Blue Monday Guitar

R&B, Rock & Soul singer/songwriter Leela James makes her way to Clearwater, Florida on July 6th, in support of her new CD Are You Ready? for her Capitol Theatre debut. Her deep, rich, and gritty vocals have drawn comparisons to Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Toni Braxton, and Tina Turner. The first single “That Woman” is a classic rock track with some echoes of rhythm and blues. Like almost all other musicians hit with the neo-soul and retro-soul tags, the primary inspirations of Leela James are classic artists who arrived no later than the early ’70s.

Her debut album A Change Is Gonna Come, was released in 2005. The album was conceived as a throwback to an earlier era of American soul music, building upon the legacy of 1960s and 1970s soul singers while incorporating elements of contemporary R&B, funk, and gospel. James has toured as a support act for The Black Eyed Peas and Macy Gray and also starred on seasons 2 and 3 of the TV One reality show R&B Divas: Los Angeles.

Tickets on sale now HERE.

Back by popular demand, GRAMMY®-nominated saxophonist Dave Koz and Friends return to Ruth Eckerd Hall on July 13th, with the Summer Horns Tour! Joining Koz this year will be saxophonist Gerald Albright, known for his acclaimed solo recordings and performances with Anita Baker, Whitney Houston, and The Temptations, chart-topping trumpeter Rick Braun, who has collaborated across genres with Rod Stewart, Sade, and REO Speedwagon, GRAMMY®-nominated R&B singer/songwriter Kenny Lattimore, and trombonist/vocalist Aubrey Logan from Postmodern Jukebox fame.

Five years after recording his initial tribute to the great horn sections of soul, jazz and pop, Dave Koz and Friends’ Summer Horns II From A To Z reprises the all-star, crowd-pleasing format of that smash hit album. This live show is sure to be one of the hottest shows this summer and is not to be missed!

Tickets on sale now HERE.

Legendary bands Firefall, Poco, and Pure Prairie League return to Clearwater August 31st, to share the stage for the first time at Ruth Eckerd Hall! Firefall is a 40 year labor of love. Their layered harmonies backed by driving rhythms transcends many genres from rock to country and brought the band platinum and gold success with such hits as “You Are The Woman,” “Strange Way” and “Just Remember I Love You.” For more than 50 years, Poco, with their distinctive harmonies and stellar musicianship, helped define the sound of country-rock with hit songs such as “Crazy Love”, “Heart of the Night”, and “Call it Love”. Pure Prairie League’s longevity is a testament to the timelessness of the music with hits like “Amie”, “Let Me Love You Tonight”, “Falling In and Out of Love”, proving that good music is good music no matter when it’s made or played.

Tickets on sale now HERE.

GRAMMY® Award winning, platinum selling band Gipsy Kings, featuring Nicolas Reyes & Tonino Baliardo, return to Ruth Eckerd Hall on September 20th. They take audiences back to the south of France with flamenco guitars, booming Spanish vocals, and melding deep-heated flamenco, rumba, salsa and pop music. The hit-makers behind songs such as “Djoba Djoba”, “Bamboléo”, and “Un Amor” continue to celebrate in their very own blistering tradition. It has been twenty-five years since the Gipsy Kings captured the world’s imagination with their self-titled debut album. Now bringing the party back to the United States, The Gipsy Kings will raise the roof with dance-ready furor, returning to their groundbreaking eponymous album and the nomadic spirit that has led them to their latest release, Savor Flamenco – giving audiences the ‘deep shout at the heart of our community’.

Tickets on sale now HERE.

Leela James

Dave Koz & Friends

Firefall

Poco

Pure Prairie League

Gipsy Kings

*Feature image Nick De La Torre

In 2001, Joe Nosek founded The Cash Box Kings in Madison, Wisconsin. Since 2007, he’s co-led the band with Oscar Wilson, the charismatic vocalist. The two form a perfect union; Wilson’s authentic South Side Chicago blues vocal delivery mixed with Nosek’s dynamic harmonica playing. According to Wilson, “The Cash Box Kings are a throwback to the golden age of blues with some kickin’ fresh young blood. Joe is my best friend in the music world. The band is a marriage made in heaven for both of us.” “Oscar is godfather to my oldest son,” says Nosek. “We have each other’s backs. We’re family.”

Brant Buckley:

Could you talk about your new record Hail to the Kings!? Where did you record it and what are your favorite songs?

