The Insomniacs at the Sand Dollar, Las Vegas TONIGHT!

I'm stoked that the Insomniacs will be performing at the Sand Dollar tonight at 11pm. Yep, late start, but it's Las Vegas!

Blues Blast Awards Winners Announced

Back in June, I got notice of the Blues Blast Awards nominees and quickly went to work casting my votes. I was disappointed to see a few names missing from the ballot but pleased at some of the names that were there.

The 2010 Blues Blast Music Awards were announced Thursday night, October 29, at Buddy Guy's Legends in Chicago.

Best Contemporary Blues Recording - Nick Moss - Privileged


Best Traditional Blues Recording - Mississippi Heat - Let's Live It Up


Best Blues Song - The Kilborn Alley Blues Band - "Better Off Now"

Best Blues Band - Tommy Castro Band

Best Male Blues Artist - Magic Slim

Best Female Blues Artist - Shemekia Copeland

Best New Artist Debut Recording - Jackie Scott & The Housewreckers - How Much Woman Can You Stand?

Sean Costello Rising Star Award - The Cash Box Kings

2010 Lifetime Achievement Award - Otis Rush


Of all the winners, I think I'm most excited to see the Cash Box Kings on there. I've been a fan for six or so years. Once upon a time, back when I was a nurse, I was working with a gentleman who shared my passion for the blues. I gave him a few bands to check out, he gave me a few. One of those bands: Cash Box Kings. I got home, went online to check them out, fell in love with their sound, and promptly bought the two CDs they had out at the time. I've been a fan ever since.

While I know they've been around for a while, their star is rising on the national scene and I'm glad to see them getting the attention they deserve. Good job, guys!

And congratulations to all the winners!

Two-fer Tuesday: Stoney Curtis Band and the Michael Schenker Group ft. Chris Logan

I've been working on a project for the past week involving the Stoney Curtis Band, so it's fitting that I've been listening to him a lot music as I work.

My favorite SCB tune: "Last Train to Chicago".




As much as I love SCB's previous work, can I mention how excited I am about the upcoming release, Cosmic Connection? Once there are videos or even audio clips available, I will be posting away. I expect the new album to be nothing short of brilliant.

I haven't been listening to Stoney Curtis exclusively, though. In fact, I've been listening to a friend of his, Chris Logan, providing lead vocals for the Michael Schenker Group. I consider myself a lucky girl in that I occasionally get to see both Curtis and Chris share the stage. It's like musical magic. Anyhow, from MSG and Chris, "On & On".




I gotta get back to the salt mines, so enjoy the music and have a great day.

Okay, I'm sneaking one more in. My favorite song with Logan on vocals. From Jake E. Lee's Retraced, "I'll Be Creepin'".




And from Curtis again..."Bullets". Heavy, but fabulous.

Toots for a Saturday morning

Born in Brussels in 1922, Toots Thielemans is a working musician today.

- Born : Brussels, Belgium 1922
Immigrated : USA 1952
- Played accordion at age 3
- Started playing harmonica as a hobby
- First guitar won on a bet
- "Hooked" on Jazz during German occupation
- First idol : Django Reinhardt
- Early influence : Charlie Parker
- Nicknamed "Toots" after musicians Toots Mondello
and Toots Camarata
- First international break through : Joining Benny Goodman
on European concert tour in 1950
- Early US jobs : member of Charlie Parker's All Stars in Philadelphia;
George Shearing Quintet; ...
- Composed "Bluesette", 1962
- Originated new sound : Whistling and guitar in unison
- Whistler for commercials : Best known "Old Spice"
- Harmonica soloist for film scores: Midnight Cowboy, The Getaway,
Sugarland Express, Cinderella Liberty, Turks Fruit,
Jean de Florette , ...
- Concerts and recordings with names like George Shearing,
Ella Fitzgerald, Quincy Jones, Bill Evans, Jaco Pastorius,
Natalie Cole, Pat Metheny, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, ...
- Harmonica Soloist - TV : Sesame Street
- Perennial winner of Down Beat readers and critics poll
"miscellaneous instruments"
- Favorite compliment (from the late Clifford Brown) :
"Toots, the way you play the harmonica they should not call it a
miscellaneous instrument"

Happy Birthday Steve Cropper

Lead guitarist for Booker T & the MGs, Steve was born today in 1941. Who can forget Green Onions?







Shout out to the late, great Dizzy Gillespie, who would have been 93 today.

