For more information or to become a member go to: billtownblues.org Follow us on Facebook and instagram Newsletter Committee: bbabluenotesnewsletter@gmail.com D. Dixon, newsletter chair
The BBA Cozy Quilt Story with Bernie Strosser V.P. BBA
Celebrating the First 25 Years of the Billtown Blues Festivals
By BONNIE TALLMAN
ntro by
Bernie Strosser:
I attended the 1st Billtown Blues Festival in Williamsport, PA in 1990. I have since attended and collected all of the festival t-shirts over the next 34 years. This quilt was completed and on display at the 25th Billtown Blues Festival in June 2014. It celebrates the 25-year evolution of the festival from a small river lot in Williamsport, PA to the Lycoming County Fairgrounds in Hughesville, PA where it has been held for the past 31 years.
B.T: What was the catalyst that caused you to even think about making a blues t-shirt quilt?
B.S: For starters, I am a big blues fan and have attended every Billtown Blues Festival since 1990. About 18 years ago my wife, Carla, started quilting so we put our two passions together and came up with the idea to make a Billtown Blues Festi-val quilt.
shirts. I selected all of the sashing, border and backing fabrics and did the quilt layout. Carla pieced the front and back together along with all of the embroidery work, and Rhonda did all of the custom quilting.
B.T: In addition to embedding the t-shirts into the quilt design there is a lot of intricate stitching and other design throughout, who created that design idea?
B.T: Where did the t-shirts come from?
B.S:: By the time Carla started quilting and we planned on making the quilt I no longer had the 1st eight years of t-shirts. Then by chance I came across a classified add with someone selling the first 12 years of Billtown Blues Festival t-shirts. I immediately bought them and it was then I knew that the quilt could actually happen.
B.T: Was it created specifically to commemorate the BBA’s 25th Anniversary and for the festival that year, or for some other reason that just happened to coincide with the 25th?
B.S: We had acquired all of the t-shirts for the
1st 18 years by 2007 and had plans to do a 20year quilt, but for whatever reasons that never happened. So, we continued to collect the festival t-shirts over the next 5 years and decided to have the quilt ready to display at the 25th Billtown Blues Festival in June 2014.
B.T: How did you involve or team up with Rhonda Adams-Freezer?
B.S: Rhonda has a quilting business in Hughesville. Carla has used her for many of her other quilting projects. I always liked the detailed work she did on Carla’s other quilts so we asked her to work with us on this project.
B.T: With three of you working on the same project, what were your individual functions?
B.S: Carla and I cut out and stabilized all of the
B.S: As far as the custom quilting design, we searched out patterns and found a guitar, piano, and musical note pattern that perfectly fit our blues theme. Rhonda used a bright variegated thread for the quilting. I also created a special center block to commemorate the “Keeping the Blues Alive” Blues Organization award presented to the Billtown Blues Association in Memphis, Tennessee in 2011.
B.T: From start to finish how long did it take to make the quilt?
B.S: Well, technically 25 years. Physically about 3 months.
B.T: Do you think it would have been made even if not to celebrate a BBA milestone year?
B.S: Yes. The quilt has always been a dream of ours since we started planning it in the late 90’s. Having the opportunity of displaying it in 2014 at the 25th Billtown Blues Festival definitely got us kicked into high gear!
B.T: Do you plan to make another one?
B.S: You could never make another one. Unless you know someone who attended and saved every Billtown Blues t-shirt since 1990.
This quilt is a one-of-a-kind piece of art!
Spotlight on the Artist: Becky Wool of the Cadillac Cats
By DONNA DIXON
Intro: In this quarter’s newsletter we profile vo calist Becky Wool of the Cadillac Cats. Becky’s emotionally honest and blues-powered vocals are part of the winning formula that has made the Cadillac Cats Billtown royalty and winners of the 2024 Billtown Blues Association Au dition concert.
D.D.: Hi, Becky. How did you make your way from Gospel and Country Music to the Blues?