Oscar Wilson:

We recorded it in Chicago at Reliable Recorders. Alex Hall runs the studio. It’s hard to pick a favorite song. “Bluesman Next Door”, “When the Rabbit Got the Gun”, and “The Wine Talking” (a duet I do with Shemekia Copeland) are all great songs. My favorite song is “Sugar Daddy.” We have a song about someone getting locked up under false pretenses. The man is from the Southside of Chicago and has been in jail for years. The song is called “John Burge Blues.” Joe Nosek and I wrote it. The record didn’t take too long to record, but I was sick and had to come back and put vocals in. I had a flu shot that made me sick. I was sick November through February of last year. I want to tell everyone to look for the new album coming to a store near you or you can get it online. It’s truly a great album and we have some great players on it: Kenny Smith, Billy Flynn, Little Frank Krakowski, John W Lauler, and Xavier Lynn.

How did you find your way into The Cashbox Kings? Could you talk about your fellow bandmates?

I was living in small town called Janesville, Wisconsin and I was very bored. One day I was reading the paper and I saw that there was a blues jam at the VFW. At the club, the previous guitar player for The Cash Box Kings introduced himself to me. I told him I was a singer/harmonica player. I sat in with the band and we rolled through a set. Within two weeks, we played at Buddy Guy’s Legends and received three standing ovations. The band said they have never received such applause. We went through a rough patch as I was the new guy in the band. We have become best of friends.

How did you get signed to Alligator Records? What is it like working with Bruce Iglauer? How does he help the band?

That’s Joe Nosek’s baby. The Alligator thing. I met Bruce when I signed the contract. In the studio, I learned so much from him. Bruce and I have a great relationship. He’s one hell of a producer. He fine tunes everything and has an incredible ear. It’s very hard to explain. When he’s listening, he can pick anything out. It’s like he has radar in his ear. The label does all of the advertising and places our music around the world. Joe Nosek is our gig getter and negotiator. Bruce helps us personally and gets us gigs across the country.

Favorite venues to play?

We played the Knuckle Down Saloon in Madison Wisconsin last Saturday. It is my favorite place to play. The bar owner, Chris Kalmbach, is fantastic. The bar is on the east side of Madison and no one thought it would last. Chris is a great promoter and keeps it going. Our last performance at The Knuckle was packed. People were outside waiting to get in. We were on the bill with another group from Madison called The Jimmys. The Madison audience is very receptive. The whole Madison scene has more black people coming to gigs versus Chicago. In Madison, musicians are really taken care of. There is another bar called The Crystal Corner. The Harmony and High Noon Saloon are also great clubs. Those are the four main clubs for bands.

What’s next for The Cashbox Kings? Future Goals?

We want to keep rising to the top. We want to be known as one of the best bands to ever do it. If we were a rock blues band, we would make a lot more money. We stick to the 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s Chess/Sun Records type of blues; the delta blues and the early Chicago Blues. On Sunday June 9^th, we are playing The Chicago Blues Fest. We play from 2-3 p.m. on the Front Porch Stage. See you there!

Cash Box Kings

*Feature image © Dragan Tasic

If you are in New Orleans for Jazzfest you already know about the major amounts of talent available to see over these 11 days. I checked out the Wednesday at the Square Concert Series at Lafayette Square Park and wasn’t disappointed. Neither were the thousands of people that witnessed a great jam by The Iceman Special.

The Iceman Special, formed in the Crescent City, call themselves a swamp funk band. They’re a four-piece combo of organized chaos made up of two brothers, Will (vocals) and Charlie Murry (bass), Hunter Romero on drums, and Steve Staples on guitar. A little bit of rock, jam, and a whole lot of funk had folks up and dancing for their entire set. Staples, wearing a trippy psychedelic hoodie and sunglasses totally fit the “Iceman” look. If that wasn’t enough, TIS brought up on stage a three-piece horn section. I mean everyone knows if you want to win the locals over, have some horns.

If you missed them on Wednesday, you still have several chances to check TIS out. They are performing all over the place for the next couple weeks around New Orleans. Here are some dates and places you can find them.

On Tuesday, April 30th, TIS will be playing the 15th Annual Thredhead Party during the day. That evening, The Iceman Special takes to the stage at The Maison.

Wednesday, May 1st is the Cosmic Crawfish Ball. Billed as the longest one-day event ever held at the Nola Brewing Company, TIS will fit right in with other bands, fire dancers, crawfish racers, and craft beer.

Thursday, May 2nd, The Iceman Special perform a late night set at the Maple Leaf Bar.

Friday, May 3rd, TIS takes to the Lagniappe Stage at Jazzfest.

Saturday, May 4th, it’s a Classified Show in NOLA; Sunday, May 5th, it’s Sauvage FEST.

The Iceman Special

*All photos by Rick Scuteri

Ian Anderson may own the name but he’s gonna have to up his game to catch up to his former guitarist Martin Barre who tore it up on the first two nights of his band’s current American tour at The Strand Theatre, deep in the hinterlands of upstate New York at the foot of the Adirondack Mountains.