Two-fer Tuesday: Pablo Cruise

My first concert was Pablo Cruise. Del Mar Fair. With my big sister. I remember thinking she was the best big sister ever! She told our parents she'd keep an eye on me. She didn't have to do that, but she did and we got to go hang out together. It was one of those great sisterly moments that come around once in a blue moon. I'll remember it forever.

These days you pretty much have to go stand in line at the bank to hear Pablo Cruise again. No more! I'm here to save the day.









Do you even want to know who the second concert was? (Bonus points for anyone who knows the answer)

Two-fer Tuesday: Andre Villoch

The name is familiar, but I don't know why. I've done researched my ass off and still I can't think how I know the name or why some of the music seems familiar. Oh well, we'll chalk this up to my exceedingly deep and eclectic music ramblings and assume I was ahead of my time when I first discovered this millions of years ago (and subsequently forgot).

And now, without further ado, here is Andre Villoch (minus the accent aigu on his e -- I'm a lazy girl today).







Two bonus vids:

Help Choose a Cover for the New Roomful of Blues CD

Seems the band, Roomful of Blues (love them!), has a new album coming out called Hook, Line & Sinker. Alligator Records wants your help on choosing the cover art.

What do you need to do?

Very simply, click on this link and go vote for one of these covers.

Roomful of Blues' new album needs a cover. Which one do you like?

 

You may even win a copy of the CD in the process. How cool is that?

Last time I checked, the lineup for the band looked a little something like this:

Chris Vachon, guitar

Phil Pemberton, vocals

Bryan "Frankie" Rizzuto, Upright bass and Bass guitar
Ephraim Lowell, Drums
Travis Colby, Piano and B3 Organ
Rich Lataille, Tenor and Alto saxophone
Doug Wolverton, Trumpet
Mark Earley, Baritone saxophone and Tenor saxophone

Don't know if we'll get the usual suspects on this new disc, but let's face it, any new music from Roomful is bound to be tasty!

Two-fer Tuesday: The Boobiethon Edition Part I

Y'all are still checking out Boobie-Thon, right? Donating? Participating? Supporting the fight against breast cancer!

Tell you what, grab hold your pair, be they big or small, male or female, and do your self-exam while you listen to these songs. And when you're done, head on down to Part II of this week's edition of Two-fer Tuesday.

After listening to some great music, you get to play advocate and go out to educate your friends, family, strangers, whoever, and do whatever it takes. Hold bakes sales. Get your book club together to talk about what you can do to help raise awareness. Perhaps your local blues or jazz or folk society would put together a fundraising night! C'mon, we all have breast tissue, so this means the battle is on for us all!






















Before you start the second part, go call friends and encourage them to start their self-breast exams while they, too, listen along. And take this day to talk to those around you about early detection and early treatment being the key to fighting this disease.

* Every 13 minutes, someone dies of breast cancer.

* Early detection of breast cancer, through monthly breast self-exam and particularly yearly mammography after age 40, offers the best chance for survival.

* Ninety-six percent of women who find and treat breast cancer early will be cancer-free after five years.

* You are never too young to develop breast cancer! Breast Self-Exam should begin by the age of twenty.

Educate and communicate. Two of the most important components of providing help in this fight against cancer.

Two-fer Tuesday: The Boobiethon Edition Part II

Y'all are still checking out Boobie-Thon, right? Donating? Participating? Supporting the fight against breast cancer? Do what you have to do. Women of all ages have breast tissue. Men do, too. It can get any one of us.

Tell you what, grab hold your pair, be they big or small, male or female, and do your self-exam while you listen to these songs.

After listening to some great music, you get to play advocate and go out to educate your friends, family, strangers, whoever, and do whatever it takes. Hold bakes sales. Get your book club together to talk about what you can do to help raise awareness. Perhaps your local blues or jazz or folk society would put together a fundraising night! C'mon, we all have breast tissue, so this means the battle is on for us all!





















Now it's time for you to act! Go forth and share the news.

From the Susan G. Komen website:

Anyone can get breast cancer. For example, did you know…

* the older a woman, the more likely she is to get breast cancer?

* young women can and do get breast cancer, even in their 20s?

* white women are more likely to get breast cancer than women of any other racial or ethnic group?

* African American women are more likely to die from breast cancer than white women?

* men can get breast cancer? Out of every one hundred cases of breast cancer, one will occur in a man.

Educate and communicate. Two of the most important components of providing help in this fight against cancer.