FREE & Open to the Public

FREE & Open to the Public

September 14-16, 2007

Beachstreet Pavilion @ 17th St., Virginia Beach, VA

The Natchel’ Blues Network & Beach Events Presents...

“Keepin’ the Blues Alive in Hampton Roads Since 1984”

NATCHEL’ BLUES NETWORK

The official bi-monthly publication of The Natchel’ Blues Network, Inc.: a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the Blues. AFFILIATE OF THE BLUES FOUNDATION

Recipient of 1998 KBA Award

“Blues Organization

of the Year”

NON PROFIT

U.S. Postage

PAID

Norfolk, VA

Permit #344

Volume 23 Number 4 July/August 2007 Norfolk, Virginia

BANDS THAT PLAY BLUES IN HAMPTON ROADS

Big Fun - Bruce Gray - 622-7235Black Rose Blues Band - JD Silvia - 523-4372Black White Blues - Carlton Newsome - 864-0481Blues Empacts - Bill Kelly - (757) 229-9672Blues Xchange - Tommy Parker - 498-3545Bryan Dunn & Co. - Bryan Dunn - 631-8790C-Street - John B. Holt - 722-8616dc3 - Dave Coghill - 463-2384DOAD - Ted Doty - 486-9740Eddie Level - Lloyd Jones - 418-1910Fat Tony - Sandy Martin - 406-2425Freeborn Blues Band - Dan Lubertazzi - 872-8580 Fully Loaded - Johnny Ray Light – (757) 719-3271HammerHead Blues - Phil Branton - 483-1350H.M. Johnson Band - Carlton Lillard - 547-4506Incognito Brothers - Ron Parker - 481-6425John Baldwin Group - John Baldwin - 735-4409Michael Clark Band - Michael Clark - 533-3088Mojo X - Lloyd Jones - 418-1910M.S.G.-The Acoustic Blues Trio - Jackie Merritt - 722-5811Nasty Phat - Mono Lee - 235-2725Rag Hat Blew - Fletcher Harrell - 587-4846Rhythm Kings - Mike Coghill - 460-6414Right Time for the Blues - Reggie Barber - 237-6920Rylo - Gabriel Baesen - 729-4660Shakedown - Howard Anby - 566-3770Shelly Craig-Potter - 546-1528Sweet Papa & the Too Hot Blues Crew - Ernie Williams - 855-7461T-Ford 2 Blues Project - Teaford Webber - 287-8784Tim Morgan & the Mojo Brothers - Tim Morgan - 875-0447

If I’ve missed anybody or need to update some information, e-mail bluzq@hotmail.com with subject as “Band List.”

ANNUAL TAX DEDUCTIBLE MEMBERSHIP DUES:INDIVIDUAL $20 FAMILY $30 CORPORATE $100

Please return this membership application with your check or money order to: Membership, Natchel’ Blues Network, P.O. Box 1773, Norfolk, VA 23501-1773.

Dues are for the period of one calendar year, starting with your application date. Thank you for supporting the blues!

20 Blues News July/August 2007 www.natchelblues.org

14th ANNUAL BLUES

AT THE BEACH FESTIVAL

2007 BLUES MUSIC AWARD

WINNERS

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT:

“GUITAR” TOMMY PARKER

SHOW REVIEW:

SAVOY BROWN

THE BLUE HIGHWAY

DVD/CD REVIEWS

BLUES CALENDAR

SEEN AROUND TOWN

BLUES BITS

AND MORE

Natchel’ Blues Network, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to promoting blues as a true American art form. Your annual contribution puts you on our mailing list for the newsletter/calendar and notices of special NBN events and meetings. If you enjoy blues music and/or play blues music, please join the NBN! Become an NBN Member = Receive discounts at area businesses on food, entertainment and musical merchandise! (Discounts applicable only when presenting valid NBN Membership Card.) Please support your local blues organization!

Questions? Please call (757) 456-1675 Moving? Please send your new address. Bulk mail is not forwarded!

Date________Name____________________________________________________________________________________________

Address______________________________________________City________________State________Zip_____________________________________

Telephone (Home)__________________(Work)______________(E-Mail Address)____________________________________________

What hours are you most available by phone & where?______AM_____PM______Home/Work_________________________________

Type of Membership: ___Individual___Family___Corporate___New_____Renewal_______Band_________________________________

Please check the activities you would like to help us with:

___NBN Newsletter ___Mailings ___Festival ___Fundraising/Sponsorship____ Membership Development__________________________

Promotion/Policy_______Education Programs________Monthly/Semi-Monthly Shows___Website______________________________________

NBN is sponsored in part by The City of Hampton and the Hampton Arts Commission, TNCC Cultural Affairs,Virginia Commission for the Arts, & the City of Virginia Beach through the Virginia Beach Arts & Humanities Commission.

PLUS More on Pages 10-11

Blues Birthdays JULY AUGUST1 Willie Dixon James Cotton3 Mississippi John Hurt Fontella Bass4 Champion Jack Dupree Chicago Bob Nelson7 Pinetop Perkins8 Louis Jordan Larry Garner10 Blind Boy Fuller11 Blind Lemon Jefferson12 Smokey Wilson13 Long John Hunter15 Washboard Sam Willie Cobbs16 Denise LaSalle17 Margie Evans18 Screamin’ Jay Hawkins21 Floyd Jones22 Mable Hillery25 Norman “Guitar Slim” Green28 Junior Kimbrough Mike Bloomfield Roy Rogers30 Buddy Guy Big Jack Johnson31 Roy Milton

1 Robert Cray2 Big Walter Price3 Mercy Dee Walton4 Louis Armstrong6 Willie Brown7 Mose Vinson Magic Slim Holt8 Jimmy Witherspoon9 Robert Shaw12 Gladys Bently Percy Mayfield Roy Gaines13 Jimmy McCracklin Son Seals14 Barkin’ Bill Smith15 Jackie Brenston16 Eddie Kirkland17 Gabriel “Guitar Gable” Perrodin Luther Allison19 Earl Gaines21 Count Basie22 John Lee Hooker Debbie Davies24 Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup Wynonie Harris25 Carrie Smith26 Jimmy Rushing29 Dinah Washington Marion Williams31 Bobby Parker

14th Annual Blues At The Beach Festival

Mark Hummel’s Blues Harmonica Blowoutpresented by Hohner, featuring Greg “Fingers”Taylor, James Harman & Lil’ Ronnie Owens Mighty Lester Maurice John Vaughn Delmark’s Chicago Blues Revue featuringMaurice John Vaughn, Shirley Johnson & Jimmy BurnsMichael Burks Fiona Boyes & The Fortune Tellers Janiva Magness & Debbie Davies

TIME SENSITIVE MATERIAL!

CD WINNERS

NBN DrawingOnce a month we will draw the name

of a new/renewing member for a FREE CD

May – Kenneth WilloughbyJune - Kathleen A. Johnson

192 Blues News July/August 2007 www.natchelblues.org www.natchelblues.org July/August 2007 Blues News

(757) 495-8506 (757) 495-0961Providence Square Shopping Center

Virginia Beach, VA 23464

Birdland

BIRDLAND has the

largest selectionof BLUES in

Hampton Roads!

RECORDS, TAPES, & COMPACT DISCS

BLUES ZYDECO

COUNTRY CLASSICAL

ROCK REGGAE

AND MORE!

BIRDLAND’S got it or we’ll get it for you!

10% Discount to NBN Members

CLASSIFIED ADS NOW AVAILABLE!!

Looking for an additional musician for your band?

Selling or searching for an instrument?

Want to advertise your business?

Only $10!Maximum 25-30 words

Contact Beth Jarock at (757) 623-8559 or bluesbet@infionline.net

Where U can Hear the BLUESWHRV 89.5 FM Blues Stage with Melvin Van Peebles Thursday @ Midnight

Out of the Box with Paul Shugrue Monday-Thursday 7-9 pm, Sat. 1-5 pm

A Shot of the Blues with Paul Shugrue Friday 10 pm-midnight Blues Before Sunrise with Steve Cushing Sunday 1-6 am

WHOV 88.1 FM Nothin’ But the Blues Wednesday 7-10 pm

WESR 103.3 FM Blues Review with Billy Sturgis (VA Eastern Shore) Wednesday 8-9 pm

WFOS 88.7 FM Who’s Got the Blues with Richie Babb 3rd Sunday of month 4-7 pm Blues Traffic Jam Monday-Friday 3-7 pm

Natchel’ Blues Network Bands!!

Advertise in Blues News with a 1/4 page ad (usually $45) for only

$30 per issue.

Provide us with the info and we will DESIGN the ad for you.

One picture only.

Ad must be pre-paid. Call Beth Jarock at 623-8559

VARIOUS ARTISTSPutumayo Presents: Women of the World - AcousticPutumayo PUT-CD-261 www.putumayo.com Nice. Not blues for sure, but nice, still. This mellow blend of acoustic world music isn’t for everyone, but what music is? Women of the World - Acoustic, released recently by Putumayo, consists of eleven tracks by leading contemporary female artists from such diverse countries as France, Canada, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Algeria, Brazil, Croatia, and the Czech Republic.

