Bman's Blues Report

Willie Kent (February 24, 1936 – March 2, 2006) was an American blues singer, bassist and songwriter. Kent was born in Inverness, Sunflower County, Mississippi. Although he had played the bass guitar in Chicago's clubs since the 1950s, Kent worked full time until he was over 50 years of age. Following heart surgery, he stopped work as a truck driver, and formed a band. His impassioned singing was deemed similar to both Byther Smith and John Primer. In early 2005, Kent was diagnosed with colon cancer, but continued his busy live schedule in spite of chemotherapy treatments. He died in Englewood, California in March 2006 Get Facebook support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

Buddy Guy Website With only a month to go to King Biscuit Blues Festiva l, it's time to check the schedule and compile your music card. Past and present Blind Raccoon clients join this year's lineup: Thursday, October 6 Buddy Guy ~ 9:30 - 10:45 p.m. Friday, October 7 Bob Margolin with Hubert Sumlin and the Willie "Big Eyes" Smith Band ~ 3:15 - 5 p.m. Paul Thorn ~ 7:45 - 9 p.m. Bobby Rush ~ 10 - 11:15 p.m. Saturday, October 8 Stacy Mitchhart ~ 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Matt Schofield ~ 3:35 - 4:50 p.m. Moreland & Arbuckle ~ 4 - 5 p.m. Brick Fields Band ~ 6:15 - 7:45 p.m. Click here for the full schedule.

Bud played with Jack Owens for thirty years (from 1967-97). He knew Skip James who he faintly remembered from childhood.His father, Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Spires played with Lightning Hopkins in the early 1940’s and then gone to Chicago in 1943.

Chester Zardis (May 27, 1900, New Orleans - August 14, 1990, New Orleans) was an American jazz double-bassist. Zardis played bass from a young age, and studied under Billy Marrero of the Superior Orchestra. In his teens he was involved in a fistfight at a New Orleans theater, which resulted in his being sent to the Jones Waif Home. While there he began playing with another of the Home's residents, Louis Armstrong. He joined Buddy Petit's orchestra at age 16, and worked as a bassist in nightclubs and a tubist in brass bands in New Orleans in the 1920s, playing with Kid Rena, A.J. Piron, Punch Miller, Kid Howard, Jack Carey, Fate Marable, and Duke Dejan's Dixie Rhythm Band. He was given the nickname "Little Bear" by Fats Pichon, a bandleader with whom Zardis played on the riverboat S.S. Capital in the 1930s. During that decade he also played with Count Basie in New York City, and recorded with George Lewis and Bunk Johnson. During the Second World War Zardis served ...

Moreland & Arbuckle: Shows Sunday, September 25th, 2011 Moe's Alley 8pm 1535 Commercial Way Santa Cruz California 95064 US (831) 479-1854 Tuesday, September 27th, 2011 Biscuits & Blues 8pm 401 Mason Street San Francisco California Price: TBD Wednesday, September 28th, 2011 Van Duzer Theatre 8pm Arcata California 95518 US w/Buddy Guy Friday, September 30th, 2011 Cotillion Ballroom CD RELEASE PARTY! - Doors 7pm, Show 8pm 11120 West Kellogg Wichita Kansas 67201 US Price: $12.50 Come jo...

The Honeyboy Edwards Fund For The Blues Announcement has been made by Michael Frank, long time friend, musical partner and business manager for David "Honeyboy" Edwards, that in honor of and tribute to Mr. Edwards, The Honeyboy Edwards Fund for the Blues has been established within the National Blues Museum in St. Louis MO. Preparations for this fund have been underway since medical issues forced Honeyboy’s retirement in July 2011 after 83 years of performing. This fund has been created by founders Michael Frank, CEO of Earwig Music Company, Inc., Barbara Hammerman, Hammerman Philanthropic Partners, Amanda Gresham, CEO of Delta Music Experience, and Lynn Orman-Weiss, CEO of Orman Music and Media Group . The purpose of the fund is to acknowledge the contributions of other elders of the blues such as Robert Lockwood, Homesick James, Henry Townsend and Pinetop Perkins. This will be done through pr...

DON’T EXPLAIN Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa The Album: One of music’s most powerful female voices and one of the world’s greatest guitar players come together on the new album Don’t Explain, featuring soulful covers that both celebrate and rethink the original recordings. Each known for their potent and expressive blues-rock sounds, Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa deliver scorching versions of ten classic songs first made famous by artists including Billie Holiday, Etta James, Tom Waits, Ray Charles, Delaney & Bonnie, Bill Withers, and Aretha Franklin. The album was recorded live in the studio over the course of four days in early 2011, with producer Kevin Shirley (Joe Bonamassa, Led Zeppelin, Black Crowes) capturing the raw energy generated by Hart and Bonamassa’s spirited collaboration. As charged as the tracks are, Hart also colors her interpretations with tenderness and vulnerability, adding nuance in equal measure to passion. “Beth’s got a pretty heady voice, very reminiscent...

