How Blue Are We in July? by Monica Yasher

Crossroads 2010

July is always a sizzling, hot month.  And, here at American Blues News it wasn't any different.  We had plenty of firery; fiesty interviews, sizzling blues coverage,and  hot off the press reviews and news.  We at American Blues News hope you enjoy our blues coverage for you and please stop back daily.  We post an article daily!

American Blues News had plenty of interviews this month.   One of our newest writers, Silver Michaels talked to Reba Russell (pictures right).  Chef Jimi caught up with Bobby Parker.  Monica discussed Clovis People with Colorado's own

Otis Taylor.  Other interviews shared were with Michael Manness, Jim Suhler, Sonny Boy Terry, and the force behind the Stax Record Label, Steve Cropper! 

There were even more interviews as Maureen met up with Foghat and Jimbo Ross.  Silver shared some insights from Austin "Walkin' Cane". And, our Sonicbids guest was Tom Principato!

Nelson's picks this month were of:  Joe Krown,

Rick Derringer (pictured right), a Blues Harp Blowout Part 1, and  Part II as well as photos of Matt Schofield!

American Blues News shared some historical items such as Black Sabbath and the blues roots the band shares.  We also presented The True Story of the Death of Johnny Ace.  A tragic tale of a great bluesman. 

As always we a deliver the truth in events and CD's.  If you are thinking about checking out a new band or CD.  Look us up here.  Chances are we have covered it!  Read more on Leslie West and Corky Laing, Skyla Burrell Blues Band,
Blues CD's to Look For, and The Honey Island Swamp Band.

Steve Miller has a new Blues CD and Blake commented on the Steve Miller Band Bingo CD and

Robert Cray Cookin' in Mobile.

We wanted to let you know that Brandon Santini and Delta Highway have a few things to share.  Check this band out when you have the chance!

It's Festival Time!  And you will never know what you can see!  We have attended many festivals.  Check out our pages to see if you were caught in a picture or two!

If you want to know the festival that are upcoming, please check out our coverage for Festivals for July and August !  Drop us a line and let us know about the event! 

Casey of Southern California shared his day at The Santa Clarita Blues Festival.  We had Jim Stick reporting on Greely Blues Jam.  And, take a deep breath!  Here we go....American Blues News has covered The 11th Annual Highway 61 Blues Festival, North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic, Simi Valley Cajun Creole Music Festival, Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, Live Oaks Music Festival, Atlanta to Tallahassee, Big Rib BBQ & Blues Fest, Crossroads Guitar Festival, River Bend in Kankakee, and The Chenango Blues Festival!  Whew!  That's a lot of festivals!

American Blues News is dedicated to the promotion and celebration of the Blues!  Check in everyday to see what we mean!  Thank you for the read!

June 2010 How Blue Are We? by Monica Yasher

There is a lot going on at American Blues News! We have many new writers here for your reading enjoyment! Casey Reagan, Raul Watson, and Chef Jimi have their first writings to share with you during the month of June. For the month of July, look for the following new members of our team: Mark Bastin, Silver Michaels, and Catherine! We are excited to have these three writers on our team! With fifteen writers, American Blues News pretty much has all of the United States covered!

June 21 marked the first day of summer, and with it came the heat of the blues!  We have already started our blues coverage, as we have attended and took part in many Blues Festivals. If you are planning your summer and want to know about some upcoming shows, check out festivals for June 23 thru July 19.  The Pittsburgh Blues Festival is all about feeding the hungry in the City of Pittsburgh, read about Ron "Moondog" Esser's passion of helping people in his town with the interview of: The Pittsburgh Blues Festival.

Nighthawk is our resident musician here, and he always shares where he has gone. Did anyone catch him at Thunder On the Water or follow him as he wasTouring Kansas and Missouri?  Check out the scenery!

Chef Jimi trekked to Chicago and got wet! See his bright shiny face with his rain slicker on at Amuse Bouche Chicago Style!

And, we tried to offer some notice on some blues festivals past on our festival coverage of  June 4 thru June 24.

American Blues News celebrates the history of the blues. And it seems the Rumboogie Cafe was, is and will be the place to go! Rumboogie Cafe Celebrates 25 years!  Their efforts in keeping blues music thriving is most appreciated! A toast.  Here's to another 25!