Martin was the guitarist for 43 years in Jethro Tull, the British rock band best known for “Aqualung.” “Ian Anderson copyrighted the name,” says Martin. “Essentially, I don’t want to go out as Jethro Tull because I’m not Jethro Tull. I play the music of Jethro Tull, fine. People know exactly what they’re going to get, and they’re going to buy a ticket. They’re going to get me, and they’re going to get (former Tull drummer) Clive Bunker and (former Tull keyboardist) Dee Palmer and my band, and two girl singers. The worst thing in the world is to go to the gigs and feel like you’ve been cheated. I don’t ever want to be accused of that.”

That said, the local newspaper promised “2.5 hours of music all Tull songs – all night.” And that’s pretty much what we got.

Martin Barre is old school. At 72, he leans into his guitar playing as if against a tsunami wind. He plays hard and fast as if he’s hatching each song for the first time or defining it for the last time. But there’s never any middle. It’s almost like he’s giving the finger to his old boss Ian Anderson. While he never says it in our interview, he wields his guitar like a sword that announces to the world, “I don’t need you. You may own the name Jethro Tull. You’re the songwriter on all the songs, but those riffs are mine. I earned them through 43 years of hard labor.”

He doesn’t talk like that. He’s humble in an interview and credits his longevity in the band – the longest of any of Tull’s members except Anderson himself– to a stubborn obsession with being different. “I’ve never gone with the crowd. Whenever there’s a trend, I’m stubbornly different. I’m not like the follower of fashion, I guess. (I’m not the) lead guitar player who copied the blues and wanted to sound like Albert King. What’s the point? Albert King will always do what he does better than anybody on the planet. I didn’t figure that was a way forward basically to paraphrase other people. They all have something to offer. They all can play their guitar somehow.”

Barre plays like a kid obsessed with proving his prowess. And, boy does he! But his guitar reveals all with spit and vinegar. Forget Ian Anderson’s flute. Forget his minstrel on one leg pose. Martin stands solidly on two feet and aims his guitar at the heavens like a howitzer from hell knocking rock star clichés out of the sky. Nobody plays like Martin. When Tull took the Grammy for heavy meal in ’88, critics bitched because they didn’t sound like Metallica, but Martin spews nuts and bolts from his instrument that sonically defines metal with a finesse that leaves Metallica drowning in its own volume.

Barre joined the band in 1969 after the first album, and Ian let him go in 2012 because at the time he was tired of touring with the band. The question isn’t so much why he was let go as it how he lasted as long as he did.

“Uhm, uh, uh, there’s different answers. Maybe I was easier going. I’m not a demanding person. I’m a player. I don’t have an ego to top that, really. And it was a job, you know, and you look at people who work for corporations all their lives. How do they do it? It’s a job, and as long as you do your job as well as you possibly can which I always have done, you have your job as long as possible.

“I love music. Essentially, I like to work with people, and I built up a history with Tull, but unfortunately he decided to go out on his own, but it was a good time until it failed. He was getting very pious, and he wasn’t progressing musically, and it jump started my career as a solo artist, and so it was bad thing in a very bad way, but the outcome was really promising.”

It’s a bitch being front man of a band when you don’t sing. Ask Jeff Beck. Martin Barre’s lead singer Dan Crisp physically looks nothing like Ian Anderson, but Anderson’s spirit inhabits Crisp’s young lithe body and possesses Anderson’s songs like a spirit out for revenge. His eyes pop, roll and pierce. His body is trapped in a St. Vitus dance, and his vocals lock into Marin’s guitar taking the fans back to the glory days of Tull. Catch him on his American tour out now. You have to experience it to believe it.

Martin Barre Band

Alligator Records has set a May 17 release date for Hail To The Kings!, the dynamic new album from traditional blues innovators The Cash Box Kings. Co-led by real-deal Chicago blues vocalist and songwriter Oscar Wilson and Madison, Wisconsin-based songwriter, harmonica master and singer Joe Nosek, the band plays brilliantly raw and unvarnished houserocking blues. Wilson’s huge, gritty vocals and Nosek’s powerhouse harmonica fuel their razor-sharp original songs.

Mixing tough Chicago and Delta blues, jumping proto-rock ‘n’ roll, and steamrolling “bluesabilly” (their original mix of Chicago blues and Memphis rockabilly), they attack every song they play with contemporary authority and old school authenticity. The extraordinary ensemble playing between Nosek, Wilson, guitarist Billy Flynn, bassist John W. Lauler, drummer Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith and their friend, pianist Queen Lee Kenehira, is a true force of nature.

Hail To The Kings! follows their critically acclaimed 2017 Alligator debut, Royal Mint. The new album, recorded in Chicago and produced by Nosek, features 13 songs, including 11 originals written or co-written by Nosek and Wilson. According to Nosek, one of the secret weapons of Hail To The Kings! is Wilson’s growth as a songwriter. “He’s always brought great originality to the material,” says Nosek, “but now he’s bursting with songs and ideas.”

