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In This Issue...

Letter from the President

March Blues Bash Performer Seth Freeman (Photo by Rick Bowen)

Arthur Migliazza at the Keyboard!(Photo Courtesy of Arthur Migliazza)

John Mayall at Jazz Alley(Photo by Paul Steiner)

Boogie Woogie Man! 12Blues Bash Review 14Membership Form 152015 IBC Application Form 162015 IBC Instructions 17Gray Sky Blues Fest Preview 18

Letter from the President 2On the Cover 3Officers and Directors 6Blues Bash Preview 7The Best Show of the Year! 10South Sound Blues Update 11

Coeur d’Alene Fest Preview 18Talent Guide 19Blues Calendar 20Blues Radio Guide 22Blues Jam Guide 22Blues Venue Guide 23

Hi Blues Fans, The days are already flying past and it is hard to believe it is time for my March Bluesletter update. Seems like just yesterday I returned from Memphis and the International Blues Challenge. There were many Blues lovers from the Pacific Northwest who attended and cheered on all of the Northwest musicians who competed in the IBCs. All of the representatives from the upper left hand corner did very well in the Challenge. Six out of eight acts from our area moved into the Semi-Finals and two (Arthur Migliazza-South Sound Blues Association and Ben Rice & The iLLamatics-Cascade Blues Association) made the finals! Bakin’ Phat and Sweet Danny Ray & Rafael Tranquillino did a great job representing the Washington Blues Society and making contacts and advancing their careers. The CD Woodbury Band also made a great showing for us in the Best Self-Produced CD contest as a final five competitor. They became the house band for the Jerry Lee Lewis club and all of our Pacific Northwest musicians became fixtures there every night for the jams as well as getting up at jams up and down Beale Street. It was quite a successful trip for all! I highly recommend this event for all Blues fans as it is affordable and always a great time. Put it on your bucket list and start making

plans for next year!

Festival season is starting up this month with two good ones right out of the gate. The Walla Walla Guitar Festival kicks off on Friday and Saturday, on March 14th & 15th. This is third year for this event which fills up downtown Walla Walla with great music. Your Washington Blues Society is one of the sponsors and will be there with our booth at the main stage at the Elks Lodge, stop on by and say HI!, and check out the new merchandise. Next up is the Coeur D’Alene Blues Festival on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday on March 28th, 29th, & 30th. The special deal that has been arranged for Washington Blues Society members that I talked about last month in my “Letter from the President” has to do with this always entertaining festival. Please see the Festival Preview in this issue for more information! Both of these events have good line ups and it is definitely time to get out of the house and hit the road. I know I have cabin fever and am ready to get out!

The purchase of our new membership software and hardware has been initiated and as soon as we receive it and get it installed and all of us up to speed on the ins and outs of all the features we will set up some volunteers to help Membership

Director Michelle Burge get all of our members their membership cards and other needed information. This will take a few months, but we are on the path and moving forward. I know we just returned from Memphis, but the sign up period to compete for next year’s International Blues Challenge semi-finals starts this month and runs through mid-April. Be sure to spread the word to your favorite bands and solo/duos and let them know it is time to get their entries in. I personally really believe in this event and have seen the benefits that it has for everyone who enters.

I firmly believe that if all entrants read the rules and build and work on their sets for this event per the different categories on the score sheet, it will help them become a more polished and professional band or solo/duo. Once again we will be taking our semi-finals across the state with the finals to be held at the Taste of Music in Historic Downtown Snohomish.

Well Eric won’t let me have any more space so until next month get out and support the “Blues”. See you out at a show! Thanks, Tony

Tony Frederickson, PresidentWashington Blues Society

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Celebrating 25 Years of Blues1989 - 2014

March 2014 BluesletterVol. XXIV, Number III

Publisher Washington Blues SocietyEditor Eric Steiner (editor@wablues.org) Secretary Mary McPageCalendar Janie Walla (thewallas@juno.com)Advertising Malcolm Kennedy (advertising@wablues.org)Printer Pacific P blishing Company www.pacifi publishingcompany.com

Contributing Writers: Blues Boss, Eric Steiner, Robert Horn, Rick Bowen, Malcolm Kennedy, Tony Frederickson, Polly O’Keary, Liz

Caraway, Tim Sutherland, Chris Pyle

Contributing Photographers: Tony Kutter, Rick Bowen, Tim Sutherland, Jeff Dunas, Arthur Migliazza, Blues Boss, Tony Kutter, Paul Steiner

Cover Photo: Karen Lovely by Tony Kutter

The Bluesletter welcomes stories and photos from WBS members! Features, columns and reviews are due by the 5th of each month in the following formats: plain text or Microsoft Word. Graphics must be in high-res 300 dpi .pdf, jpg, or .tiff formats. We encourage submissions. If a submitter intends to retain the rights to material (e.g., photos, videos, lyrics, textual matter) submitted for publication in the Bluesletter, or the WaBlues.org website, he or she must so state at the time of submission; otherwise, submitter’s rights to the material will be transferred to WBS, upon publication. We reserve the right to edit all content. TheBluesletter is the official monthly publication of the Washington Blues Society. The WBS not responsible for the views and opinions expressed in The Bluesletter by any individual.

© WBS 2013

Mission Statement The Washington Blues Society is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to promote, preserve, and advance the culture and tradition of blues music as an art form. Annual membership is $25 for individuals, $35 for couples, and $40 for overseas memberships. The Washington Blues Society is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization and donations are tax-deductible. The Washington Blues Society is affiliated with The Blues Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee.

Washington Blues SocietyP.O. Box 70604

- Seattle, WA 98127www.wablues.org

On the Cover...Tony Kutter is a relative newcomer to Northwest blues having immersed himself into the Port-land blues scene just six short years ago. Always with camera in hand you’ll find him frequenting festivals up and down the west coast, attending concerts or frequenting his favorite blues clubs. Comfortable shooting portraits, sports action or scenery he’ll tell you blues performance photog-raphy is his passion.

River Otter Recprds 24Creating a CD Cover 26Letter from the Editor 27Harp Wizards 28Best of the Blues Ballot 31

Welcome Back Janiva Magness!(Photo by Jeff Dunas)

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Washington Blues SocietyProud Recipient of a 2009 Keeping the Blues Alive Award

from The Blues Foundation 2014 Officers

President Tony Frederickson president@wablues.orgVice President Rick Bowen vicepres@wablues.orgSecretary Mary McPage. secretary@wablues.orgTreasurer (Acting) Chad Creamer treasurer@wablues.orgEditor Eric Steiner editor@wablues.org

2014 Directors Music Co-Directors Cherie Robbins & Janice Cleven Gage music@wablues.orgMembership Michelle Burge membership@wablues.orgEducation Roy Brown education@wablues.orgVolunteers Rhea Rolfe volunteers@wablues.orgMerchandise Tony Frederickson merchandise@wablues.orgAdvertising Malcolm Kennedy advertising@wablues.org

2014 Street TeamDowntown Seattle Tim & Michelle Burge blueslover206@comcast.netWest Seattle Open OpenNorth Sound Malcolm Kennedy & Joy Kelly advertising@wablues.orgNorthern WA Lloyd Peterson freesprt@televar.comPenninsula Dan Wilson allstarguitar@centurytel.netSouth Sound Cherie Robbins cherieerobins@gmail.comCentral WA Stephen J. Lefebvre s.j.lefebvre@gmail.comEastern WA Cindy Dyer cindalucy@hotmail.comBallard Marcia Jackson sunyrosykat@gmail.comLopez Island Carolyn & Dean Jacobsen cjacobsen@rockisland.comMiddle East “Rock Khan” rocknafghanistan@gmail.com

Special ThanksWebmaster The Sheriff webmaster@wablues.orgWeb Hosting Adhost www.adhost.comWBS Logo Phil Chesnut philustr8r@gmail.comCalendar Janie Wallas calendar@wablues.org

April 2014 DeADlinesAdvertising Space Reservations: March 5thmalcarken@comcast.net

Calendar: March 10th calendar@wablues.org

Editorial : March 5th to editor@wablues.org

Camera Ready Ad Art Due: March 12 th - advertising@wabluse.org

Camera ready art should be in CMYK format at 300 dpi or higher.

Advertising rAtes:Graphics: 300 dpi PDF, TIF or JPGText: Plain .txt or WordFull Page: $300 (8.5” x 11”)Half Page: $175 (8.5” x 5.5”)Back Half Page: $260 (8.5” x 5.5”)Quarter Page: $100 (4.25” x 5.5”)Fifth Page: $75 (4.25” x 3.5”)Business Card: $30 (3.5” x 2”)ADD COLOR: ADD 25%

We’ve Got Discounts!20% off- 12 month pre-payment15% off- 6 month pre-payment10% off- 3 month pre-paymentContact: advertising@wablues.org

We value your business. Please send all advertising inquriries and ad copy to advertising@wablues.org with a copy to Malcolm

“Yard Dog” Kennedy at malcarken@comcast.net

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the rAndy OxfOrd BAnd And seth freemAn! MarchBlues Bash Preview

By Rick Bowen

March brings another fine treat to the monthly Washington Blues Society Blues Bash with an acoustic set from up and coming guitar sensation Seth Freeman and an electric set from the world renowned Randy Oxford Band. As always, the blues bash is held on the second Tuesday of the month in the Red Crane Restaurant above the Club Hollywood casino in Shoreline, Washington.

Jensen Seth Sebastian Freeman spent time in both the city and the mountains of Arkansas, in the heart of the South in a large, and very musical, family. When you hear Seth Freeman play guitar, you quickly realize these are not the same old licks, and he is one of those rare, soulful talents who has not only mastered his instrument, he has mastered the craft of making music. At 23, finally opening for names like Jonny Lang, Wes Jeans, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Damon Fowler and Devon Allman, he was on track to make his mark on the larger music world, when his life took a turn. He was in a serious auto accident in 2008 that left him

with a broken back and doctors saying he would never going to walk or play music again. After a miraculous surgery and full year of recovery in Alaska, he now has a six inch titanium rod holding his spine together and he walks, talks, writes, lives, breathes and plays music on a daily basis again, with a passion unlike any other. He loves to be challenged musically and he has risen to meet this physical challenge as well, with full force. Freeman recently released two new albums, the all-electric self-titled Seth Freeman Band and an all-acoustic album. For more info go to: www.sethfreemanband.com

Northwest fan favorites and music veterans the Randy Oxford Band are no strangers to the blues bash stage. The group is celebrating their return from a successful Midwestern tour that included a semi finals placement at the 2014 International Blues Challenge in Memphis and the release of the new album It Feels Good.

Although essentially blues-based, the Randy Oxford Band prides itself on showcasing music that defies easy classification. From classics like Etta James’s “I’d Rather go Blind” from vocalist Jada Amy, to originals that crackle with jazz licks and funky rhythms, the band prefers to define itself, building upon each player’s creativity and talent.

With two guitarists Manuel Morais and Randy Norris who complement each other, Randy’s killer trombone, and the solid rhythm section of multiple Best of the Blues Award winners Polly O’Keary and Richard Sabol, the band delivers its characteristic big sound.

The interplay between the performers provides the audience with something entertaining to watch as well as to hear. For more info go to: www.randyoxford.com

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By Roy Brown

The careful reader of Bluesletter over the past sev-eral years may recall an abundance of articles that have to do with the legacy of Pacific Northwest music - how we must continue to provide cutting edge music as we have since the 1940s here in the Puget Sound region. Truthfully, I think that will happen with organizations such as the Puget Sound Music for Youth Association in the south sound, and Seattle Teen Music in the north Seattle neck of the woods. These organizations support and encourage youth musicians as well as provide venues for them to display their talents as they hone their skills at the creative craft of music.

So, why are we continually attempting to promote our no longer new program, Passing the Torch? Why must we continue to wrench nickels, dimes and dollars from your pockets in support of yet an-other youth music program? It is because, if the kids are serious about their music, and they appear to be, it is incumbent upon us to help them spread their wings. It is because it is incumbent especial-ly upon us to do that with the blues – not only the blues, but the very roots of the genre that became America’s original art form. There is a reason why they call us the Washington Blues Society.

Passing the Torch doesn’t care if today’s youth musicians become blues artists. We don’t care if there is country in their soul, or jazz, bluegrass or folk. But until they have had the experience of Centrum, they just don’t get it – at least not all of it. You can hear about blues as the genesis of music in America. But music is about feeling, not intellect. Until the next generation has the expe-rience of the blues, they just won’t get it. They can’t. They have heard about the blues, but they haven’t felt it. When youth musicians improve their craft by rubbing shoulders with, and learn-ing from, some of the greats in blues such as the late John Cephas, Pinetop Perkins or Carey Bell (all past Centrum instructors), they have rubbed shoulders with history. These blues giants aren’t

around to teach us anymore, but those who have spent time at Centrum and learned from them, and become friends in music, have had an experience that will go with them wherever their musical jour-ney takes them.

Missing out on the opportunity of learning at Cen-trum is like missing a party and finding out later B.B. King dropped by to play a few tunes with those who brought their instruments, and talk a lit-tle story. And if we pool our dimes and dollars, we can give that gift to our local musicians through the experience of Centrum. And no matter what genre they settle into, they will carry the blues with them forever. And the blues will influence their music.

Our major fund raising source so far is our an-nual early spring fundraiser. We hold it at the Red Crane, where the monthly blues bash is held (16716 Aurora Ave N between 167th St & 165th St). This year the event will be March 23rd. Ask anyone who has been there. You don’t want to miss this show. The doors open at 3:30, music starts at 4:00.

