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Blues News
A legend long before her tragic death, R&B great Etta James continues to rule the top of the charts. The Billboard magazine blues chart for the week ending February 11, 2012 shows James' budget-priced Icon collection reprising its turn in the top spot while the singer's final album, The Dreamer, holds down number two. It's only fitting that Miss Etta should be honored thus, and interest in her music remains as high as it's been at any time since her 1960s heyday.
The only other surprise on this week's chart is the intrusion of Dion, who muscles in at number three with his excellent Tank Full of Blues album, knocking everybody else down a spot with his chart debut. The 1950s/60s-era rock 'n' roll star has always displayed a healthy blues influence on his music - sometimes subtle, sometimes in-your-face - and during the last few years he's delivered some mighty fine blues-oriented albums.
Dion's Tank Full of Blues is a strong collection of mostly original material, and the singer's pairing of Muddy Waters' "Still A Fool" with Robert Johnson's "Ramblin' On My Mind" as a medley called "Two Train" is pure blues nirvana. This is one you'll definitely want to check out! Here are this week's Top Ten blues albums, ranked by sales:
10. Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa - Don't Explain (J&R Adventures)
9. Johnny Winter - Roots (Megaforce Records)
8. Stevie Ray Vaughan - Playlist: The Very Best Of (Sony Legacy)
7. Tedeschi Trucks Band - Revelator (Sony Masterworks)
6. Hugh Laurie - Let Them Talk (Warner Brothers)
5. Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton - Play The Blues (Warner Brothers)
4. Gary Clark, Jr. - The Bright Lights EP (Warner Brothers)
3. Dion - Tank Full Of Blues (Blue Horizon)
2. Etta James - The Dreamer (Verve Forecast)
1. Etta James - Icon (Geffen Records)
New releases this week: Big James & the Chicago Playboys' The Big Payback (Blind Pig Records); Carolina Chocolate Drops' Leaving Eden (Nonesuch Records); Stan Webb Chicken Shack's Stan's Blues (Music Avenue)
Photo of Dion's Tank Full of Blues courtesy Blue Horizon Records
Weekly Blues Music Report: Dion Debuts, Etta Still Rules! originally appeared on About.com Blues on Tuesday, February 7th, 2012 at 07:01:44.
The Blues Foundation held its 28th annual International Blues Challenge this past weekend, February 1st through 4th, 2012. This was the biggest and best IBC to date, with a record 226 acts, a total of 748 musicians from 40 states and 16 countries from around the globe participating in the competition. This year's IBC was expanded from three nights to four, with quarter-final rounds held on Wednesday and Thursday nights, semi-finals on Friday night, and the final round on Saturday.
The International Blues Challenge honors artists with awards in three categories: band, solo/duet, and "Best Self-Produced CD." Performers for the challenge are chosen by local blues societies to participate, and the performances were held at 20 different venues along historic Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Taking the top honor in the band category is the WIRED! Band, sponsored by the Washington Blues Society. The Bart Walker Band from Nashville took second place, followed by Paula Harris, who was sponsored by The Golden Gate Blues Society.
Sponsored by the Ozark Blues Society of Northwest Arkansas, blues veteran Ray Bonneville took first place in the solo/duet category, beating out Doctor Don's Double Dose, who were brought to the dance by the Sydney Blues Society. The competition for the "Best Self-Produced CD" was particularly strong this year, a record 74 submissions whittled down by the judges to a more-manageable 30 albums for the second round. In the end, the well-deserved new Dave Keller CD Where I'm Coming From... won the award.
Bart Walker didn't go home empty-handed, the guitarist earning the event's "Gibson Guitarist Award" and winning himself a new axe, while the title of "Lee Oskar Top Harmonica Player" was awarded to Randy McQuay. For more information on the International Blues Challenge, check out The Blues Foundation website.
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Dave Keller photo courtesy Dave Keller
International Blues Challenge 2012 Winners originally appeared on About.com Blues on Sunday, February 5th, 2012 at 15:22:03.
Earlier this week, singer Ruthie Foster released her first studio album in almost three years, Let It Burn. Released by her own independent Blue Corn Music label, the album was recorded in New Orleans with some of the city's best and brightest blues, soul, and R&B talents.