Their hard Chicago sound and street-smart lyrics keep the album burning hot from start to finish. Special guest Shemekia Copeland turns the heat up as she joins her friend Oscar Wilson for the mischievous duet, “The Wine Talkin’.” On “Bluesman Next Door” and “Jon Burge Blues,” Nosek and Wilson bring socially conscious truth to power, shining a light into some of society’s darkest corners. “Blues music is used to transform and to find relief,” notes Nosek. “Our songs are all about real life topics that matter—good times, tough times and some bad situations. We’ll raise our voices when we have to, and we’ll have a good time doing it.”

Joe Nosek founded The Cash Box Kings in Madison, Wisconsin in 2001 and, since 2007, has co-led the band with the charismatic, larger-than-life vocalist Oscar Wilson. Over 20 years apart in age and coming from vastly different backgrounds, the two form an unlikely pair, combining Wilson’s indisputably authentic South Side Chicago blues vocals and original songs with Nosek’s dynamic harmonica, songwriting and singing talents.

With nine previous releases to their credit and hundreds of live performances under their belts, The Cash Box Kings have won widespread acclaim throughout the blues world. Their 2013 release Black Toppin’ won the Blues Blast Music Award for Traditional Blues Album of the Year. In 2017, their Alligator debut Royal Mint was named among the Top Ten Blues Albums of the Year by MOJO magazine. In 2018 they were nominated for a Blues Music Award as Blues Band of the Year. They have four previous Blues Music Award nominations.

With Hail To The Kings! and tour dates scheduled throughout the USA and Europe, The Cash Box Kings are prepared to deliver their crowd-pleasing blues to audiences around the world. They bring an up-to-the-minute urgency to their traditional, tough, fun and gritty blues that brings crowds to their feet night after night. According to No Depression, “The Cash Box Kings are a royal hive of raucous houserockers. Whether resurrecting the past or living in the moment, they satisfy your craving for hardcore Chicago blues, served up hot and tasty.”

Cash Box Kings

Legendary blues band Downchild are celebrating 50 years of the blues – and taking the party across North America. Announced U.S. dates thus far include June 21 at Rochester International Jazz Festival (with special guest Dan Aykroyd); and August 17 at Chenango Blues Festival in Norwich, New York. Additional US tour date announcements are forthcoming.

Hot on the heels of their JUNO-nominated (Canada’s Grammy) 2017 album, Something I’ve Done, Downchild have announced a special 50th Anniversary Tour, bringing their iconic sound and timeless hits to theatres and festivals in Canada and the U.S.

Kicking off with a special show at the tavern in Toronto where it all began, the year-long tour takes the Canadian blues icons throughout North America, and features a special appearance by Blues Brother Dan Aykroyd for a main stage, headline performance at the Rochester International Jazz Festival on June 21st.

It’s hard to believe it’s been half a century since bandleader, songwriter, guitarist and harmonica player Donnie “Mr. Downchild” Walsh and his brother, the late Richard “Hock” Walsh, formed The Legendary Downchild Blues Band in Toronto in June, 1969.

From humble beginnings, Downchild performed their first gig at Grossman’s Tavern in Toronto. Fittingly, the band will return to the infamous juke joint for a rare, intimate club performance to kick off their year–long 50th Anniversary Tour, with a sold-out show on June 19th.

Named after a Sonny Boy Williamson II song, Downchild’s story begins when Donnie Walsh was a mere teenager and got his first taste of blues at a sweet 16 birthday party for his girlfriend. “I was absolutely amazed by the music and, like most people who heard blues, started looking for more,” says Donnie, who soon discovered artists like Muddy Waters, Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker and B.B. King.

Inspired by those classic sounds, Downchild launched an unstoppable career that has included 18 albums, countless awards and sold-out shows around the globe. The band’s 1971 debut, Bootleg, one of the first independent albums in Canada, was recorded in a makeshift studio in a parking garage at Rochdale College. Soon after, they scored their first smash hit with a jumping version of Big Joe Turner’s classic “Flip Flop & Fly.”

“I was pretty lucky to get a hit record just a few years after starting the band,” remembers Donnie. “As I like to say, if you have a hit record, the rest is geography. You just get in the van and go, and that’s what we did. For the longest time, we played 250 to 300 dates a year.”

Downchild came to international prominence as the inspiration for “Saturday Night Live” television stars Dan Aykroyd and the late John Belushi’s hit film, The Blues Brothers. In fact, two Downchild songs, “Shotgun Blues” and “(I Got Everything I Need) Almost” were even covered on The Blues Brothers’ 1978 multi-platinum album, Briefcase Full of Blues.

The current lineup of Downchild features some of the most well-respected musicians in Canada, who have performed together for over 25 years: lead singer and harmonica player Chuck Jackson; Pat Carey on tenor sax; Mike Fitzpatrick on drums; Gary Kendall on bass; and former American super-group rocker, Michael Fonfara (of Rhinoceros/Lou Reed fame) on keyboards.