This year we are featuring The Mob with Jesse James, to open the show. Jesse and his drummer Ian were two of our first three scholarship students in 2012. They will showcase as many of the other kids who have gone to Centrum as are comfortable playing with them.

We will also have a set by Mark Dufresne. Mark will bring his partner Dan Newton. If you haven’t seen Mark lately or at all, you are missing a liv-ing legend. Mark was the front man for the inter-nationally known band, Roomful of Blues, which started in the 1970s and still relevant today. He is also the namesake for the Best of the Blues male vocalist award.

The event just gets more interesting with the final two acts. We are featuring our local all-star band who won the best new band award at last year’s

Best of the Blues event. The Hot Wired Rhythm Band includes on drums, Steve Sarkowski who is part owner in Highway 99, on bass, Polly O’Keary of Polly O’Keary and the Rhythm Method as well as Too Slim and the Tail Draggers, Hot Rod Hol-man on keys, of Hot Rod’s Blues Review, who is a constant big time draw wherever he plays, and mister guitar and winner of the International Blues Challenge a couple of years back with Wired, Kev-in Sutton.

Each year we try to feature a very special act to raise money for the kids. This year is no excep-tion. We are very proud to present the Karen Lovely Band. Karen had something occur at the IBC competition about three years ago. During the competition her audience was so taken with her performance that a spontaneous standing ovation occurred. This just doesn’t happen in a competi-tion. Karen took second competing with hundreds of bands worldwide. She has sense been nominat-ed for three Blues Music Awards from the Blues Foundation. The total price of admission doesn’t pay for half of what it typically takes to see Karen Lovely.

It will cost $10 to get in the door for five hours of the best show you will see all year. We will be selling $5 raffle tickets for prizes worth five to ten times and more. We will be shamelessly asking for your monetary donation to our cause. The cause is righteous. You are helping to shape the future of Pacific Northwest Music with your contributions. So please bring what you can. If you can contrib-ute $1 or $5, bless you; everything helps. If you can spend $20 or $100 or more, bless you. All of us, doing what we can, don’t care about the credit. We don’t even care if there is any credit. We just want to pass the torch.

The Best Washington Blues Society Show of the Year is Upon Us!

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By Paul Manuel

The Puget Sound Music for Youth Association (PSMFYA) is a Washington State non-profit business, located in Spanaway, Washington. In partnership with local parents, I began the association in June of 2009. My experience as a local businessman and a musician for over 35 years playing blues and rock flute, along with some parents passionate about fostering the development of youth music and belief that all young people should have their opportunity to experience and create music.

The inspiration for this program started out with a blues trombonist named Randy Oxford, who hosted an all ages jam at Jazz Bones in Tacoma and is an active member of the South Sound Blues Association. A fellow blues brother to Randy, Dominique Stone, an awesome bass player, both encouraged me to take the youth jams to another level. I wrote a business plan in 2008. Basically “I built a door and opened it, the kids and parents had to walk in and turn on the lights.”

We are primarily a volunteer driven, and a proud part of the musical fabric of the region. We teach youth how to work as a musical team and above all have fun while doing what they enjoy.

PSMFYA started out as a group of young people with the South Sound Blues Association, we were playing music, singing, and swing dancing at the 2009 Daffodil Parade where we took a first in our division. Jumpin Josh was our featured guitarist on that float. In June of that year we became the PSMFYA. To-date, we have formed over 35 bands and have seen over two hundred young musicians cross our stages. The musical teams of kids range in age from 11 to 18. We have blues, rock, hard rock, classic rock, country and metal. At any given time we can have 10-15 kids looking to play in a band. Our goal is to increase the number of kids in bands and get more kids involved to create more musical teams. And within a short time the bands are created. These kids play awesome music and perform around the Puget Sound Region.

In the Fall of 2009 with three performing bands we started playing the Puyallup Fair on two stages, one of those stages was the Family Fun Circus Stage and we performed for the Community In Schools shows. We had many kids come up and asked how they could be part of our music. Within two months we had enough kids interested and formed several bands. Zach Rowell and Jason Kertson were some of the kids that joined, they were 12 years old. Both formed bands.

In 2010 we had our first Competition with five bands and four solo/duo acts. Nolan Garret was one of the performers and won all three of the

categories, Band and Solo categories and the People’s Choice Award. Zach Rowel’s band went by the name “Society’s Voice” took second place. Alex Richmond won second in the Solo category. That Fall we played on three stages at the Puyallup Fair and played over 40 performances. With more kids seeing our shows and wanting to be part of our organization, by November we had another 30 kids and several more bands.

In 2011 we had our second competition, a group called The On Going won the competition as a Christian rock band. Society’s Voice took second place. Once again, the Daffodil Parade came after our competition and once again we took first in our division with 25 kids on the float playing “Twist And Shout.” That year, I was hired by the Puyallup Fair to manage the Community In Schools and Family Fun Circus Stage at the Fall Fair. Community In Schools has seven school districts involved with their program, I overseen seventy-four of their performances, besides our own. PSMFYA put eight bands and performing acts to play the Fair. I put together a group of young musicians that were not in bands and formed a band called “Birds Of A Feather,” (BOF) we met Emily Randolph (fifth season on The Voice) she was the lead vocalist. We played on four stages at the Fair, and did over 60 performances. During that time, I was talking with the owners of The Swiss; Bob Hill and Jack McQuade and they were in the process of changing their business license to an all age venue. The Swiss is a Historic Building and has been in business for decades. How exciting it was to be given the opportunity to be the first youth organization to have a monthly spot on The Swiss calendar page. Some of the band members of “Birds Of a Feather” formed a band called Insuburban Avenue.

2012 was an amazing time for PSMFYA. Our first show at The Swiss was in January we used some of the bands that played in the 2011 Puyallup Fair. It was co-hosted by Chris Meadors of The Chops Shop Music store that did our Jam Session with Alex Richmond helping out. Our featured band was Jason Kertson and the Immortals with Zach Rowell (Society’s Voice) on bass. Insuburban Avenue (most of the members of Birds Of a Feather band) and a band called The Remaining (the remaining members of BOF), formed two groups to play that show. The show was so successful we were asked to come back every month. The shows run about four to five hours. We have been drawing crowds of 120-150 people to show their support to the kids and especially the venue. At times we have up to 250 attend our shows. It is all very structured and organized.

The Swiss has a great stage and is family friendly. It has always been an obstacle at venues to address what the kids that were not playing on stage do

with their time. The Swiss has a game room with four pool tables a shuffle board table and game machines that really gives the kids something to do. There is a separate dining room away from the stage area; the food at The Swiss is exceptionally great. The stage area is one of the best in Pierce County, good sound system and lights. Kids are allowed until 8pm. The night life at the Swiss always brings good crowds.

In May of 2012 we discontinued the membership fees and set aside the by-laws so we could bring in more kids that wanted to be involved in music. We are still a Washington State non-profit. I still insist the kids have passing grades in school and a productive environment at home. We now are open to having any young musicians come to our Association and play at our shows. In the beginning you had to be 18 and younger to participate in our program, now you have to be under 21. With lifting some of the restrictions we have seen over two hundred kids play on our stages and form many bands. The average age is 12-17. Our first year at The Swiss was nothing short of amazing. Seeing so many of the kids that started with our Association playing in venues all around Puget Sound and doing their own thing, is very gratifying, and they continue to come and do shows at The Swiss for PSMFYA.

I have always felt that this program would come to a point where we would see some of the young musicians perform for national media in some form or another. I watched as some of the young musicians that came to the Association with little or no experience playing in bands and some not even knowing their instruments, move closer to making their dreams and my visions a reality.

Grrrlz Rock of Eugene Oregon and PSMFYA collaborated on putting a show together for 2013. Grrrlz Rock is an organization that puts on a major festival in November for the past few years. It runs all month long in November and uses twenty some venues around Eugene an enormous amount of talent and performers doing those shows. Their mission is to promote female musicians, there has to be at least one female in a performing act that plays a prominent role with the group. In February of 2013 Grrrlz Rock put a special show at a venue in Eugene and dedicated it to PSMFYA and we got to bring our first group out of state. Insuburan Avenue with lead vocalist Bree Leaitu was the first band that was created by PSMFYA to go out of state. It was a great show and by far showed the Eugene people what kind of youth rock bands we have in Tacoma. In June we brought a youth rock band from Eugene to do two shows at The Swiss, it was their first time for doing such a show. Plans were being made to take two of our groups back down to play in the Grrrlz Rock Festival in November. (Continued on Page 27)

South Sound Blues Update: Puget Sound Music for Youth Association

By Polly O’Keary

It’s loud at Silky O’Sullivans on Beale Street in Memphis, and Arthur Migliazza’s voice is shot. He’s made it to the semi-finals at the IBCs but he’s picked up a bad cold, and the air is thick with smoke.

He’s the last of 10 acts to play today. The crowd is showing signs of burnout, eating and leaning across tables to talk over the music.

But then Arthur rolls into his original song “Boogie Woogie Man,” and conversations stop. Faces all around the club are turned toward the white light of the stage, where Arthur is playing boogie-woogie piano with such speed and precision it’s impossible not to stare.

“I was playing this piano since I was a child…” he’s singing. “I listened to the masters, and I learned it from the greats.”

He might be hoarse, but he’s singing his own story, the story that started when he encountered a toy piano and the love of it made him a child prodigy, the protogé of a legendary blues piano player by the time he hit his teens and a featured instructor at prestigious piano clinics before he was 20.

The love of piano also has also brought Arthur to the IBCs twice; first representing Arizona and now representing the South Sound Blues Society from his new home in Seattle.

He came to win, too; but his overall mission is larger than that. The region’s newest addition to the blues community wants nothing less than to bring about a world-wide revival of boogie-woogie, one of America’s oldest forms of blues.

Discovering the piano

When Arthur first encounter a piano he was a very young child, and the instrument was at the home of friends of his parents.

“I didn’t bang on the keys like most kids,” said Arthur. “I tried to play notes and melodies, and they said to my Mom, ‘You need to get him piano lessons.”

His grandparents got him a toy keyboard to see if he was serious, and when it was clear that he loved it, his mom found an old upright someone was giving away. “Some of the keys didn’t work, and the front didn’t stay on,” said Arthur. “You could see the hammers.”He was about nine years old, but he was already learning that music did something for him that nothing else did.

“Sounds make pictures in my mind,” said Arthur. “It’s like entering another world, as soon as the music starts. It was endlessly fascinating.”

Right about then, he saw the Jerry Lee Lewis biopic Great Balls of Fire. “The parts about where be played the blues stuff in the black club as a kid, that music really grabbed me,” said the young blues man. “That was my first introduction to blues.”

An early teacher gave him a child’s guide to jazz, and there was a 12-bar blues in it, a bass line and some chords, and Arthur loved them immediately. She also gave him lots of old blues music to listen to, and Arthur would spend hours in the basement playing along, pleased at the way the beat-up piano sounded just like the ones in the old records.

That teacher also taught at an annual West Virginia music camp called Augusta, a week-long workshop for adults. Arthur went, one of the only children to attend, and there he met a woman who was to become very important in his life.

“Like family”

Ann Rabson had a long career at the forefront of traditional blues, playing piano as a solo artist and as part of Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women. She’d toured all over the world, been nominated for nine Blues Music Awards for Traditional Female Artist of the Year, and recorded on Alligator for many years.

Arthur studied with her every year. By the time he was 17, he was her assistant at the camp. By the time he was 18, he was teaching classes of his own. When Rabson died, Arthur took her place at the keys and joined the other members of Saffire to play at her memorial.

The people at those annual camps who took the time to help him develop as an artist while he was still a kid shaped him, he said.

“A lot of them are like family,” he said. “They kind of raised me and taught me how to be a good person. They did their best. And how to be respectful and not step on people, about etiquette. A lot of what I know how to do, a lot of what I do and who I am, they taught me.”

Coming to Seattle

Arthur was 13 and his family had moved to Tuscon the first time he got paid to play. An uncle gave him $10 to play everything he knew. It took 45 minutes.

But soon after that, the work started coming regularly for Tuscon’s young piano prodigy. When Whenever Buckwheat Zydeco came to town, he opened. He got gigs playing at blues festivals. His duo the Blues Cats played private parties and retirement homes. In fact, playing music was the only job he ever had all the way through college.

The more he played, the more he leaned toward the uninhibited boogie-woogie style. In part, it was because it was a lot of fun to play, he said.

“It’s a percussive style of piano music driven by prominent and relentlessly repeating bass figures in the left hand, on top of which rhythmic and melodic right hand figures provide endless variation and color,” explained Arthur. “Basically, when you play Boogie Woogie piano, you are the entire band, with the rhythm section in your left hand, and the rest of the band in your right hand.”

In college, oddly enough, he opted out of studying music, feeling that the head of the jazz department and he weren’t a good fit. Instead, an elective class in Japanese turned into a major. Enthralled by the culture and the language, he began traveling to Japan, eventually living there to teach English for a year before returning to Tuscon.

Tuscon was good to him; he represented the state at the IBCs and made it to the finals in 2010, and he was also inducted into the Arizona Blues Hall of Fame. But it was also a bit off the beaten path as far as the music world went.