Boyd Rivers (vocal and guitar) and his wife Ruth May Rivers perform "Fire In My Bones" at their home in Canton, Mississippi. Shot by Alan Lomax, John Bishop, and Worth Long, August 30, 1978. Get Facebook support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

Upcoming Performances I'll be on the East Coast this weekend and then I have a couple of gigs in the Midwest the following week. If you are near any of these venues, please check them out! Also, some exciting shows are coming up in October, so I wanted to let you know now so you can reserve your tickets ahead of time. More information about all of these events may be found on my website at stephanietrick.com/schedule.htm Artist in Residence at Syracuse University October 3-5 Debut Nouveau Stride performances with Lorraine Feather in Eastsound, WA October 7-8 - 7:30 p.m. Stride Piano Summit in Las Vegas October 18-19 Featuring Dick Hyman, Paul Asaro, Carl Sonny Leyland, Brian Holland, Mike Lipskin, Jeff Barnhart, Neville Dickie, and John Royen; "Generation Next" Performers - Max Keenlyside, Will Perkins, Dalton Ridenhour, Martin Spitznagel, and Stephanie Trick Concert with Mr. B in Traverse City, MI October 22 - 8:00 p.m. Orders Being Ta...

.44 Pistol are a young, high energy electric blues band. Slide guitar driven, stripped back & dirty, they bring together the laid back country blues of artists such as Mississippi Fred McDowell with the raw electric sound of contemporary bands like the White Stripes. Up-tempo, rough & ready this is music to drink, dance and stomp your feet along to. The band play a mix of originals, re-written old blues songs and known covers Although based in Stafford, since forming in 2008 they’ve clocked up around 10,000 miles, honing their style at pubs, clubs and festivals across the country & proving just how much gear it’s possible to fit into a Ford Fiesta. The band have received radio play on BBC 6 Music & local stations from Essex to the Peak District, been reviewed by Blues in Britain & reached fans as far away as France and Poland. All of which they have managed without a bass player. .44 Pistol are currently promoting their debut album 'served raw', which w...

In the spring of 1967, Mike Bloomfield acquired a 1959 Les Paul Standard, a model produced by Gibson between 1958 and 1960 with distinctive "sunburst" orange-and-brown coloring. Discontinued by Gibson after 1960, the guitar became hugely popular once Bloomfield began using one. Photo illustration by D. Rowling While many great guitar players were very particular – almost fastidious – about the instruments they played, Michael Bloomfield was different. He regarded his guitar as a tool, something that he could use to express himself, a means to an end. While he did favor certain makes and models over others, he was as likely to play a guitar found in a corner of a studio where he was recording as to use one of his more familiar instruments. He also had little regard for the care and maintenance of his increasingly valuable guitars, often schlepping his Les Paul or Telecaster to a gig without bothering to put it in its case. There are reports of Michael ta...

LIVE We performed at Harvest Blues Festival in Monaghan (Ireland) last weekend and will be back on the road in Europe from October 18 - November 13. Here is a list of the confirmed dates: Oct 18, Gauchy (F), MCL de Gauchy Oct 21, Eeklo (B), N9 Oct 22, Silkeborg (DK), B' Sharp @ Rampelys Oct 25, Stavanger (N), Stavanger Bluesclub @ Ovenpaa Oct 26, Sandnes (N), Sandnes Bluesclub Oct 28, Oslo (N), Ostkanten Bluesclub @ Herr Nilsen Oct 29, Arnes (N), Nes Bluesclub Nov 2, Winterthur (CH), Albani Bar Nov 3, Torino (I), Folkclub Nov 4, Thun (CH), Cafe Mokka Nov 5, Leverkusen (D), Leverkusener Jazztage @ Scala Nov 6, Amen (NL), cafe de Amer Nov 7, Eindhoven (NL), MC Frits Philips Nov 11, Dordrecht (NL), Jazzpodium DJS Nov 13, Groningen (NL), Cafe Koster As you can see there are still a few open spots in the schedule so feel free to send us your suggestions for nice venues in your area. When we tour we love to play every day !! LINKS You can join and follow and...

NEW RECORD The new record made it to #11 on the July / August airplay chart of the Collectif des Radio Blues; a society representing all blues radio shows in the French speaking countries. Here is some of the feedback that came in the last few days: Jean Louis Poirier / Radio Beton (France): Excellent musician Marylou Busch / Concertzender (Holland): Prachtig, beetje Kelly Joe Phelps-like Hans Schiffer / Schiffers FM (Holland): Well recorded, intimate en perfectly fitting for a Sunday HEAVEN (Holland): David Philips is ontvangen en wordt niet alleen met veel plezier beluisterd maar ook zeker besproken in de komende editie. Rootstime (Belgium) : David Philips / Rooftop Recordings is een pracht van een rustgevende, bluesy luisterbeleving geworden die we zowel aanraden aan liefhebbers van knappe stemmen als van snaren en gitaren! Something Else Review (USA): A Chris Smither from the other side of the pond, Philips keeps it straightforward simple, making The Rooftop Recordings a ...

