About.com Blues

Canadian Blues Artist Jackie Washington, R.I.P.

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:57:23 +0000

Beloved Canadian blues artist Jackie Washington died on Saturday, June 27, 2009 following complications from a heart attack. Washington was 89 years old at the time of his death. Born in Hamilton, Ontario as the third of 15 children, Washington's grandfather was a former American slave who had escaped to Canada via the Underground Railroad.

Washington began performing at the young age of five, and in addition to his unique, raspy voice he taught himself guitar and piano. Through the years Washington held jobs shining shoes, working in factories, and as a railroad porter. Washington also became Canada's first black radio DJ when he went on the air with CHML Radio in Hamilton in 1948.

Washington performed in regional clubs during the 1940s and '50s, but it was with the folk-blues boom of the 1960s that he began hitting the festival circuit, where he became a popular attraction. Over the course of his lengthy career, Washington performed with a literal who's who of jazz, blues, and folk artists from Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, and Joni Mitchell to Lonnie Johnson, and Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. Washington was also an inductee to the Canadian Jazz and Blues Hall of Fame.

With a repertoire of more than 1,200 songs in the blues, folk, and jazz genres, Washington was a regular performer at the annual Mariposa Folk Festival and the Northern Lights Festival in Sudbury, where an award is named after him. Washington was also a recording artist, and released several acclaimed albums like 1995's Keeping Out Of Mischief and 1998's Midnight Choo Choo.

Although he wasn't well-known stateside, Jackie Washington was well-loved in Canada, where he received a lifetime achievement award from the Ontario Arts Council in 1995, and another at the Maple Blues Awards in 1998. Washington worked with author James Strecker to write an autobiography, More Than A Blues Singer, which was published in 1996, and he was also the subject of a documentary film. His enormous presence on the development of a thriving Canadian blues music scene will felt for years.

Photo courtesy Price Grabber

Blurt Reviews Beat The Blues!

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:14:37 +0000

Our friends over at Blurt Magazine recently celebrated their first birthday, a whole year of bringing readers the best music coverage of any publication around. Over the past 365 or so days, Blurt has published seven digital editions, and the magazine's second print issue will be hitting a newsstand somewhere near you over the next week or two.

The print edition of Blurt features the same sort of music coverage that readers have come to expect from the webzine. Available as a bi-monthly "digizine" in Flash and PDF formats, Blurt is also a music webzine, updated daily with news, reviews, and a slew of music videos. As this list of recently published CD reviews shows, Blurt has a handle on the kind of music that we like to hear: blues, blues-rock, rhythm & blues, and soul. Stop by and see them sometime, and tell 'em the Reverend sent you!

Photo courtesy Blurt Magazine

Walter Trout CD Preview

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:36:24 +0000

On August 4, 2009 Provogue Records will be releasing Walter Trout's Unspoiled By Progress album, a retrospective of the blues-rock guitarist's 20 years in the trenches. The album will include three brand-new songs � "They Call Us The Working Class," "Two Sides To Every Story" and "So Afraid Of The Darkness" � as well as a bunch of unreleased live and studio tracks drawn from across the two decades of Trout's career.

In 1989, Walter Trout left the employ of British blues legend John Mayall and his role in the Bluesbreakers to launch what has become a critically-acclaimed solo career. Trout released his solo debut, Prisoner Of A Dream, in 1990 and would go on to release seven more albums in the European market, selling better than half-a-million copies, before his self-titled stateside debut was released in 1998 by Ruf Records. Since his "reintroduction" to the American market, Trout has released seven albums, including the Blues Music Award nominated The Outsider in 2008.

Aside from the three aforementioned new songs, Unspoiled By Progress includes a number of fiery live tracks, including "Life In The Jungle" and "Long Tall Sally," from Trout's first appearance at the Paradiso club in Amsterdam in 1991; "Jimmy As Yoko," "Somebody's Acting Like A Child," and "Hey Barney" from a performance in Trout's backyard at Perq's nightclub in Huntington Beach, California; and two tracks � "Goin' Down" and "She's Out There Somewhere" � from a 1991 BBC radio session in London.

Trout fans wanting a taste of the upcoming album should check out the guitarist's website to watch a video for his new song "They Call Us The Working Class," otherwise you'll have to wait until August when Unspoiled By Progress is officially released.