Nelson never disappoints us with his pictorial show reviews! Nelson has shared the following artists this month. Check them out! Watermelon Slim, Rick Estrin and The Nightcats, Slam Allen, James Armstrong and a special pictorial of James Cotton's 75th Birthday Bash! This was a sold out show and American Blues News was proud to cover this event for our blues fans!

There were lots of CD's to hear and shows to attend! Jim Stick has compiled a listing of some CD's that you may have missed in, 15 Under the Radar Blues CD's. This is a very popular read this month, so don't miss it! I personally was quite honored when the Smithsonian asked us to cover one of their events! I was proud to work with the Smithsonian in offering a review of Rappahannnock Blues CD. It is works of art such as this that helps preserve American music. Thank you to the Smithsonian. Also, try to purchase this CD and support their efforts!

One of our newest writers, Raul, has shared some going ons in his territory of the Midwest. The Midwest isn't all dry and windy! Check out The Medicine Men!

Blake shared some reissued CD's with us and offered his thoughts on Johnny Winter Live at The Filmore and Delaney & Bonnie's On Tour with Eric Clapton Reissue.

Oh, Chef Jimi! Music took Carolyn Wonderland from the big old state of Texas to Chef Jimi's backyard (so to speak!). So, with a little geography lesson, he shared this show. See if you are smarter than a third grader and answer the question! Even if you get it wrong, please keep reading!

Another new addition to the group is Casey Reagan. Casey met up with Eric Sardinas and Big Motor. Catch up with the Big Motor, if you can!

Blake shared some views on gear that went from his hands to his heart in I'm In Love With My Guitar. Do you feel the same way about your music?

We are never short on interviews here! We met up with Australia's Harper. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Felix Cavaliere. And, as Felix would say, it's always a beautiful morning when you can sit down with a cup of coffee and read the interview of Todd Rundgren. We also went all the way to London to bring you The Congo Faith Healers!


Casey offered our first filmed interview with The 44's! Look for more of this coverage in the future! At American Blues News we always try to make our pages new and innovative! We hope you enjoy this new format!

As always, we enjoy touching base with our friend, Bob Corritore! Please check out the latest news with our Bob Corritore Newsletter.

Controversy, Controversy! The State of the Blues! Several of the writers here chimed in. We had Nighthawk, a traveling musician offering his opinion of what he sees on the stage in Blues is not Dying but Alive and Well. From Nighthawk's perspective, he sees a lot of fans looking back at him! See the picture for yourself!  He feels that the blues is alive and well! He has seen it! It is people such as Nighthawk that keeps the blues alive with his enthusiasm!

We have been here before with differences of opinions at American Blues News. Blake has offered Another Opinion. Blake is our review guru and received tons of CD's. He is challenging the artists of today to push the envelope! Make the genre super exciting to new generations of fans. And, it is people such as Blake's scientific persona that questions rather than accepts. He asks things such as: How do we make it better, Why are there sub genres, Who will carry the torch after Clapton? It is always the ones that ask the questions that allow things to survive if people are willing to figure things out and offer the answers. One thing is always constant and that is change!  Thank you Blake!

And, we have Bluesman writing about his local scene and what he sees in DC Local Scene. He also sees a great blues scene in the DC area!

Thank you for reading American Blues News and we look forward to a sizzling July!

Take care,

Monica




Copyright © 2010 Copyright Monica L. Yasher. All Rights Reserved.
Photograph Copyright © 2010 Maureen Ceidro. All Rights Reserved.
Photograph Copyright © 2010 Bluesman. All Rights Reserved.
Photograph Copyright © 2010 Nighthawk. All Rights Reserved.

Photograph Copyright © 2010 Nelson Onofre. All Rights Reserved.

photo credits: Leslie K. Joseph, Michael Jackson/Chicago Reader, Dan Creed
all photos used with permission.

How Blue Are We In March? by Monica Yasher

I guess since Ernie Hawkins has a blue shirt on, we must be pretty blue! March sure did go by pretty quickly, didn't it? January and February were slow blues months in regard to touring bands. The artists were just vamping up for being on tour starting with the month of March. And, march on they did. The blues festivals are coming upon us and American Blues News will be there to cover the blues artists that you want to read about.