So one day, Arthur packed what he could fit into a car and drove to New York City with no prospects other than a couple friends who lived there. It was a tough go, there was some couch surfing for a while, but it wasn’t long before he was gigging all the time again.

Eventually, he was playing all over the nation and the world, doing shows in Europe, the Netherlands, Asia and even, recently in Russia, where he was part of a sold-out three-person tour called the “Kings of Boogie Woogie” that included Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow.

One of his regular gigs, however, was in Washington. He is a regular teacher at Port Townsend’s Centrum Blues Festival, doing clinics on blues piano. While on one of the one trips, he met a woman from Kirkland. The two hit it off and soon were serious. In 2012, Arthur decided to call Washington home.

Burned out on starting over, Arthur took six months off. But in 2013, he was ready to get involved in the music scene of the Pacific

Boogie Woogie Man: Arthur Migliazza’sMission to Revive an American Classic

(Arthur Migliazza at the Keyboard!)

Northwest.

A man on a mission

Today, Arthur is rapidly becoming an important new part of the local blues community. And he remains devoted to a long-held mission.

He wants to revive the style of piano that he loves.

“I want to bring boogie-woogie back to popular attention. I want to start a movement,” said the 33-year-old. “It is an essential part of all American music and most young people don’t know what it is. Bringing boogie-woogie into a mainstream, modern context is what excites me right now.”

The style was once America’s most popular music, he notes.

“It developed as the dance and entertainment music in the rough-and-tumble logging camps and

of albums before, but nothing recent, and nothing that he felt truly reflected the boogie-woogie centered show he does today.

So he rounded up some of Washington’s top talent, including Grant Dermody, who teaches harmonica nation-wide and who recently toured with Eric Bibb, and bassist Keith Lowe, whose touring credits include Fiona Apple. He also scouted 14 studios until he settled on Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard’s Studio Litho, which he calls “the best studio experience I have ever had.”

Arthur’s fans stepped up to help him get the album out, providing more than $8,000 through Kickstarter, which, he said, was a very good experience all around.

“No way could I have afforded to make an album of this quality with this many good pros working on it if I had to fund it myself,” he said. “I’m super happy that I got this opportunity. And it was nice to reach out to everyone that have been my supporters over the last 20 years of playing, and get them involved in this. I felt like it wasn’t just me, but like everybody coming together. You feel the love and support as you’re doing it.”

The album “Laying it Down,” came out in January.

It includes some of Arthur’s original music, as well as reimagined classics such as “St. Louis Blues” and “Rockin’ Pneumonia & the Boogie Woogie Flu” by New Orleans innovator Huey “Piano” Smith.

It’s the best thing he’s ever done, Arthur said, and he feels he achieved his artistic goal.

“I wanted to make something that captures the energy and the feeling of the live performance. So that’s the way I’ve recorded it. Everything was live and in the same room. We were playing together. I wanted to make it old school like that so when people buy it they will be able to relive what style they saw. It gives them that experience they can take home.”

Memphis meets Arthur

That style was working overtime at Silky O’Sullivan’s as Arthur finished his set. During his last song, he let his tired voice rest and instead laced into the keys, until it sounded like Professor Long Hair and Jerry Lee Lewis were sitting side by side, sharing a bottle and getting paid by the note. His natural showmanship came to the fore, well-timed flourishes and gleeful expressions drawing the crowd in.

As lightning fast boogie-woogie rippled effortlessly from under his fingers, and the joy of it flashed over his face, he grinned and sneaked his head around to see if the audience was having fun too. The hoots and whistles made it clear that they were. When he stood up, playing with one hand and shaking out the other while calling out, “It’s not as easy as it looks!” the bar broke into laughter and a loud cheer.

When he concluded, the audience rose to its feet.

Still, after the set, he said that he doubted he’d get to the finals, the way his voice had been.

The next day he learned that of 12 acts representing Washington state, he was the only act that did go on to the finals.

A completely vanished voice set him back too far to win.

But in the lobby, after the winners were announced, one man said to a friend, “I just want to know how the guy from Washington was doing that. I’ve never heard hands like that.”

He’ll teach the world about boogie-woogie yet.

turpentine camps of the south,” he explained.

By World War II, it was America’s most popular music.

“And now it seems like America’s forgotten music. Indeed, I’m one of only about 100 people worldwide who are seriously playing this style, and I know most of them personally. It seems amazing to me how it could have risen so quickly to fame and then disappeared so quickly. But one thing is for sure, when people hear it, they like it! It’s a compelling style of music and very joyous and exciting.”

Laying it Down

Capturing that joy and excitement in a recording become Arthur’s next goal. He’d made a number

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February’s Blues Bash!

Top: Indecent Liberty - Bottom: Michelle Taylor and the Blues Junkies (Photo by Blues Boss)

By Robert Horn

It was at a time when the region was going through Seahawks football withdrawal (the season was over, the parade had happened, and it would be months before we could hear the Legion of Boom smash a wide receiver from the opposing team). It was also a few days before Valentine’s Day. So, with other good times in the past and in the future, there had to be something good happening on the 11st of February.

Yes, that prayer was answered by the Washington Blues Society. The Blues Bash happened at the Red Crane Restaurant above Club Hollywood on Aurora Avenue North in Shoreline. Long-time residents still refer to that neighborhood as Seattle, and it’s musical roots date back to Parker’s – a legendary nightclub that often featured great blues not far from the Red Crane.

As usual, there was an opening acoustic act and after a few other festivities like Tony Frederickson leading a free raffle with his “Vanna Whites of the moment, followed by an electric set.

At seven o’clock, Indecent Liberty started performing, and it was decent and didn’t take too many liberties with the audience. Christie Michelle sang and played some guitar playing later on in the set with the main guitar player, Mark Johnston. Mark primarily played an acoustic bass while Christie sang the first few songs. They did a few popular covers that have been on the radio as well as some originals. Songs like “My Son” and “I Was Wrong” showed a unique style. Unique styles are a good thing, and different performers have songs they are perfect for and some they may not be perfect for. Christie has a voice that can do some very good things, Mark plays guitar well: so, please watch out for more from this duo based in Arlington, Washington.

During the break, Dyann and Rick Arthur from The MusicBox Project talked about their upcoming DVD premiere at the Salmon Bay Eagles. They spent most of a year filming music around the country created a film that their 501(c) 3 non-profit has for viewing. Please return to the February issue of the Bluesletter for a full article on their inspiring project.

There were CDs and car wash coupons raffled off by Washington Blues Society President Tony Frederickson and his assistants as well as other activities, and then there was more music. Chicago-area bluesman Keith Scott encouraged Washington Blues Society members and guests to come out to his gigs on his biannual Pacific Northwest tour that featured gigs in Anacortes, Sequim, Kirkland and Port Angeles. The electric act was electric in more ways than one, and it offered some pretty good excitement and energy. This band has a lead singer to be noticed, a guitar player who could be a rock star, and a full band that should be going somewhere. Michelle Taylor and the Blues Junkies have even more great music than they have tattoos. Michelle Taylor sings, Justin Dean plays guitar, Jim Barnes catches the ears and eyes as the keyboard player, and they have great rhythm with Jim Shull on bass, Tommy Cook on drums, and Angelo Ortiz handles percussion on congas and anything else he can get his rhythmic hands on.

They started off with Michelle belting out the Susan Tedeschi song, “Hurts So Bad” followed by Duffy’s song, “Mercy”. A point of clarification here about Duffy: this is not the great Portland singer Duffy Bishop but the European singer Duffy who produced what some say is the hottest music video ever when she sang “Mercy” while men dancers clicked sparks on the floor until their pants burned and the building cought fire while she sang. Go to Youtube and look it up. Michelle did the song justice even without having to call the Shoreline Fire Department.

Michelle Taylor reminds me of Susan Tedeschi with Duffy, Janis, Amy Winehouse, and Tracy Chapman. They took their act out into the audience more than most bands and the dance floor was packed even before they did that. The band is full of good musicians who play well and that sure helps a band pack a dance floor. They did some original material as well as great covers from Susan, Duffy, Tracy and others. Michelle sometimes sounds more raw and powerful than she needs to but if that is a weakness we can live with it. The band finished with “Shaky Ground” and if a Seahawks running back can cause an earthquake at Century Link Field, why can’t a blues singer do the same thing at the Red Crane?

I talked to Justin a year ago about the borderline between rock and blues, where his guitar playing is sometimes. I mentioned to him that it is along that borderline where genius often arises. He liked that statement and his guitar playing is living that statement all year long in 2014.

This is a fun band, so check the Bluesletter calendar and go see them on stage and get out on the dance floor!

15

16

WASHINGTON BLUES SOCIETY2015 International Blues Competition (IBC) Contest

Two Categories: Bands (Three Piece and Larger) and Solo/Duo ActsCONTESTANT APPLICATION

Please complete this application if you want to compete in the Washington Blues Society contest to send a band or a solo/duo act to the IBC in Memphis in January of 2015. We are working with the Walla Walla Blues Society (WWBS) and the Inland Empire Blues Society (IEBS) to hold semi-finals across the state to make it easier for blues acts to participate. We will hold semi-finals on: Sunday, May 11th in Kennewick, WA at Ice Harbor Brewery; Sunday, May 25th in Spokane, WA at Daley’s Cheap Shots; Sunday, June 8th in Anacortes, WA (TBA), Sunday, June 15th in Snohomish, WA (TBA), and Sunday, June 22rd in Vancouver, WA (TBA). The finalists will compete Sunday, August 17th at the Taste of Music Festival in Snohomish, WA. If we receive 10+ applicants for any event, our Board may select applicants via lottery at the May 2014 Board meeting. This form is an initial statement of interest, and not binding. Judges will evaluate acts using the Blues Foundation score sheet (www.blues.org/ibc/scoring.php).

LOCATION (CIRCLE ONE)Kennewick (5/11) Spokane (5/25) Anacortes (6/8)

Snohomish (6/15) Vancouver (6/22)

Band or Solo Duo (Circle One)

Contact

Mailing Address

Best Phone

Email

Signature

PARTICIPATION CRITERIA, FEES, AND DEADLINE: Contestants must be a blues act, pay the nonrefundable entry fee, reside in WA, OR, ID, MT, BC or ALB, and at least one member must belong to (or join) the WBS upon application. (Membership in the WWBS for acts competing in Kennewick or membership in the IEBS for acts competing in Spokane is required in place of WBS Membership requirement.) Each winner will be required to perform at a minimum of two fundraisers in 2014 and one fundraiser in 2015 at no charge. Proceeds from these events and fees, will be deposited into a WBS fund to help defray expenses for each winning act to and from Memphis, but we cannot guarantee an “all expense-paid” trip. Band entry fee is $30; solo duo entry fee is $15. Applications and entry fees must be received no later than Thursday, April 24th by a WBS Board member or at:

Washington Blues SocietyATTN: President, IBC Entry

PO Box 70604Seattle, WA 98127

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Washington Blues Society Sets Local Competitions for 2015 International Blues Challenge

Washington Blues Society Contact:Tony Frederickson, President (206) 612-6055 president@wablues.org

The Washington Blues Society’s local competitions for the 2014 International Blues Challenge in Memphis have been set! It’s time for bands and solo/duo acts to make their plans to compete. One band and one solo/duo act will represent the Washington Blues Society (WBS) in Memphis at the world’s largest gathering of blues musicians on January 20th through the 24th of 2015 on Memphis’ fabled Beale Street.

We are working with the Walla Walla Blues Society (WWBS) and the Inland Empire Blues Society (IEBS) to hold semi-finals across the state to make it easier for blues acts to participate. We will hold semi-final competitions on Friday, May 11th in Kennewick, WA at Ice Harbor Brewery, on Sunday, May 25th in Spokane, WA at Daley’s Cheap Shots, on Sunday, June 8th in Anacortes, WA (TBA), on Sunday, June 15th in Snohomish, WA at the (TBA), and on Sunday, June 22rd in Vancouver, WA (TBA). The finalists will compete on Sunday, August 17th at the Taste of Music Festival in historic downtown Snohomish, WA. If we receive more than 10 applicants for either event, our Board may select applicants via a lottery at the May 2014 Board meeting.

Each competition will follow the rules of the Blues Foundation. Each set will be limited to 25 minutes, and each competitor will be allowed one 15-minute set change. Any blues act that in resides in WA, OR, ID, MT, BC or ALB, may enter, and the act must include at least one who is a member of the WBS. Membership can be established at IBC entry, using the membership form in the WBS Bluesletter or online at www.wablues.org. Please note: membership in WWBS for acts competing in Kennewick or membership in IEBS for acts competing in Spokane is required in place of the WBS membership requirement.

The contest entry application may be downloaded from www.wablues.org in the March or April edition of the WBS Bluesletter, or the Inland Empire’s Blues Notes, and must include the non-refundable entry fee, which pays for the backline and a PA system. Each winner will be required to perform at a minimum of two fundraisers in 2014 and one fundraiser in 2015 at no charge. Proceeds from these events and fees, will be deposited into a WBS fund to help defray expenses to get each winning act to and from Memphis, but we cannot guarantee an “all expense-paid” trip. Band entry fee is $30; solo duo entry fee is $15. Applications and entry fees must be received no later than Thursday, April 24th.