There are some memorable tracks: �”M’envoyer des Fleurs”� by Sandrine Kiberlain, is one. Despite its French name, the song has a jazzy Brazilian sound, as do some of the others. A Nora Jones sound-alike from Iceland, Emiliana Torrini, sings �”Sunnyroad,”� a catchy, folky tune, which has made it to the Lonely Planet’s Blue List of Top Ten Travel Tunes.

This is the kind of music that you might hear while sipping coffee in Starbucks or browsing in an upscale women’s boutique...great background music. It is a must-have if providing a certain atmosphere of intimacy and relaxation is your goal. It probably appeals more to women than to men. So, women, if luxuriating in the bathtub with a candle and music is your thing, this release may be for you.

Beverly Levinson

WATERMELON SLIM & THE WORKERSThe Wheel ManNorthernBlues Music NBM0038www.watermelonslim.com

I have been hearing about William Homans a.k.a. “Watermelon Slim” for a while, but I hadn’t really taken the time to listen to his CDs. My mistake, for sure. This guy is as fresh as a slice of cold, juicy

watermelon on a hot summer day in August. This is a great album, and a great band backing him. There’s something very gritty and honest about his music. Which could be why he’s the hottest name in blues right now. He had a total of six Blues Music Awards nominations in 2007, including Entertainer of the Year, Band of the Year, Album of the Year, Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year and last but not least, Traditional Blues Album of the Year. Whew!

On The Wheel Man Slim plays harp, Dobro slide guitar and percussion, plus he wrote many of the songs. On “Jimmy Bell,” the fourth song on the CD and one of my favorites, it’s just him and his harp, and it rocks. His harmonica is tasteful and solid. He moves throughout the album from hardcore electric bar blues to a cappella storyteller.

I would recommend adding this CD to your collection. It’s fresh, it’s exciting and I think it’s destined to be a classic blues recording that will hold up for many years to come.

“Watermelon Slim incarnates the deepest and truest roots of American music. Combine Jimmie Rogers, the Carter family & Bob Wills with Blind Lemon, Sonny Boy Williamson and Wilson Pickett – and you have Slim – a one of a kind pickin’ ‘n’ singin’ Okie dynamo.” -Jerry Wexler, producer (Ray Charles)

Jackie “Sugarlips” Merritt

CD Reviews

Reservation deadline: 6 weeks prior to publication date. Copy deadline: 5th of the month prior to publication date.

Rates Classified Ad $10 Business Card $30 1/2 page $85 1/4 page $45 Full page $150 A fee of $35 will be added if not camera-ready

For more information, contact AdvertisingBeth Jarock (757) 623-8559

e-mail - bluesbet@infionline.net

Graphic Info Jackie Merritt (757) 722-5811

FAX 722-5811

Membership and Volunteer InformationNatchel’ Blues Network

P.O. Box 1773Norfolk, VA 23501-1773

NBN HotlineFor updates, call (757) 456-1675

NBN ADVERTISING INFO

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Don’t Miss the Opportunity !

LOCAL BLUES BANDS

NBN MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

18 3

6

5LOCAL SPOTLIGHT

BLUES CALENDAR

9-10BLUES HEAVEN

12BLUES BITS

14NBN NEW MEMBERS

& RENEWALS

15

CD REVIEWS

18DVD REVIEW

20

8

SEEN AROUND TOWN

Words from the PRESIDENT

19WHERE U CAN HEAR

THE BLUES

7

DVD ReviewBy Alan Kurzer

Blues News July/August 2007 www.natchelblues.org www.natchelblues.org July/August 2007 Blues News

SHOW REVIEW

THE BLUE HIGHWAY

2007 BLUES MUSIC

AWARD WINNERS

17-19

Just a quick note to say thank you for those of you that came out to Volunteer

Appreciation Day held on May 20th at Goodfellas in Hampton. Although the

turnout wasn’t what we had hoped for, the NBN members that were present took

the time to introduce themselves to others who had never been out before. While

some wanted to learn more about the NBN and our volunteer opportunities,

others set back and enjoyed the food and the fellowship. Several people signed up

to volunteer for the Bayou Boogaloo and we increased our membership as well.

Mark Johnson gave us a run-down of the upcoming Blues at the Beach festival

and Paul Shugrue from WHRO shared a few thoughts with us about volunteering

and wished the NBN well in future endeavors. Thank you members for stepping

up to the plate and making the NBN a great organization to be a part of.

The Jewish Mother has been a mainstay in the area for blues and has become a

nesting place for local blues lovers. Scotty Miller and the Jewish Mother family

has opened its doors to the NBN, giving members 20% off food and 20% off

all events held at the Jewish Mother if you are a NBN member. Now they’re

pulling out the red carpet for us to be on the scene during blues shows. We’re

there passing out NBN info, meeting some of our members (that’s the fun part)

and making new friends!! Visit the Jewish Mother and take in some good blues

and great food.

Welcome aboard J.M. Randalls!!! Our membership has increased in the

Williamsburg area and we’re excited! J.M. Randalls has been holding down the

blues fort in the Williamsburg area for some time and the NBN welcomes them as

a proud supporter of the blues in this area. To show appreciation for the blues and

for blues lovers, J.M. Randalls will give all NBN members 20% off the price

of food and a 2 for 1 special during events at Randalls…just make sure you

let them know that you’re an NBN member by showing your Membership Card.

We’ll be out your way soon, Williamsburg and surrounding areas. Look for us at

various events being held at J.M. Randalls throughout the summer and thank you

for supporting the blues.

Musicans Wanted. I am painfully aware of the fact that there are many musicians

in this area who are not members of the NBN and I’m just a bit curious as to

why. As president, one of my goals is to increase the membership and blues

awareness through the NBN, but also to increase the membership of musicians.

I want musicians to be an integral part of the NBN, contribute to the NBN’s

growth, to provide the NBN with ideas and suggestions, and assist the NBN

open door of opportunity for local musicians. Now that I’ve told you what I

want…tell me what you want from the NBN. Be honest with your criticism and

positive with your ideas, suggestions and solutions…just maybe we can learn

something from each other. Please write to me at the address below or email me

at bluesgirl14real@yahoo.com & put Musician’s Corner in the subject field.

NBN

c/o Musician’s Corner

P.O. Box 1773

Norfolk, VA 23501

I look forward to hearing from you!!!!

Jackie Scott, President

10-1114TH ANNUAL BLUES AT

THE BEACH FESTIVAL

(757) 722-5811

NATCHEL’ BLUES NETWORK, INC.P.O. Box 1773

Norfolk, VA 23501-177324 Hour Blues Hotline:

(757) 456-1675

BLUES NEWSPublished bi-monthly by

the NBN, Inc. 2007

BLUES NEWSThe official publication of the

Natchel’ Blues Network, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, run by

volunteers dedicated to promoting the blues as America’s one true musical art form.

BLUES NEWS EDITORBeth Jarock

LAYOUT & DESIGN

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Scott Allen & Jen Taylor (vividpix.com), Blues Lovin’ Bob, Cathy Dixson, Alan Kurzer,

& Jackie Scott

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jack Campbell, Bill van Elburg, Beth Jarock, Alan Kurzer, Beverly Levinson, Jackie Merritt,

Jackie Scott, Gary Tate, &

Bobby “BlackHat” Walters

2007 NBN BOARD OF DIRECTORS & OFFICERS

Jackie Scott, PresidentWilliam Bond, Vice President

Lorena Rice, TreasurerBeverly Levinson, Secretary

Bill van Elburg, Georganne Fischer, Bruce Kincaid, Jackie Merritt,

Ernie Williams, Gregory Williams, & Shar Wolff

BOOKKEEPERMartha O’Berry

WEBMASTERJeff Miller

The views & opinions expressed in this publication by individual writers are not necessarily the opinions of NBN or Blues News. The staff

cannot guarantee the return of submitted material.

GRAPHICS & MUSIC

JACKIE MERRITT

c

OTIS TAYLORDefinition of a CircleTelarc CD 83659www.telarc.com

Definition of a Circle, Otis Taylor’s recent 12-song effort on Telarc Records, kicks off with the sure-to-be-a-classic “Little Betty.” Driven by daughter Cassie’s solid bass and British blues-rock guitarist

Gary Moore’s flying riffs, I found myself dangerously playing air guitar and singing at the top of my lungs to the amusement of other drivers on I-64, while settling in for a great ride.

With the able assistance of not only Cassie on bass and vocals and Gary Moore on guitar, but Charlie Musselwhite (harp), Ron Miles (cornet), Zack Miskin (cello), Brian Juan (organ) and Hiromi Uehara (piano), Otis Taylor does what he does best--turns you, your expectations, your preconceived notions, and the music, on its head and delivers you into a different dimension, an alternate musical universe.

From this new perspective you don’t just ‘hear’ or ‘feel’ the music. You become it. With this album Mr. Taylor proves why Guitar Player magazine wrote, “Otis Taylor is arguably the most relevant blues artist of our time” and Billboard proclaimed that he is, “…one of the most innovative, thought provoking blues artists to emerge in the last 20 years.”

Regardless of musical style, all the songs on this album are tinged with that indefinable blues ‘something’ that will grab your shirt, sit on your chest and dope slap you out of your complacency. This extraordinary CD leaves no doubt that Otis Taylor is one successful musician.