50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR DATES

06/19              Grossman’s Tavern (SOLD OUT)                       Toronto, ON

06/21              Rochester International Jazz Festival                 Rochester, NY*

07/20              Porquis Rock N Blues Festival                            Porquis Junction, ON

08/17              Chenango Blues Festival                                    Norwich, NY

08/29              Charles W. Stockey Centre                                Parry Sound, ON

09/28              Regent Theatre                                                  Oshawa, ON

10/18              McPherson Playhouse                                         Victoria, BC

10/19              Sid Williams Theatre                                            Courtenay, BC

10/20              The Port Theatre                                                 Nanaimo, BC

10/22              Tidemark Theatre                                                Campbell River, BC

10/24              Kelowna Community Theatre                               Kelowna, BC

10/25              Charles Bailey Theatre                                          Trail, BC

10/26              Key City Theatre                                                  Cranbrook, BC

10/30              Memorial Centre Theatre                                      Red Deer, AB

11/01              Festival Place                                                       Sherwood Park, AB

11/05              Vic Juba Theatre                                                   Lloydminster, AB

11/08              Bella Concert Hall                                                  Calgary, AB

11/09              Esplanade Theatre                                                 Medicine Hat, AB**

11/12              Lyric Theatre                                                         Swift Current, SK

11/16              E.A. Rawlinson Centre                                            Prince Albert, SK

11/21              FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre                        St. Catharines, ON

11/22              Showplace Performance Centre                             Peterborough, ON

11/23              Orillia Opera House                                                Orillia, ON

03/27/20        River Run Centre                                                    Guelph, ON

04/23/20        Capitol Theatre                                                       Moncton, NB

05/07/20        Richmond Hill Performing Arts Centre                       Richmond Hill, ON

   * Featuring Dan Aykroyd

** Featuring Colin James

Downchild

*Feature image Stephen Wild

The Blues Foundation’s Blues Music Week delivers an abundance of amazing events for acclaimed musicians, industry professionals, ardent fans, and the general public to experience in the cradle of the blues, Memphis, Tennessee. This popular annual gathering provides an exhilarating opportunity to pay tribute to today’s top performers along with saluting blues’ vital history and heritage.

The Blues Foundation’s Blues Hall of Fame welcomes its 40th class Wednesday, May 8th, in an Induction Ceremony at the Halloran Centre for Performing Arts (225 S. Main St.). Inductees and their families will be in attendance to accept this prestigious honor that covers five key areas of the blues music world: Performers; Individuals from Business, Production, Media or Academic; Classics of Blues Recording (Singles); Classics of Blues Recording (Albums); and Classics of Blues Literature.

The iconic singer Aretha Franklin,the legendary composer/pianist/band leader Count Basie, 1920s-era blues queen Ida Cox, influential guitarist Pee Wee Crayton, and the revered Memphis-based band Booker T. & the MG’s are the musicians joining the Hall this year, and Folkways Records founder Moses “Moe” Asch is the non-performing individual inductee. The recordings being added to the Blues Hall of Fame are B.B. King’s “Every Day I Have the Blues,” Muddy Waters’ “Rollin’ Stone,” Ray Charles’ “I Got a Woman,” Bessie Smith’s “The St. Louis Blues,” and Elmore James’ “Shake Your Moneymaker” as well as his album The Sky Is Crying, while Lost Delta Found: Rediscovering the Fisk University —Library of Congress Coahoma County Study, 1941-1942 is 2019’s Classics of Blues Literature entrant.

The Blues Hall of Fame evening starts at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception honoring the BHOF inductees and BMA nominees, followed by the ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $75 per person and can be purchased at THIS LINK.

The cream of today’s blues scene will convene for the 40th Blues Music Awards the following night, Thursday May 9th, at Memphis’ Cook Convention Center (255 N. Main St.). Steven Van Zandt will return to host the event and award presenters will include Maria Muldaur, who has earned multiple Grammy® and BMA nominations over the years, recent Juno Winner Colin James, Blues Hall of Famer and soul icon Latimore, Steppenwolf’s John Kay, and more. Awards will be handed out in 25 categories, with keyboard dynamo Anthony Geraci, majestic songstress Shemekia Copeland, and Chicago-based guitarist Nick Moss leading the way in this year’s nomination count. Blues Hall of Famers Bobby Rush, Joe Louis Walker, and Buddy Guy also are up for awards, and the room will be filled with BMA nominees, many of whom will perform during the course of the evening. The pre-event reception, featuring nominee music and a silent auction, commences at 5:30 p.m. The awards show, which begins at 7 p.m., includes a seated dinner and nominee performances. Individual BMA tickets are $150, while Regular Tables for 10 are $1,500, tickets are available at THIS LINK.