American Blues News launched our Facebook page this month. As I write this, I wonder if we will have 1,000 fans within a month. That would be such an accomplishment. Only time will tell. We at American Blues News are thankful for the readership that we have. We have over 10,000 page views in a month! Thank you all for reading! For those of you new to our pages, here is our monthly feature on what we covered for just you!

We talked and we talked to many blues artists. We interviewed Sue Foley, since she has a great new CD called, "He Said, She Said" available for you blues fans. During the interview I asked Sue who was an up and coming woman blues guitarist and she named, Laura Chavez. So, we interviewed her too! What a great, young blues artist! Look at Laura playing with Candye Kane!



Ernie Hawkins (our headline picture above) is an acoustic blues guitarist who was taught by the Reverend Gary Davis. Many like the electric blues. But, please keep in mind the root of the electric blues lies in the acoustic world. And, it doesn't get any better than meeting up with Mr. Hawkins!

Another great acoustic player we talked with was Eric Bibb. Many think of the blues as being sad. If you listen to Eric, you may find the blues to be uplifting and inspirational! Give him a try when you are feeling blue!

We had regional acts we covered.




In Pittsburgh we featured Keith DiPiazza, who has played with the likes of the Gregg Allman Band.










In Texas we did part 2 of the interview with Mark May who is pictured right.

And, in the Chicago area Big Dog Mercer was our feature.
As you know, we always have special guests and this month was no exception. We were proud to present to you, Glenn Patrik.





We always have a month in pictures. This month we featured John Mayall, Tangiers Blues Band, Tab Benoit, and Savoy Brown, who is pictured below.



American Blues News always tries to be true when we offer CD, DVD or Show Reviews.

We had Gatorman having a good time at the Johnny Drummer Birthday Party, which was more of an open stage for the artists of the blues scene in Chicago. Gator also left us with his review of Chris Beard. A new and upcoming artist Gator will be working with in his new endeavor.








Blake always offers the truth in his CD reviews. This month he took a listen to John Pizzarelli, Jimi Hendrix's Valleys of Neptune, and Ten Foot Polecats.

We always like to attend a show, and Memphis Gold didn't leave Virginiabluesman down! If you want to catch their show, read what to expect when you go. And, Joe Krown was another good blues night in the DC area.

Meanwhile Blake went to see Honeyboy Edwards and Marc Benno. Honeyboy was just awarded a lifetime achievement award at the Grammy's this year.








Nighthawk likes to be out and about, either near or far. In this instance, he was near to home as he visited one of my fellow Pittsburghers, Barbara Blue (pictured right), who resides in Memphis! Check out Barbara's artwork.

We did take you up on your suggestion for an article on where the great blues places are in a city. Virginiabluesman didn't leave us down! Washington has so many great spots. So read the Washington DC Blues Spots to go to before you leave for our nations capital.

Our name is American Blues News, and news we had! Keep in mind during the month of may is the Blues Music Awards and we kept the 2010 Blues Music Award Nominees in front of you to think about. We counted on the Bob Corritore Newsletter to keep you up to date on the blues world. And, the backbone of much of the blues world is with the blues foundation and The Blues Foundation Thrives today!

And, lastly, Gatorman left us to work on more
Electro Glide Records. If you want to catch up with Gatorman, this is where he will be! Rolling his sleeves up and working at Electro Glide Records. Best of luck in all you do Gatorman!

How Blue are We? I'd say pretty blue! Take care.

Monica

If you want to check out the previous month summary, click here.

Copyright © 2010 Copyright Monica L. Yasher. All Rights Reserved.
Photograph Copyright © 2010 Nelson Onofre. All Rights Reserved.
Photograph Copyright © 2010 CR Bennett. All Rights Reserved.
Photograph Copyright © 2010 Robert "Nighthawk" Tooms. All Rights Reserved.
Ernie Hawkins photograph used by permission.
Laura Chevez photograph used by permission.
Mark May photograph used by permission.
Chris Beard photograph used by permission.

February How Blue Are We? by Monica Yasher

Welcome to another edition of How Blue Are We? February is a short month. But, we haven't been short on ideas to write about! The team is already planning some outings for the year to offer you the best coverage in the blues world. We are always interested what our readers have to say. So, American Blues News now has a Facebook presence, please feel free to drop us a line anytime and let us know what you want to read! We'll do our best to give you the best in Blues News!

