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Monday Night BJ (Blues Jam) By Casey Reagan
Monday Night BJ (Blues Jam)
Story and photos By: Casey Reagan
For: American Blues News
All Rights Reserved 2010
The Los Angeles blues community came together Monday night at the Maui Sugar Mill Saloon for the Southern California Blues Society's 3rd anniversary blues jam. Cadillac Zack and the SCBS sponsor this gig every Monday night (for at least the past three years anyway) and the anniversary jam is the culmination of a years worth of talent all brought together for one special night. Well attended by at least a couple of hundred blues fans and half as many musicians, last nights jam went off without a hitch.
The Maui Sugar Mill Saloon, isn't in Maui, or even Hawaii for that matter, it is located at: 18389 Ventura Blvd in Tarzana, CA. (91536) but could've been just about anywhere, in any town, and I'll bet the turnout for a jam like this would be the same. Fans came to hear some of the best live blues anywhere and to pay tribute to the artists who make their way by touring the country and performing live and to remember those we've lost along the way.
A memorial fund was set up and collections were being taken for one such artist. Chu Chu aka Roosevelt Stringfellow who passed just days before and who had performed at last years jam with his long time band 'Chu Chu and the Lovely Band'.
Photo credit correction: Chu Chu photo by: David Meyers
His contribution to the LA blues scene was big, jamming with some of the greatest players in the business in the 40+ years he played, Chu Chu's music will live on in the hearts and memories of those of us who had the pleasure of knowing him. Chu's wife and many of his friends were in attendance and Chu Chu was well remembered and will always be missed.
This week was tough for the blues community on a larger scale with the loss of Little Feat drummer Ritchie Hayward who lost his battle with cancer just the day before we lost Chu Chu. RIP Ritchie, we miss you already.
The sign-up list of performers was three pages long the last time I looked at it, with names like Lynwood Slim,
Fernando Jones, Fernando's involvment with Blues Camps For Kids is getting a lot of national attention and has earned Fernando a 'Keeping The Blues Alive' award among numerous accolades from the blues community at large.
http://dig.abclocal.go.com/wls/podcast/120505someonevodcast.m4v 
Carlos Guitarlos,
Billy Sheets, Steve F'Dor, Dona Oxford, Larry 'Big House' David, Mississippi Bo
We saw Sueann Carewell, Shelly 'King' Fisher, sax man extradionairre Andy Negra from the Roy Gaines Band. And those were just the names I could read! Like I said, the list was three pages long and the players I mentioned above were all on page one if this gives you an idea of the number of players who showed up to jam. Players rocked the roof off the joint untill after 2 AM and the 'after' party was monumental, by the time I pulled in the driveway at home the morning Times had already been delivered and sunrise wasn't too far off.
Kudos to Cadillac Zack and the Southern California Blues Society for a job well done from blues fans everywhere, without guys like Zack and orginizations like the SCBS the future of the blues would be uncertain, with them and their continued support and love of the blues, I think we'll be ok.
Great jam Zack, keep rockin', and, Thanx for the ride!
story and photos by:
Casey Reagan
for: American Blues News
All Rights Reserved 2010