M. SCOTT HORNFake As The BlueIndependent Releasewww.mscotthorn.com

Fake As The Blue is Akron, Ohio native and roots music artist M. Scott Horn’s freshman recording effort. On this self-produced and independently distributed CD, Horn offers up four original songs and five covers of songs by

the likes of Robert Johnson, Bob Dylan, Guy Clark, and Robert Pete Williams with the help of fellow Akronite Jim Ballard on keyboard and occasionally bass.

Not perhaps for the blues purists out there among us, this album of nine eclectic song selections does however benefit from a core blues sensibility that is evident on the updated covers of “Levee Camp Blues” by Robert Pete Williams, “32-20” by Robert Johnson and Blind Blake’s “West Coast Blues,” as well as on the self-penned compositions “And I Don’t Know Why,” “Someday,” “One I Had” and “Blues Run The Game.” This journeyman musician is best known for his finger-style guitar playing and his unique singing voice, which inspired Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna fame to suggest he seriously pursue a career as a professional musician. All artists, and musicians in particular, will tell you it takes time to find your ‘voice’; for your own personal style to emerge. After listening to this CD at least a half-dozen times, I believe I can honestly say I heard strong stirrings of that emergence and hope to hear more original work from this talented young singer/songwriter in the future.

CD Reviews

PINETOP PERKINSBorn in the HoneyThe Pinetop Perkins Story VizzTone SB101www.pinetopperkins.com

One of the most explosive and influential blues piano players, Willie “Pinetop” Perkins was born in 1913 on the Honey Island Plantation in Belzoni, Mississippi. Originally gigging around at honky tonks on both guitar and piano, he dropped the six-string in the 1940s after a serious left arm injury. Perkins worked the Mississippi Delta in the ‘30s and ‘40s, appearing with Sonny Boy Williamson (King Biscuit Time radio) and slide

guitarist Robert Nighthawk. In 1953, with guitarist Earl Hooker in Memphis, Perkins recorded his smoking version of Pinetop Smith’s “Boogie Woogie.” Perkins’ signature keyboard technique greatly influenced swing bands, although blues and boogie-woogie remains his true style. Recognized as a solid sideman, Perkins worked with Muddy Waters for twelve years, eventually moving on to form The Legendary Blues Band.

Perkins vividly details his life throughout this DVD, including the hard work on Mississippi plantations, his performances on King Biscuit Time radio, the unfortunate stabbing that nearly ended his career, and how Muddy Waters first approached Perkins to perform with him. Reinforcing Perkins’ memories are a number of revealing interviews including musicians Hubert Sumlin, Bob Margolin, Ann Rabson, Dr. John, and Sam Carr (Nighthawk’s son). Intersecting throughout this informative and dynamic DVD are invigorating live performances by Perkins, both solo and with his confident backing band. The additional ten-track audio CD is just icing on this already rich, musical cake. With this inspiring and historic DVD/CD release, 93-year-old boogie-woogie dynamo, Pinetop Perkins, serves notice that he’s just getting started.

42007 BLUE MONDAY

ALL ABOARD FOR THE BLUES PLATE SPECIAL

16

By Bill “Big Dog” van Elburg

10TATE’S VINTAGE VIGNETTES

4 17

2007 Blue Monday (formerly known as Blues on the Boardwalk) Blues invades Virginia Beach

Blues News July/August 2007 www.natchelblues.org www.natchelblues.org July/August 2007 Blues News

CD ReviewsTHE YARDBIRDSFive Live YardbirdsCharly UK SNAP 272CDwww.theyardbirds.com

Before the visionary band The Yardbirds went psychedelic with legendary guitarists Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, the primary group consisted of drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist Chris Dreja, bassist Paul Samwell Smith, lead vocalist/harmonica guru Keith Relf, and one Eric (Slowhand)

Clapton. It was this original sixties English blues wailing lineup that took over the Crawdaddy Club gig vacated by the Rolling Stones. Live from The Marquee Club, Howlin’ Wolf’s up-tempo “Smokestack Lightning” works McCarty’s snappy drums and Samwell Smith’s deeply harmonic, driving bass overtime, while Relf’s raspy singing and outrageous harp fades into a quick barrage of unmistakably vibrant Clapton guitar jabs. Bo Diddley’s blues rocking gem “I’m a Man” features a compellingly three-chord Relf/Clapton harmonica/guitar duet, which the percolating bass runs counter to. All this explodes midway through, as Relf appears to blow his harp’s reeds right out through your speakers. More often than not, the band’s live audio climax or “Rave up” is reached, as in the R&B high-energy reworking of the Isley Brothers’ “Respectable.” With Dreja’s relentless two-chord barrage, Clapton lets loose with some pointed, emotional riffs that actually segue into a bluesy romp through “Humpty Dumpty.”

With ten tracks from The Marquee, five from the Crawdaddy Club and five other classics, the unbridled, sweaty energy of this live Yardbirds performance is preserved for all us wannabee guitarists, blues outfits and hard rockers (i.e.: Aerosmith) to point to for major inspiration and influence.

BILLY GIBSON BANDLive at Rum Boogie CafeDaddy-O Records DOR 2455-1www.billygibsonband.com

Clinton, Mississippi native and red-hot harmonica player Billy Gibson, at age seven, was given his first harp by his mother. At fifteen, catching

musical icons Sam Myers and Fingers Taylor at a Jackson, Mississippi nightclub was the main catalyst for his blues harp education. Following high school, Gibson played in Clarksdale with blues guitarist Johnnie Billington, ending up with a longtime steady gig on Memphis’ Beale Street. Gibson’s inspiring group of Stax-experienced bandmates includes David Bowen on lead guitar/vocals, bassist James Jackson, and drummer/vocalist Cedric Keel.

As this double-timing, shuffling blues finds Gibson’s snarling vocals asking the age old question, “What is Love?,” check out his Delta-drenched harmonica spitting out urgent, overdriven triplet lines. The imploring “Darling Please Come Home,” with a smoothly constructed “Rock Me Baby” backbeat, stirs up Gibson’s gritty Chicago via Memphis harp solo, while his emotionally driven singing clearly whips up the live audience. Keel not only shows off his percussive fireworks on Eddie Taylor’s funk fest, “Bad Boy,” but also his warm lead vocal and Gibson’s too tough harp attack power up Tony Joe White’s R&B-rocking gem, “Polk Salad Annie.”

After an over ten-year run on historic Beale Street, performing with the likes of bluesmen James Cotton, Luther Allison, and R.L. Burnside, Gibson’s latest release Live at Rum Boogie Cafe is one muscular, down-in-the-Delta, live and bluesy affair.

From Beale Street, The Billy Gibson Band will be performing Wednesday night, July 11th at J.M. Randall’s in Williamsburg on 4854 Longhill Road.

By Alan Kurzer

RYLOAutomatic OilIndependent Releasewww.myspace.com/rylo

Rylo, Norfolk, VA’s animated and original rockabluesy gang, has unleashed Automatic Oil, a brand new disc that lives up to their inspiring, sweat-drenched live act. In 2002, lead vocalist and harp blaster Sweet Al Baesen; his brother, drummer Gabe Baesen; electric guitarist Gordon Bradley; and bassist Chris May

initiated the spark that created this local groundswell, bringing the band opening slots with The Nighthawks, Lee Rocker, and The Blasters.

Sweet Al’s too-tough vocals and sweet harp charges up the rumba-fired rocker, “Tragic Girl,” spurring on guest ivory tinkler John Fralin’s New Orleans-rich piano work and Bradley’s stinging guitar solo. Bradley and co-producer/former Nighthawks guitarist Pete Kanaras paint a hypnotic and jangly guitar backdrop, while Sweet Al delivers country harp and forcefully growls, “meet me on the Corner Of Debree,” a funky blues nod to musical icon Howlin’ Wolf. With the always dangerous and vibrant rhythm crew providing the bottom, the rootsy “Gum Springs Girl” forces Bradley into more upper-register picking, as Sweet Al fans the flames of a pleading harmonica meltdown. The jump blues title track “Automatic Oil” is a bluesabilly jaunt full of Chicago-enriched harp and Chuck Berry-meets-swing riffing.

All hail Rylo and their houserocking, blues knocking, hold the mayo, killer new offering, Automatic Oil.

The CD release parties for Rylo’s Automatic Oil are:July 7th The Taphouse Grill, Norfolk, VA, 10 pmJuly 14th Marker 20, Hampton, VA, 10 pmJuly 21st Southend Pub, Virginia Beach, VA, 10 pm On Friday, September 14th at 7 pm, Rylo is opening for Mark Hummel’s Blues Harmonica Blowout at Natchel’ Blues Network’s Blues at The Beach.

Back by popular demand and performing on a new night, BLUES MONDAY will invade 17th

Street Stage each Monday night in July and August! Our very own local blues bands

will share their performance interpretation of the blues for tourists and locals. The music

starts each Monday night at 8:00 pm and continues with the second band at 9:30. The

Beachstreet Pavilion at 17th Street is family friendly…so bring your beach chairs, blanket and

dancing shoes and the whole family and enjoy great blues. The event is free but you may

want to treat yourself to an ice cream cone. Blues Monday is produced by the Natchel’

Blues Network and BeachEvents with a grant from the Virginia Beach Arts &

Humanities Commission.