B.W: I have some pretty deep gospel roots. My grandmother would often sing hymns, and two of her favorites were “Amazing Grace” and “In the Garden”. As much as I like some contemporary Christian music, I have a penchant for good old-fash ioned gospel: it just gets into your heart and soul. And the Blues shares deep roots with Gospel music: they go hand in hand. The Blues began as a predominantly African-American music style, and although the genre has definitely morphed into a whole new vibe, it’s still deeply intertwined with gospel music. So this was one entry for me into the Blues. In addition, I was in country bands since I was 17, and I like to think of Country music and the Blues as being cousins. When I was in “The Corral” band, we had a bass player, Scott Barrett, who performed a song called “I’m a King Bee”. Now Scott had some health issues and had to step away from music for a while, and Bill Ingalls asked me to try that song. And Bill said, I want to see how bluesy you can get. Well, I gave it a shot. At that time, I wasn’t extremely familiar with the genre, but I performed the song at a private party for the Jersey Shore American Legion Riders. It was at a member’s house, and she had a creek that runs through her property. And after we were done, Bill came over to me and he said, you know what, kiddo? I think that you should be doing more blues. I think you may have split the water in the creek. They
may have heard you all the way down to Devil’s Elbow road.
And a member of the audience from the Legion Riders said, Becky, you know how much I love the Blues. I think that you might try leaning into that music. And I thought to myself, well, that’s a second person who told me that today. I think I’m going to look more into the this. It just so happened that it fit like a glove. And
the rest is history...
D.D.: On the Cadillac Cats website you mention an interest in songwriting. Can you elaborate?
B.W: Blair does the majority of the songwriting, I’d say 90% of it, but we all have our input. He gives me the lyrics and plays a first version on the guitar to demonstrate what he wants it to sound like, and then I just go from there. It’s kind of hard to ex-
It’s like when you read a book and you imagine the characters and create the scenes in your head. I do that with music as well. One of the songs that comes to mind is Sunday Afternoon. Blair actually wrote that song about the day of his wedding to his wife Angie. So when I sing the song, I kind of picture the events and I tell the story in my head and I hope that it comes through when I sing the song.
And then we have the song Gator Gumbo. I can almost see the chicken chasing the alligator. I try to use all of my senses: hearing, sight, taste, smell, touch: it’s all sensory for me. I’ve dabbled in some of my own songwriting, but I’ve kind of put that on the back burner. Maybe eventually it’ll become something, it’s a journey.
D.D.: It absolutely is. The music journey.
D.D.: Retro, psychedelic, swing, blues, funk, rock: did I miss anything?
B.W: Don’t forget soul, gospel, and country! And we even have some Latin stuff.
We are extremely lucky to have the group of musicians that make up the Cadillac Cats. We have an amazing chemistry, and everybody brings their own vibe to the band.
For instance, Urie has traveled all over the world to perfect his craft.
He’s taught different genres around the world, and he has a completely natural charisma that just embodies percussion.
Garrett has an amazing love for all things funk, as well as a broad and eclectic taste in all types of music which really comes out as he plays. He is also a phenomenal guitar player, who moved into also playing bass. Garrett has his own funky style that meshes so well with Urie that they become a single tight rhythm unit. The joke is that they share a brain, and sometimes I think that’s quite true.
And then there is Shawn, Blair, and I, all three of us, who came from a Country music background. Blair started in Country with his grandfather, and then played in a number of country bands. Shawn’s grandfather was a bluegrass musician. And my dad was a drummer for country bands. My great-uncle was a recording artist in Nashville who started Curley Day records in his own studio. So the three of us definitely came from more of a country background, but we are definitely also rooted in the Blues.
I do so love singing with Shawn Strickland. Even though I’m not quite as raspy as him, there is something about the mix of us together, almost like lace and leather.
I am still raspy, but add the softer notes and the softer touch to Sean. So when he sings, say, the response to my call, you first think “whoa, that’s weird, then oh no, not weird, that’s a unique voice, that’s a unique sound!”.
As far as the group as a whole goes, we complement each other in creating the sound of the Cadillac Cats.
D.D.: If I was to raid your closet what would I find? Rock, goth, leather, lace, Hollywood country, hippie, prom queen, grunge or glam?