Foster wasn't waiting for Let It Burn to drop before getting out on the blacktop in support of the upcoming disc, and she's been touring since mid-January. We recently received news of additional tour dates that keep Foster on the road through early summer, so we thought we'd reprise our earlier list with this fresh batch of tour dates. Foster is definitely one of the up-and-coming talents in the blues world, and well worth checking out if she comes near your town. Several of these tour dates have the singer performing with Paul Thorn, a talented wordsmith and musician in his own right.
Foster released the well-received Live At Antone's CD in 2011, a red-hot slab about which Guest Author Ken Bays said "you can't help but feel that as Foster becomes more of a household name among blues fans - and there's no doubt she will - she might also move beyond that world and into the status of a beloved performer of songs, genre be damned."
Here at About.com Blues, we posted our list of new CD releases for February so that you can see what you'd like to buy this month, while Guest Author Steve Pick reviewed a fine, overlooked album from mandolin player Bert Deivert, Kid Man Blues.
Ruthie Foster Tour Dates
Feb 4 @ The Triple Door, Seattle WA +
Feb 6 @ Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chicao CA +
Feb 7 @ Humboldt State University, Arcata CA +
Feb 8 @ Napa Valley Opera House, Napa CA +
Feb 9 @ Great American Music Hall, San Francisco CA +
Feb 10 @ UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara CA +
Feb 11 @ The Compound Grill, Phoenix AZ +
Feb 12 @ Berger Performing Arts Center, Tuscon AZ +
Feb 14 @ Strings Music Pavilion, Steamboat Springs CO +
Feb 16 @ Fort Lewis College, Durango CO +
Feb 17 @ Vilar Center for the Arts, Beaver Creek CO +
Feb 18 @ L2 Arts & Culture Center, Denver CO +
Feb 23 @ Dosey Doe Café, Woodlands TX
Feb 24 @ Antone's, Austin TX
Feb 25 @ Sam's Burger Joint, San Antonio TX
Mar 6 @ Ramshead, Annapolis MD +
Mar 7 @ Birchmere, Alexandria VA +
Mar 8 @ WCL, Philadelphia PA +
Mar 9 @ City Winery, New York NY +
Mar 10 @ The Sanctuary Concerts, Chatham NJ +
Mar 14-16 @ SXSW (South X Southwest), Austin TX
Mar 17 @ Kessler Theater, Dallas TX
Mar 23 @ Eddie's Attic, Decatur GA
Mar 24 @ Savannah Music Fest, Savannah GA
Mar 25 @ Savannah Music Fest, Savannah GA
Mar 27 @ Abode Venue, Wichita KS +
Mar 28 @ Knucklehead's, Kansas City MO +
Mar 29 @ Old Rock House, St. Louis MO +
Mar 30 @ The Castle Theater, Bloomington IL +
Mar 31 @ Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts, Schaumburg IL
Apr 2 @ The Dakota, Minneapolis MN +
Apr 3 @ The Dakota, Minneapolis MN +
Apr 5 @ Long Center for the Performing Arts, Austin TX
Apr 21 @ Houston International Festival, Houston TX
May 2 @ Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette LA +
May 4 @ Manship Theatre, Baton Rouge LA +
May 5 @ Mississippi State University, Meridian MS +
May 11 @ South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center, South Milwaukee WI
May 12 @ Thrasher Opera House, Green Lake WI
May 18 @ Cherokee Creek Music Festival, Cherokee TX
May 20 @ Charlie West Blues Fest, Charleston WV
June 1 @ Levitt Shell at Overton Park, Memphis TN
June 2 @ Eureka Springs Blues Weekend, Eureka Springs AR
June 16 @ Handy Blues and Barbeque Festival, Henderson KY
June 30 @ Kate Wolf Music Festival, Laytonville CA
+ with Paul Thorn
Ruthie Foster photo courtesy Blue Corn Music
Blues News Report: Ruthie Foster Tour Dates originally appeared on About.com Blues on Friday, February 3rd, 2012 at 15:02:23.