7/2/20078:00-9:00 pm Grant Austin Taylor Band9:30-10:30 pm Freeborn Blues Band

7/9/20078:00-9:00 pm Tim Morgan & the Mojo Brothers9:30-10:30 pm John Baldwin Group

7/16/20078:00-9:00 pm Bridging The Gap9:30-10:30 pm DOAD

7/23/20078:00-9:00 pm Square Blues Band9:30-10:30 pm Sweet Papa & the Two Hot Blues Crew

7/30/20078:00-9:00 pm BlackHat Blues9:30-10:30 pm Black White Blues

8/13/20078:00-9:00 pm Black Rose Blues Band9:30-10:30 pm dc3

8/20/20078:00-9:00 pm Incognito Brothers9:30-10:30 pm Right Time for the Blues

8/27/20078:00-9:00 pm Big Fun9:30-10:30 pm H.M. Johnson Trio(Artists Subject to Change)

Drumming Up the CompetitionWhat do New Generation Drum Corps and many blues musicians, singers and performers have in common? They all have close ties and received most of their musical foundation in the church. For some reason many folk, church and blues folk alike, forget that many of the greats in the blues genre got their start in the church. As the Natchel’ Blues Network prepares to present the second ever NBN-sponsored Battle of the Bands (our first was in 1987), I thought it would be a perfect time to introduce the blues community to the New Generation Drum Corps based in Portsmouth, VA.

The New Generation Drum Corps originated from a father of two playing for the choir at Christian Antioch Church in Portsmouth. Lionel Hines, the founder, soon found himself surrounded by youngsters that wanted him to teach them how to play. Mr. Hines was already playing for an area gospel group so he turned them down, but they kept coming and he finally agreed to teach them a couple of beats. Months later they played for a Christmas pageant and the pastor thought they were good. Bishop Robert Windley encouraged Hines to continue to work with the kids and the church put up $800 to buy a few drums. Two months later they were performing at Norfolk State University.

This group has performed at many local functions as well as Morris Brown College in Atlanta during a weeklong observance of Martin Luther King Day. And like all things, it cost money. The group has been offered the opportunity to participate in the Bud Billikens Parade and Drumline Competition during August 2007 in Chicago and funds are low. “These kids sell donuts and wash cars to raise money for their uniforms, equipment and whatever. They put a lot of heart into their performances and they have a lot of pride in what they do. The parents bring the kids….sometimes 30 to 35 cars deep…filled with their kids or someone who doesn’t have a car kids just to make sure they get to a performance. It’s hard for me to see them work so hard and not be able to get their just due,” says Mr. Hines. “We have a van we use that’s running on prayers but some kinda’ way we get there. This trip to Chicago will cost us $12,000 and I don’t see it right now, but we’re working toward it. If we don’t get those kids up there it won’t be ‘cause we didn’t try.”

I watched each kid as they came in the office, addressing their mentor as Mr. Hines, as if giving him the respect he’s due…not because they had to but it appears to be because they want to. Some ran past the door only to run back and acknowledge Mr. Hines sitting there. It seems as though as each kid came by the door and called his name, Mr. Hines sat just a tad bit higher in his seat. I hope they make it to Chicago but hope won’t get them there. If you’re interested in helping these kids get to Chicago to strut their stuff Virginia style send in your donations. I will!!!

The New Generation Drum CorpsP.O. Box 3082

Portsmouth, VA 23701

Jackie Scott

16 5Blues News July/August 2007 www.natchelblues.org www.natchelblues.org July/August 2007 Blues News

If you were to go to the end of 23rd Street in downtown Newport News, you would find The Train Station. Since I’m not familiar with the sights and scenes in Newport News, I had never heard of The Train Station but apparently others have and have been spreading the word.

Collis P. Huntington, founder of Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company (now owned

by Northrop Grumman), brought the railroad to Newport News in 1881. In addition to bringing much needed supplies and parts to the shipyard, the extension of the railroad was an economic boom to the area. The first passenger station was built in 1892, although ferry service between Newport News and Norfolk started a few years before in 1883. This structure was the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad’s fourth Newport News depot…built in 1940 and used until October of 1981.

The Train Station officially opened for business in January 1997 and has had live jazz performed there for about three years. This year will be the first time The Train Station has hosted blues bands on a regular basis and pending the turnout and response from customers, the “blues plate special” could be on the menu permanently.

Owner Robin Rattley, daughter of the former mayor in Newport News, and manager Van White both sighted how pleased their customers were with the jazz sets on Fridays and thought blues would be a perfect complement to some of the home-cooked southern favorites being cooked up at “The Station,” as it’s called by its regular customers. I’ve already warned them that a relaxing atmosphere, mixed with great food and a big pot of hot blues, is a dangerous combination that will result in a fun-filled evening.

Mr. White is very much interested in booking good quality bands at The Train Station. He has visited other area venues that book blues like Goodfellas in Hampton, the Jewish Mother in Virginia Beach, and J.M. Randalls in Williamsburg, and he’s quite pleased with what he sees. “The atmosphere, the patrons and the overall feeling that blues conveys is really what makes blues great,” he says. “Blues folk are friendly, fun-loving, everyday folk who just want to have a good time. Doesn’t matter if you’re black, white, purple or green, we all can relate to having a broken heart or letting your hair down and having a natural ball. I think there’s enough room in Hampton Roads for Newport News to have a place where people can come and hear great blues.” I could tell from the way he smiled that he’s excited about blues coming to their part of town. If you’re a musician and are interested in struttin’ your stuff at The Train Station, send your bio and a demo to the following:

The Train Stationc/o Mr. Van White2295 Harbor Road

Newport News, VA 23607

I love blues and anytime there’s a venue willing to open its doors to blues, in the words of Martha Stewart, “That’s a good thing.” As long as we have venues that support the blues, musicians that continue to sing and play great blues and an appreciative audience, the blues will continue to be a mainstay in the music scene here in Hampton Roads. Let us continue to patronize the venues that support the blues and show the musicians, performers, businesses, and shop owners that support the blues we appreciate them by supporting their businesses with our patronage.

Jackie Scott

All Aboard For The Blues Plate Special

I’m sure you have seen Guitar Tommy Parker at many Natchel’ Blues Network and music events around Tidewater. Or you may have heard him performing guitar and vocals on various music stages over the years. He’s hard to miss with his trademark hats and big friendly smile. Or maybe you have the opportunity to just talk blues (Tommy is a walking music historian who can talk for hours about most blues musicians and their music). If blues is being played, Guitar Tommy Parker won’t be far away. However I bet few people are aware of Guitar Tommy Parker’s impressive blues pedigree.

Tommy was born in Blackstone, VA and grew up in Norfolk listening to blues with his Aunt Willeta. “She loved hardcore, gut-bucket blues (Elmore James, Jimmy Reed, Slim Harpo, etc.), and I was enchanted by the sound.” He played trombone in junior high and high school, but switched to guitar in his senior year. Rumor has it that he also tried his hand at being a harp player (I knew there was a reason I liked him). Tommy has written, recorded and released music on the Century Records label.

Tommy earned an English degree from Dartmouth. While living in Boston in the early ‘70s, he was personally mentored in the blues by Luther “Georgia Boy Snake” Johnson, who had been a sideman for Elmore James and Muddy Waters for years. Because of Luther’s influence, Tommy was invited on stage by T-Bone Walker to play with him. Tommy played T-Bone’s guitar while T-Bone played piano.

In 1976 Tommy returned to Tidewater and founded the Jade Brothers Blues Band, a no-nonsense Chicago style blues, and nothing else - no Soul, no Rock, no R&B. He founded Hobart M. Cable Company in 1978 with Jackie Merritt on bass. In 1983, he founded Blues Xchange with Jackie Merritt, Mark Brownell, Sandy Martin, and Lundy Sykes. The band is still together with four of the original members (Vasili Simmons replaced Lundy Sykes in 2005). Blues Xchange played its very first gig at Harborfest 1984 and has played virtually every venue in the Tidewater area, opening for or performing with B.B. King, Johnny Winter, Blood Sweat

& Tears, Duke Robillard, Clarence Clemons, Johnny Copeland, and Rev. Billy C. Wirtz. In 1998, Tommy became part of the Bluzblasters band, which recorded and released Get Blasted on the Kingsnake

Records label. In 2005, he created Straight Up Blues Band with Earl Holiday, Jimmy Williams, and Robert Hart. In 2007, Tommy joined forces with Bobby “BlackHat” Walters and Jackie Scott to form BlackHat Blues.

Tommy was present at the inception of the Natchel’ Blues Network in 1984 with Chase Jackson, Ernie Williams, Beth Jarock, and Jackie Merritt. Attorney Sandy Martin of Blues Xchange prepared the necessary legal documents to formally establish the organization.

Jackie “Sugar Lips” Merritt, his good friend and band mate for over 30 years, had this to say: “The first band I ever played with (Hobart M. Cable Company) was started by Tommy. He needed a bass player and asked me. Now of course, I knew nothing about playing bass. So Tommy said, ‘That’s not a problem, I’ll teach you.’ He’s a talented and gifted musician, and I would stand Tommy next to any national blues recording guitarist and enjoy his playing the best. But above all, he’s the most generous and kindhearted soul I’ve ever met, and I love him dearly.”