B.W: I’ve got a pretty good mix. Most everything that’s in my closet, though, is black. I’ve always gravitated more towards black clothing. There’s definitely some sparkly stuff: I have some sparkly shirts I like to wear. When we do bigger events or during the BBA shows, I like to be a little bit flashier, but I don’t wear a lot of sequins and things like that.
I am learning to add more color into my wardrobe. This summer at the Billtown Blues Festival I actually wore a white tank top, which I probably haven’t done since I was about 10 years old. But I love comfort as well as glam.
I am definitely trying to branch out a little bit more. I love leather jackets and leather vests, a little bit of rock’n’roll, I guess you would say. Leather and lace is also actually pretty awesome.
D.D.: The Cadillac Cats have had an incredible year. Tell us about it.
B.W: We have been performing more regionally as well as locally. We’ve been playing at Philadelphia and Pittsburgh venues, and we’re starting to perform in New York. We do have an outlet to extend our brand and to expand regionally, and we would love to travel up and down the coast a little. We just want to grow.
A high-point of the year was winning the Billtown Blues Association Audition concert. When we last went to Memphis it was a lot of fun, but it was our first time there. Now that we get to go back, we plan to take notes and experience more of what the International Blues Challenge and the Blues Foundation is all about. We know the changes we want to make before we go back: we want to make additional contacts, we want to just make friends.
D.D.: As we approach year’s end and look forward to a new year, what’s on the horizon for Cadillac Cats?
B.W: We definitely plan on branching out more regionally, and to go back in the studio to cut the next album. And definitely more songwriting: with the group of musicians we have, we all get to add our spin and our touch.
It’s so exciting to create and perform new material, or to pick a cover or an old standard and express our own vision. If it’s something new to us, we try not to play note for note but rather play the song in our own way and with our own emotion coming through. We also don’t want to disrespect the creativity of the original artist: we want to pay homage to them with our performance.
So it’s great that we get to incorporate the influence of the Blues Greats in our style and our writing. Sometimes one of the boys will just be warming up and play some riff that is similar to something they’ve heard, and at one point one of the other bandmates will say “oh I like that play that again” and then they branch off on it and before you know it they’ve had a seven minute jam: just enjoying playing different riffs that may not necessarily have been meant to be put together but are so amazing when they are creatively linked, kind of like cayenne pepper and chocolate: two things you wouldn’t think to put together but blends perfectly. As I said above, music is so much fun!
Postscript- We would like to thank Milliner Christine Moore for her generosity in designing and gifting Becky Wool with one of her very special creations to wear as she heads down to Memphis Tennessee for the International Blues Challenge. Many thanks to all those who helped make this happen at Christine A. Moore Millinery.
By BONNIE TALLMAN
all Into the Blues (FITB) aka, Fall “In Love” With Blues, is the Billtown Blues Association’s (BBA) important annual fundraising event set for Sunday November 17th at the Genetti Hotel Garden Terrace Room. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m. Showtime is 4 – 8 p.m. Food and beverage service will be available on site.
FThe event’s highlight is featuring the Pennsylvania musicians who will be participating in the International Blues Challenge (IBC) slated for January 7 through 11 in Memphis TN.This year from Shippensburg PA, acoustic guitarist/ singer/songwriter/ acoustic guitarist/singer/ songwriter/story-teller, Nick Andrew Staver and
from Jersey Shore the five piece powerhouse, Cadillac Cats are making the trek. Rounding out this special FITB event is solo artist Sean Farley, whose guitar prowess, looping wizardry, a renown singer and songwriter presents a magical experience not to be missed. Closing will be PA favorite and 2024 Central PA Music Award winner, Nate Myers.
Beale Street was intense and magical, I immediately felt lifted and inspired. I was already a better musician just being there.”
This year the BBA’s FITB theme is the celebration of “live music”. Among the various fundraising activities will be multiple live music venues and festivals who have offered tickets for special events throughout 2025 which thru a bidding process will be awarded to lucky FITB concert attendees. Among the live music tickets are The Chenango Blues Festival, The Reading Blues Festival, The State Theater in State College, the Deane Center in Wellsboro, the CAC...to mention just a few.