The good folks at the Doheny Blues Festival have announced the line-up of their 2012 event, the festival's 15th anniversary. Scheduled for Saturday, May 19th and Sunday, May 20th, 2012 at Doheny State Beach, a 62-acre state park in Dana Point, California, the festival features music on three stages, as well as an international food court and microbrew sampling; campsites are also available.
This year's line-up is worth making a trip to Southern California if you're anywhere near the area in May. Gregg Allman and the Steve Miller Band will headline this year's Doheny Blues Festival, and the other announced performers ain't too shabby, either! Chicago blues great Buddy Guy will perform, as will blues-rock guitar legend Johnny Winter. Guitarist Tab Benoit will appear at the festival, and Trombone Shorty, Imelda May, and Los Lonely Boys have also been confirmed. Tickets for the entire weekend are already on sale, while single-day passes will go on sale in March.
"Year 15 is a proud milestone for the festival, so we wanted to deliver a legendary, eclectic lineup for the Doheny fans," says promoter Rich Sherman in a press release for the event. "Gregg Allman rarely performs on the West Coast, and Steve Miller's influence on blues-rock music cannot be understated. Plus, both Allman and Miller have recorded blues albums this year... so the timing is perfect. This is our way of saying thanks to the loyal supporters of our independent festival."
Check with the Doheny Blues Festival website for ticket availability, performance schedules, and other information.
Steve Miller photo courtesy Steve Miller
Doheny Blues Festival 2012 originally appeared on About.com Blues on Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 at 07:01:37.
It's no surprise, really, that in the wake of the death of R&B great Etta James, that her most recent album and most popular compilation should both shoot to the top of the charts. The Billboard magazine blues chart for the week ending February 4, 2012 has James' budget-priced Icon collection grabbing the number one spot, and the singer's final album, The Dreamer, holding down number two. I expect Icon to hold onto the top position for at least another week, but since my predictions have been horrible, what do I know?
Otherwise, there are few other surprises on the chart, as Etta knocked just about everybody else down a couple of spots. The Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa collaboration Don't Explain works its way back to the number nine position, Gregg Allman's Low Country Blues hangs in tough at number ten better than a year after its release and, well, you all know the rest. Here are this week's Top Ten blues albums, ranked by sales:
10. Gregg Allman - Low Country Blues (Rounder Records)
9. Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa - Don't Explain (J&R Adventures)
8. Johnny Winter - Roots (Megaforce Records)
7. Stevie Ray Vaughan - Playlist: The Very Best Of (Sony Legacy)
6. Tedeschi Trucks Band - Revelator (Sony Masterworks)
5. Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton - Play The Blues (Warner Brothers)
4. Hugh Laurie - Let Them Talk (Warner Brothers)
3. Gary Clark, Jr. - The Bright Lights EP (Warner Brothers)
2. Etta James - The Dreamer (Verve Forecast)
1. Etta James - Icon (Geffen Records)
New releases this week: Bo Carter's Bo Carter & the Mississippi Sheiks (JSP Records); Joe Louis Walker's Hellfire (Alligator Records); Ruthie Foster's Let It Burn (Blue Corn Music)
Photo of Etta James' The Dreamer album courtesy Verve Forecast
Weekly Blues Music Report: Etta James Rules! originally appeared on About.com Blues on Tuesday, January 31st, 2012 at 07:01:56.
With Severn Records reaching for the stars and signing blues powerhouses the Fabulous Thunderbirds and the Nighthawks, you'd think that the Maryland-based blues-and-roots label would be content with its good fortune...and you'd be wrong! Proof that good things come in threes, Severn has announced the signing of Larry "Mud" Morganfield, the oldest son of Chicago blues legend Muddy Waters.
On March 20, 2012 Severn Records will release Son of the Seventh Son, the label debut from Morganfield. Recorded in Chicago and produced by noted blues harpist Bob Corritore, Morganfield is backed by a top-notch band on Son of the Seventh Son, including drummer Kenny Smith, keyboardist Barrelhouse Chuck, guitarists Rick Kreher and Billy Flynn, bassist E.G. McDaniel, and harp players Harmonica Hines and Corritore himself. The album will feature seven original Morganfield songs amidst other new material, as well as a couple of Muddy Waters tunes, including "You Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had."