Bobby “BlackHat” Walters

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT:

Guitar Tommy Parker

Lundy Sykes, Mark Brownell, Jackie Merritt, Sandy Martin & Tommy

Bobby Walters, Jackie Scott & Tommy

Profile of a Humble Bluesman

It was clearly a six-string guitar lover’s made in heaven gig as Mickey Hawks’ RocNConcerts company brought three exceptional guitar-oriented outfits to Virginia Beach’s Steppin’ Out on May 2nd. The adventurous threesome Play What? with Chesapeake’s Pete Petty on guitar, David Hines on bass and Andy Payne on percussion, ran through a tasty set of instrumentals ranging from the bluesy/funk original “Don’t Poke The Bear” to a Billy Cobham/Jeff Beck medley. With nods to guitarist Eric Johnson, Petty drove his Stratocaster into chorus-drenched chords and spot on, fiery solos. Payne and Hines were rock solid rhythm aces throughout.

Next, local musical instructor and inspiring guitarist Jay Rakes proved not only to be one impressive player capable of breakneck guitar chops, but also equally adept at rich, vibrato-heavy, melodic passages. With the propulsive bassist David Hines (also anchoring Play What?) and drummer Tripp Johnson driving the Hendrix timeless gem, “Angel,” Rakes left the audience awash in waves of inspired riffing. This talented instrumental trio spotlighted gems from their 1998 CD release Perfect Tension, finishing the set with a high speed, paint peeling version of “Jeffro’s Boogie.” Classic headliner Savoy Brown brought their tried and true blues leanings to all us longtime devoted followers. It’s mind boggling that original lead guitarist Kim Simmonds has been there for forty plus years and hasn’t lost a lick. With the experienced and professional rhythmic underpinnings of Mario Staiano on drums and Gerry Sorrentino on bass, the band drove confidently through a fourteen-gem lineup of brand new and old musical classics. From their just released CD, Steel, they spotlighted a number of tunes including the heavy wah-wahed guitar romp, “Monday Morning Blues,” “You Don’t Do a Thing For Me,” “Long As I’ve Got You,” and “Crying Forever.” Simmonds’ raucous slide guitar was featured on the roots rocking, “Tell Mama” and “Road To Nowhere,” reprising a riffing nod to Muddy Waters’ “I Can’t Be Satisfied.” “Louisiana Blues” and “Hellbound Train” both featured extended jams, with the former headlining Simmonds’ emotional vocals, Indian modal and Wes Montgomery-leaning guitar lines, while the latter funky, chiming open chords and sweet finger vibrato. Also, Staiano and Sorrentino were given some extra space and grooved vigorously throughout “Louisiana Blues.” At the “Meet and Greet” after the show, Simmonds recalled a 1969 historic Chicago concert that I had attended while on a one-day leave from nearby Great Lakes bootcamp. That evening Savoy Brown had opened for Jethro Tull and Led Zeppelin at the popular hot spot, Kinetic Playground. Still in my dress whites and no hair, I watched in awe as the original bluesy Savoy Brown lineup with Simmonds, vocalists Chris Youlden and the late Lonesome Dave and crew gave the aforementioned popular hard-rockers a severe run for their money. That night, I somehow managed to hitchhike back to my military base in time and avoided being AWOL. From that great gig in ‘69, to the recent Steppin’ Out inspiring musical offering, Savoy Brown showed their dedicated fans that Mr. Simmonds and company still have a truckload of raw blues left to offer.

Alan Kurzer

6 15Blues News July/August 2007 www.natchelblues.org www.natchelblues.org July/August 2007 Blues News

July 2007 BLUES CALENDARCities: (N) Norfolk…(VB) Virginia Beach…(P) Portsmouth...(C) Chesapeake…(S) Suffolk…(H) Hampton…(R) Richmond…(NN) Newport News…(W) Williamsburg…(Y) Yorktown

For Listings to the NBN Calendar please contact: Ron Parker rjparker1213@verizon.net [For Mid-Atlantic listings, visit www.natchelblues.org]

Show R e v i e w Savoy Brown featuring Kim Simmonds,

Play What? & Jay Rakes Band@ Steppin’ Out

[Virginia Beach, VA - May 2, 2007]

Photos by Alan Kurzer

Sunday 1John Baldwin (acoustic) - Abbey Road (VB)Michael Clark Band featuring Tracy Clark - South Beach Grill (VB) 8:30 pm

Monday 2Grant Austin Taylor Band - Blue Monday @ 17th St. Stage (VB) 8-9 pmFreeborn Blues Band - Blue Monday @ 17th St. Stage (VB) 9:30-10:30 pmJohn Baldwin (acoustic) - Ocean House (VB) 8 pm

Tuesday 3John Baldwin Group – Beach St. USA Festival (18th & Atlantic) (VB) 7:30 pm

Wednesday 4dc3 – J.M. Randall’s (W)

Thursday 5John Baldwin Group – J.M. Randall’s (W)H.M. Johnson Band – O’Sullivan’s Wharf (N)

Friday 6dc3 – Casper’s (VB)John Baldwin Group - Beach St. USA Festival (18th & Atlantic) (VB) 8 pmMichael Clark Band featuring Tracy Clark - Goodfellas (H)

Saturday 7Black White Blues - Hampton Block Party (H)John Baldwin (acoustic) - Green Parrot (VB)Michael Clark Band featuring Tracy Clark - Hilton Hotel (VB) 7-11 pmRYLO - Taphouse (N)Sweet Papa & the Too Hot Blues Crew - Granby North (N) 8 pm

Monday 9Tim Morgan & the Mojo Brothers - Blue Monday @ 17th St. Stage (VB) 8-9 pmJohn Baldwin Group - Blue Monday @ 17th St. Stage (VB) 9:30-10:30 pmMichael Clark Band featuring Tracy Clark - Mahi Mah’s (VB) 7 pm

Tuesday 10NBN Board Meeting - Russell Library (C) 7-9 pmJohn Baldwin (acoustic) - Ocean House (VB) 8 pm

Wednesday 11John Baldwin (acoustic) - Beach St. USA Festival (18th & Atlantic) (VB) 7:30pm

Thursday 12John Baldwin (acoustic) - Ocean House (VB) 8 pmH.M. Johnson Band – O’Sullivan’s Wharf (N)Black White Blues – J.M. Randall’s (W)

Friday 13dc3 – Casper’s (VB)DOAD – Abbey Road (VB)Michael Clark Band featuring Tracy Clark – O’Sullivan’s Wharf (N)H.M. Johnson Band – Town Center (VB) 5:30 pm

Saturday 14John Baldwin (acoustic) – 23rd St. Café (VB) 7 pmDOAD – Baron’s Pub (S)Michael Clark Band featuring Tracy Clark - Granby North (N) 8 pmRYLO - Marker 20 (H)

Sunday 15John Baldwin (acoustic) - Cheeseburger in Paradise (NN) 5-9 pmJohn Baldwin (acoustic) - Abbey Road (VB)

Monday 16Bridging The Gap - Blue Monday @ 17th St. Stage (VB) 8-9 pmDOAD - Blue Monday @ 17th St. Stage (VB) 9:30-10:30 pmJohn Baldwin (acoustic) - Ocean House (VB) 8 pm

Tuesday 17H.M. Johnson Band - Baker Street (VB)

Thursday 19H.M. Johnson Band – O’Sullivan’s Wharf (N)

Friday 20Albert Cummings - Jewish Mother (VB)dc3 –Casper’s (VB)DOAD – Hodad’s @ Locks Pointe (C) 8:30-11:30 pm

John Baldwin Group - Beach St. USA Festival (18th & Atlantic) (VB) 8 pm

Saturday 21Shakedown – J.M. Randall’s (W)RYLO - Southern Pub (VB)Sweet Papa & the Too Hot Blues Crew – O’Sullivan’s Lynnhaven (VB)

EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT!Open Mic Night w/Don Butcher

@ Goodfellas (H)

Open Mic @ Boar’s Nest (N)

EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT!Open Mic @ Hat Tricks (H)

EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT!Open Mic @ Tribeca (NN)

EVERY 3rd FRIDAY! 6-8:30 pmOpen Mic @ Quality Music Ctr. (C)(No drum kits, mostly acoustic/some amplified.)

EVERY SATURDAY 2-4 pmOpen Session @ Quality Music Ctr. (C)

Monday 23Square Blues Band - Blue Monday @ 17th St. Stage (VB) 8-9 pmSweet Papa & the Too Hot Blues Crew - Blue Monday @ 17th St. Stage (VB) 9:30-10:30 pm

Wednesday 25Black White Blues - Port Warwick (NN) 6 pm

Thursday 26H.M. Johnson Band – O’Sullivan’s Wharf (N)

Friday 27Black White Blues – J.M. Randall’s (W) dc3 - A.J. Gators - Cedar Rd. (C)John Baldwin Group - Beach St. USA Festival (18th & Atlantic) (VB) 8 pm

Sunday 29John Baldwin (acoustic) - Abbey Road (VB)Monday 30BlackHat Blues - Blue Monday @ 17th St. Stage (VB) 8-9 pmBlack White Blues - Blue Monday @ 17th St. Stage (VB) 9:30-10:30 pmJohn Baldwin (acoustic) - Beach St. USA Festival (18th & Atlantic) (VB) 7:30 pm

August 1st.Deadline for Signup

“Battle of the Bands” Competiton

Winner performs in Memphis Feb. 2008 IBC’s

For More:http://www.natchelblues.org

Travelin’ Blues: Hillsborough, NC

The Blue Bayou Club located at 106 S. Churton Street in Hillsborough, NC has a killer blues jam every other Tuesday night. You can visit them online at www.bluebayouclub.com to make sure you will be there on the right Tuesday night. Hillsborough has a reputation for being a laid-back artist and musician haven. It is a classic North Carolina main street type town. Make sure your trip to Hillsborough includes dinner at Tupelo’s Restaurant, also on S. Churton Street, just one block from the Blue Bayou. The whole experience is like a taste of New Orleans right in the middle of North Carolina.