In 2011, Washington, DC based blues rock band Moonshine Society was given the amazing opportunity to bring American roots music overseas. From January 2011-April 2011, the band performed six nights a week at the House of Blues and Jazz in Shanghai, China, owned by Chinese movie actor Lin Dong Fu. Joining them on stage was legendary harmonica player Charlie Sayles (WC Handy award nominee who has performed at Carnegie Hall, the White House, and been the focus of a BBC documentary after being discovered in New York City). They delivered sounds of classic and original blues, jazz, and R&B to a truly international audience including locals, business executives, music lovers, students, tourists, and more from around the world. While in Shanghai, the band recorded 18 live shows which have been condensed to a 10 song album. They're looking to release a truly unique album that crosses continents, generations, social differences, and language barriers and gives live witness to keep...

HILLSBOROUGH, NC ( Sept 26, 2011 )– Music Maker Relief Foundation is pleased to announce the release of bluesman Ironing Board Sam’s new record, Going Up. A product of more than 55 years of blues experience, this 13-track album features Sam’s return to his early solo piano and vocal roots. Set to release on October 1, Going Up will be available for sale and download on iTunes on October 1, 2011. “Ironing Board Sam brings an infectious joy to this album that makes you feel wonderful about life,” said Tim Duffy, president of Music Maker Relief Foundation. Born Samuel Moore in Rock Hill, SC in 1939, Ironing Board Sam is a charismatic singer, songwriter and piano player and a true original in blues music. Ironing Board Sam earned his nickname in the late 1950s after inventing his “button board,” a homemade and portable keyboard mounted on an ironing board. After showcasing his button board in Memphis, Sam was dubbed Ironing Board Sam for his unique invention. Sam’s powerful and soulfu...

Sunday Music NJ American Water Blues Stage (Downtown Stage) 12:00 noon Duane Chez Blues Band 12:50 SLACKJAW 1:40 - 2:30 Low Society 2:45 - 4:00 Plainfield Slim & The Groundhawgs 4:10 - 5:00 Kim Brewer Band Mr. Music Stage (former St. Cloud lot) ...

I just received a copy of Maurio Marcus' new release "Simple But True". Maurio has put together a very respectable release with a number of outstanding tunes. The release is professionally done (not all over the map like a lot of stuff I hear) and the guitar playing is great whether it be as rhythm or lead playing it's just right for the music. Born in San Diego, California, Maurio began formal music training at age 10 and then at age 15 began working in night clubs. After backing several bands for a few years and then fronting his own, “Forced Entry”, Maurio moved to New Orleans Louisiana in 1990 to privately study jazz. Among his tutors was Anthony Brown, guitarist for the James Rivers Band. After returning to California in 1992, Maurio had the opportunity to share a stage with Floyd Dixon. While working in the San Diego and Los Angeles area’s he co founded the Fire Monkeys. Later that same year he moved to Atlanta, Georgia to work as a side man and reach further in...

Fenton Robinson (September 23, 1935 — November 25, 1997) was an American blues singer and exponent of the Chicago blues guitar. Born in Greenwood, Mississippi, United States, Robinson left his home at the age of 18 to move to Memphis, Tennessee where he recorded his first single "Tennessee Woman" in 1957. He settled in Chicago in 1962. He recorded his signature song, "Somebody Loan Me a Dime", in 1967 on the Palos label, the nationwide distribution of which was aborted by a freak snow storm hitting the Windy City. Covered by Boz Scaggs in 1969, the song was misattributed, resulting in legal battles. It has since become a blues standard, being "part of the repertoire of one out of every two blues artists", according to 1997's Encyclopedia of Blues. Robinson re-recorded the song for the critically acclaimed album Somebody Loan Me a Dime in 1974, the first of three he would produce under the Alligator Records label. Robinson was nominated for a Grammy Awa...

Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004), known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records. He also helped racially integrate country and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, most notably with his Modern Sounds albums. While with ABC, Charles became one of the first African-American musicians to be given artistic control by a mainstream record company. Frank Sinatra called Charles “the only true genius in show business.” The influences upon his music were mainly jazz, blues, rhythm and blues and country artists of the day such as Art Tatum, Nat King Cole, Louis Jordan, Charles Brown, Louis Armstrong. His playing reflected influences from country blues and barrelhouse, and stride piano styles. Rolling Stone ranked Charles number 10 on their list of ...