Phoenix Blues Society Aug. 21

August 21, 2012

Roadhouse Blues Greetings! We're counting down the days until the Benefit for PBS takes place. The PBS board is excited and overwhelmed by the response we've gotten from the huge list of players who are turning out to boogie with us on Sunday. Please know we're thankful to everybody involved. Y'all make plans to spend your Sunday with us. PBS will be there!! Jim Crawford The Phoenix Blues Society The original Flamekeepers: Chuck Peterson, the late Chico Chisum, and George Thomas A Host of Valley Blues Artists Step up to the Plate George Thomas and his band The Flamekeepers have donned their white hats and stepped in to lend some much-needed assistance to the financially strapped Phoenix Blues Society. The guys, along with the Bob Corritore and crew at the Rhythm Room are staging a huge benefit on Sunday to help PBS raise funds to cover the costs of the annual Blues Blast festival that takes place in the spring and to launch a Blues in the Schools program that has been on the back burner for some time. George is no rookie to the music business having spent 24 years as a radio broadcaster playing mostly oldies on the KOOL-FM spot on the dial. His first radio gig came right out of high school and lasted until 2001. You can only listen to so much Led Zepplin and then you have to call it quits, he says. "I grew up here in the Valley," George says. "I moved out here from Alabama in 1968 so I can almost call myself a native. I started playing the trumpet in 4th grade and got my first guitar a couple years later. I really didn't start seriously playing it until after I got to high school. Now here we are 40 years later. "I kind of fell into the Blues with the British invasion," George recalls. "Eric Clapton and those guys playing the Willie Dixon tunes. We had to hear our own music played back to us. It's still kind of that way today with all of the Blues going on in Europe and Japan. The music is huge over there and here it's kind of on the wane." George agrees that the Blues kind of has suffered through peaks and valleys in the last 50 or so years. Stevie Ray Vaughan was mentioned as one of the inspirational players responsible for the Blues boom of the '80s and early '90s. "Every generation has to have its bellwhether," George says. "My favorite today is Mud Morganfield (son of the late Muddy Waters). The Blues is just in his blood. He just gets up there and does it. I don't think he even has to try." Lending a hand to PBS just seemed like the right thing to do, George says. "You know, it is a hard time for musicians and music these days," he says. " And Blues is such a small part of the whole picture. We're just trying to help push it along and keep it going. It would be a total shame to see it fade away from lack of interest. Events (like this benefit) keep everybody involved." With time on his hands George said he started playing regularly again in 2005 and he and a couple of friends started playing with the legendary drummer, Chico Chisum, in his waning years. "Bob (Corritore) had brought Chico from Chicago and he was just a phenomenal drummer," George says. "He could accompany anybody. He played the big band stuff as well as the small combo. I used to tell him the only thing he never had played was surf music. I don't think they play that too much in Chicago." PBS is on the right track with its pledge to include the local musicians in as many of its activities as possible, George says. "I'd like to see the Blues in the Schools programs introduced in the schools," he says. "We've got to get more young people involved. More young adults. That was one of Chico's biggest thrills was playing for the young people." The Benefit for Phoenix Blues Society will take place beginning at 3 p.m. Sunday at The Rhythm Room, 1019 E. Indian School Rd. The lineup includes a stellar list of some of the Valley's finest Blues artists. They include: 3:00 doors & opener Julio Franco Olivera 3:30 Phoenix Sojourn with Gail Phoenix 4:00 Buzz Fowler/Hooter's Blues/CJV 4:30 Walkin' Cane Mark 5:00 Common Ground Blues 5:30 Hans Olson 6:00 Blues Hounds 6:30 Hoodoo Casters 7:00 RD Olson 7:30 Big Nick & the Gila Monsters 8:00 George Thomas & the Flamekeepers 9:00 Gypsy! Wild at Harp 9:30 Uvon Ray Ray 10:00 Joe Draper Trio 10:30 JC Juke Rockers SHOWDOWN!! PBS's annual Arizona Blues Showdown competition is getting closer. The contest invites all eligible single acts, duos, and bands to compete for a chance to represent the Valley in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tenn. The preliminary rounds will take place Oct. 7,with finals happening Oct,. 