Smith’s Jewelers Smith’s Jewelers
Fall Into the Blues is designed to help the BBA raise funds to contribute to the Memphis bound musicians to offset some of their travel expenses. Your support for these musicians is enormously appreciated considering the travel costs, lodging expenses for a week in Memphis TN. The IBC is a world class event where over 200 bands and solo artists gather from around the world to challenge one another, learn, network and become inspired by the famous Beale Street experience. Some musicians go for fun, others focused on advancing their career. As Allessandro Cinelli from the Cinelli Brothers band, recently said from his own IBC experience, “Being in Memphis on
FITB is a great time to renew your BBA membership or become a BBA member to support this long-standing area non-profit, now in their 35th year, dedicated to celebrating this indigenous American art form. Admissions are at the door, $20 for the general public and $15 for BBA members. www.billtownblues.org
Christmas blues
By URIE KLINE
While not strictly a “blues” song, Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas” liberally applies the symbolism of the color to feelings of melancholy and sadness, brought on by the singers separation from their loved one. There are “blue snowflakes” as well as “blue memories” (though sadly no blue houses, windows, or corvettes…); songwriters Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson may not have been striving for subtlety, but the use of “blue notes” in the backing vocal line is a nice touch, and gives this country classic more connection with our favorite genre than you might expect.
Speaking of the blues, artists such as John Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williamson (the second) weren’t shy about cashing in on the Christmas craze either, cutting records like the former’s “Blues for Christmas” in 1961 and “Sonny Boys Christmas Blues” a decade earlier (no confusion on authorship here). It would be easy to dismiss these efforts as cynical business moves; “chasing the algorithm” in the analog age, anyone? But when Hooker bemoans both the lack of “a dime” and the absence of his “baby” during the Holidays, it raises an interesting question: what does it mean to have the “Christmas Blues?”
Advance apologies for inserting the imagery of drunk, penniless bluesmen into your visions of Christmas, but it is important to acknowledge that the oft-referenced “Hard Times” don’t really take holiday breaks. Suffering of all sorts continues, even in times of seasonal mirth and cheer: money for gifts can be tight, families fight, work pulls us away from home…While Sonny Boy singing about Santa may represent a fair amount of shoehorning, there’s no denying that the themes and occupations of blues as a folk form remain relevant at Christmas time.
Importantly, for the sake of both Christmas Spirit and my editor (whose brief was “keep it
light”), we don’t need to choose between shelving these Christmas blues tunes or maintaining our holiday demeanor. Music is in fact one of our best tools in the fight against depression and overwhelming dread. When a performer references their empty wallet or the departure of a romantic partner, they’re finding creative ways to reference and process their problems, and when it resonates with listeners, the collective catharsis becomes all the mightier.
This year-round power of music generally and the blues specifically only gains importance at Christmas. Particularly at a part of the year where folks can find themselves stressed or overwhelmed, the ability to process your problems by singing/ playing/listening to the blues is full of untapped therapeutic potential. Hooker captures this well in his “Blues for Christmas”: yes, our singer is thoroughly down on his luck, but, in imploring Santa for a Christmas Miracle, theres the hope that he can “lose these Christmas blues.” Hope may not be the best strategy, but it can also be a source of badly needed encouragement in the tougher times. May we all find the strength to pull ourselves out of the proverbial juke joints into the dawn of a less-blue December 26th!
Christmas Music from the Great Migration
By JOSEPH S. VOLPE
During the first half of the twentieth century millions of Black Americans moved from the Deep South to the northern cities of Pittsburgh, Chicago, Detroit, and New York to participate in the job opportunities generated by an expanding industrial economy. This event, sometimes referred to as the Great Migration, resulted in the dissemination of their music to an audience unfamiliar with the Blues, Jazz, and Gospel works that would become part of the American music canon. As the holidays approach let’s look at some of this music and the contribution it has made to the Christmas music of today.