All proceeds will help with expenses for Memphis. The WBS will help winners in fundraising, but cannot guarantee that all expenses for Memphis will be covered. Judges will evaluate each act using the Blues Foundation scoring criteria (www.blues.org/ibc/scoring/php) and rules (www. blues.org/ibc/rules.php). Acts may not be affiliated the WBS Board or act upon application. IBC rules also prohibit any act from competing three consecutive years at the IBC (www.blues.org/ibc/rules.php). Application is an initial statement of interest and not a binding agreement between the applicant and the WBS. Make your plans to enter now! Applications and entry fees must be received no later than Thursday, April 24th.

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Though the skies may be gray…Great music will brighten your day!

Please join us on Saturday, April 5, 2014 in downtown Tacoma for the Seventh Annual Gray Sky Blues Music Festival. The best way to start shaking off those gray sky blues is to find a good spot along Pacific Avenue between 10th and 21st streets before 10:30 AM and enjoy the annual Tacoma Grand Floral Daffodil Parade. The floats can be previewed between South 7th and 10th on Pacific Avenue before the parade starts. After the Daffodil Parade head to the Gray Sky Blues Music Festival venues for lunch, a favorite beverage, and some great music! This free, all ages event will feature over ten acts throughout the day at The Harmon Brewery, The Swiss Pub and an after-festival party at The Stonegate. (A cover charge is added for the headliner acts; see details and schedule below.)The headliner for this year’s event is national recording artist, Cee Cee James. Cee Cee is one of the most popular female blues artists on the scene today. In 2013 she won “Song of the Year” by Blues Blast Magazine. In addition she was voted Best Foreign Singer in Poland and was awarded “Top Ten Song” by the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Cee Cee will be taking the stage at The Swiss Pub at 6:00 PM.

The Arthur Migliazza trio will open for Cee Cee

starting at 4:00 PM. Arthur represented the South Sound Blues Association at the IBC in Memphis this year, and made it to the finals at the Orpheum Theatre. Arthur was recently inducted into the Arizona Hall of Fame. A common response to watching Arthur is, “Wow, I didn’t know it was possible to play the piano like that!”

This year the South Sound Blues Association is proud to sponsor Jack Gaffney, a young keyboard player from Boulder, Colorado. Jack represented the Colorado Blues Society in the Youth Showcase at the 2014 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. Check him out at the Harmon Brewery starting at 3:45 PM.

The final performance at The Harmon Brewery will be sixteen year old Tacoma guitar sensation, Nolan Garrett. Nolan takes the stage at 4:30 PM.

At 8:30 PM there is an after-party at Stonegate Pizza and Bar, located at 5421 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma, WA 98409, starting with live blues upstairs in the loft (ages 21 +) with Steve Cooley and the Dangerfields. Appearances will be made from our headliners, along with other musicians who performed throughout the day. The Puget Sound Music for Youth Association will feature bands on the main level of the Stonegate, in the all ages area of the restaurant, starting at 8:30 PM.

The Gray Sky Blues Music Festival is produced

by the Tacoma Events Commission and proudly sponsored by the South Sound Blues Association. For more information, see www.tacomaevents.com and www.southsoundblues.com amd call the Event Director, Gary Grape at 253-507-9357.

Saturday, April 5, 2014The Swiss Restaurant and Pub (1904 S. Jefferson Ave., Tacoma, WA 98402)

1:00 – 2:00 PM The Cody Rentas Band2:30 – 3:30 PM Brian Lee and the Orbiters ($10.00 cover charge starts at 3:30 PM / $8.00 for Blues Association/Society Members and Active Military) 4:00 – 5:30 PM Arthur Migliazza Trio 6:00 – 7:30 PM Cee Cee James, Festival Headliner (Grants Pass, Oregon)

The Harmon Brewery (1938 Pacific Avenue), Noon – 12:45 PM Fistfull of Dollars (Puget Sound Music for Youth Association) 1:00 – 2:00 PM The Mark Riley Trio2:30 – 3:30 PM Maia Santell and House Blend 3:45 – 4:15 PM Jack Gaffney (Boulder,CO) 4:30 – 5:30 PM Nolan Garrett Stonegate Pizza and Bar (5421 S. Tacoma Way)8:30 – Midnight Steve Cooley and the Dangerfields (upstairs) 8:30 – Midnight Puget Sound Music for Youth Association (Live bands on the main level.)

Blues Festival Preview: Gray Sky Blues Music Festival in Tacoma!

Coeur d’Alene Blues Festival PreviewBy Craig Heimbigner

We are off and running at the 5th festival on the lake about 30 miles east of Spokane in lovely Idaho.- March 28th - 30th. Curtis Salgado, Janiva Magness, Randy Oxford Band, Big Mumbo Blues Band and Sammy Eubanks are in the Convention Center on two stages.

This year. we’ll start earlier, 4PM, AND we have stuff all day Saturday. We have added a Roof Top Party that will happen on the new resort roof area. But, starting at NOON, Anita Royce and the High Rollers will rock the roof joined by the recently turned 21 years old Forest Govedare. They will be followed by the charming femme fatale Sara Brown and her magnificent Band. This is $5 unless you have your festival wrist band and then it’s just a free part of the package. Please also see pages 24 and 30 for special lodging opportunities available to blues society members.

The Fat Tones on one boat lashed to the other boat with Kenny James Miller Band on it. . Board at 7PM, boat cruises 7:30-9:30PM. Always sells out, so go for it soon. And AFTER the finest Blues Cruise Party in all the land, we will have a FREE party for all to attend at The Center Plaza starring our Memphis Blues Challengers, Bakin’ Phat. We’ll get them going at 9PM. Roberson, BZ & Flores in Whispers Lounge 4PM-6:30PM FREE on Friday for the pre Cruise. The Doghouse Boyz will play in Whispers on Saturday from noon to 3PM. On Sunday, the Gospel Brunch has Kenny Andrews back. Kenny Andrews has gone from Spokane’s 2005 Winner of KHQ’s “Gimme The Mike” to become a national star of Gospel music. Ticket and room package info at www.cdaresort.com, or call a Coeur d’Alene Resort Specialist at 800-688-5253. To purchase Blues Festival event tickets only by phone, contact The Coeur d’Alene Resort Business Center at 208-765-4000, Ext.21 . Tickets on sale in Spokane by going to 4000 Holes (509) 325-1914 1610 N Monroe St. Festival info at: www.cdabluesfestival.com/ Tickets are $39 for combo of Cruise & 5 Band Festival & Roof Top Party. Cruise only is $18. Festival only $27. The Roof Top Party is $5 or Free with Festival Wrist Band. The After Blues Cruise party is FREE to all.

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A.H.L. (206) 935-4592Richard Allen & the Louisiana Experience/Zydeco Trio (206) 369-8114AlleyKattz (425) 273-4172Annieville Blues (206) 994-9413Author Unknown (206) 355-5952Baby Gramps Trio (425) 483-2835Back Porch Blues (425) 299-0468Backwoods Still (425) 330-0702Badd Dog Blues Society (360) 733-7464Billy Barner (253) 884-6308Bay Street Blues Band (360) 731-1975Norm Bellas & the Funkstars (206) 722-6551Black River Blues (206) 396-1563Blackstone Players (425) 327-0018Blues Attitude (360) 701-6490Blue 55 (206) 216-0554Blue Healers (206) 440-7867Blues To Do Monthly (206) 328-0662Blues Playground (425) 359-3755Blues Redemption Blues Sheriff (206) 979-0666Blues to Burn (253) 945-7441Blutopia (425-269-3665)Boneyard Preachers (206) 755-0766/ 206-547-1772Bill Brown & the Kingbees 206-276-6600Bump Kitchen (253) 223-4333, (360) 259-1545Brian Butler Band (206) 361-9625CC Adams Band (360) 420 2535Charlie Butts & the Filtertips (509) 325-3016Ellis Carter - 206-935-3188Malcolm Clark Band (253) 853-7749Colonel (360) 293-7931Kimball Conant & the Fugitives (206) 938-6096Jack Cook & Phantoms of Soul (206) 517-5294Rod Cook & Toast (206) 878-7910Coyote Blues (360) 420-2535John Scooch Cugno’s Delta 88 Revival (360) 352-3735Crossroads Band (206) 935-8985Daddy Treetops (206) 601-1769Sean Denton Band (425)387-0620Double Scott’s on the Rocks (206) 418-1180Julie Duke Band (206) 459-0860Al Earick Band (253) 278-0330Sammy Eubanks (509) 879-0340Richard Evans (206) 799-4856Fat Cat (425) 487-6139Fat Tones (509) 869-0350Kim Field & the Mighty Titans of Tone (206) 295-8306Gary Frazier (206) 851-1169Free Reign Blues Band (425) 823-3561Filé Gumbo (425) 788-2776Nicole Fournier & Her 3 Lb Universe (253) 576-7600Jimmy Free’s Friends (206) 546-3733Gin Creek (206) 588-1924

Charlene Grant & the Love Doctors (206) 763-5074Paul Green (206)795-3694Dennis “Juxtamuse” Hacker (425) 512-8111Heather & the Nearly Homeless Blues Band (425)576-5673Tim Hall Band (253) 857-8652Curtis Hammond Band (206) 696-6134)Ryan Harder (253) 226-1230Scotty Harris & Lissa Ramaglia/Bassic Sax (206) 418-1180Terry Hartness (425) 931-5755Ron Hendee (425) 280-3994JD Hobson (206) 235-3234Hot Rod Blues Revue (206)790-9934Bobby Holland & the Breadline (425)681-5644Hot Wired Rhythm Band (206) 790-9935James Howard Band (206) 250-7494David Hudson / Satellite 4 (253) 630-5276Raven Humphres (425) 308-3752Hungry Dogs (425) 299-6435Brian Hurst (360) 708-1653K. G. Jackson & the Shakers(360) 896-4175Jeff & the Jet City Fliers (206) 469-0363Junkyard Jane (253) 238-7908Stacy Jones Band (206) 992-3285Chester Dennis Jones (253)-797-8937Harry “The Man” Joynes (360) 871-4438James King & the Southsiders (206) 715-6511Virginia Klemens / Jerry Lee Davidson (206) 632-6130Mick Knight (206) 373-1681Bruce Koenigsberg / Fabulous Roof Shakers (425) 766-7253Kolvane (503) 804-7966Lady “A” & the Baby Blues Funk Band (425) 518-9100Brian Lee Trio (206) 390-2408Scott E. Lind (206) 789-8002Little Bill & the Bluenotes (425) 774-7503Dana Lupinacci Band (206) 860-4961Eric Madis & Blue Madness (206) 362 8331Albritten McClain & Bridge of Souls (206) 650-8254Brian “Jelly Belly” McGhee (253) 777-5972Doug McGrew (206) 679-2655Mary McPage Band (206) 850-4849Miles from Chicago (206) 440-8016Reggie Miles (360) 793-9577Michal Miller Band (253) 222-2538Rob Moitoza / House of Reprehensibles (206) 768-2820Moon Daddy Band (425) 923-9081Jim Nardo’s Boogie Train Blues Band (360) 779-4300Keith Nordquist (253) 639-3206Randy Norris & The Full Degree (425) 239-3876

Randy Norris & Jeff Nicely (425) 239-3876/(425) 359-3755Randy Oxford Band (253) 973-9024Robert Patterson (509) 869-0350Dick Powell Band (425) 742-4108Bruce Ransom (206) 618-6210Red Hot Blues Sisters (206) 940-2589Mark Riley (206) 313-7849RJ Knapp & Honey Robin Band(206) 612-9145Gunnar Roads (360) 828-1210Greg Roberts (206) 473-0659Roger Rogers Band (206) 255-6427Roxlide (360) 881-0003Maia Santell & House Blend (253) 983-7071Sciaticats Band (206) 246-3105$cratch Daddy (425) 210-1925Shadow Creek Project (360) 826-4068Tim Sherman Band (206) 547-1772Billy Shew Band (253) 514-3637Doug Skoog (253) 921-7506Smoke N Blues Allstars (253) 620-5737Smokin’ J’s (425) 746-8186Son Jack Jr. (425) 591-3034Soulshaker Blues Band (360) 4171145Star Drums & Lady Keys (206) 522-2779John Stephan Band (206) 244-0498Chris Stevens’ Surf Monkeys (206) 236-0412Steve Cooley & Dangerfields (253)-203-8267Stickshift Annie Eastwood (206) 522-4935Alice Stuart & the Formerlys (360) 753-8949Richard Sysinger (206) 412-8212Annette Taborn (206) 679-4113Tahoma Tones (253)851-6559Ten Second Tom (509) 954-4101Tone Kings (425) 698-5841Leanne Trevalyan (253)238-7908Tim Turner Band (206) 271-5384T-Town Aces (206)935-8985Two Scoops Combo (206) 933-9566Unbound (425) 212-7608Uncle Ted Barton (253) 627-0420Nick Vigarino’s Meantown Blues (360)387-0374Tommy Wall (206) 914-9413Mike Wright & the Blue Sharks (360)652-0699/(425) 327-0944Charles White Revue (425) 327-0018Mark Whitman Band (206) 697-7739Michael Wilde (425) 672-3206 / (206) 200-3363Rusty Williams (206) 282-0877Hambone Wilson (360) 739-7740C.D. Woodbury (425) 502-1917Beth Wulff Band (206) 367-6186, (206) 604-2829

Please send updates to editor@wablues.org by the 5th of the month - we’ll do our best to update your listing!