Let’s review some of the finer features of the Blue Bayou. First, there’s the gracious host Butch Haas. Butch is a transplanted New Yorker who plays both a mean harp and a sizzling guitar. Butch understands that everyone is there to play or listen to good music. He does his best to get everyone up on stage at least once a night. On a slow night Butch will keep you pretty busy. Secondly, the Blue Bayou has the stage set up so you are playing along the “x” axis, long ways so to speak. So that means, thirdly, you don’t have to play your amp through the PA system. And you know I love that raunchy tube overdrive sound! Lastly, the owner and bar staff couldn’t be friendlier. They are genuinely interested in newcomers and in what brings them to Hillsborough.

Something really incredible happened the last time I attended the blues jam at the Blue Bayou. About halfway through the night a local celebrity walked through the door. Everyone started murmuring in hushed tones that Will McFarland was there. I’d heard of Will and his unparalleled guitar prowess from his many years playing with the Bonnie Raitt band. I’d heard rumors that he was living in the area and that he occasionally dropped in on some jams. Luckily it was my turn to play when Will took the stage.

After listening to him play, all I can say is he’s got some stuff that ain’t in the songbook. There’s no way you can teach that stuff. It’s heart, it’s soul, it’s natural talent, it’s love of music, and it’s probably a ton of practice. Whatever it is, Will has it! Whenever I’m up on stage with someone that talented I feel somewhat conflicted. Part of me is just thrilled to be sharing the same stage, and the other part wants to sit down with the crowd and just listen.

Keep the Blues Alive!Jack Campbell

The Blue Highway

14 7Blues News July/August 2007 www.natchelblues.org www.natchelblues.org July/August 2007 Blues News

Stuart Burnley, Hermitage Farms Nursery

Walter T. Camp, State Certified Mediator

Betz Girouard, WhirledVisions Production Studios

Bruce Harlow, BHP Inc. LLC

Deborah Mann, City of Norfolk Cultural Affairs

Jeff Miller, Swing Virginia Productions

Danny Morgan, The Janitors (NBN Band)

Daryl Roadcap, Seven Cities Electric, Inc.

Caroline Schloss, Schloss Realty LLC

Eric Stevens, Locks Pointe / Hodad’s

William G. Sykes, Patent Attorney

Steve Wilkins, Wilkins & Associates, Inc.

WHRO

NBN CORPORATE MEMBERS

New NBN Members & RenewalsThanks to the following new members or renewals over the last couple of months. Your support is helping to keep the Natchel’ Blues Network and blues music in Hampton Roads alive!

Linda P. AsheRobert Bates

Teri BetzLloyd & Michelle Binger

David Campbell & Julia M. BragdonBill & Suanne CannChristian Carpenter

John D. ColemanJoan Failmezyer

Tommy Fisher & Debbie MarfaNick Galotti

Carole GarrettGreg Goudeau

Ed GrayMary Hampton

George E. Hancock, Jr.Susan Head

Frank W. Hodges, Jr.Albert Hooper, Jr.

NBN 2007 Board MeetingsJuly 10, 2007 Russell Library 2808 Taylor Road, Chesapeake, VA 410-7016

Aug. 7, 2007 Main Library 4207 Victoria Blvd., Hampton, BA 727-1154

Sep. 11, 2007 Greenbrier Library 1214 Volvo Pkwy, Chesapeake, VA 436-7400

Oct. 2, 2007 Main Library 4207 Victoria Blvd., Hampton, VA 727-1154

Nov. 6, 2007 TBA

All regularly scheduled Board meetings are from 7-9pm. Libraries close at 8:45pm.Board meetings are held the First Tuesday of each month. Annual Membership & Holiday Party date and place to be announced.Meetings are open to the membership with RSVP due to seating capacities.

Ron HowardCharlie Jeckell

D. Jeffries-GlasgowJoyce Jenkins

Kathleen A. JohnsonMark Johnson

Gary JonesMr. J.L. King

D.C. KushnerBeverly LevinsonMark A. Lipton

Clayton C. MaguireBob Mahan

Mark & Pamela McGowanDanny Morgan, The Janitors (NBN Band)

Eric MusselwhiteTony & Kristel Nelson

Martha O’Berry

Sandy & Butch ParrishDaryl Roadcap

Jackie ScottTom Shaw

Jimmie Silvia, Black Rose Blues Band (NBN Band)

David SimosonJack SonntagSusan Stone

Susan ThomasDoug & Barbara Wade

William C. WardPaul WarrenPeter Webb

Joseph WhitlockJack G. Willis, Jr.

Kenneth WilloughbyRoland Young

Seen Around Town

Honorary SponsorsDiane Carl & Kenny Lupton, Goodfellas

Scotty Miller, Jewish Mother

Bettye LaVette @ American Theatre 6/8/07

Photo by Cathy Dixson

Bettye LaVette @ American Theatre

Photo by Cathy Dixson

Blues Empacts @ JM Randalls 6/8/07Photo by Alan Kurzer

Square Blues Band @ TNCC, The Big Six 6/3/07 Photo by Alan Kurzer

Jackie Scott & the Housewreckers @ TNCC, The Big Six6/3/07 Photo by Alan Kurzer

Bridging the Gap @ TNCC, The Big Six 6/3/07 Photo by Alan Kurzer

Cimarron, B’Nois King & Georgeanne @ Jewish Mother, NBN Membership Drive

Photo by Jackie Scott

The Subdudes @ Town Point Park 5/11/07 Photo by Alan Kurzer

Bryan Dunn @ Jewish Mother opening for Joe Bonamassa 5/31/07

Photo by Alan Kurzer

Clay McClinton @ JM Randalls 6/8/07 Photo by Alan Kurzer

The Subdudes @ Town Point Park 5/11/07 Photo by Alan Kurzer

8 13Blues News July/August 2007 www.natchelblues.org www.natchelblues.org July/August 2007 Blues News

The Blues Foundation announced the 2007 Blues Music Award winners Thursday, May 10th, in a gala event in Memphis. The big winner of the night was Charlie Musselwhite who took home four awards on the strength of his Delta Hardware CD. The other multiple winners were Irma Thomas for her Soul Blues album After the Rain and Tab Benoit as Contemporary Blues Male artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year awards. The complete list follows:

Comeback Album of the Year: Jerry Lee Lewis - Last Man Standing

Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year: Robert Lockwood, Jr.

Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year: Etta James

Acoustic Artist of the Year: David “Honeyboy” Edwards

Acoustic Album of the Year: Rory Block - The Lady and Mr. Johnson

Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year: Marcia Ball

Instrumentalist-Guitar: Hubert Sumlin

Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year: Bobby Rush

Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year: Irma Thomas

Soul Blues Album of the Year: Irma Thomas - After the Rain

Historical Album of the Year: Shout! Factory - Hooker - John Lee Hooker

Contemporary Blues Album of the Year: Guitar Shorty - We the People

Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year: Janiva Magness

Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year: Tab Benoit

Instrumentalist-Harmonica: Charlie Musselwhite

Instrumentalist-Bass: Mookie Brill

Instrumentalist-Drums: Willie “Big Eyes” Smith

Instrumentalist-Horn: Eddie Shaw

Instrumentalist-Other: Robert Randolph

Best New Artist Debut: Slick Ballinger - Mississippi Soul

Song of the Year: “Church is Out” - Charlie Musselwhite

Traditional Blues Album of the Year: Charlie Musselwhite - Delta Hardware

Album of the Year: Charlie Musselwhite - Delta Hardware

Band of the Year: Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials

B.B. King Entertainer of the Year: Tab Benoit

2007 Blues Music Award

Winners

2007 Chicago Blues festival Behind the ScenE SHOTS:

Photos provided by Jackie Scott

Guitar Shorty

Fiona Boyes

Lil’ Ed

Jackie Payne

Magic Dick and Kim Wilson

Sugar Pie DeSanto

Watermelon Slim Blues Foundation Executive Director Jay Sieleman & BF President Paul Benjamin

Photos by Scott Allen & Jen Taylor

Vividpix.com

Jackie Scott and Big Time Sarah

Hubert Sumlin

Cephas and Wiggins photo by Blues Lovin’ Bob

Barry Dolins - Deputy Director of Special Events for the City of Chicago, Nellie Tiger Travis, Alex Dixon - Grandson of Willie Dixon and Vice President of

Willie Dixon Foundation

12 9

Compiled by Beth Jarock

Blues News July/August 2007 www.natchelblues.org www.natchelblues.org July/August 2007 Blues News

Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women To Be Subject Of Documentary Film: Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women will be the subject of the upcoming documentary film Hot Flash. The film chronicles the history of the band as told through new interviews with Gaye Adegbalola, Ann Rabson, and Andra Faye, as well as their families, Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer, music critics and historians. The film will feature performances of the band singing some of their most requested songs, played live at the historic Ram’s Head and Wolf Trap theaters.