14, at The Rhythm Room, 1019 E. Indian School Rd. in Phoenix. Judging follows the same rules and regulations used in the IBC. The winner receives $1000 to be applied to travel expenses to the event. Showdown Page BLUES BLAST 13 PBS is looking for food and merch vendors as well as sponsors for Blues Blast 13 on March 9. Let us know what you have to offer at info@phoenixblues.org GOT BLUES? If you are a Blues musician, or group, or a club that features Blues music, and would like to be listed, please send your info to info@phoenixblues.org and we'll be happy to list your event in our weekly Out & About section of the newsletter Moved? Changed email addresses? Please let us know of any changes in your address, email, or phone number so we can keep you informed about the Blues community in Arizona. Email us at: info@phoenixblues.org or write to: Phoenix Blues Society P.O. Box 36874 Phoenix, Arizona 85067 About Us The Phoenix Blues Society, founded in 1989, is one of 195 national and worldwide affiliates of The Blues Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) corporation based in Memphis, Tenn. Read More The Blues Magician Monday from 7- 9p.m. on KUYI.net Hopi Radio Want to go but don't know where it is? Click Here for addresses to the clubs mentioned in Out and About A Look at Arizona Blues History In This Issue Friends helping friends Out & About Out & About Tuesday, August 21 Paris James, 6 p.m., Vine Expressions, Gilbert, Soulcatcher Duo: 7:30 p.m., D'Vine Wine, Chandler Sage Gentle-Wing, 5 p.m., Gold Canyon Golf Club, Gold Canyon Carey Slade hosts Open Mike Acoustic Jam, 8 p.m., Goat Head Saloon, Mesa New Brothers, 8 p.m., Hideaway, Cave Creek Wednesday, August 22 The Juke Rockers, 8 p.m., The Rhythm Room, Phoenix Carvin Jones, 8 p.m., Nacho Mama's, Tempe The Sugar Thieves, 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday at Copper Blues, Phoenix Soulcatcher Duo, 6 p.m., Vine Expressions, Gilbert Sage Gentle-Wing, 5 p.m., Gold Canyon Golf Club, Gold Canyon Rocket 88s: Host Open Jam 7 PM, Original Harvey's Wineburger, Phoenix, First String Promotions Open Jam , 7 p.m., El Dorado Bar & Grill, Scottsdale Delmar Stewart, Jill Von & Tommy Grills host Open Jam , 8:30 p.m., Thunderbird Roadhouse, Phoenix Thursday, August 23 Carvin Jones, 7 p.m., Hooper's Pub, Glendale Arizona Blues Project, Thursdays, 9 p.m., Harold's, Cave Creek Paris James, 7 p.m., D'Vine Bistro & Wine Bar, Chandler Krimson Chord Jam ,Thursdays, 9 p.m., 5030 Lounge, Glendale Leon J, 6 p.m., Amaro Wine Bar, Cave Creek Soulcatcher Duo, 7:30 p.m., Mesa Blues X 2 Duo, 10:30 a.m., Sunny Slope Senior Center, Phoenix Friday, August 24 Henry Gray w/Rhythm Room All Stars, 9 p.m., Rhythm Room, Phoenix Chuck Hall Band, 9 p.m., Hooper's, Glendale Blues Hounds, 8:30 p.m., Thunderbird Roadhouse, Phoenix J Powers Band, 8 p.m., Stingers, Glendale Blues Review Band, 9 p.m., Kazimierz Wine Bar, Scottsdale Carvin Jones, 9 p.m., Culinary Dropout, Scottsdale Soulcatcher Duo, 8 p.m.., D'Vine Wine, Chandler Nina Curri, 6 p.m., Baby Kay's, Phoenix RayRay & BluZone Open Jam, 9 p.m., RUB Sports Grill South, Mesa Paris James, 7 p.m., Vine Expressions, Gilbert Saturday, August 25 Henry Gray w/Rhythm Room All Stars, 9 p.m., Rhythm Room, Phoenix Chuck Hall Band, 8 p.m., Janey's, Cave Creek J Powers Band, 8 p.m., Roadrunner, New River Outback Blues Band, 8 p.m., Old Town Tavern, Scottsdale Carvin Jones, 9 p.m., House Of Brews, Gilbert The Juke Rockers, 7 p.m., Lucille's Bar B Que, Tempe The Harry McGraw Band, 8 p.m., The Harp Pub, Mesa Soulcatcher Duo, 7 p.m.., Vine Expressions, Gilbert Rocket 88s, 7:30 p.m., Arizona Italian American Club, Phoenix Nina Curri, 6 p.m., Baby Kay's Cajun Kitchen, Phoenix Sage Gentle-Wing, 9:30 a.m., Coffee Roasters, Scottsdale Duke of Wail w/Paris James & Tim Rovnak, 9 p.m., Ventura Grill, Scottsdale Sunday, August 26 Common Ground Blues Band, 3 p.m. doors, Benefit for Phoenix Blues Society, Rhythm Room, Phoenix Big Nick & The Gila Monsters, 3 p.m. doors, Benefit for Phoenix Blues Society, Rhythm Room, Phoenix Hans Olson, 6 p.m., Benefit for Phoenix Blues Society, Rhythm Room, Phoenix George Thomas & The Flamekeepers, 3 p.m. doors, Benefit for Phoenix Blues Society, Rhythm Room, Phoenix R D Olson Blues Band, 3 p.m. doors, Benefit for Phoenix Blues Society, Rhythm Room, Phoenix Blues Hounds, 3 p.m. doors, Benefit for Phoenix Blues Society, Rhythm Room, Phoenix COMPLETE LINEUP FOR PBS BENEFIT CAN BE FOUND AT www.phoenixblues.org Carvin Jones, 6 p.m., Darwin's, Phoenix The Dirt Music Express NOON, Hob Nob's , Phoenix Sage Gentle-Wing, 9:30 a.m., Coffee Roasters, Scottsdale Sage Gentle-Wing, 5 p.m., Gold Canyon Golf Club, Gold Canyon Bill Tarsha & The Rocket 88s Open Jam, 6 p.m., Blooze Bar, Phoenix Bill Ludlow & Boom Duncan Open Jam & East Valley Singles Night, 6 p.m., Goat Head Saloon, Mesa Monday, August 27 Carvin Jones, 7 p.m., Zendejas American Grill, Glendale Hans Olson, Mondays, 9 p.m., Pranksters Too, Scottsdale Paris James, 7 p.m., D'Vine Wine, Chandler Bam Bam & Badness Open Jam, 9 p.m., Char's, Phoenix Krimson Chord Jam Mondays, 9 p.m., Wild Bill's Saloon, Phoenix Soulcatcher Duo, 7 p.m., Hideaway, Cave Creek Sam McRae Monday Night Blues, 7:30 p.m., Charly's in the Weatherford Hotel, Flagstaff Bill Tarsha & The Rocket 88s, 8 p.m.,Open Jam, Rhythm Room, Phoenix NO JAM THIS WEEK Newsletter Sign-up

If you like what I’m doing, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! - ”LIKE”