Washington Blues Society March 2014 Talent Guide

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Washington Blues Society March 2014 CalendarNote: Please confirm with each venue the start time and price. We also apologize in advance for any errors as we depend on musicians and venues to send in their information and some-times, changes happen after we go to press. Saturday, March 1 Elliot Bay Pizza & Pub, Mill Creek – James Ber-nhard 7PM Destination Harley, Fife - Chris Stevens’ Surf Monkeys 12PM Match Coffee and Wine, Duvall - Chris Stevens’ Surf Monkeys 7:30PM Salmon Bay Eagles, Seattle - Roy Kay Trio 8PM The Yuppie Tavern, Kirkland – Red House Engels Pub, Edmonds - Jones & Fischer Band H2O, Anacortes - Mark Dufresne 7:30PM The Poggie Tavern, West Seattle - Gin Creek White Center Eagles, Seattle -Jubilee Days fund-raiser w/Two Scoops Combo 6PM Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle – Hot Wired Rythym Band 8PM Spokane Valley Eagles, Spokane WA - Blues Cats for Kids w/The CD Woodbury Band 5PM Great Hall at Green Lake, Seattle - Rain City Blues Dance w/Mia Vermillion Trio 10PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - En Vogue 7:30PM & 9:30PM B Sharp Coffee House, Tacoma - Ty Elwin 8PM Bake’s Place, Bellevue – DoctorfunK 7PM Vino Bella, Issaquah - Ventura Highway Revis-ited 7:30PM

Sunday, March 2 China Harbor, Seattle - Brian Lee & the Orbiters Johnny’s Dock, Tacoma – Little Bill Trio 5PM The Spar, Tacoma, James King & the Southsiders The Central, Kirkland - Moon Daddy 8:30PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - - En Vogue

Monday, March 3 88 Keys, Seattle – Blues To Do 7PM 88 Keys, Seattle - Blues on Tap 8PM The Swiss, Tacoma – Blues County Sheriff 8PM The Moore Theatre, Seattle - Ayron Jones and the Way/BB King 7:30PM

Tuesday, March 4 Tula’s Restaurant and Jazz Club, Seattle – The Young Lizards 7:30PM The Feedback Lounge, Seattle – Blues To Do w/Snake Oil Blues Elixir 8PM Tides Tavern, Gig Harbor - File Gumbo 7PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - Janiva Magness Bake’s Place, Bellevue – Gotz Lowe Duo 7PM

Wednesday, March 5 Elliot Bay Pizza & Pub, Mill Creek – James Ber-nhard 7PM Engels Pub, Edmonds - Dirty Rice Band 8PM Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle – Drummer Boy w/Chebon Tiger 8PM The Central, Kirkland - Tommy Cook Trio Band Front Street Grill, Coupeville – Mia Vermillion Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - Janiva Magness

Bake’s Place, Bellevue – Gotz Lowe Duo 7PM

Thursday, March 6 Salmon Bay Eagles, Seattle - Boneyard Preachers 8PM Bad Albert’s, Ballard - Annie Eastwood, Larry Hill & Tom Brighton w/Bill Chism 5:30PM Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle - Brian Lee & the Orbiters 8PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - Sérgio Mendes 7:30PM The Triple Door Musicquarium, Seattle – Smoke & Honey 9PM Bake’s Place, Bellevue – Gotz Lowe Duo 7PM

Friday, March 7 Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park -Chris Ste-vens’ Surf Monkeys 7:30PM Salmon Bay Eagles, Seattle - Town Hall Brawl 8PM Engels Pub, Edmonds - The Linezmen 9PM H2O, Anacortes - Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trou-ble 9PM The Central Saloon, Seattle - Gin Creek 9:00PM Elliot Bay Pizza, Mill Creek - Annie Eastwood w/Bill Chism 7PM Conway Muse, Conway – Randy Norris & Jeff Nicely 7:30PM Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle – Nikki Hill 8PM Duff’s Garage, Portland OR - The CD Woodbury Band & Kaye Bohler 8PM 13 Moons @ the Swinomish Casino, Anacortes – Mia Vermillion 6PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - Sérgio Mendes 7:30PM The Triple Door Musicquarium, Seattle – Jelly Rollers 9PM Bake’s Place, Bellevue – Kalimba Vino Bella, Issaquah - Roemen and the wheareabouts 7:30PM

Saturday, March 8 Destination Harley, Fife - Little Bill Trio 12PM B Sharp Coffee House, Tacoma – Little Bill / Rod Cook duo 7PM Salmon Bay Eagles, Seattle - CD Woodbury Band Engels Pub, Edmonds - 44th St. Blues Band 9PM H2O, Anacortes - Tiller’s Folly 7:30PM The New Orleans, Seattle - Brian Lee & the Or-biters 8PM Leif Erickson Ballroom, Bothell - Swing Dance w/Two Scoops Combo 8:30PM White Horse Saloon, Arlington – Randy Norris & Jeff Nicely 8:30PM Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle – Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble 8PM Raging River Cafe & Club, Fall City - Joseph Barton Trio 9PM 13 Moons @ the Swinomish Casino, Anacortes – Mia Vermillion 6PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - Sérgio Mendes 7: Vino Bella, Issaquah – A Soul Band 7:30PM

Sunday, March 9 The Spar, Tacoma - Junkyard Jane 7PM China Harbor Restaurant, Seattle - Brian Lee &

the Orbiters Dance 7PM The Central, Kirkland - Mark Whitman 8:30PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - Sérgio Mendes Bake’s Place, Bellevue – The Rat Pack 7PM

Monday, March 10 The Swiss, Tacoma - Maia Santell & House Blend 8PM 88 Keys, Seattle – Blues To Do w/Whiskey ‘n Rye 7PM 88 Keys, Seattle - Blues on Tap 8PM

Tuesday, March 11 The Feedback Lounge, Seattle – Blues To Do w/Seth Freeman & special guests 8PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - Anton Schwartz Quintet 7:30PM Bake’s Place, Bellevue – Gotz Lowe Duo 7PM

Wednesday, March 12 Elliot Bay Pizza & Pub, Mill Creek – James Ber-nhard 7PM Engels Pub, Edmonds - Guy Johnson Band 8PM Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle – Stephanie Anne Johnson & Whitney Monge 8PM The Central, Kirkland - Funk E3 8:30PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - Anton Schwartz Quintet 7:30PM Bake’s Place, Bellevue – Gotz Lowe Duo 7PM

Thursday, March 13 Salmon Bay Eagles, Seattle - Jack Cook 8PM Salmon Bay Eagles, Seattle - Daddy Treetops Bad Albert’s, Ballard - Annie Eastwood, Larry Hill & Tom Brighton w/Bill Chism 5:30PM Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle – James King & the Southsiders 8PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - Arturo Sandoval Bake’s Place, Bellevue – Gotz Lowe Duo 7PM

Friday, March 14 The Yuppie Tavern, Kirkland - Scratch Daddy Blues 8:30PM Engels Pub, Edmonds – Alleykattz 9PM The Oxford Saloon, Snohomish – The British Beats w/Rod Cook 9PM 907 Lounge, Snohomish - Nick Vigarino’s Back Porch Stomp 9PM Elmer’s Pub, Burien: Brian Lee & Orbiters Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle – Ladies of Blues and Soul w/Ife, Felica Loud, Debbie Cavitt & Danelle Hayes 8PM Jazzbones, Tacoma - Curtis Salgado 8PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - Arturo Sandoval 7:30PM & 9:30PM Bake’s Place, Bellevue - Ventura Highway Revis-ited 8PM Vino Bella, Issaquah – Butch Harrison & Good Company 7:30PM VFW Post #992, Walla Walla - Stacy Jones Band

Saturday, March 15 Destination Harley, Fife - Chris Stevens’ Surf Monkeys 12PM Elliot Bay Pizza, Mill Creek - Rod Cook/ James Bernhard duo 7PM

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Salmon Bay Eagles, Seattle – Fever 8PM Bad Albert’s, Seattle - Jeff Herzog & The Jet City Fliers 8PM Engels Pub, Edmonds - Tweety & The Tom Cats Scotch and Vine, Des Moines - Brian Lee Trio Conway Muse, Conway - Mark Dufresne Band M The Oxford Saloon, Snohomish - The Crazy Texas Gypsies 9PM H2O, Anacortes - Fanny Alger 9PM Swedish Cultural Center, Seattle – NW Dance w/ Little Bill & the Blue Notes 8:00PM Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle – Lloyd Jones Struggle 8PM Walla Walla Guitar Festival - CD Woodbury Band Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - Arturo Sandoval 7:30PM & 9:30PM B Sharp Coffee House, Tacoma – Eugenie Jones Bake’s Place, Bellevue - Ventura Highway Revis-ited 7PM & 9:45PM Vino Bella, Issaquah – Shaggy Sweet 7:30PM The Original Halibuts, Portland – Bill Rhoades & Friends w/Dave Acker

Sunday, March 16 Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Tacoma – Little Bill’s 75th birthday party / Blues Vespers 5PM The Spar, Tacoma - Mark Dufresne 7PM The Central, Kirkland - The CD Woodbury Band Acoustic Blues & Jazz at the Library, Anacortes – Mia Vermillion 2PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - Arturo Sandoval Bake’s Place, Bellevue – Tiller’s Folly 7PM

Monday, March 17 88 Keys, Seattle – Blues To Do w/Black River Blues 7PM 88 Keys, Seattle - Blues on Tap 8PM Mr. Villa, Lake City/Seattle - Annie Eastwood, Kimball Conant, Larry Hill - Fugitives Trio 7PM Bake’s Place, Bellevue – Geoffrey Castle 7PM

Tuesday, March 18 The Feedback Lounge, Seattle – Blues To Do w/Seth Freeman & special guests 8PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle – Hiromi the Trio Project 7:30PM Bake’s Place, Bellevue – Gotz Lowe Duo 7PM

Wednesday, March 19 Elliot Bay Pizza & Pub, Mill Creek – James Ber-nhard 7PM Engels Pub, Edmonds - Steve Bailey & the Blue Flames 8PM Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle – Dirty Rice The Central, Kirkland - Jim Basnight Band Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - Hiromi the Trio Project 7:30PM Bake’s Place, Bellevue – Gotz Lowe Duo 7PM

Thursday, March 20 Salmon Bay Eagles, Seattle - John Stephan Band Bad Albert’s, Ballard - Annie Eastwood, Larry Hill & Tom Brighton w/Bill Chism 5:30PM Big Rock Café, Big Rock - Nick Vigarino solo Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle - Seasells Enter-tainment Presents 8PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - Brian Culberston

Bake’s Place, Bellevue – Gotz Lowe Duo 7PM

Friday, March 21 Salmon Bay Eagles, Seattle - Teen Music Night Engels Pub, Edmonds - Richard Allen The Loui-siana Experience 9PM Elks Lodge, Port Townsend - Stickshift Annie w/Kimball & the Fugitives 8PM Royal Hotel, Cologne BC – Nick Vigarino w/Joe Houston Raging River Saloon, Fall City - Chris Stevens’ Surf Monkeys 8:30PM Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle – Back Alley Barbers w/Mike Herrera 8PM The Lehrer, Portland OR - CD Woodbury Band Jazzbones, Tacoma – The Fat Tones 8PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - Brian Culberston Vino Bella, Issaquah – Lady A 7:30PM

Saturday, March 22 Destination Harley, Fife - Little Bill Trio 12PM The Repp, Snohomish – Rod Cook solo 6:30PM Salmon Bay Eagle, Seattle - File Gumbo Zydeco Engels Pub, Edmonds - The Dogtones 9PM H2O, Anacortes - Kim Field & the Mighty Titans of Tone 7:30PM 3231 Creatives, Everett - Juxtamuse Equinox Showcase w/Tommy Cook Trio & Jim McLaugh-lin 3PM Royal Hotel, Cologne BC – Nick Vigarino w/Joe Houston Eagles Club, Kirkland - July 4th Benefit w/Miles From Chicago, 9PM J&M Cafe, Seattle - Chris Stevens’ Surf Monkeys Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle – Lisa Mann & Her Really Good Band 8PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - Brian Culberston 7:30PM & 9:30PM Bake’s Place, Bellevue – The Paperboys Vino Bella, Issaquah – Philip Lomax 7:30PM

Sunday, March 23 The Central, Kirkland – Rod Cook & Toast The Spar Tavern, Tacoma - Gin Creek 7:00PM Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Tacoma – Blues Vespers w/ Grammy nominated Heritage Blues Orchestra Chaney Sims & Bill Sims Jr 5PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - Brian Culberston

Monday, March 24 88 Keys, Seattle – Blues To Do w/Seth Freeman 88 Keys, Seattle - Blues on Tap 8PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - Jackson High School Jazz Ensembles 6PM

Tuesday, March 25 The Feedback Lounge, Seattle – Blues To Do w/Seth Freeman & special guests 8PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - John Németh & the Bo-Keys 7:30PM Bake’s Place, Bellevue – Gotz Lowe Duo 7PM

Wednesday, March 26 Elliot Bay Pizza & Pub, Mill Creek – James Ber-nhard 7PM Engels Pub, Edmonds - $cratch Daddy 8PM The Central, Kirkland - Miles From Chicago

Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle – Little Ray & the Uppercuts 8PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - John Németh & the Bo-Keys 7:30PM Bake’s Place, Bellevue – Gotz Lowe Duo 7PM

Thursday, March 27 Salmon Bay Eagles, Seattle - Blue 55 8PM Bad Albert’s, Ballard - Annie Eastwood, Larry Hill & Tom Brighton w/Bill Chism 5:30PM Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle – Monster Road Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - John Németh & the Bo-Keys 7:30PM B Sharp Coffee House, Tacoma – Lucas Smiraldo Bake’s Place, Bellevue – Gotz Lowe Duo 7PM

Friday, March 28 Rockfish Grill, Anacortes – Mia Vermillion 8PM Salmon Bay Eagles, Seattle - Kami’s Karaoke Engels Pub, Edmonds - Scott E. Lind Band 9PM The Junction Roadhouse, Port Angeles – Blues County Sheriff 8PM New Orleans, Seattle - Stickshift Annie w/Kim-ball & the Fugitives 8PM Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park -Little Bill & the Blue Notes 7:30PM Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle - Karen Lovely Band 8PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - Rebirth Brass Band

Bake’s Place, Bellevue – Butch Harrison & Good Company 8PM Vino Bella, Issaquah – Seatown Rythym & Blues

Saturday, March 29 Vino Bella, Issaquah – The British Beats w/Rod Cook 7:30PM Salmon Bay Eagles, Seattle - Kami’s Karaoke Engels Pub, Edmonds - The Tim Turner Band Yuppie Tavern, Kirkland - Boneyard Preachers H20, Anacortes - Rivertalk 7:30PM The Oasis, Sequim – Blues County Sheriff 8PM Grinders, Shoreline - Little Bill & the Blue Notes Fan Club, Vancouver BC - Nick Vigarino w/Joe Houston Rockin’ M BBQ, Everett - Stacy Jones Band 9PM Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle – The 44’s 8PM Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - Rebirth Brass Band 7:30PM & New Orleans, Seattle – Joseph Barton Trio 8:30PM

Sunday, March 30 The Spar, Tacoma - Chris Stevens’ Surf Monkeys Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle - Rebirth Brass Band 7:30PM Monday, March 31 88Keys, Seattle – Blues To Do w/Top Brand Blues Band 7PM 88 Keys, Seattle - Blues on Tap 8PM

Calendar Updates to wbscalendar@yahoo.com in the following format: Times New Roman 9 point type (please no bold or caps) date, venue, city - band name, time. Thank you!