Related Content: Walter Trout - The Outsider CD review

Photo courtesy Provogue Records

IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival This Weekend

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:58:30 +0000

The IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, traditionally held over the Fourth of July weekend in Davenport, Iowa for a quarter-century now, will provide Midwestern blues fans with a stellar line-up for this year's event. The annual festival will be held from Thursday, July 2nd through Saturday, July 4th, 2009 in LeClaire Park on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River in Davenport. This year's roster includes Saffire � the Uppity Blues Women, and Chicago blues legends Magic Slim and the Teardrops. See who else is performing this year�.

Saffire photo courtesy Alligator Records

Happy Birthday Big Bill Broonzy!

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:39:27 +0000

Legendary Chicago blues great Big Bill Broonzy was born this day in 1893�.er, or was it 1898? Like many blues artists of the era, much of Broonzy's early life is shadowed by lack of documentation. What isn't an issue, however, is Broonzy's importance to blues music and his influence on a generation of Chicago blues musicians.

Born in Scott, Mississippi literally on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River, Broonzy moved to Chicago with his family as a teenager. After picking up the guitar, he quickly integrated himself into the city's fledgling blues scene. A friend and contemporary of artists like guitarist Tampa Red and harp player John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson, Broonzy helped evolve older vaudeville styles like hokum and ragtime into an urbanized blues sound.

"Big Bill" was also an important mentor to Delta immigrants like Memphis Minnie and Muddy Waters, helping them find gigs and supporting their music. Join us today in celebrating the life and career of the great Big Bill Broonzy, no matter what year he was born!

Related Content: Big Bill Broonzy Profile

Photo courtesy Price Grabber

Former Teardrop Nick Holt, R.I.P.

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:29:26 +0000

Formers Teardrops bassist Nick Holt, the brother of Chicago blues legend Magic Slim (a/k/a Morris Holt), died in Lincoln, Nebraska on Monday, June 22, 2009 from brain cancer. Holt was 69 years old at the time of his death.

Born in Grenada, Mississippi in 1940, Holt accompanied his brother to Chicago in the late-1950s, and helped him form the popular Magic Slim & the Teardrops in 1960. The rock-steady bass player performed with his frontman brother for the next 40 years, both onstage and on the band's recordings through 2000's Blind Pig Records release Snakebite.

Holt moved with his brother to Lincoln in 1994, where Magic Slim & the Teardrops performed frequently at the Zoo Bar when they weren't on tour, and even recorded several live albums at the venue. Holt also received a 1999 W.C. Handy Awards nomination as "Best Blues Instrumentalist � Bass" for his work with the Teardrops.

Nick Holt was also in demand as a session player, and he lent his bass skills to albums by Little Milton, Sunnyland Slim, Vance Kelly, and former Teardrops' guitarist John Primer, among others. Holt also released three albums with his name on them: You Can't Lose What You Never Had, recorded with his brother Magic Slim and released by Austrian blues label Wolf Records; We Do It For The Blues, with Dutch bluesman "Little Boogie Boy;" and his lone solo album, You Better Watch Yourself, released by Wolf Records in 1998.

Holt had beat throat cancer in 1987, but he had been sidelined for the past several years with health problems. He will be missed by the many Teardrops fans in Chicago and across the world.

Photo courtesy Price Grabber

7th Annual Blues From The Top Fest This Weekend

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:17:52 +0000

Colorado is beautiful country during the summer, and if you're anywhere within a hundred miles of Winter Park, Colorado this coming weekend, you might want to check into the 7th Annual Blues From The Top Fest. The event will be held on Saturday, June 27th and Sunday, June 28th, 2009 at the city's Hideaway Park music venue from 10:30 am until 7:00 pm both days.

Saturday's performers include notable blues guitarist Tab Benoit, soul-blues singer Mike Zito, and bluesman Zac Harmon. Sunday you can experience the talents of blues-rocker Tommy Castro, blustery singer Deanna Bogart, and blues harp player John Nemeth, among others. The Jimmy Hall Super Jam performs on both Saturday and Sunday.

Overnight lodging is also available for blues fans wanting to stay both days. Winter Park is northwest of Denver, and the festival itself is sponsored by the Grand County Blues Society. For a complete list of festival performers, ticket availability, and information on other events over the weekend, check out the Grand County Blues Society website.

Photo courtesy Blues From The Top Fest

Monterey Bay Blues Festival This Weekend!

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:55:44 +0000

West Coast blues fans can pack their bags and head towards Monterey Bay, because they're going to be having a heck of a party this weekend! The Monterey Bay Blues Festival was launched in 1986, held on the fourth Saturday weekend in June each year at the Monterey Fairgrounds in, well, Monterey California. This year's event takes place this coming weekend, June 26th through June 28th, 2009.