"There's two songs of pop's on there and with anything I do, I'm gonna add pop," Morganfield says in an interview with Blues Blast magazine about the album. "But the rest of the disc is made up of several songs that I wrote, along with a song that Bob Corritore wrote and one my good friend Studebaker John wrote. But it's all got that Muddy style to it, because that's who I am. Without me even trying, I come off like the son of Muddy Waters and I'm proud that it's like that."
Photo courtesy Severn Records
Mud Morganfield CD Preview originally appeared on About.com Blues on Monday, January 30th, 2012 at 07:01:48.
The good folks at The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise have announced the details of their October 2012 Caribbean cruise, and this is going to be one you won't want to miss. The exotic Caribbean cruise will take place from October 27th to November 3rd, 2012; departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico and stopping in the Barbados, St. Lucia, Martinique, and Dominica before returning.
The week-long cruise promises a "festival atmosphere" with autograph sessions, over 70 scheduled shows, and nightly jam sessions among the performers. The list of performers confirmed for the cruise includes the Taj Mahal Trio, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, the North Mississippi Allstars, the Nighthawks, and the Brooks Family Blues Dynasty, featuring Chicago blues legend Lonnie Brooks and his sons Ronnie and Wayne Baker Brooks. The cruise promises a wealth of blues, R&B, blues-rock, and roots-rock music to entertain a boatload of enthusiastic music fans, and we have the details of the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Caribbean Cruise 2012.
Elsewhere on About.com Blues, the Reverend and his esteemed staff have been busy cranking out the CD reviews for you, our readers. Recently the Reverend took another look at the recently-reissued Delmark Records classic, Junior Well's Hoodoo Man Blues, as well as reviewing the latest from Johnny Winter, Roots. Reviewing an overlooked album from back in September, Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa's Don't Explain, the Rev says that the collaboration between the singer and the guitarist is a "match made in heaven." Be sure to check it out!
Photo of The Brooks Family Blues Dynasty courtesy The Brooks Family Blues Dynasty
Blues News Report: The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Caribbean Cruise 2012 originally appeared on About.com Blues on Friday, January 27th, 2012 at 07:01:46.
For better than three decades now, the Austin-based Omar & the Howlers have thrilled audiences worldwide with their high-octane blend of roots-rock, hard-edged blues, and Texas soul. While the band enjoyed a brief notoriety during the Stevie Ray Vaughan-led blues-rock boom of the 1980s with the major-label release of 1987's acclaimed Hard Times In The Land Of Plenty, they've mostly gone the independent route since, releasing a dozen studio and live albums on labels like Bullseye Blues, Black Top Records, Watermelon Records, and most recently, for Ruf Records.
On February 14, 2012 Ruf Records will release Essential Collection, a two-disc, 30-song compilation album that takes a look back at the lengthy career of singer, songwriter, and guitarist Omar Kent Dykes and his band the Howlers. The album is essentially a career-spanning retrospective, beginning with the songs "Magic Man," "Border Girl," and "East Side Blues" from the band's 1984 sophomore album I Told You So, and running through 2004's Boogie Man, their last studio album.
The first CD of the set features 15 fan favorites, including the aforementioned three songs as well as gems like "Hard Times In The Land of Plenty," "Muddy Springs Road," and "Jimmy Reed Highway," from Dykes' 2008 collaboration with guitarist Jimmie Vaughan. The second CD of Essential Collection offers up 15 of Omar's favorite moments with the band, songs that "represent a snapshot of influences and heroes throughout my career and are special to me for one reason or another," says Dykes in a press release for the album. Among those faves are tracks like "Snake Rhythm Rock," "Stone Cold Blues," and "Alligator Wine." The performances on the two CDs have been culled from both studio and live albums.
"My career has been a long and rich journey from the time I began playing at 12 years old until the present day," says Dykes in the album's liner notes. "It has been a blast from 1962 until now. The Essential Omar & the Howlers includes songs that are considered my biggest hits combined with songs I believe to be some of my best work. The collection compiles my entire life's work in the music industry: writing, recording, touring and making the blues rock for over five decades."
Related content: Omar Kent Dykes and Jimmie Vaughan - On The Jimmy Reed Highway CD review
Photo courtesy Ruf Records
Essential Omar & the Howlers originally appeared on About.com Blues on Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 at 07:01:37.