As you listen to Louis Armstrong’s recording of Auld Lang Syne, you’re hearing a jazz legend who during this time left New Orleans and moved to Chicago, beginning his long and illustrious career “up north”. The playlist of this American treasure includes both traditional and original Christmas songs written by Armstrong. Fats Waller and Jimmy Smith recorded two different creative jazz arrangements of Jingle Bells (with the Fats Waller arrangement of Jingle Bells released as “Swingin’ them Christmas Bells”).
The delta blues musicians moving up from the South wrote Christmas songs in a 12-bar progression, a common form of the blues and later borrowed by Rock and Roll. It is believed that David “Honeyboy” Edwards may have been the last of the original delta blues musicians before his death in 2011. Examples of these artists Christmas songs include John Lee Hooker’s “Blues for Christmas”, Lightnin’ Hopkins “Santa”, Sonny Boy Williamson “Santa Claus”, Big Joe Williams “Christmas Blues” and Albert King’s “Christmas Comes Once a Year”.
Black Gospel developed in Chicago around 1930 mainly by Thomas A. Dorsey who was born in rural Georgia and later moved to Chicago. Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a gospel singer and songwriter, was born in Arkansas and as child moved to Chicago with her mother sometime during the 1920s. In addition to her amazing voice Tharpe was one of the few females who played electric guitar as she sang. Her music blended gospel with jazz and blues and help to make gospel music a mainstream genre. “Peace in the Valley” (Thomas A. Dorsey) and “In Bethlehem” (Sister Rosetta Tharpe) are especially noteworthy, and traditional Christmas music recorded by Tharpe includes “Silent Night”, “White Christmas”, and “Little Town of Bethlehem”.
Tharpe also broke with the convention of the times by singing secular tunes along with religiously inspired songs: an example of this is her album “The Gospel of the Blues”.
One of America’s first Gospel superstars, Sister Rosetta Tharpe performed at the New York Cotton Club and Carnegie Hall, and was an inspiration to a number of future rock and country stars like Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Johnny Cash. Chuck Berry once said of Sister Rosetta Tharpe that, “My whole life has been one long Sister Rosetta Tharpe impersonation.” Her tombstone reads: “She Would Sing Until You Cried And Then She Would Sing Until You Danced For Joy. She Helped To Keep The Church Alive And The Saints Rejoicing.” The discography of the music of the Great Migration is extensive and justice to this work
cannot not be done in this short space. Hopefully the music referenced above will pique your interest in exploring this extraordinary period of American Music.
My 2024 Top Ten Blues-Lovers Gift-Giving Guide
By DONNA DIXON
1. LIVE MUSIC: This holiday season enjoy live music at the many music venues available locally. Pubs, bars and restaurants are some sources, as well as the larger concert halls in the area. Send a Christmas or Hanukkah card with a ticket print-out to your best friend. Put a pair of tickets in someone’s Christmas stocking. Follow the Billtown Blues Facebook page and the Sun-Gazette for upcoming events. In the meantime, don’t miss Fall Into the Blues on November 17th at the Genetti Hotel in Williamsport and Molly’s Boys Jug Band (Blues+) on November 23rd at the Deane Center for the Performing Arts in Wellsboro. deanecenter.com
2. BOOKS: “The Blues: A Very Short Introduction” by Elijah Wald. As the name suggests, this is a very short but, may I add, a very succinct introduction to the Blues. It is the ultimate Cliff Notes for this great genre. Perfect stocking stuffer! Otto Bookstore, Williamsport. ottobookstore.com, 570-3265764.
“The Blues: A Visual History, 100 Years of Music That Changed the World” by Mike Evans. Well-done and a classic to enjoy forever. Great coffee table book. Otto’s Bookstore, Williamsport. ottosbookstore.com, 570-3265764.
“Janis” by Holly George-Warren. I was perusing the stacks at D.J. Ernst’s Used Bookstore in Selinsgrove when, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a great biography that I had somehow failed to read. Holly George-Warren is an insightful writer, editor, producer, and music consultant. It’s a deep dive into everything Janis Joplin. www.abebooks. com/home/djernst, 570-374-9461.