Blues Music Week offers even more than those two illustrious events. On May 8th, the Blues Hall of Fame Museum (421 S. Main St.) will open a new exhibit, “The Blues According to Arhoolie,” which comes packed with memorabilia and historic items celebrating this important roots-music label. Arhoolie Records founder Chris Strachwitz will appear that day, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., to greet visitors and answer questions about his career and the label and its music. Following that, at 1 p.m., is a book signing for Dick Waterman — A Life in Blues, by Tammy L. Turner. The author and her subject, the noted blues historian/photographer Dick Waterman, will be there for a short Q&A and to sign books (which can be purchased in the Museum’s gift shop).

On May 9th, the Blues Foundation will curate a special BMA panel, “The Blues and Race – Part II,” a continuation of the keynote panel at January’s International Blues Challenge. Noelle Trent, PhD., the Director of Interpretation, Collections and Education at the National Civil Rights Museum, will moderate as musicians Bobby Rush, Billy Branch, Thornetta Davis, Terrie Odabi, and festival promoter Paul Benjamin explore the historical significance of race within the blues genre, and what the future holds for the next generation.This event will take place at the Blues Music Awards’ host hotel, the Sheraton Memphis Downtown Hotel (250 N. Main St.), from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The panel is open to the community and free of charge.

Also on May 9th, are the Blues Foundation’s BMA HART Fund Musician Health Screenings, occurring from noon-2:30 p.m.in the Sheraton Hotel. Doctors, nurses, and other health practitioners will provide blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, PSA testing, vision and other health screenings. The HART Fund will also offer ear molds for custom-made professional-quality ear plugs for all musicians or qualified members of the music industry. Also that day is the Recording Academy Reception at the Sheraton, 1-3 p.m. Blues musicians and blues music industry members are invited to celebrate with food and drinks and to learn how they might get involved in the GRAMMY Awards process, from submitting current projects for awards consideration to voting.

May 10th, finds another prominent label founder, Alligator Records’ Bruce Iglauer, visiting the Blues Hall of Fame. From 1-2 p.m., Igluaer will share stories about his career and answer questions relating to his new memoir, Bitten by the Blues. He will sign copies of the book that are available for purchase.

Blues Music Week concludes on May 10th, from 4 p.m. and on into the night, with what this event is all about — music, as the Hard Rock Café (126 Beale Street) hosts a benefit for the Blue Foundation’s youth program, Generation Blues. Many BMA nominees and other musicians will perform at this show, hosted by the Andy T Band. All of Beale Street, in fact, will be alive with the sounds of blues, as BMA Fest presents blues musicians, including many nominees, from 4-9 p.m. in clubs along this iconic blues street. BMA Fest wristbands can be bought on Beale Street that day for just $10.

About the Blues Foundation: This world-renowned, Memphis-based organization upholds the mission to preserve blues heritage, celebrate blues recording and performance, expand worldwide awareness of the blues, and ensure the future of this uniquely American art form. Founded in 1980, the Blues Foundation has approximately 4,000 individual members, with 183 affiliated blues societies representing another 50,000 fans and professionals around the world. Its signature honors and events — the Blues Music Awards, Blues Hall of Fame, International Blues Challenge, and Keeping the Blues Alive Awards — make it the international center of blues music. Its HART Fund provides the blues community with medical assistance for musicians in need, while Blues in the Schools programs and Generation Blues Scholarships expose new generations to blues music. Throughout the year, the Foundation staff serves the global blues community with answers, information, and news. Support the Blues Foundation by becoming an affiliated organization, corporate, or individual member, or simply by making a charitable donation.

About the Blues Hall of Fame Museum: Since opening in May of 2015, the Blues Hall of Fame Museum has become a must-see destination for blues aficionados and casual fans alike. Through its ten permanent galleries and the Upstairs Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise Gallery’s temporary exhibit space, the museum exposes, educates, and entertains visitors, providing them a unique way to explore blues culture and history, while also highlighting its 400 inductees. Visitors can use interactive touchscreens to access databases that allow them to hear music, watch videos, and read stories about each of the museum’s inductees. Guests can also view one-of-a-kind memorabilia, from musical instruments and tour attire to awards and artwork. The museum is open seven days a week (Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., 1-5 p.m.). Admission is $10 per person; free for children (12 and younger with an adult) and Blues Foundation members.The museum is also available for private parties and events after hours. For more information, call 901-527-2583.

On the 16th, 17th, and 18th of August, artists from the original 1969 Woodstock Music Festival will gather at Space Coast Harley Davidson in Palm Bay, Florida for the 50th Anniversary of the event.

Promoter Kenn Moutenot of Saloon Studios Live is laying claim to what will be Woodstock South, with the greatest number of original Woodstock artists of any festival. There will be 10 bands per day over 3 the day event.