Let's take a look at some of the things we talked about for February.

I know that it's winter but those blues festivals are just around the corner. One of our newest writers, Jim Stick, who hails from Colorado, is offering the upcoming events for Colorado during the year 2010. Take a read on Jim's first offering, Colorado Blues Festivals, which is our featured photo of the month, Telluride.

The biggest news for February was the announcement for the 2010 Blues Foundation Hall of Fame awardees. This event will be covered in May with the Blues Music Awards. Go take a read and see what great artists and contributions will be inducted into the blues hall of fame. For those of you that are my friends on Facebook, I also gently reminded you to cast your vote for the Music Award Nominees. Your vote Counts! Be sure to read us in May to see if your vote helped bring a winner to the podium!

I love our picture scrapbooks! This month we covered many artists in a pictorial view courtesy of Nelson and Gatorman. A picture tells a thousand words, so take a few minutes and see what the photos have to say. The artists and events we covered were: Johnny Winter, James Cotton, Lucky Peterson, John Mayall, Al Kooper,

Blues pictures from Chicagoland,








and....
Tommy Castro











There were, once again, a few tributes to our blues artists that have passed on. Maureen, another new writer for us, offered a tribute to Warren King. Warren was a Pittsburgh icon and had ties in the Florida community as a session guitar player. Warren has his place in music history, having played in the Silencers where the band's video for the medley "Peter Gunn/Remote Control/Illegal" aired on MTV the day the network debuted in 1981. RIP Mr. Warren King.


Other legends of the blues that have passed on were: Wilroy Sanders, and Dale Hawkins.







I don't have to tell you that interviews are my favorite thing to do. By doing these interviews this month, I have been humbled. I watched Leon Russell on the Grammy's this year amd there on Mr. Russell's page is MY name to let you know to take a read about the Interview with Chris Simmons. Chris is Leon's lead guitarist. I thought it was so cool that I was a name on a page of someone that performed at the Grammy's. Humbled, I am.

In the spirit of the olympics held in Canada, I shared interviews with a few of our Canadian Blues Artists. The first being an electric blues artist, Shawn Kellerman. The second being an acoustic blues artist by the name of Harry Manx. Please look for another Canadian artist next week, Ms. Sue Foley!

Our guest columnist, Bob Corritore, kept us up to date with some of the latest news. Thank you so much, Mr. Corritore.
















Abby our resident Texan shared her discussion with Mark May. Please take a read on the Texas scene.

Other interviews covered were: Stacy Brooks and Ana Popovich.



After watching the Grammy's, Gator offered an opinion of some of the blues awards handed out on A Living History Got Shafted.

As you all know, Clapton is on tour. J. Blake offered his take on the blues rocker show in NYC with, Beck & Clapton Rock NYC.

Other reviews that we shared were: Jimmy Warren and The New Soul Cowboys.

What's life without a little fun? I guess Jason Ricci has quite a sense of humor. Catch the writing and video on Jason's latest escapade! I don't know. Did he have you fooled?

And our resident musician shared his times at the zebra ranch. I have to swing back around and ask what it was like to see a black panther in the wild? I would love to see one of those! What an experience. Go read what Nighthawk had to say about his recording sessions with his writing of Reba Russell Band records at Zebra Ranch and More from the Zebra Ranch.



I hope you have enjoyed our coverage of February. In March look for the Sue Foley interview and we will touch base with some more acoustic blues artists such as Ernie Hawkins, who studied with the Rev. Gary Davis and the international blues artist, Eric Bibb.

Until next month, have a great life!

Monica

If you want to read January's summary, click here!


Copyright © 2010 Copyright Monica L. Yasher. All Rights Reserved.
Photo Copyright © 2010 Copyright Maureen Ceidro. All Rights Reserved.
Photo Copyright © 2010 Copyright Nelson Onofre. All Rights Reserved.
Photo Copyright © 2010 Copyright Jim Stick. All Rights Reserved.
Photo Copyright © 2010 Copyright Terrance Lape. All Rights Reserved.
Photo Copyright © 2010 Copyright Abby Owen. All Rights Reserved.
Photo Copyright © 2010 Copyright Robert Tooms. All Rights Reserved.
Photo Copyright © 2010 Copyright Geraldo Rivera. All Rights Reserved.