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SundaysDawson’s, Tacoma: Tim Hall Band, 7pmConway Muse: Gary B’s Church of the Blues, 6-10pmRaging River: Tommy WallSilver Dollar: Big Nasty, 8pm Two Twelve, on Central Kirkland: HeatherBBlues, 7pm

PLEASE HELP US KEEP O UR LISTINGS CURRENT: please send in jam listings to calendar@wablues.org. As of press time, we are looking for a new volunteer who will help compile our calendar, jam guide, band listings, and radio station listings. P lease email volunteer director Rhea Rolfe: volunteers@wablues.org if you are interested!

Tues daysBarrel Tavern: hosted by Doug McGrew, 8pmElmer’s Burien: hosted by Billy ShewEngel’s Pub, Edmonds: Open Mic with Lou Echeverri, 8 PMPacific im Marysville Best Western: Mike Wright & the Blue Sharks, 7 - 11pm907 Bar and Grill Snohomish Sean Denton & Richard Williams 8 PMSummit Pub: Tim Hall & the Realtimes, 7:30pmUncle Thurms, Tacoma: Blenis, Ely Band, 7:30pmWild Buff lo, Bellingham: hosted by Rick Baunach, 6:30 - 9:30pm

MONDAYKSVR 91.7FM Mount Vernon / KSVU 91.9FM Hamilton –Blues in the Night (automated) 2:00 AM – 5:00 AM Monday through Friday www.ksvr.org – DJ, Janice Clevin Gage

KUGS 89.3FM Bellingham: Highway 61 8:00AM - 10:00AMas.wwu.edu/kugs/ - DJ, Chalkie McStevenson

Mighty Mouth Blues on NWCZ Radio - www.nwczradio.com - Monday 8:00-11:00PM Pacifi

TUESDAYKAOS 89.3FM Olympia: Blues On Rye 1:00PM - 3:00PM www.kaos.evergreen.edu - DJ, Val Vaughn

WEDNESDAYKEXP 90.3FM Seattle: The Roadhouse 6:00PM to 9:00PM www.kexp.org - DJ, Greg Vandy

KSVR 91.7FM Mount Vernon / KSVU 91.9FM Hamilton - The Blues Note with Janice 8:00PM - 10:00PM www.ksvr.org - DJ, Janice Cleven Gage

KSVR 91.7FM Mount Vernon / KSVU 91.9FM Hamilton - Lester’s Blues Tour 10:00PM -Midnight www.ksvr.org - DJ, Les Anderson

THURSDAYKSER 90.7FM Everett: Clancy’s Bar and Grill 8:30PM - 10:30PM www.kser.org - DJ, Clancy Dunigan

FRIDAYKEXP 90.3FM Seattle: Shake The Shack 6:00PM - 9:00PM www.kexp.org - DJ, Leon Berman

SATURDAYKAOS 89.3FM Olympia: Blues For Breakfast 8:00AM - 10:00AM www.kaos.evergreen.edu - DJ, Jerry Drummond

KPLU 88.5FM Tacoma: All Blues 6:00PM - 12:00AM www.kplu.org - DJ, John Kessler

KSER 90.7FM Everett: Audio Indigo 7:00PM - 9:00 PM www.kser.org - DJ, Robin K

KBCS 91.3 FM Bellevue College: Living the Blues 8:00 PM – 10 PMwww.kbcs.fm – DJ Kevin Henry, Kevin Morris, Oneda Harris,Winona Hollins-Huage

KPBX 91.1FM Spokane: Backwater Blues Hour 10:00PM - 11:00PM www.kpbx.org - DJ, Frank Delaney

KPBX 91.1FM Spokane: Beal Street Caravan 11PM-12AMwww.kpbx.org - DJ, Pat Mitchell

KZPH 106.7FM Wenatachee: The Blues 11:00PM - 12:00AM www.therock1067.com - DJ, Dave Keefe

KSER 90.7FM Everett: Blues Odessey 9:00PM - 11:00PM www.kser.org - DJ, Leslie Fleury

SUNDAYKBCS 91.3FM Bellevue: Beal St. Caravan 5:00AM – 6:00AMwww.kbcs.fm

KEXP 90.3 Seattle: Preaching the Blues 9:00AM - NOONwww.kexp.org DJ, Johnny Horn

KUGS 89.3 FM Bellingham: Exposure NOON – 2PMwww.kugs.org

KYRS 92.3 FM Spokane: Blues Now and Then 6:00PM - 8:00 PMwww.kyrs.org - DJs Patrick Henry and Jumpin’ Jerry

KPLU 88.5FM Tacoma: All Blues 6:00PM - 12:00AM www.kplu.org - DJ, John Kessler

KWCW 90.5FM Walla Walla: Blues Therapy 7:00PM - 9:00PM www.kwcwradio.tumblr.com - DJ, “Biggdaddy” Ray Hansen and Armand “The Doctor” Parada

KSER 90.7FM Everett: The Juke Joint 1:00PM - 3:00PM www.kser.org - DJ, Jon Noe

Blues on the Radio Dial

PLEASE SEND ANY RADIO UPDATES TO CALENDAR@WABLUES.ORG

Washington Blues Society Blues Jams

Monday sCaffe Mela, Wenatchee, 7pm (fi st Monday of the month)88 Keys, Pioneer Square: Blues on Tap, 8pmJR’s Hideway: Malcolm Clark, 8pmOpal Lounge, South Tacoma Way: Tim Hall, 8pmTen Below: hosted by Underground Blues Jam, every 1st Monday of the month, Wenatchee

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Central & Eastern BBQ & Blues – Clarkston (509) 758-1227Breadline Café – Omak (509) 826-5836Club Crow – Cashmere (509) 782-3001 CrossRoads Steakhouse – Walla Walla (509) 522-1200Ice Harbor Brewing Co - Kennewick (509) 582-5340 Lakey’s Grill – Pullman (509) 332-6622Main Street Tavern – Omak (509) 826-2247Peters Inn – Packwood (360) 494-4000Pine Springs Resort - Goldendate (509-773-4434Ram’s Ripple – Moses Lake (509) 765-3942Rattlesnake Brewery – Richland (509) 783-5747Red Lion Hotel Wenatchee (Tomasz Cibicki 509-669-8200)Tumwater Inn Restaurant and Lounge – Leavenworth (509) 548-4232

SeattleBlarney Stone Pub and Restaurant (206) 448-8439China Harbor Restaurant (206) 286-1688Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley (206) 441-9729 x210EMP Liquid Lounge (206) 770-2777EMP Sky Church (206) 770-2777Fiddler’s Inn (206) 525-0752Grinder’s (206) 542-0627Highliner Pub (206) 283-2233Highway 99 Club (206) 382-2171J & M Cafe (206) 467-2666Lock & Keel (206) 781-8023Maple Leaf Grill (206) 523-8449Mr. Villa (206) 517-5660New Orleans (206) 622-2563Paragon (206) 283-4548Pike Place Bar and Grill (206) 624-1365The Rimrock Steak House (206) 362-7979Salmon Bay Eagles (206) 783-7791St. Clouds (206) 726-1522Thi d Place Commons, Lake Forest Park (206) 366-3333Triangle Tavern (206) 763.0714Tractor Tavern (206) 789-3599Triple Door (206) 838-4333

North End (Lynnwood, Everett, Edmonds, etc.):Bubba’s Roadhouse – Sultan, (360) 793-3950Canoes Cabaret – Tulalip (888) 272-1111The Conway Muse in Conway (360) 445-3000Demetris Woodstone Taverna, Edmonds (425) 744-9999Diamond Knot Brewery & Alehouse – Mukilteo (425) 355-4488Engel’s Pub – Edmonds (425) 778-2900Historic Spar Tree – Granite Falls (360) 691-6888 Madison Pub - Everett (425) 348-7402Mardini’s – Snohomish (360) 568-8080Mirkwood & Shire Café – Arlington (360) 403-9020North Sound:Star Bar, Anacortes (360) 299-2120 (Prohibition Grille, Everett (425) 258-6100 Stanwood Hotel & Saloon – Stanwood (360) 629-2888Stewart’s – Snohomish (360) 568-4684Timberline Café – Granite Falls (360) 691-7011

South Sound Tacoma, Burien, Federal Way, etcAl Lago, Lake Tapps (253) 863-86362 Wheel Blues Club – TacomaBarnacles Restaurant, Des Moines (206) 878-5000The Barrel – Burien (206) 246-5488CC’s Lounge, Burien (206) 242-0977Capitol Theater/Olympia Film Society – (360) 754-3635Cascade Tavern – Vancouver (360) 254-0749Charlie’s – Olympia (360) 786-8181Cliff ouse Restaurant – Tacoma (253) 927-0400Destination Harley Davidson – Fife (253) 922-3700 Blues Vespers at Immanuel Presbyterian (253) 627-8371Jazzbones in Tacoma (253) 396-9169(The) Junction Sports Bar, Centralia (360) 273-7586Lighthouse – Des Moines (206) 824-4863Maggie O’Toole’s – Lakewood (253) 584-3278Magnolia Café – Poulsbo (360) 697-1447Mint Alehouse – Enumclaw (360) 825-8361Pat’s Bar & Grill – Kent (253) 852-7287rrPick & Shovel – Wilkeson (360) 829-6574The Pony Keg - Kent (253) 395-8022Riverside Pub, Sumner (253) 863-8369Silver Dollar Pub – Spanaway (253) 531-4469The Spar – Tacoma (253) 627-8215The Swiss – Tacoma (253) 572-2821Tugboat Annie’s – Olympia (360) 943-1850Uncle Sam’s Bar & Grill - Spanaway (253) 507-7808Wurlitzer Manor – Gig Harbor (253) 858-1749

North Sound Bellingham, Anacortes, Whidbey Island, etcChina Beach – Langley (360) 530-8888Just Moe’s – Sedro Woolley (360) 855-2997LaConner Tavern – LaConner (360) 466-9932Little Roadside Tavern – Everson (360) 592-5107Old Edison Inn – Edison (360) 766-6266Rockfish Grill – Anacortes (360) 588-1720Stump Bar & Grill – Arlington (360) 653-6774Watertown Pub – Anacortes (360) 293-3587Wild Buff lo – Bellingham (360) 312-3684Viking Bar and Grill – Stanwood (360) 629-9285

Eastside Bellevue, Kirkland, etc.Bake’s Place - Bellevue (425) 454-2776Central Club – Kirkland (425) 827-8808Crossroads Shopping Center – Bellevue (425) 644-1111Damans Pub – RedmondForecasters – Woodinville (425) 483-3212Raging River Café & Club – Fall City (425) 222-6669Rockin’M BBQ, Golf Range & Lounge - Everett (425.438.2843)Time Out Sports Bar – Kirkland (425) 822-8511Top Shelf Broiler & Tervelli Lounge - Kirkland (206) 239-8431Vino Bella – Issaquah (425) 391-1424Wild Vine Bistro, Bothell (425) 877-1334Wilde Rover – Kirkland (425) 822-8940Valhalla Bar & Grill, Kirkland (425) 827 3336Yuppie Tavern - Kirkland (425) 814-5200

Peninsula Clearwater Casino – Suquamish (360) 598-6889Destiny Seafood & Grill – Port Angeles (360) 452-4665 Halftime Saloon – Gig Harbor (253) 853-1456Junction Tavern – Port Angeles (360) 452-9880Little Creek Casino – Shelton (360) 427-7711Seven Cedars Casino – Sequim (360) 683-7777Siren’s – Port Townsend (360) 379-1100Upstage – Port Townsend (360) 385-2216

WednesdaysCharlies Olympia: Blues AttitudeDaman’s Pub, 8 PMDogghouse Tavern, Mt. Vernon Alan: Hatley Trio, 7pmHalf Time Saloon: Billy Shew & Billy BarnerLocker Room, White Center: Michael Johnson & Lynn Sorensen, 8-12pmMadison Pub, Everett: hosted by Unbound w/special guests 7:30pm March 5 - James Howard March 12 - Annette Taborn, Beth Wuff nd Richard Syssinger March 19 - Steve Schlect March 26 - Rod CookOxford Saloon, Snohomish: Oxford School of Jam hosted by Rick J Bowen, Teri Anne Wilson and Robert Baker for All- Ages Open Jam 7-11pmSalmon Bay Eagles: Broomdust presents Blues of the Past jam (1st Wed.), 8pmYuppie Tavern, Kirkland (Totem Lake), HeatherBBlues Acoustic jam, 8pmOuld Triangle Pub: hosted by Jeff ass, Open Mic Blues Jam, 9pm

Thu r sdaysBad Alberts: Invitational w/Annieville BluesBarrel Tavern: hosted by Tim Turner, 8pmClub Flight Nightclub: w/Cory Wilde, 9pmConway PubDawson’s, Tacoma: Billy Shew, 8 pmJimmy Jacks hosted by Rick Bowen, Everett 730 -1130O’Callahan’s: Tim Hall, 7pmOxford Saloon: Jam Night w/ Tommy Cook Trio 8PM

Fr iday sNew Orleans Restaurant: All Star Jam, hosted by Leslie “Stardrums” Milton & Lady Keys, 7pm (1st & 3rd Fridays)

Washington Blues Society

Venue Guide

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By Chris Pyle

Editor’s Note: This is the first installment of a series of articles from Seattle’s newest blues record label, Otter Blues.