Now this was totally unexpected: after weeks of stealthy forward momentum, the Billboard magazine blues chart for the week ending January 28, 2012 shows that Texas blues guitarist Gary Clark, Jr. has unseated long-time champ Hugh Laurie from the number one spot. While I've had readers recommend Laurie's Let Them Talk album, it still smells to me like a dilettantish effort to ward off the boredom of a hit TV show and seven-figure paycheck. Clark, on the other hand, is the real deal, certified bluesy by Eric Clapton (for what that's worth) and following in the hallowed footsteps of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Clark's The Bright Lights EP is a fine collection of songs that will whet the listener's appetite for a full-length LP, hopefully in the near future.
Strangely enough, Clark's move to numero uno gives Warner Brothers Records the top three spots, again, misleading one to believe that the label is interested in blues music. There are a few other surprises on this week's chart as well, as Carolyn Wonderland's wonderful Peace Meal squeezes into the Top Ten, Gregg Allman's Low Country Blues returns to the charts again a year after its first appearance, and the great Etta James' final album, The Dreamer, seems to (finally) be gaining some traction, knocking the singer's long-charting Icon collection back a couple of spots. Joe Bonamassa's Dust Bowl dropped to #12 while the Beth Hart/Bonamassa collaboration, Don't Explain, dropped to #11 after a successful run.
Here are this week's Top Ten blues albums, ranked by sales:
10. Gregg Allman - Low Country Blues (Rounder Records)
9. Carolyn Wonderland - Peace Meal (Bismeaux Productions)
8. Etta James - Icon (Geffen Records)
7. Etta James - The Dreamer (Verve Forecast)
6. Johnny Winter - Roots (Megaforce Records)
5. Tedeschi Trucks Band - Revelator (Sony Masterworks)
4. Stevie Ray Vaughan - Playlist: The Very Best Of (Sony Legacy)
3. Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton - Play The Blues (Warner Brothers)
2. Hugh Laurie - Let Them Talk (Warner Brothers)
1. Gary Clark, Jr. - The Bright Lights EP (Warner Brothers)
New Releases this week: Dion's Tank Full of Blues (Blue Horizon Records)
Photo of Gary Clark, Jr.'s The Bright Lights EP courtesy Warner Brothers
Weekly Blues Music Report: Gary Clark, Jr. Upsets! originally appeared on About.com Blues on Tuesday, January 24th, 2012 at 07:01:30.
A new year also means a new blues festival season! While several of our favorite festivals took a bit of a beating last year, with the cancellation of many long-running events, the upcoming slate of festivals is looking strong. The Knology Clearwater Sea-Blues Festival is always one of the year's first major shindigs, and this year's event is looking like a real houserockin' good time!
The Knology Clearwater Sea-Blues Festival '12 will be held on Saturday, February 18th and Sunday, February 19th, 2012 at Coachman Park in Clearwater, Florida. The gates open at noon on Saturday and 1:00 PM on Sunday, with the music following shortly thereafter, and the best part of the event is that general admission seating is free! If you'd like to get closer to the stage, reserved seating is available at $25 in advance, $30 day of show for a single day; $40 advance, $45 that weekend for both days.
The promoters have put together a heck of a line-up for this year's event, with Saturday's headliner being Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy. Soul-blues giant Curtis Salgado and blues mandolin master Rich DelGrosso open on Saturday. The next day is no slouch, either, with B.B. King Entertainer of the Year award winner Janiva Magness headlining Sunday, with boogie-woogie pianist Eden Brent and blues guitarist Ronnie Baker Brooks opening. The Michael Williams Band, Franc Robert, Beverly McClellan, and Selwyn Birchwood will also be appearing during the weekend.
Check the event's website for more details about the Knology Clearwater Sea-Blues Festival.
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Rich DelGrosso & Jonn Del Toro Richardson - Time Slips On By CD review
Buddy Guy photo by Christian Lantry, courtesy Silvertone Records
Knology Clearwater Sea-Blues Festival 2012 originally appeared on About.com Blues on Monday, January 23rd, 2012 at 07:01:07.