How Blue Are We in January? by Monica Yasher

Hello everyone! How did your first month go for the new year? Did you make a few New Year's Resolutions? I did! I shared what I had in mind for 2010 by retrospecting on who I talked to in 2009 and what they said. I hope it offers some insights for you!

We are excited to announce a few changes for 2010. We changed our name to American Blues News. We have just unveiled our new logo. Look for our FACEBOOK page in the next month. And we have altered our lineup a little bit. In case you have a favorite writer, here is our schedule:

Sunday will be picture day by Nelson in New York City.
Monday will be our resident flyer, Nighthawk. When he isn't touring, you can find him living and breathing the Memphis Blues Scene.
Tuesday finds us with J. Blake in New York City covering the scene and he seems to be our resident expert on blues reviews.
Wednesday you can find me. I enjoy interviews so that is typically what you find me sharing with you and most of my interviews are conducted in the Pittsburgh area.
Thursday is our day in Chicago with Gatorman. You just never know what Terry is going to write about, so check him out!
Friday is our newest writer, Bluesman, from Washington, DC. Blues Alley seems to be a really cool place to be.
Saturday is the day we spice things up a bit. We have Abby from Houston, Jim from Colorado, Maureen and CR in Pittsburgh, and guest writers from all over the country! Our first guest writer of the year was Daryl Davis, keyboard player for Chuck Berry and countless other artists!



Now that you know what's coming from American Blues News, let's look back at the month for the music community. It was a pretty awesome start to a new year! We had the International Blues Challenge and the Grammys all in the same month! I would like to welcome all of the new readers that perused our writing with our coverage of the IBC!

The Grammys were just on Sunday and it was quite a show! I think I'm getting old. I can remember my parents saying things like, "All they do is scream" and "I can't understand what they are saying!", when I would listen to my music as a teen. And now having a teenager, I found myself saying the same things! The cycle of music is ever evolving, which is a good thing. The arts must live on whether I like the changes or not.

As I watched the Grammys it was pretty cool to see Leon Russell playing with the Zac Brown Band. I had the chance to interview Leon's lead guitarist, Chris Simmonds, which I will be posting this month. That was a fun night hanging out with these guys. And, I have to say for the record, that out of all the CD's that have been given to me in the past year, Chris' is the one I find myself listening to the most! I guess that's because of my country background and blues background. Out of all the artists I hear, Chris has the sound that I would most like to emmulate.

To kick off our coverage of the Grammys, I interviewed a Grammy nominated artist,


David Bromberg when he was in Pittsburgh with Jorma Kaukonen.

Speaking of the Grammys, the nods went to the following:

Best Traditional Blues Album:
Ramblin' Jack Elliott for "A Stranger Here" album

Best Contemporary Blues Album:
Derek Trucks for "Already Free"

Best Historical Album:
Little Walter for "The Complete Chess Masters"

Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album:
Buckwheat Zydeco for "Lay Your Burden Down"

Maureen and I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Derek Trucks this summer at The Flood City Music Festival in Johnstown, PA. You can read the review of a great night right here.


Now moving onto the IBC's. We had Nighthawk running ragged covering this event. And the stats show you read what he had to say! Thank you readers for checking in! If you missed what happened, here are some articles for you to catch up on:

We covered a couple of acts that performed in the youth division. Please support these up and coming artists. They are the future of the blues.
Will Jacobs and Dirty Deal a very young blues band from Chicago.
Michaela Ray a very young lady showing her chops on the guitar.

For those of you that don't know, there is another award ceremony for managers, publications, photographers, blues festival promoters, and the like. You can read about it at:
2010 Keeping the Blues Alive Recipients

If you went to the festival. Hopefully, Nighthawk gave you good advice on where and What to Eat in Memphis

We offered interviews and pictures of past IBC Winners with
Delta Highway , who talked about their IBC experience. The Interview of Little Joe McLerran, who was the winner of the solo/duo category in 2009 was shared.



Nelson offered a pictorial of past IBC winners such as Eden Brant.

Now for the IBC News, here is a great place to look!
IBC This Week
Schedule of Acts for Friday
IBC Roars on Old Beale Street
2010 IBC Finalists
AND THE WINNERS ARE!

