Monthly Archive for February, 2009

http://tinyurl.com/av67×6

“To conclude the service, an impromptu all-star band replaced a no-show church choir. It featured Toussaint on keyboards, Michael White on clarinet, Deacon John on guitar, Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. on tambourine, Preservation Hall’s Ben Jaffe on tuba, Reggie Hall on organ and Charmaine Neville and Clarence “Frogman” Henry on vocals.

“Toussaint and Neville started “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” slow, then picked up the tempo as the full ensemble fell in behind them. Just before noon, the crowd followed Eaglin’s casket outside.”

2009 Hall of Fame Inductees

The Blues Foundation has announced the inductees for the Blues Hall of Fame in 2009, including “Soul Queen of New Orleans” Irma Thomas and multiple GRAMMY Award winner Taj Mahal, as well as late Chicago bluesman Son Seals and the Reverend Gary Davis. Austin club owner Clifford Antone, discographer Mike Leadbitter and radio programmer and producer Bob Porter will be the non-performers inducted this year. The book I Hear You Knockin’ by Jeff Hannusch was selected as a Classics of Blues Literature. The induction ceremony will be held at The Blues Foundation’s Charter Member Dinner on Wednesday, May 6, at the Memphis Marriott Downtown in Memphis, Tennessee, the night before the 30th Blues Music Awards. Taj Mahal and Irma Thomas will both attend the induction ceremony. The following singles or album tracks will be inducted during the ceremony: “Boom Boom” by John Lee Hooker; “Caldonia” by Louis Jordan; and “Sitting on Top of the World” by the Mississippi Sheiks. These albums were also chosen for induction: Amtrak Blues by Alberta Hunter; T-Bone Blues by T-Bone Walker; and the 2 CD set Blues With a Feeling (Newport Folk Festival Classics) by Various Artists. The Hall of Fame committee, consisting of scholars, record producers, radio programmers, and historians, is chaired by Jim O’Neal, founding editor of Living Blues. On May 7, the night after the Blues Hall of Fame inductions, The Blues Foundation will present the Blues Music Awards for the thirtieth time, and will return to Memphis after staging last year’s events in the Mississippi Delta for the first time. Performers, industry representatives, and fans from around the world will celebrate the best in Blues recording, songwriting and performance from the previous year at the Memphis Cook Convention Center in downtown Memphis, the city where the Awards have been held since their 1980 inception. The presenting sponsor will once again be The Gibson Foundation. BMI, Casey Family Programs, Eagle Rock Entertainment, FedEx, Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company also sponsor the Blues Music Awards.

Classics of Blues Recordings – Albums
Amtrak Blues (Columbia, 1978) – Alberta Hunter
T-Bone Blues (Atlantic, 1959) – T-Bone Walker
Blues With a Feeling Newport Folk Festival Classics (Vanguard 2-CD set, 1993) – Various Artists

Classics of Blues Recordings – Literature
I Hear You Knockin’ – Jeff Hannusch

Classics of Blues Recordings – Singles or Album Tracks
“Boom Boom” – John Lee Hooker (Vee-Jay, 1961)
“Caldonia” – Louis Jordan (Decca, 1945)
“Sitting on Top of the World” – Mississippi Sheiks (Okeh, 1930)

Non-Performer
Clifford Antone
Mike Leadbitter
Bob Porter

Performer
Reverend Gary Davis
Taj Mahal
Irma Thomas
Son Seals

http://www.blues.org/halloffame/inductees.php4?YearId=30

Tropical Music have released Legends of the Lippmann series of DVDs one of which should be very interesting to blues fans.

The three DVD set Americal Folk Blues Festival contains never before released footage of the big american legends on tour in Europe in the late 1960s.

There is some excitement in the harmonica community as the 1967 release has rare, rare footage of the legendary Little Walter.

Check out the sites for samples and further information.

http://www.tropical-music.com/index2.html

http://legends-of.com/b_dvd3_festivalwahl_v1.html

Follow the second link and click the guitars.

For over a year I have been resisting the temptation to tweet but finally gave in the ghost and set up my Twitter account.  You can follow my Twitter here…

http://twitter.com/kenpeace

This looks great for budding blues players.  A great European band have made a whole CD of classic blues backing tracks.

As a harp player I know that the grooves and the keys are good for my instrument but I am sure that guitarists, keyboard players and others will enjoy the experience.  Check out the site and have a listen to the samples.

http://www.playalongsessions.com/