U.S. Album Sales Down, Downloads Up: U.S. album sales are down 17% so far this year, a downward spiral caused in part by a surge in online music purchases and fewer big-name albums being released in the first quarter. The number of digital tracks sold, meanwhile, jumped 53% to 250.8 million compared to 164.2 million in the same period last year. Still, overall music sales are up by more than 17%, but that figure includes all albums, singles, music videos, and digital downloads. The recording industry has seen CD album sales decline for years, in part due to the rise of online file-sharing, but also as consumers have spent more of their leisure dollars on other entertainment purchases, such as DVDs and video games. The industry has benefited from sources of revenue that weren’t around just a few years ago, such as mobile music sales. So far this year, more than 72 million ringtones have been purchased by mobile phone users.

Blues icon Bo Diddley suffered a stroke on May 16th during a Council Bluffs, Iowa live performance. The 78-year-old singer-songwriter-guitarist and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is now doing better. While he still has difficulty speaking, he has not suffered any long-term physical damages. Diddley’s business manager, Faith Fusillo, issued a statement saying, “I was able to speak with him by phone this morning. He wanted to know where his stuff was: his guitar and the money from the gig. I was so happy because this is the Bo that I know and love, and a real indication that Bo is on his way back.”

Morgan Freeman Presents Big Jack Johnson With Guitar: Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman recently presented electric blues legend Big Jack Johnson with a Gibson Guitar at Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The Gibson ES-335 glossy black semi-hollowbody guitar was donated by Gibson Corporation in Nashville. “Big Jack Johnson is a legendary blues artist who we are honored to be involved with,” said Gibson Guitar Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz. “We were happy to support Morgan Freeman, another talented musician and actor, with a Gibson Guitar for Johnson and thrilled to be part of the Mississippi Delta, which has brought the world such incredible music over the years.” Throughout his storied career, Big Jack Johnson has performed as both a solo musician and member of blues supergroups the Jelly Roll Kings and Big Jack Johnson & the Oilers.

MC Records announced Marie Knight’s first full-length recording in over 20 years. Marie Knight spent over 20 years singing, writing and performing with Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Released in June, Let Us Get Together is produced by Larry Campbell who has recorded and produced so many greats including Bob Dylan, The Dixie Hummingbirds, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson and Levon Helm to name a few. Let Us Get Together features the songs of Rev. Gary Davis. Marie, like Gary Davis, lives in Harlem and like Gary, is a preacher.

Blues HeavenNBN Members Discounts:

Birdland Music

10% Off

Records, Tapes, & Compact Discs Providence Square, Virginia Beach, VA

Captain Zig-Zag

Newsletter Advertisement Coupons

4704 Hampton Blvd.Norfolk, VA

(Unisex haircutting, across from ODU)

Goodfellas 10% Off Food only

50% Off Cover Charge for National Acts

13 E. Queens Way Hampton, VA

Quality Music Center 10% Off In-store Merchandise

300-A N. Battlefield Blvd.Chesapeake, VA 23320

The Jewish Mother 20% Off Food only

20% Off Cover Charge for National Acts

3108 Pacific Avenue Virginia Beach, VA

J.M. Randalls20% off Food only

2 for the Price of 1 Cover Charge for National Acts

4854-16 Longhill Rd.Williamsburg, VA 23188

Tidewater Friends of Folk $4 Off tickets for all blues acts

Brenda Barkley, Booking & Media Contact P.O. Box 1266, Suffolk, VA 23439-1266

757.538.3210 / 757.338.1358 cell

[Discounts applicable only when presenting valid NBN Membership Card]

NBN membership form is on the back page

Receive the bimonthly Blues News and the NBN Calendar.

Plus, enjoy discounts with your Membership Card at these participating area businesses:

Volunteers Needed!!!

Help Support The Blues

Blues at the Beach Festival: The Natchel’ Blues Network is looking for volunteers to help put on the Blues at the Beach Festival during September 14-16, 2007 on the 17th Street Stage at the Virginia Beach oceanfront. It will feature 3 days of national, regional, and local blues acts. We need volunteers all three days for security, stage, beer ticket sales, beer serving, NBN merchandise tent, set-up, breakdown, etc. Volunteer and receive a free staff festival t-shirt and listen to some great blues music.

Natchel’ Blues Network Members: You will receive a separate mailing for volunteering for the above event. Please do not fill out this form.

If interested in volunteering, please fill out the form below and mail it to: Natchel’ Blues Network, P.O. Box 1773, Norfolk, VA 23501-1773. Or phone Rudy Norman at 434-3005 or 651-3730. We will contact you and coordinate dates/times.

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NBN Volunteer Form:

I am interested in working Blues at the Beach on __________________________________________

Name(s): ____________________________________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________________________

Phone: ____________________________________E-Mail: __________________________________

CHICAGO BLUES HARMONICA LEGEND CAREY BELL 1936 – 2007. Blues harmonica master Carey Bell died on May 6, 2007 of heart failure in his hometown of Chicago, IL. He was 70. Bell - the 1998 winner of the W.C. Handy Award for Traditional Male Artist Of The Year - was a veteran of both Muddy Waters’ and Willie Dixon’s bands as well as an award-winning solo artist, and a guest artist on countless blues recordings. Bell’s classic, funky and deeply soulful blues place him firmly on the short list of blues harmonica superstars. Bell was one of the very few harmonica players who didn’t learn his craft by listening to old records, but by studying directly under his teachers Big Walter Horton, Little Walter Jacobs and Sonny Boy Williamson II. It didn’t take long for Bell to develop his signature “chopped” harmonica phrasing and deep-blues style. Carey Bell Harrington was born in Macon, Mississippi on November 14, 1936. A fan of Louis Jordan, Bell originally wanted a saxophone, but economic realities forced his grandfather to buy

him a harmonica instead. He taught himself to play by the time he was eight, and began playing professionally with his godfather, pianist Lovie Lee, when he was 13. In 1956, Lee convinced Carey that Chicago was the place to be for aspiring bluesmen, and on September 12, 1956 they arrived. Almost immediately, Bell went to see Little Walter perform at the Club Zanzibar at 14th and Ashland. The two became friends and Walter delighted in showing the youngster some of his tricks. Carey went on to meet and learn from Sonny Boy Williamson II, but it was Big Walter Horton who really inspired him and became his mentor. Carey learned his lessons well but by the late 1950s and early 1960s the gigs were drying up for harp players as the electric guitar began to take over as the predominant instrument of Chicago blues. Bell decided to increase his worth by becoming a bass player (learning the ropes from Hound Dog Taylor). He quickly mastered the instrument and began getting gigs as a bassist with Honeyboy Edwards, Johnny Young, Eddie Taylor, Earl Hooker and Big Walter. While playing bass in Big Walter’s band, Bell studied every harp trick in the book first-hand from one of the all-time great harmonica players. Bell, back on harp full-time, recorded behind Earl Hooker in 1968 for Arhoolie. By 1969 Bell was fronting his own band. His friend, harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite, brought him over to Bob Koester at Delmark Records in 1969, who promptly signed Bell and recorded Carey Bell’s Blues Harp. Bell spent 1971 traveling and recording with Muddy Waters (he can be heard on Muddy’s The London Sessions and Unk In Funk albums on Chess). Willie Dixon chose Bell for the featured role in his Chicago Blues All-Stars, with whom Bell worked regularly throughout the 1970s, both touring and recording. Even though Dixon kept Carey busy, Bell still found time for his own projects. In 1972 he teamed up with his friend Big Walter and recorded what was to be Alligator Records’ second-ever release, Big Walter Horton with Carey Bell. In 1973 he made a solo album, Last Night, for ABC Bluesway and was featured in 1978 on Alligator’s Grammy-nominated Living Chicago Blues series (both with his own band and playing behind Lovie Lee). By the 1980s Bell had established himself worldwide as a giant among blues harmonica players. He recorded albums as a leader and as a sideman for a variety of labels both in the United States and Europe, and was constantly playing live. In 1990 Bell, along with fellow harpslingers Junior Wells, James Cotton and Billy Branch, got together and recorded the W.C. Handy Award-winning Alligator album, Harp Attack!. In 1995, Bell’s very first full-length solo album on Alligator, Deep Down, secured his reputation as a modern blues legend. His follow-ups, 1997’s Good Luck Man (which received a W.C. Handy Award for Traditional Album of the Year), and 2004’s Second Nature (an acoustic album recorded with his guitarist/vocalist son Lurrie Bell), pushed the blues farther out with Bell’s rich vocabulary of deep grooves and contemporary sounds. Most recently, in 2007, Delmark Records released Gettin’ Up Live, a CD/DVD featuring Bell once again performing with his son Lurrie. Bell fathered 15 children and is survived by 10.

Blues piano legend Big Joe Duskin passed away at home on the morning of Sunday, May 6. He was 86. A boogie-woogie piano player, Duskin may have been part of the generation that produced legends like B.B. King and Muddy Waters, but his background was far from typical: he fought as a soldier in World War II and became a Cincinnati Police Officer before becoming a professional musician at age 43.