Memphis was a place of great happiness for many at the IBC's. It was a town of grieving too. The blues community seems to be grieving every month any more, which saddens us. Nighthawk shared about his friend, Willie Mitchell. On behalf of all the staff of American Blues News, our sympathy to the family of Mr. Willie Mitchell. It is with joy and grief that his life was celebrated in One Last Time Down Beale Street and at his memorial service.




Nighthawk, our resident flyer, ventured to Germany for the Eutin, Germany Blues Fest. It just goes to show you that you never know where the music will take you! Gatorman didn't travel far, but he was truly impacted by the performance of Buddy Guy.

You know, I'm beginning to think Nighthawk likes a really good party. He covers all the blues balls. This month he was seen at the Toyland Ball in Tulsa! And, he was seen at Bobby Blue Bland's 80th birthday party. You go Nighthawk!

Nelson captured another blues great when he photographed Hubert Sumlin. He captured a favorite of mine, Coco Montoya. I saw Mr. Montoya for the first time at the Heritage Blues Festival, which is about one hour from Pittsburgh. Did I mention that the efforts from the festival have been bestowed a Keeping the Blues Alive Award?

Hubert Sumlin

BB King Blues Club, Nov. 2009
http://www.hubertsumlinblues.com/
photo: Nelson G. Onofre © 2010 Copyright

As I said, Bluesman is our new addition to the group. He started a few weeks early and offered writing on Madams Organ. He shared his take on the North Mississippi All Stars. Bluesman shared his interview with Bob Margolin and CR, a Pittsburgh writer, shared his pictures of Bob when he played at Moondog's in Pittsburgh. For those of you thinking about a trip to DC, you should read about the Birchmere Blues.

We are pleased that Abby is with us. She shared a review of a local band on the Houston scene, The Mark May Band. Look for another article in the month of February from Abby. This month we will hear from our man in Colorado, Jim.

J. Blake has shared his CD reviews of Geoff Muldaur, The Delta Flyers, and Tail Dragger Live. His movie reviews of "In the Electric Mist" and "Blues Before Sunrise" were also a good read. Terry tipped his hat in the review arena with his take on Jimmy Warren and Billy Branch.

We love interviews! Terry sat down with Jimmy Warren. Nighthawk chatted with his friend, Victor Wainwright. And, speaking of interviews and the Grammys, look for an interview I conducted with Tim Woods, who recorded a CD with David "Honeyboy" Edwards, a lifetime achievement award recipient.

Whew! That was a lot to share. Bookmark us! American Blues News will strive to be your number one blues source for 2010.

If you found this helpful, you may wish to read the summary for December.

Copyright © 2010 Copyright Monica L. Yasher. All Rights Reserved.
Photo Copyright © 2010 Copyright Maureen Ceidro. All Rights Reserved.
Photo Copyright © 2010 Copyright Nelson Onofre. All Rights Reserved.
Photo Copyright © 2010 Copyright C.R. Bennett. All Rights Reserved.

Pittsburgh: How Blue are We in December? By Monica Yasher

May everyone find themselves with a joyous holiday behind them and looking forward to a great 2010 New Year! I know here at American Blues News we are all looking forward to 2010. Each and every one of us realize that we are blessed to have the year 2009 with our blues friends. We have attended some great American Blues Festivals, talked to some interesting, passionate artists and have heard some really fantastic music! It has been an amazing year for each and every one of us!

I just want to share some things for the upcoming year. We are making changes to our blues newswriting lineup. We have switched some writers around and you will find them on the following days:

Nelson will still be offering those great pictures every Sunday.
Nighthawk, our traveling musician, will still be holding up the fort on Mondays.
J.Blake will continue to share his reviews and interviews every Tuesday.
I will be moving from Friday to Wednesday.
Gatorman will be changing from Wednesday to Thursday offering coverage of Chicago.
Bluesman, our new addition from Washington, DC, will be offering thoughts every Friday.

Our Saturday lineup in January is as follows:

1st Saturday - Scottsdale: Bob Corritore
2nd Saturday - Houston: Abby Owen
3rd Saturday - Pittsburgh: CR Bennett
4th Saturday - LA: Jerry Rosen
5th Saturday - We will share our first guest of the new year!

Don't forget the IBC's are in January! We look forward to sharing all of that news with you.

Now the question is how blue were we in December?