The Monterey Bay Blues Festival 2009 will feature headlining acts like R&B vocalist Jeffrey Osborne, blues-rock guitar legend Elvin Bishop, soul great Clarence Carter, and New Orleans musical legends the Neville Brothers. Other notable blues artists appearing at this year's festival include acclaimed guitarists Eric Bibb and Lucky Peterson; the phenomenal teenage Homemade Jamz Blues Band; singer and 2009 Blues Music Award winner Janiva Magness; and talented singer, songwriter, and guitarist Kenny Neal, among other performers.

From the first festival in 1986, which attracted somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,000 blues fans, through last year's 20,000+ festival attendees, the Monterey Bay Blues Festival has become one of the premiere events in the country. For more information, including ticket availability and a complete line-up of performing artists, check the Monterey Bay Blues Festival website.

Logo courtesy Monterey Bay Blues Festival

Roomful Of Blues Rockin' The Road!

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:15:13 +0000

Like a steam-powered engine runnin' the steel rails, Roomful of Blues just keeps chooglin' along! The popular blues music institution has been bringing its unique blend of hard-rocking, horn-driven jump blues and R&B to audiences across this green spinning globe since 1967, when the band was formed in Rhode Island by former guitarist Duke Robillard and pianist Al Copley.

Through the years, Roomful of Blues has released better than a dozen acclaimed albums, receiving five Grammy� Award nominations along the way. The band has also earned seven Blues Music Awards, including the coveted "Blues Band of the Year" honor in 2005. It's the Roomful of Blues live experience that wins converts to their sound, however, and the band is touring deep into the fall in support of their 2008 Alligator Records album Raisin' A Ruckus. Every Roomful of Blues show is a party, so be sure to join in on the fun when the road brings them to your town.

Roomful of Blues Tour Dates

June 19 @ Lafayette Tap Room, Buffalo NY
June 20 @ Brothers Lounge, Cleveland OH
June 24 @ 9th Street Summerfest, Columbia MO
June 25 @ Sedgwick County Zoo, Wichita KS
June 26 @ Riverfront Blues Festival, Fort Smith AR
June 27 @ Hot City Nights, St. Charles MO
June 28 @ Knuckleheads Saloon, Kansas City MO
July 01 @ The Zoo Bar, Lincoln NE
July 02 @ Murphy's Lounge, Omaha NE
July 03 @ Great American Music Festival, Berwyn IL
July 04 @ Sheldon Theatre, Red Wing MN
July 09 @ Fat Fish Blue, Perrysburg OH
July 10 @ Blues & BBQs, Warsaw IN
July 11 @ Riverside Park Amphitheater, Rushville IN
July 13 @ Callahan's, Auburn Hills MI
July 15 @ Ottawa Blues Festival, Ottawa, Ontario Canada
July 26 @ Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts, Westport CT
July 29 @ Blues On The Beach, Westerly RI
Aug. 06 @ Stearns Square City Block Concert Series, Springfield MA
Aug. 07 @ Point Breeze, Webster MA
Aug. 09 @ Charlestown Seafood Festival, Charlestown RI
Aug. 15 @ Infinity Music Hall, Norfolk CT
Aug. 19 @ Rockin' the River Cruise, New York NY
Aug. 21 @ Labatt Blues Festival, Edmonton, Alberta Canada
Aug. 29 @ Camden Opera House, Camden ME
Sep. 10 @ Westfield Business Improvement District, Fairfield CT
Sep. 12 @ Princeton Jazz Festival, Princeton NJ
Nov. 21 @ The Grand Theatre, Ellsworth ME

Related Content:
Roomful of Blues profile
Duke Robillard profile

Photo by John Corbett, courtesy Alligator Records

More blues artists tour dates

Blues Festival Guide 2009

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:36:00 +0000

In these uncertain times, the music festival is the time-tested way to get the most bang for your hard-earned buck. As a lot of blues festivals have begun adding soul, R&B, and roots-rock artists to their line-ups, fans can experience a wealth of musical styles and performances for the price of a single ticket.

For seven years, the annual Blues Festival Guide has provided a handy roadmap for blues fans looking to hit the road and experience a taste of live blues music in an open-air, outdoors setting. The 7th Annual Blues Festival Guide 2009 includes over 90 pages of ads, articles, interviews, and festival listings. Read more....

Photo courtesy Blues Festival Guide