“Cooking with Hart-A Cookbook.” Buy a book with a heart or should I say hart? Benefitting the Hart Fund. It contains a wonderful array of recipes contributed by blues musicians and their fans. The kicker is that 100% of the profit from this cookbook goes towards The Blues Foundations’s Hart Fund which assists in the healthcare needs of musicians and their families. This is a win-win because it’s a great cookbook and it gives back to the blues community.Go to blues.org and click on the “shop” button.
3. TEE SHIRTS: Every blues lover needs a drawer full of tee shirts showcasing the bands and events that they have attended. Every time I go to a live event, such as the Cinelli Brothers or Cadillac Cats, I make sure to pick up a few tees for holiday gifts. Pick up some Billtown Blues Tees at our upcoming Fall Into the Blues
extravaganza. I also like 32 Bar Blues Catalog merch, especially their “keeping the blues alive” tee shirt which supports the Blues foundation. www.32barblues.com
4. BLUES HATS: Need some blues-hat attitude? I suggest the Blake collection of men’s hats by Christine Moore. Musicians can order a custom-made hat. Check out her creations. Christine’s hats are sold at Dunham’s Department Store in Wellsboro or by contacting camhats. com, Dunham’s Department Store on Facebook or 570-724-1905.
5. TOP BLUES HITS: As of this newsletter, some artists rocking the blues charts are, Shemekia Copeland, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Sonny Gullage, Jimmy Carpenter, J.P. Reali, Jovin Webb, Tab Benoit, Chris Cain, Albert Castiglia, and Duke Robillard. Make sure some of these artist’s can be enjoyed by those on your shopping list this season. But how? It’s getting hard to give the gift of music. Instead of giving a C.D. or a vinyl record, our options now include buying a Spotify Premium gift card from Amazon which will be delivered to the gift recipients inbox on a day that you choose, or creating a public playlist and sending them a link. An iTunes gift will show up in the gift recipient’s library.
Vinyl - Nick McGraw at Endless Records, 111 W. Main St. in Bloomsburg, said they love the blues. Glad to hear that, and also that they have a dedicated Blues section to examie. Used Blues C.D.’s? Yes. This store has a lot going on so Christmas shopping just got a whole lot easier. Endless Records on Facebook, 570-9511821.
6. ELECTRONICS:
Marshall Major IV Wireless Bluetooth headphones. Good balanced sound, lightweight, good battery life, wireless charging, bluetooth. Users liked playing with that multi-function button.
House of Marley Redemption ANC earbuds made by Bob Marley’s son Rohan. 6 hour battery time, chargeable on any charging pad, noise cancelling, comfortable fit, water and sweat resistant (who doesn’t need that). Plus, house of Marley app helps you get the sound just right.
7. INSTRUMENTS
AND MUSIC
BOOKS: Are you a musician or a hobbyist? Time for the kids to learn to play? One place to start is Robert M. Sides Family Music Center in Williamsport. You can rent or buy an instrument and many music books are available. rmsides.com
Liberty Blues Guitar- You never know what you’ll find at our many wonderful antique and vintage stores in Central PA. including Rust & Shine, where just the other day I saw a vintage Liberty Stainless Steel Blues Guitar for sale, or Warehouse 124 where I found a dozen classic blues C.D.’s.
rustandshinepa.com & warehouse124 on facebook.
Guitarly- Shawn Farley is a musician and luthier. He repairs, restores, and builds instruments. seanfarleyguitar.com
8. VACATION TRIP: Book a vacation to Memphis Tennessee to see the 2025 International Blues Challenge on January 7-11. Immerse yourself in the music history, enjoy the performances and some of the best barbecue anywhere. Go to blues.org for information including discounted hotels.
9. GIVE A GIFT OF MEMBERSHIP TO THE BILLTOWN BLUES ASSOCIATION (billtownblues.org) or to the Blues Foundation (blues.org). The gift of membership helps continue the mission to promote, preserve and present the blues.
10. CANDLE: The “Smells like Ribs & Beale St. Blues” Candle is available by Jameswax on Etsy.com. Etsy carefully curated handmade collection means you won’t be disappointed with this fun and offbeat candle.