Blues Column / Bay Area Blues Beat / July 2003

Date: 1 Jul 2003 14:31:57 -0700
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.blues-l
Size: 6,714 bytes

July 1, 2003
Hello Blues-L Friends,
Here is an expanded column I write for the monthly magazine,
Southland Blues, published out of Long Beach, California.
Thanks and have a great summer,
Joseph Jordan
National Editor
Southland Blues Magazine
email-address-deleted
=============================================================================
Bay Area Blues Beat
Joseph Jordan
National Editor
Southland Blues / July 2003
All Rights Reserved / Copyright 2003
SAN FRANCISCO:
GOING TO A GO GO: There've been some major developments in the Bay
Area club scene. Frank Klein, has left his longtime manager position
at SF's ("Blues Foundation's Keeping the Blues Alive" award-winning)
nightclub, Biscuits and Blues. As reported previously, Klein has
purchased and is now operating the historic Eli's Mile High Club in
West Oakland, with the goal of being one of the "best blues clubs in
the country" within a year's time. With a full bar and full menu and
great acts, we wish Frank and his club the very best of luck, and our
appreciation for keeping Eli's alive. Check out:
http://www.elisblues.com.
Biscuits and Blues in the meantime will continue as a full-time,
every- day-of-the-week blues club, under the guidance and direction
of new G.M. (and one of the friendliest bartenders in America,) Danny
Gerrard. B&B's Canadian owners, have given the green light, and
additional financial help, to help allow the club to continue its
excellence in booking major blues acts and to continue to provide
their ongoing service excellence to its many out-of-town and local
patrons. Danny and his dedicated staff have pledged themselves to
keeping the club operating as one of the finest blues showcases in
the nation. He, along with Sage, Beth, Rene, Ilia and all, we wish
you the best and appreciate the growing legacy of your still-young
club. Check out http://www.biscuitsandbluessf.com.
BROWN-EYED HANDSOME MEN: One of the coolest bands you never heard
of, the Bay Area's "The Blue Eyed Devils" have a couple of terrific
CDs out on their own label ("Legend of Shorty Brown" & "Hard Luck"
Town) and they'll be in SoCal soon on a series of dates. Playing
"blues, boogies & rags" these conceptually brilliant young musicians
have staked out a musical niche not too many of us have heard before.
BED plays original music in the style of that being played over sixty
years ago, but it's anything but quaint. Riveting, rollicking and
unique is more like it. They're more than worth a listen. Check out:
http://www.theblueeyeddevils.com.
MAJOR DOINGS IN THE EAST BAY: Ronnie Stewart and The Bay Area Blues
Society have put together a spectacular weekend of music for the
annual Hayward-Russell City Blues Festival on the 12 & 13 at
Hayward's City Hall Plaza. Celebrating the U.S. Congressional decree
that 2003 be known as the "Year of the Blues," the Fest will be host
to a truly outstanding range of performers including Michael Burks,
Guitar Shorty, Chris Cain (who is one of my very favorite
guitarists,) Little Jimmy Reed, Paul Delay, Caravan of Allstars Revue
featuring Stewart, Wylie Trass, Teddy "Blues Master" Watson, Sweet
Liz, the Russell City Memorial Blues Band featuring Jimmy Mamou,
Billy Dunn, Big Bob Deance, and the talents of John Lee Hooker Jr.
Gospel will be well served as the Stars of Glory will also entertain.
Appearing as well will be ex-Tower of Power lead-singer Lenny
Williams, Louisiana's Mem Shannon and The Membership, sensational
Chick Willis, close-to-legendary Sugar Pie DeSanto, rising star J.C.
Smith Blues Band, captivatingly-fun and musically-delicious Steve
Lucky & the Rhumba Bums featuring the sassy antics of Ms. Carmen
Getit, Brickhouse Blues Band, Birdlegg & Tightfit and another gospel
band of note, Endurance. This is always one of the best festivals on
the West Coast and this year's presentation promises to be a
mind-blower. Check it out by calling 1-707-647-3962 or at their
website: http://www.bayareabluessociety.net.
IT TAKES TWO, BABY: The fastest-growing blues festival in the West,
the 2nd Annual Modesto Blues Festival will celebrate with a great
one-day lineup on the 12th with such artists as Joe Louis Walker,
Coco Montoya, Roomful of Blues, Mem Shannon, Little Charlie and the
Nightcats and even more. Check out the hotter-than-a-match-head
festival and site at: http://www.modestobluesfestival.com.
NO HOT TUB JOKES, PLEASE: The Marin County Fair will present
American Roots and Rhythm on the at the Fairgrounds, which will
feature the Preservation Hall Jazz Band on the 4th, and the
sensational Lady Bianca and the always crowd-pleasin' Elvin Bishop
among others on the 6th. Check out:
http://www.marinfair.org/fair2003/entertainment.html.
BETTER THAN CHEAP SONOMA WINE: The annual Sonoma County Blues
Festival at the S.C. Fairgrounds, held this year on August 2nd, will
once again be a stone blast. Brought to us by intrepid promoters &
all-around good guys Doug Smith and Bill Bowker, this 24th annual
fest is a bargain too! With entrance to the Sonoma County Fair, all
the music, and there's a lot of it, is free. Hopefully their site
will be out soon at:
http://www.smithandbowker.com/Pages/bluesfest.html or go to:
http://www.sonomacountyfair.com/entertainers.asp.
ALL HAIL THE KING: B.B. hits the Chronicle Pavilion in Concord on
August 1st for his annual visit. Jeff Beck supports.
SUSAN'S KIDS: On the evening of July 21st, Oakland's justly-famed
jazz club, Yoshi's will turn into a blues emporium, for a great
cause. Ms. Angela Strehli, (Texas' blues gift to California,)
powerhouse guitarist Rene Solis with Hammond-master Duke Jethro, the
Delta Wires, and substantial harp/guitar duo prowess of Mark
Fenichel and Jon Lawton will be playing in honor of the Benefit for
the East Bay Cancer Support Group in a night called, "East Bay Blues
Revue." The Preece is right! Check out: http://www.yoshis.com/ and
http://www.ebcancersupport.org.
LOCAL YOKELS: Outstanding new releases by Bay Area blues recording
artists are: Gary Vogensen's indy, "Don't Tell Me About Love," The
Jackie Payne & Steve Edmonson Band's "Partners in the Blues," on
Burnside and Big Bones' indy "So Low." (I'll be telling you much
more about Big Bones life, music and journey in next month's column.)
For info, check out:
Vogensen: http://www.garyvogensen.com
Payne-Edmonson: http://www.payne-edmonson.com
Big Bones: http://www.bigbonesblues.com
IN CLOSING: Is there any Bay Area Blues news you need me to know
about? E-mail me: email-address-deleted. See you next month.
End -
NetSpace LISTSERV(R) software donated by L-Soft, Inc. http://www.lsoft.com