March 30, 2010
- New Pinetop Perkins / Willie "Big Eyes" Smith CD forthcoming! Producer Michael Freeman of Coachouse Music reports "I've just finished producing a long awaited album for Pinetop Perkins and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith for Telarc, titled Joined At the Hip, and due for a May/June release." We look forward to this very natural pairing of alumni of the Muddy Waters band, which BTW, also includes the great John Primer on guitar (another Muddy alum). Pinetop is now 96 years young, and is still playing at the top of his game. Willie "Big Eyes" Smith has emerged a frontman / harmonica player in the last few years, and this CD will surely help advance his already solid reputation. Thanks Michael for this great news!
- RIP Bobby Alexis, birth-date unknown - March 4, 2010. Dorothy Hill reports that keyboardist Bobby Alexis died in Houston on March 4th of a heart attack. Alexis worked for many years in the Albert Collins band, and also had played with Guitar Shorty, and Bo Diddley. Sadly, very little biographical information is available about Bobby Alexis, though he was very well known in musician circles.
- Get well cards for Fontella Bass. Deitra Farr reports on an ailing Fontella Bass, the St. Louis based soul singer, best known for the hit "Rescue Me". Deitra states "Fontella Bass has been very ill from a series of strokes. I would love for her fans and fellow musicians to show her some love and support." Get well cards and letters may be sent to: Fontella Bass, c/o Rosewood Care Center of St. Louis, Room 415, 11278 Schuetz Road, St. Louis, Missouri 63146.
- Chicago Blues Festival honors Howlin' Wolf! Lineup announced! The Chicago Blues Festival takes place on June 11th, 12th, and 13th, at Grant Park. This year the Fest celebrates the centennial of Howlin' Wolf's birthday with performances and panels by his former band members and associates. Among those associates performing will be Eddie Shaw, Henry Gray, Hubert Sumlin, Sam Lay, James Cotton, and Abb Locke! For more information and to see a full lineup for the Chicago Blues Festival, click here. To see a recently published photo page honoring the great Howlin' Wolf, click here.
- 2009 BMA photo page posted! The Blues Music Awards is the greatest annual gathering of the blues world. The BMAs are a simply wonderful party, where some wonderful and unique blues people meet and greet. Please enjoy this photo display from last year's Awards show. Included are photos of Koko Taylor, Bobby Rush, Steve Guyger, The Mannish Boys, Lil' Ed, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, Chris James, Patrick Rynn, Big Pete Pearson, Bill Wax, Bob and Linda Porter, Fionna Boyes, Hubert Sumlin, Steven Seagal, Irma Thomas, Bobby Bland, and more! This year's BMAs will take place in Memphis on Thursday, May 6th. To see the 2009 BMA photo page click here. For more information on this year's BMAs click here.
- Some great new blues books! Three wonderful, newly published books have come to our attention. The first is Blues Before Sunrise, The Radio Interviews, which features a sampling of amazing interviews that Chicago author/radio show host Steve Cushing conducted with blues artists and producers such as Yank Rachell, Gray Ghost, Jody Williams, Little Hudson, Ralph Bass, John and Grace Brim, Johnny Williams, Cadillac Baby, Alberta Hunter, and more! Steve's uncanny historical knowledge is apparent throughout this fascinating set of life stories that Steve ably coaxes from each interview subject. We should also mention that Steve is a great blues drummer and producer, who made records with Magic Slim and Big Smokey Smothers. For more information on Blues Before Sunrise, The Radio Interviews, click here. To enjoy a filmed interview with Steve Cushing on WGN click here. Also from, and about the windy city comes The Chicago Music Scene, 1960's and 1970s by Dean Milano. This is a thought provoking photo essay of a time and place filled with musical zest and activity. Approximately a fifth of this book is devoted to the blues, and does so in fine form, with great era photos of the most prevalent blues artists of that period. The cover photo alone is worth the price of admission with a great shot of Lonnie Brooks performing at Chicago Fest at Navy Pier in the late 1970s. To see the cover and read more about this book click here. The third book that has come to our attention is Blues, Booze, and BBQ by Michael Loyd Young which is a spellbinding photographic journal of the modern day Mississippi blues experience. With stunningly colorful and vivid images in high quality reproduction, Young takes us on a journey through Highway 61. This is the Delta of today, complete with both the timeless deep south quality of the blues, and the juxtaposed tourist based blues modernization that is now part of the landscape. To read more about Blues, Booze, and BBQ and see a slide show of some of the book's images click here, then Essays, and Blues, Booze, and BBQ. All three of these books are spectacular in that they aptly accomplish their mission statement and bring a wonderful focus to the blues!
- Athology CD of vintage Phoenix blues get first reviews! Earlier this year the Southwest Musical Arts Foundation released a complilation of vintage Phoenix Blues titled Flyin' High, A Collection Of Phoenix Blues, Rhythm, and Spirit from the 1950's and 60's. The CD's 27 tracks include Big Pete Pearson's first recordings, Reverend Louis Overstreet, J.C. Arline, The Lone Wolf, Duke Draper, Maxine Johnson, John "Oklahoma Zeke" Lewis, Dumas King, Roosevelt Nettles, Budd Spudd & The Sprouts, Jimmy Knight, Baby Jean, the Curtis Gray Combo, and more. It has received its first two reviews, courtesy of Blues Source and Blues & Rhythm Magazine. You can read these reviews online by clicking here. To see the cover art for Flyin' High, click here, and to read the extensive liner notes by John Dixon, click here. This CD is currently available through Bluebeat Music and can be purchased by clicking here. Proceeds from the sales of this CD will go to the Southwest Musical Arts Foundation who are planning more historically important blues releases.
- Posthumus Gary Primich CD released! This news just in from Harri Haka: "A newly released CD collection of Gary Primich live performances in Finland, called Gary Indiana, has been released by the Finnish Blues Society on the Blue Star record label." Harmonica ace Gary Primich, passed away on Sept 23rd, 2007, at the early age of 49, so this continuance of his legacy is most welcome. For more information on the new, release click here.
- Albert Ammons & Pete Johnson on YouTube! Please enjoy this amazing colaboration of Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson, two of the definitive innovators of boogie woogie piano, who perform together on this vintage film clip of "Boogie Woogie Dream" (click here to see)
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