Listen to Moutenot lay out the details in an interview with the Mark Moses Show.

 Woodstock Experience 2019

Boston based folk/blues artist Alice Howe once released an EP called Tiger Lily. In 2017 her EP You’ve Been Away So Long which contained the hit song “Homeland Blues,” begat her career in earnest. That particular song became the #1 played tune on the Folk-DJ charts. That same year she met storied singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Daniel Friedberg, BKA Freebo. Since then the two have toured nationally and internationally, developing a musical relationship which led to Freebo producing Howe’s upcoming full-length debut album, Visions.

The writing and recording of Visions has encouraged Howe to work outside her framework of acoustic arrangements and with Freebo’s guidance, the duo has incorporated electric instruments, inventive percussion techniques, a Hammond B-3 and a horn section to lend a big band groove to some of the new songs.

Howe has a flawless, honey voice that suits both her original compositions and cover songs to a T. Her acoustic guitar playing and folk style are reminiscent of some of the great singer/songwriters from 40+ years ago. Not surprising since her parents fed her a steady diet of Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, and Jackson Browne with sprinklings of Muddy Waters and Taj Mahal as she was growing up.

Visions has all of those influences, and then some on prominent display. The wistful, Americana flavored song “Twilight,” leads off the album. Brilliantly simple lyrics caught and held our attention from the outset.

Alice follows that with her re-imagining of Taj Mahal’s “Lovin’ in My Baby’s Eyes.” She has been compared by many music writers as most comparable to Joan Baez. Perhaps, but she shines her own beacon on this Taj song, with electric guitar from Fuzzbee Morse adding the perfect punctuation.

Howe is predominantly a folk artist and as such brings her best foot forward with songs like “Still On My Mind,” and “What We Got is Gold.”

The veteran Freebo, who also plays on the album, brings his influence in fine fashion, helping adapt such classics as Muddy Waters’ “Honey Bee,” and the song “Too Long at the Fair,” originally recorded by Bonnie Raitt. Freebo played with Raitt on the album Give It Up, which contained that song, and stayed with her band playing fretless bass, guitar, tuba, and myriad other instruments for nearly a decade. His work as a session artist with performers that include Crosby, Stills & Nash, Dr. John, Maria Muldaur, John Mayall and others makes him a wellspring of experience from which Alice deeply draws. The combination of the two artisans is what truly makes Visions fine fare.

On the Howe original “Getaway Car,” we’re treated to a musical change-up. A full-blown horn section along with stellar playing from keyboardist John “JT” Thomas, turbocharge this song in comparison to the subtlety of the rest of the album.

“Getaway Car,” and Howe’s take on Sam Cooke’s “Bring It on Home to Me,” are a toss up for our favorite track on Visions. On the simplistic covering of the Cooke classic Alice pays homage to the “King of Soul” while still making the song very much her own.

Sometimes we’re lucky enough to catch an up-and-coming artist as they fly into our radar. This is one of those times. Not only is Alice Howe a gifted songwriter and performer, she has the wherewithal to surround herself with artists that were actually on the scene of the genre she has chosen to showcase. Whether a fan of blues, roots, Americana, soul or folk music, you would be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t get a copy of Visions the very moment it’s released.

Alice Howe and Freebo will both be performing a full band release party for Visions at McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Santa Monica, California on Saturday May 18th. Freebo will open the night with a set of his own songs backed by His Fabulous Friends, later picking up the fretless bass (and maybe even his tuba?) to accompany Alice as she performs the new album with their stellar band. Tickets to this don’t-you-dare-miss-it show are available here

Alice Howe

*Feature image Robert M Ring

Formed in 2013, The Corey Dennison Band has become a favorite attraction at Chicago blues venues. Led by Dennison’s soulful voice and muscular guitar, the band released its self-titled studio debut for the legendary Delmark Records in 2016. Corey has shared the stage with The Kinsey Report, Robert Blaine, Chico Banks, The Steepwater Band, Jimmy Johnson, Robert Randolph, Derek Trucks, John Mayer, Gerry Hundt, Nick Moss, Lurrie Bell, Carlos Johnson and the Buddah of Bass, Mr. Bill Dickens, and Buddy Guy.

Brant Buckley:

What are you currently working on?

Corey Dennison:

We are currently working on a new Corey Dennison Band CD. We are getting all the material finalized and the songs arranged. We are starting to play them live and we are fine tuning everything so we can go into the recording studio and knock it out. Lyrically, 10 songs are written and few more songs may pop up at the last minute.

When did you get signed to Delmark Records? What are the benefits of being signed and what should we be listening to?