So you and your band have been together for a while, working with one another on the creative endeavor of making really great music. You’ve written songs that everyone is really proud of, and you want to make a recording. You’ve all sat down as a group and made the decision to take your music to the next level, and have booked time in a recording studio. Maybe some of you have experience in the studio, but perhaps some of you do not.

Long before your first studio session takes place, the most important thing to do is prepare for the session. I can’t stress the importance of preparation enough. Too often, I’ve seen recording sessions that could have gone smoother, and I’ve completed recordings that could have turned out better, if the artists had taken a more methodical approach to preparing before coming into the studio. In this article, I’m going to outline some things you should think about and discuss with your band, well before the recording date.

The first thing you need to decide is the purpose of the recording itself. Why are you making a recording? What are you going to do with the end product? You need to clearly determine whether you’re making a rough demo for the purpose of raising general awareness for your band and getting gigs, or if you’re capturing the essence of your music in a highly polished “grand artistic statement”. It’s important to sit down as a band and discuss why you’re going into the studio, and what you’re going to do with the music once it’s finished. When everyone is of the same mindset of the recording’s purpose - before you ever set foot in the studio - it can eliminate conflict or confusion later on.

Closely related to the recording’s purpose is the project’s scope. By scope, I mean the number of songs you’re going to record, and the form that the end product will take. Recording projects generally take the form of a single, a demo, an EP, or an album.

Traditionally, singles are selected from albums, and often represent the best songs, or at least those that are believed to be the most marketable. However these days, without financial backing, some artists prefer to record one song at a time, releasing them individually as singles. These are often released over the internet, and may or may

not be made for sale. The decision to record and release a series of singles usually comes down to budgetary constraints, but some artists choose this path because they feel that they can keep the interest levels of their fans higher by staggering individual releases over time.

A demo, as I’ve already mentioned, is completed relatively quickly, and not a great deal of emphasis is placed on perfecting performances. Editing, mixing, and production tricks aren’t very in-depth, and the final result captures the raw essence of the music, without much “flair”. Demos typically consist of 3-5 songs.

An EP (which stands for “extended play” - a throwback to the glory days of vinyl) is to be similar to a demo in terms of the number of songs, but greater value is placed on taking time to get great performances. With an EP, more time is spent scrutinizing the performance, taking care to catch and fix mistakes, and taking the time to get a great mix.

Albums are at the top of the list, being the de facto standard for project scope, and are the high end of the spectrum of the “grand artistic statement”. Albums generally have 8-12 songs, and have the highest emphasis on production value, as albums tend to act both as a “business card” for the band, and are a primary source of merchandise-related income.

Once you’ve decided the purpose and scope of your project, the next step of the process is to determine what songs you plan to record. This may sound like a no-brainer, but oftentimes various band members may have preferences for songs they like or dislike, and not everyone will agree on the same ones. If you’re going to make an album, that may simplify the selection process for you, as you’ll be doing all the songs you have written. But for EP’s, demos, and singles, you’ll have to choose carefully.

Particularly when recording an EP or individual singles, song selection is key. If you have to narrow down your set list, it can be difficult to decide which songs to keep, and which to eliminate. You’ll want to identify those songs that both represent your band’s signature sound, while also showing a diversity in songwriting. No one wants an EP of five songs that sound identical, but you also don’t want your first single to be unrepresentative of the overall direction of your band. Finding a balance is key.

While making this list, prioritize the songs that you care about most. This way, if problems arise in the studio and you don’t have as much time

as you’d hoped, you can be sure that if anything has to be cut, that the most important songs are recorded first. Also include two or three additional songs more than what you plan to record, so that if things are going really well and coming together quickly in the studio, you may be ready to record a few more songs than you initially planned.

This stage of planning is largely conceptual, but I feel that it’s important to have a general plan for the recording ahead of time. Understanding and agreeing upon the project’s purpose & scope, as well as song selection is an important decision that everyone in the band needs to understand and be comfortable with. Even in these early stages of preparation, planning will help set you up for success in the recording studio. Next time, I’ll discuss the following stage of preparation, as it relates to rehearsal, evaluation, and instrument maintenance and preparation.

Special Value Just For Washington Blues Society

Members!We have made arrangements for a special room rate for the Coeur D’Alene Festival on Friday, Saturday, & Sunday, March 28th, 29th, and 30th. Call Karen Laramie at the La Quinta Inn at (208)-525-2522 or (208)-667-6777 and tell her you are a WBS member and you can get a discounted room rate of $96.22 per night (Taxes Included).

If Karen is not available please leave a message with name and phone number and she will call you back and make your reservations. The La Quinta Inn is located at 2209 East Sherman Avenue which is about fourteen blocks from the Coeur D’Alene Resort. All rooms have a refrigerator and microwave, 24 hour access to the pool & hot tub, and an al a carte breakfast. Even if the weather is bad and you have to use a taxi between the La Quinta and the Coeur d’Alene Resort you will save on lodging costs. Save even more sharing rides with other blues soicety members. Your festival entrance tickets still need to be purchased through the resort, see the ad in this issue for more information.

River Otter Records: Determiningthe Purpose and Scope of the Recording Project

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Creating a CD Cover That “Feels Good”By Liz Caraway

Last October I saw a picture of The Randy Oxford Band by Dan Hill which took my breath away! The first thing I thought was that it would make an amazing CD cover! I then saw a graphic, done by Tim Sutherland, which was said to be the cover for the band’s new release. Tim’s design wasn’t anything like Dan’s photography, so I figured that Dan’s pic would be used for another project... Little did I know, magic was about to happen! I saw the final product, and… They did it! They seamlessly brought together the two styles and “…it feels good…”!

I decided to ask Randy how he was able to make these seemingly opposite images come together so beautifully.

Liz Caraway: How did you come up with the title, “…it feels good…”?

Randy Oxford: “…it feels good…” was a slogan that I came up with when I first started my band in 2003. Being a band leader and getting to hire top notch musicians who are willing and able to travel while remaining pleasant to work with no matter what the gig is, feels good to me so I came up with the slogan and I finally decided to use it as a CD title.

LC: How did the CD cover come about?

RO: I posted on Facebook, asking for artist submis-sions for a CD cover with the title “...it feels good…” and Tim seemed to get what I was asking for, and we went with his submission. My project managers, Faith Loomis and Michele Sabol, were also involved in choosing the final art.

LC: What about the creation process did you enjoy?

RO: Asking Faith and Michele to take charge of the look and feel of the CD layout was a good call; all I had to do was focus on being a music producer in the studio. The team of people you see listed in the credits made this project what it is; we are all very proud of the final product…it feels good!

Randy’s known for finding the right people and then let-ting them do what they do best.

I asked Michelle Sabol about her influence on the cover’s creation, and she humbly gave credit to everyone else…

LC: Michele, please tell me your involvement in the cover project.

Michele Sabol: I guess the first part for me was at-tending the studio sessions and then onto the engineering and mixing. What a process! I loved every minute of the experience.

Tim gave us the cover and we worked the graphics from there. I had an idea of the layout, while Faith put it all together. It took some editing, but then we agreed “…it feels good…”.

Faith Loomis is Michele’s daughter and I asked her to share her experience with us.

LC: Faith, how was your experience working on the CD cover?

Faith Loomis: This project was a blast! I’m so grateful to be a part of it and such a wonderful group of people.

LC: Was it hard to combine the two very different styles together?

FL: Actually, it’s funny you ask, because at first it was. I asked for Tim’s design to bleed over onto the back, as well as for the ember effect throughout. I think it all came together beautifully.

LC: How was working with everyone?

FL: Well, my mom is like me: we both have an artistic vision for things but neither of us can hand draw! I ad-mire the way some people can take their artistic vision and put it on paper the way Tim did. Then there’s Dan’s very artistic eye and talent for taking a photo and creat-ing something really cool. Finally, Disc Makers put our vision all together. Overall, it was a GREAT experience!

I told Dan Hill that I was surprised and really pleased with how the cover came out. I was worried that his photos would lose attention, but they combined the work very well.

LC: When Randy approached you about taking pictures, were they originally for the CD or just for promotion?

Dan Hill: I believe we were talking about using the photos for both CD and promotion.

LC: What kind of editing did you use with the photos on the CD?

DH: I use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop CC for the ‘heavy lifting’ along with plug-ins from Alien Skin (Snap

Art and Eye Candy) and the Nikon filters. The ‘digital manipulation’ is all me.

LC: Whose idea was it to gather around the pool table with the instruments?

DH: I suggested that we gather around the pool table, and I think that it was someone in the band who sug-gested putting the instruments on the table.

LC: How many pictures did you take?

DH: Probably between 1 and 200.

I wondered how Tim Sutherland approached this project and its vague theme, “…it feels good…”, and ran with it.

LC: You’ve done a sweet bit of graphics for this CD cover Tim, how did you get involved in this project?

Tim Sutherland: Thank you! I contacted Randy about the cover because of his contest, and we talked about how everything should convey the “...it feels good...” at-titude. My design represents each band member, and the band’s loose, free flowing music style.

LC: How did you come up with the fire?

TS: The flame logo was almost by accident, a result of tweaking the logo until it took on an attitude all its own -- which fits the band well because they are on fire! I then flamed up the title font so it would work with the band logo.

LC: Does it …feel good… to be a part of this project?

TS: The whole aura about The Randy Oxford Band is that “...it feels good...” and being a part of this project sure does!

Well, it’s obvious to me that Randy Oxford knows how to find great talent to create a great CD cover that FEELS GOOD!!

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(Continued from Page 11)When November came around the two groups were Fistful of Dollars a three piece classic rock band, with Connor Lewis on guitar and mouth harp, Carson Dent on drums, and Victoria Wheeler on bass (one of the bassist in BOF), and Emily Randolph a soloist. Each group did three shows at three different venues, except Emily she did a country gig at Whiskey River in Springfield next to Eugene. In two of the shows Emily and FFOD played “House of the Raising Sun” together and I was honored to play Flute with them. The trip was a wonderful experience, we got to play in the lobby after our shows at the Valley River Inn (a five star hotel) until 1am with other musicians that were in town for a film festival. We had to wait until the last minute to get approval for Emily Randolph to attend because she was under contractual agreement with The Voice.

The following is some more information of the names you seen in this article:

2013 was a year of special accomplishments for many of our young performers, and especially for four them. Emily Randolph who started with us in 2011 came to us with a wonderful voice; she had never really played in a band, and had not done any rock songs to speak of, and soon became one of our featured vocalists and had the opportunity to play in three of Puget Sound Music For Youth Association (PSMFYA) bands. She along with Jason Kertson another of our members in 2009 were on this season’s (season five) of The Voice. Jason also came to us having good musical talent in guitar playing and vocals, but not any experience playing in all youth band.

Alex Richmond started at the Berklee College of Music in Boston September of 2013. He has been around the music scene in the Randy Oxford all age jams. Alex joined us in 2009 and plays some mean guitar. He will be back in March from school and will take the stage at the March 16th show at The Swiss.

Zach Rowell got his acceptance letter from Berklee College of Music in Dec of 2013 and will be going off to school this coming September. Zach became a member in 2009 and put together his own band and taught the bassist and rhythm guitarist how to play their instruments. He has been with the same group with the exception of the drummer all this time. The band name was Society’s Voice and now goes by Oaklawn.