His relatively late start in professional music was due to a promise made to his father, the Reverend Perry Duskin, who believed that blues was “the devil’s music.” Duskin promised to stop playing blues and boogie until after the death of the elder Duskin, who lived to age 105. But in the early 1970s, at the urging of a young Ohio blues scholar, Steve Tracy, Big Joe began playing again and was soon a hot ticket at festivals around the country and in Europe. He released his debut LP, Arhoolie’s Cincinnati Stomp, in 1979.

Duskin was much beloved in his hometown of Cincinnati as a mentor who never refused any musician’s request to sit in with him. In 2000, he received a Lifetime Achievement Cammy (Cincinnati Area Pop Music Award), and in July 2004 the Mayor of Cincinnati presented him with a Key to the City, proclaiming “The City of Cincinnati acknowledges and honors Big Joe Duskin for giving his hometown - and the world - a lifetime’s worth of great music.”

The release of Duskin’s last studio recording, Big Joe Jumps Again! on Yellow Dog Records in 2004, brought further recognition. The album was nominated by The Blues Foundation for “Comeback Blues Album of the Year” in the annual W.C. Handy Awards and Duskin was featured in June 2005 with the cover story in Living Blues magazine. Later that year Duskin became the first African American honored with the Ohio Heritage Fellowship Award from the Ohio Arts Council.

10 11 www.natchelblues.org July/August 2007 Blues NewsBlues News July/August 2007 www.natchelblues.org

14th Annual Blues At The Beach Festival

FREE and Open to the Public

Friday September 14, 2007

Gates: 6:30pm

7:00pm – 8:00pm RYLO

8:30pm – 10:15pm Mark Hummel’s Blues Harmonica Blowout presented by Hohner,

featuring Greg “Fingers” Taylor, James Harman & Lil’ Ronnie Owens

Saturday September 15, 2007

Gates: 1:30pm

2:00pm – 3:00pm Bryan Dunn Blues Band

3:00pm – 3:30pm NBN Workshop

3:45pm – 5:00pm Mighty Lester

5:00pm – 5:30pm NBN Workshop

5:45pm – 6:45pm Maurice John Vaughn

7:15pm – 8:45pm Delmark’s Chicago Blues Revue featuring

Maurice John Vaughn, Shirley Johnson & Jimmy Burns

9:15pm – 10:45pm Michael Burks

Sunday September 16, 2007

Gates: 11:30am

12:00pm – 1:00pm The Michael Clark Band featuring Tracy Clark

1:00pm – 1:30pm NBN Workshop

1:45pm – 3:00pm Fiona Boyes & The Fortune Tellers

3:30pm – 5:00pm Janiva Magness and Debbie Davies

September 14-16, 2007Beachstreet Pavilion @ 17th St.

Virginia Beach, VA

BluesWax publisher Chip Eagle said of Duskin, “It was a real treat to see Big Joe at the BMAs a couple of years ago. It was obvious that he was in considerable pain and discomfort, but when his wheelchair was pushed up to the piano in the hotel lobby at a cocktail party a big smile came over his face and quickly reminded us why he was being recognized that night.”

Wayne Burdette Passes. Bassist Wayne Burdette passed away on May 15, 2007, after a short illness in McClellanville, South Carolina. He is survived by his wife, two stepsons, two grandchildren, his mother, and two siblings. A private memorial celebration was held at the family home in McClellanville.

Burdette was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but moved to Detroit, Michigan, as an infant. Burdette was a founding member of The Ravens, a group of talented high school musicians and played locally during his school years. After moving to Atlanta, Georgia in the 1970s, Burdette performed and recorded with national blues acts Luther “Houserocker” Johnson, “Chicago” Bob Nelson, The Heartfixers, Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers, and the Tinsley Ellis Band.

Burdette played a decisive role during Tinsley Ellis’ early career and was a founding member of the Tinsley Ellis Band after The Heartfixers were dissolved. Wayne’s incredibly solid groove on bass guitar can be heard on Ellis’ Cool On It (1986 Landslide/re-released on Alligator), Georgia Blue (1988 Alligator), Fanning The Flames (1989 Alligator), and Tore Up (1984 Landslide/re-released on Alligator) featuring blues shouter Nappy Brown. He was also a founding member of Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers during the 1990s and was bassist on Thackery’s Empty Arms Motel, Trouble Man, and Wild Night Out releases. Burdette is also featured on a number of compilation albums on various other labels.

Haywood “Little Sonny” Warner who emerged from the Washington, DC music scene, passed away on April 12 from the effects of prostate cancer. Warner, born October 30, 1930, grew up in Falls Church, Virginia. As a teen he was part of a gospel group The Four Sons who sang at the Second Baptist Church in Falls Church. This was the beginning of his lengthy musical career. This group went up to New York and as the Rockets, backed legendary Atlantic Records session pianist Van Walls on Walls’ single releases “After Midnight” and “Open the Door.” Big Jay McNeely’s recording of “There is Something on Your Mind” with Little Sonny’s vocal was the big moment in Warner’s career, with the record going gold. The record, issued on the Swingin’ label, became a major R&B smash in 1959, even reaching #44 on the Pop Top 100. Warner’s wonderful delivery of the lyrics and his ad-lib scatting towards the vocal’s end is still appealing almost five decades later. One highlight of recent years was being reunited with Big Jay McNeely at the August 1997, Hot August Blues event in Monkton, Maryland. It may have been the only time since he split from McNeely in the early sixties that the two shared the stage together. Warner is survived by his wife, Catherine, seven children and two stepchildren; sister Jessie Mae Simmons and brother, Joseph Hunter; 13 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, eight sisters-in-law, six brothers-in-law, numerous nieces and nephews, other relatives and many friends.

Blues Heaven cont.

An ongoing series of revealing portraits of relatively obscure artists who dared to be different, by Canadian resident and blues aficionado Gary Tate. Gary welcomes your comments at gmtgt@yahoo.com

Pee Wee Crayton: Connie “Pee Wee” Crayton established a solid profile on the ‘50s California blues scene, alongside contemporaries T-Bone Walker, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Lowell Fulson, Phillip Walker, and many other legendary guitarists.

Crayton’s work reflected a typically sophisticated and fluid guitar approach, while his relaxed and friendly vocals suggested such smooth practitioners as Nat King Cole and Charles Brown.

Pee Wee took up guitar seriously at 30 years of age after witnessing T-Bone Walker playing a 1944 Oakland gig. Sideman duties with Ivory Joe Hunter followed, but Crayton’s career hit its stride after signing with Modern, and he continued doing excellent work with sides on Aladdin and Imperial Records. Some of his classics include “You Know Yeah,” “Wine-O,” “Do Unto Others,” “Every Dog Has His Day,” “Texas Hop,” “Rosa Lee,” “Blues After Hours,” and “Runnin’ Wild.”

T-Bone enthusiasts desirous of hearing a rather different groove can’t do much better than by tuning into Crayton whose influence on the emerging ‘60s West Coast Jump Blues scene was singular. Everyone from Rod Piazza, Hollywood Fats, Junior Watson, Kid Ramos, and William Clarke to Rick Holmstrom absorbed his lessons.

After a 1960’s career lull, Crayton made a superb “comeback” album in 1973 with The Things I Used To Do, demonstrating his innate ability to adopt others’ songs and turn them into his own. Pee Wee Crayton was short in stature, but huge in talent.

(Little) Esther Phillips: She was dubbed “Little Esther” after Johnny Otis discovered her in an amateur contest. Alcohol and drug problems often sidetracked her, but that nasally yet emotionally charged voice attracted the attention of those craving something different.

Her recording career sputtered at times, with hits hard to come by. An initial run of success is noted on Savoy Records from 1950-1951. Some titles include “Mistrustin’ Blues,” “Double Crossin’ Blues,” “Far Away Christmas” and “Deceivin’ Blues.” In 1951 she left Savoy due to royalty disputes.

A decade long skid was halted after “getting clean.” Signed with Lenox Records in 1962, she adopted the stage name “Esther Phillips” and recorded her signature tune, the country-flavored “Release Me.” It penetrated three markets: Pop, Country, and R&B, and gave her the distinction of being the first female R&B artist to successfully incorporate Country sides into her repertoire.

Switching to Atlantic Records in the mid-sixties, she began recording eclectic material in a soulful vein. However, critical acclaim was seldom matched by commercial success. Her 1971 debut album on Kudu Records, From A Whisper To A Scream, however, paid off with its unflinching honesty in conveying her personal struggles with heroin addiction.

The album was so compelling that Aretha Franklin acknowledged her “sister in song” as more deserving of a Grammy than herself. Phillips’ biggest success would be her last: a 1975 re-make of Dinah Washington’s “What A Difference A Day Makes.” Substance abuse, meanwhile, had irreversibly weakened her liver and kidney, causing Phillips’ light to be extinguished in 1984.

14th Annual Blues At The Beach Festival Sponsors

The Natchel’ Blues Network and Beach Events

The Michael Clark Band featuring Tracy Clark

Bryan Dunn Blues Band

Greg “Fingers” Taylor

James Harman

Mark Hummel

Maurice John Vaughn

Michael Burks

Fiona Boyes

Debbie Davies

Shirley Johnson Jimmy BurnsJaniva Magness Mighty Lester

Lil’ Ronnie Owens