I was signed to Delmark Records about 5 or 6 years ago and it changed my life. It jumped me up to the next level and became a reality. It gave me the opportunity to go into a real studio, work with a producer and engineer, and create amazing music with my fellas: Gerry Hundt on guitar, Joel Baer on drums, and Aaron Whittier plays bass. Everything that was in my head is on the CD. When I received the final mix, I was driving home from the studio. All I could do was cry down the highway because everything I heard in my head was right at my fingertips. It was incredible. My guys are amazing. I wouldn’t be anywhere without them. I used to play with Carl Weathersby and he took me all over the world. He taught me everything. When I left Carl’s band, I was really sad. My band members know me really well and have the ability to translate my feelings to music form. In my opinion, the first album is the best. It let people know about us and that we are here to stay.

How long did you play with Carl Weathersby? What did you learn from him?

I played with Carl for about 10 to 13 years. I learned everything from him. I am what I am today because of him.

You primarily play with your fingers and do not use a pick and you play very hard. How do you do this? Massive Calluses?

I haven’t used a pick in about 6 years. I was on a cruise ship playing with Sugar Blue doing a Grammy tour and that’s when I stopped using a pick. It was a great experience and I love Sugar Blue. I have known him since I was a kid. My uncle was a harmonica player and he was a Sugar Blue disciple. On the cruise ship I’d leave my picks on top of the amplifier. During the day the room would be open for bingo and people would walk around and see Grammy memorabilia. Diana Ross’s dress was on display. People would steal my guitar picks and steal my rubber duckies. I take rubber duckies with me on the road and I Velcro them to my amplifier. People kept stealing my picks and rubber duckies. We were headed towards the Caribbean and I somehow found a music store. I needed guitar strings and picks. I spent 60 to 70 dollars on two packs of guitar strings and a small pack of guitar picks. I told myself if they steal these guitar picks, I am not buying anymore. A couple of days went by and I was out of guitar picks. I asked Sugar Blue not to give me anymore guitar solos because I was not going to be using guitar picks. That’s how it started. I’ve always loved the way it sounds. Some of the greatest guitar players in the world did not use guitar picks. When I stopped using a guitar pick the things that I heard in my head started to come out. I had a better connection with my instrument.

What’s the best song you have written and why?

There are two: One is “Room to Breathe” off the first record and the other song is called “Better Man” which is off our new record ‘Night After Night.’

The reason why “Room to Breathe” is such a great song is because it’s about all my accolades and achievements. I originally wrote it for Carl and never had a chance to present it to him. When I recorded it for the new record, he was there and I asked him to play on it. I told him I would give him a couple hundred dollars. He looked at me, smiled, and said, “You don’t need me.” I was overtaken. That was the greatest compliment ever. The first line in “Room to Breathe” is “I crossed oceans and time, I’ve traveled many lands.” When I left Carl’s band, I was really depressed. I was with him for so long. I really loved playing guitar for him. I loved playing chords and bringing him up. I loved everything about it. I remember doing the crossing which is a trip from Miami to Spain. It takes 12 days on a cruise ship. Every night, the clock goes up an hour and you cross two to three oceans. That’s where that line came from. I woke up one morning and went out to smoke a cigarette and I looked to my left and I thought I saw the mountains of Spain. It wasn’t Spain it was Morocco. We were crossing through the Strait Of Gibraltar. When in Italy, I was sitting at a café and I was looking at Mount Vesuvius. I wrote a Facebook post thanking everyone that helped me and still believed in me. The first person to like the post was Carl and that’s when I wrote the song. I called him and he said, “Hey man where are you at?” I told him I was in Italy. That’s when I wrote the song. A couple of weeks later, we recorded it.

The song “Better Man” is about my dad. My dad died when I was really young. I had to help out a lot more around the house and watch my brothers. It was really rough. We grew up really poor. There were a couple of times for a month long period where we only ate oatmeal and baloney. It’s my tribute to him. My 10 month old son, Carleton, talks on the beginning of the song. I recorded it and knew that had to be on it. I named him after Carl Weathersby.

What else do you want to accomplish?

Honestly, I think about that all the time. I really want to continue writing good music and performing. I want to take my band to places that I got to go with Carl Weathersby. I want Carl to be proud of me and show him that nothing he taught me was in vain. I want to keep touching people with my music. Last night at Kingston Mines I played a song and a girl was in tears. I didn’t know her at all and I asked her if she was o.k. She told me she realized that everything is going to be o.k. There is always somebody out there who has it way worse than I do. You have to keep fighting and pushing. As long as I can make good music and help people, I am going to do it. I really want to go to the next level and take care of everyone that has taken care of me over the years. I want to say thank you in my own special way. I want my guys to go wherever their heart’s want to take them. If they want to stay with me and keep doing the same thing; kicking ass and taking names than great. If they feel like they need to move on and do their own thing, I wish them the best. I want them to accomplish and achieve their dreams. Hopefully, they want to do the same thing that I am doing.

Corey Dennison Band