Puget Sound Music For Youth Association has not taken any membership applications since May of 2012; we are still very much in the thick of the youth music scene. And follow our Mission Statement which is to “Bring Young Musicians Together to Enhance Their Knowledge of Music,

and to Help Them Stay Interested in School”. Now we look at any young musicians interested in music to become ‘actively involved with PSMFYA”. If they need help in school we have resources to help them. Most of our kids are 3.0-4.0 students. It is a known fact, kids that focus well in school, focus well in music.

In 2013, I discussed with some of the bands about looking into the Blues, “the fact of the matter” I said “is all music in this country originated from the Blues, with the exception of classical”. A few expressed an interest, one of those is Emily Randolph who had always thought the Blues was in her blood, it did not take long to find that the group Oaklawn with front man Zach Rowell jumped on board with the Blues genre and are doing their first practices together.

Another group coming on the Blues scene has somewhat of a jump because of their classic rock background, Fistful Of Dollars. Both of these groups will be featured in the March show which will be dedicated to the Blues and I am sure we will see more bands coming to this genre. 2014 is starting our with our Anniversary show at The Swiss, this will be our 3rd January at The Swiss, we will be featuring three bands that all started out as members of PSMFYA; Oaklawn formerly Society’s Voice with front man Zach Rowell (member in 2009), Insuburban Avenue (members of Birds of a Feather) 2011, except TJ Wheeler who is the drummer and has sat in with many groups to help them out since 2010 currently is a student at the Art Institute of Seattle, and Emily Randolph who graced my stage more than any performing act. I can never say enough about Emily Randolph other than she is real and down to earth and appreciates all that she has experience with gratitude. There are other performing acts for this special show. Check us out on Face Book “Puget Sound Music For Youth Association”

“Creating music is common to every culture in the world. Music is an expression ofwho we are as individuals and as a society and its impact can be deep and profound. Making music feels great, no matter what the skill level. It provides essential nourishment to human development and has the power to transform lives. Recognizing the power of live music is magnified when young people perform together.”

Many thanks to Gary Grape who has been very supportive of Puget Sound Music For Youth Association getting more involved with South Sound Blues Association. Thanks also to Washington Blues Society and the membership I now have with their organization.

There is never enough I can say of my gratitude

on behalf of so many young musicians to thank Randy Oxford, if not for him this would have never happened.

Finally, on March 16th, at The Swiss is when we debut four bands that are now doing Blues and will be in the June 1st competition for SSBA for Memphis in 2015: Emily Randolph with Oaklawn, Fistful Of Dollars, Phat Daddy & The Zone, and Project Blue 14.

Letter from the EditorThis month, my Letter from the Editor is stuck on the Bluesletter’s back pages for a reason. We’ve got a lot of great content this month ranging from Bob Horn’s review of last month’s Blues Bash plus the Harp Wizards show at Jazz Alley, my son’s photos of those harp legends, our society’s 2015 International Blues Challenge application forms and instructions, plus updates on the Passing the Torch and the South Sound Blues Association’s Puget Sound Music for Youth Association.

What’s missing from this issue are CD reviews. I need to do a better job of repaying the generosity of labels and artists who send the blues society blues product – both online and in physical CD packaging – to give these artists and labels a proper review. So, next month, I hope to run four pages of CD reviews. That can translate to 20 or 25 reviews if they are sharp, short and to the point (meaning 300 words or less). I feel that we owe it to the artists and labels to do that, and I plan on being more attentive in the months ahead.

Finally, I’m grateful this month to new contributors Tim Sutherland and Polly O’Keary: we’re an all-volunteer organization locally, nationally and internationally.

Locally, we depend on writers and photographers to work for free, just we depend on volunteers to staff events in Memphis hosted by the Blues Foundation. We have volunteers who distribute the Bluesletter, one cabin at a time, on the Blues Cruise, and several members volunteer at blues events around the globe.

Until next month, please share a Bluesletter with a friend. More importantly, join us at the Red Crane in Shoreline the second Tuesday of this month for Seth Freeman and the Randy Oxford Band!

Eric Steiner, EditorWashington Blues Society Bluesletter

South Sound Blues Update (Continued): Puget Sound Music for Youth Association

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Harp Wizards Channel Sonny Boy at Jazz Alley: Mark Hummel’s 2014 Harmonica Blow-Out!

By Robert Horn

Mark Hummel has been putting together all-star teams for years. He sets up tours of what looks like the Mount Rushmore of blues harmonica giants all the time. Each year he has different all-star teams on stage: like John Mayall and Charlie Musselwhite, Curtis Salgado and Lee Oskar or other combinations of five or six great harmonica players along with other great musicians in a full band.

On January 14th and 15th a couple shows blew the audience away at Seattle’s Jazz Alley. They were part of the 2014 Harmonica Blow Out national tour under the leadership of Mark Hummel. It was also billed as a tribute to the musical genius of Sonny Boy Williamson (the Second).

Mark brought what some say was his best all-star team to Seattle this winter. Mark recruited John Mayall, Curtis Salgado, Rick Estrin, James Harmon, and Lee Oskar on harmonica. Charlie Baty was on guitar, but he too played harmonica later in the show. The rest of the band included a solid rhythm section featuring June Core on drums and RW Grigsby on bass. Rounding out the band, Bob Welsh played piano when he wasn’t playing guitar. June has played with Little Charlie and the Nightcats, Terry Hanck, Mighty-Mike Schermer, for the past ten years, he’s been Charlie Musselwhite’s drummer. Grigsby is a part of Hummel’s regular touring band and Welsh has played with Elvin Bishop, Finis Tasby and Rusty Zinn, among many others.

Before the first note was played Mark Hummel explained that they would be doing a lot of songs by Sonny Boy Williamson. His story of Sonny Boy was colorful because Sonny Boy was pretty colorful. Mark explained that his name was really Rice Miller, and he was born in 1899 or maybe 1903…depending on which story you hear. Early on in blues history another performer went by the name of Sonny Boy Williamson who made a name for himself. After Sonny Boy Williamson (the First) died, Rice Miller took his identity. That could be done back then since there were no Youtube videos or even photographs of black musicians in the south getting around to Chicago newspapers. Mark explained that he himself could not get away with saying he is Cee Lo Green now because of how much technology and society has changed since the early days of both Sonny Boys.

The Sonny Boy tribute set list had so many songs on his song list that I could write this whole article with nothing but his song titles but it could be a lot longer. I will spare readers an endless series of song titles like “The All Night Boogie” included some “Rainy Day Blues” with a “Cool Disposition”

and “Don’t Start Me Talkin’” about “Checkin’ Up on My Baby,” now “Let Me Explain” It’s “Nine Below Zero” and “I’m Too Young to Die” so “Good Evening Everybody” I gotta “Bring it On Home”…. OK, I did have some fun with a few of the hundreds of songs Rice Miller used to perform.

Each harmonica giant at the Jazz Alley show did a song or two with just the band in back of them and then later combinations of two of them would sing and play the harp in front of the band, then more than two… as the show went on the number of people on stage grew and the intensity rose to the ceiling. The evening built to the crescendo partly because of how Mark Hummel mastered the art of inviting more and more heavy harp hitters up on stage.

Even some of the solo parts of the evening were amazing. Rick Estrin did what I really think was his greatest performance ever that night. Rick, like Sonny Boy, can move the harmonica all around in or out of his mouth …spinning it around …make it disappear while he is still playing it … and sticking 90% of it straight out of his mouth while hitting all the notes and using his hands to give emphasis like an orator His hands did not touch the harp at that point. This earned him a standing ovation early in the show. He has always done great performances but I was especially impressed with his work at Jazz Alley.One performer received a standing ovation just for walking to the stage. To accomplish that you have to be a giant. He is a giant. At age 80, John Mayall still does 110 shows a year. He was part of the British Invasion that brought blues back to America with a rock-blues band in the 1960s. He is not only a great song writer, a singer, a harmonica player, a keyboard player, but one of the great band leaders of the last 50 years. The list of the guitar players Mayall has hired and mentored through the decades reads like a Guitar Player Hall of Fame: Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Coco Montoya, etc. At the Jazz Alley show he played keyboards, and harmonica at the same time while singing.

Mark Hummel, James Harmon, and Curtis Salgado each offered great solos throughout the evening. One of my favorite parts of the evening featured Curtis Salgado singing while Rick Estrin played harmonica next to him. That could be an amazing act for a festival or a cruise! The last part of the show with Mark Hummel, John Mayall, Rick Estrin, Curtis Salgado, James Harmon, Lee Oskar, Charlie Baty, and others, all on stage at once was overwhelming in a very good way. The music and the applause was like happy thunder came from the heavens.

I’ve heard that there are blues fans that do not like harp, but I do not understand that. A lot of harp is

not too much harp when the level of talent consists of players like John Mayall, Curtis Salgado, Rick Estrin, James Harmon, and Lee Oskar. Together, as part of the 2014 Mark Hummel Blow Out Series, they turned Jazz Alley into a roadhouse for two exceptional nights of music dedicated to the music of Sonny Boy Williamson (the Second).

Top: Mark HummelBottom: Rick Estrin

(Photos by Paul Steiner)

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Above: John MayallUpper Right: BobWelsh, June Core and James Harman

Right: RickEstrin and Curtis SalgadoBelow: (Left to Reight): James Harman, Lee Oskar, Mark Hummel ,

Rick Estrin and Curtis Salgado(Photos by Paul Steiner)

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Special Value Just For Washington Blues Society Members!

We have made arrangements for a special room rate for the Coeur D’Alene Festival on Friday, Saturday, & Sunday, March 28th, 29th, and 30th. Call Karen Laramie at the La Quinta Inn at (208)-525-2522 or (208)-667-6777 and tell her you are a WBS member and you can get a discounted room rate of $96.22 per night (Taxes Included).

If Karen is not available please leave a message with name and phone number and she will call you back and make your reservations. The La Quinta Inn is located at 2209 East Sherman Avenue which is about fourteen blocks from the Coeur D’Alene Resort. All rooms have a refrigerator and microwave, 24 hour access to the pool & hot tub, and an al a carte breakfast. Even if the weather is bad and you have to use a taxi between the La Quinta and the Coeur d’Alene Resort you will save on lodging costs. Save even more sharing rides with other blues soicety members. Your festival entrance tickets still need to be purchased through the resort, see the ad in this issue for more information.

Please Don’t Forget!Second Tuesday. Every Month.

Live Blues Music at the Red Crane in ShorelineMarch Blues Bash:

Seth Freeman, Acoustic ActRandy Oxford Band, Electric Act

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Mark Dufresne Blues Male Vocalist:Chris EgerCD WoodburyRandy NorrisSteve PetersonSammy Eubanks

Blues Female Vocalist:Jada Amy Stacy JonesStickshift Annie

Electric Blues Guitar:CD WoodburyJeff MenteerManuel Morais

Slide Blues Guitar:Mark RileyScott E LindKimball Conant

Blues Bass:Polly O’KearyRobert BakerTom JonesMike FishHank Yanda

Chris Leighton Drums:Rick BowenRuss KamererJohn RockwellAngelo OrtizRick Jacobson

Blues Horn:Mike MarinigJim KingRandy Oxford

Paul Green Harmonica:Stacy JonesJim KingJim McLaughlin

Piano & Keyboards:Arthur MigliazzaFrank “Hotrod” HolmanChris Kleiman

Acoustic Blues Guitar:Randy NorrisRod CookEric MadisRyan LaPlante

Blues Act:Stacy Jones BandBrian Lee & the OrbitersBlues Playground

Little Bill and the Blues Notes Traditional Blues Act:Brian Lee & the OrbitersThe WIRED! BandBoneyard Preachers

Solo/Duo Act:Norris & NicelySweet Danny Ray & Rafael TranquilinoSon Jack Jr & Michael Wilde

New Blues Band:Blues on TapBlack River BluesAlley Katz Jesse James & the Mob

Blues Performer:Stacy JonesLady AJim King

Blues Songwriter:CD WoodburyBrian Lee5Stacy Jones

Blues Recording:Monday Night by CD WoodburyIn Orbit by Brian Lee & the OrbitersIt Feels Good by Randy Oxford

Blues Club:Highway 99 Blues ClubEngel’sJazz BonesWild Hare

Blues Writer:Rick BowenEric SteinerMalcolm KennedyAmy Sassenberg

Blues Image:Jones Family Christmas PosterMt Baker Catfish Poster Patti Allen Bluesletter

Graphic Artist:Dennis HackerJohn Paul JonesStephen Perringer

Blues DJ: Jonathan “Oogie” RichardsJanice GageClancy Dunnigan

Keeping the Blues Alive:Paul Quilty & Willow StoneDennis “Zab” ZyvolskiStacy Jones

Lifetime Achievement:Mark RileyJim McLaughlimScott E Lind

Hall of Fame:Jim McLauglinMark RileyScott E LindBilly Stoops

Hall of Fame BandJunkyard Jane The WIRED! BandAlice Stuart & the Formerlys

Non-Festival Blues Event:Raven’s Jam for CansBlues Bash at the Red CraneJones Family Christmas

Blues Festival:Mt BakerFreedom FestSunbanks

Open Blues Jam:Madison PubRaging RiverWed Oxford School of Jam

Mark Your Calendars!

Save the Date!

The BB Awards will be held on Sunday, June 29th at the Kirkland Performing Arts Center. All nomination ballots are due by the May Blues Bash on the 13th.

2014 Washington Blues Society Best of the Blues (“BB Awards”) Nominees

Non-ProfitU.S. Postage Paid

Seattle, WAPermit No. 5617

P.O. Box 70604Seattle, WA 98127

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