First, we introduced three new writers this past month. We have Abby Owen from Austin, TX, Bluesman from Washington, DC and CR Bennett from Pittsburgh. We are glad they have joined us and we look forward to hearing what they have to say!

Probably the most blues newsworthy item was the announcement of the 2010 Handy Award Nominees. We at American Blues News had the priviledge of speaking with many of the nominees this past year and were happy for all of the nominees.

Gatorman talked to Al Stone and Bruce Iglauer of Alligator Records.



This interview offered a lot of information about Bruce and Alligator Records that we offered a Part I and Part II. Our new writer, Abby Owen, talked to Seth Walker for us. I had a nice conversation with Tinsley Ellis, who was just nominated for a blues award in 2010. When I spoke with Lefty Williams, I had no idea that Tinsley and Lefty were collaborating on a few songs. Just a reminder of what a small world it is. I spoke with Teeny Tucker who will be releasing an album very soon. And J. Blake had the chance to catch up with Tommy Casto, another blues nominee.

Speaking of Blake, there seemed to be much todo about the article of Derek and the Dominos.

We did a few reviews. The first being a performance review of an extremely young upcoming artist named Michaela Rae. Bluesman offered his views of Michael Burks. And Blake caught the show of Hubert Summlin. Nighthawk shared the Celebration of Life Concerts.

Blake kept up with the CD reviews offering his findings on Steven Seagal's blues album.

We did get caught up in the holiday spirit this year. We offered a week worth of gift giving ideas for your blues fan such as a USB turntable. And, how could I not share at least one of my favorite Christmas Albums with you? So, I chose Ray Charles Spirit of Christmas. Blake offered a book review of Strange Brew. And Nighthawk is our gadget guy.

Did you know that every year in Memphis there is the Blues Ball? Why don't you take a read on that one and don't forget to view those awesome guitars!

I personally was touched by how the artist, Eric Bibb, could affect a life and wrote about that in my Christmas story, Christmas Connections. Nighthawk shared the workings of his friends in Memphis and the Christmas Kindness that Southern hospitality has.

Gatorman was quite creative this holiday season and shared a Blues Christmas poem with each of you.

We told the following stories in pictures: Duke Robillard, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Big Bill Morganfield, Shemekia Copeland, who just got married in December. Lastly, the great Sonny Landreth was captured in photos.



We also brought on board another exciting photographer, CR Bennett who shared his coverage of Candye Kane, who has been nominated for a few blues awards for 2010.

And, we had one tribute piece of Ozell Roberts.

That was a pretty busy December!

I wish all of you a Happy New Year! Time doesn't seem to wait for anyone, does it? I put together the following slideshow for you. It's me singing 'Wait for Me' with my friend, Michael Bellava, playing acoustic guitar in the living room of our friend known as Musicman. I hope you enjoy! I'll talk to you next year!


Monica




If you found this helpful, you may wish to read the summary for November.


Copyright © 2009 Copyright Monica L. Yasher. All Rights Reserved.
Photo Copyright © 2009 Copyright Maureen Ceidro. All Rights Reserved.
Photo Copyright © 2009 Copyright Nelson Onofre. All Rights Reserved.
Photo Copyright © 2009 Copyright Terrance Lape. All Rights Reserved.
Photo Copyright © 2009 Copyright Charles R. Bennett. All Rights Reserved.

USA: How Blue Are We November Edition by Monica Yasher

Home of W.C. Handy

Now that November is coming to a close, we at American Blues News would like to reflect upon the month.

We did interviews with people we would like to name as our friends. With every interview, there is something to learn and a friend to be made with the artist, their fellow bandmembers, as well as those that help the artist behind the scenes. There are so many great people in this music industry! It is a pleasure to work with each and every one of them! We are thankful that these artists have the time in their busy schedules to speak to American Blues Blog. When you think that we launched this venture in May, it is amazing what we have accomplished, and we appreciate you reading it!

We are thankful for the artists that treked across the big pond to be part of the American blues scene. We talked with a few of them this month, such as:
Robin Trower Part I and Part II.



And, if you haven't had enough of Robin in the Pittsburgh scene, you can catch some great shots by Nelson at Robin Trower at BB Kings in NYC. We had the pleasure of interviewing Kim Simmonds of Savoy Brown. For those that don't know it, Roger Earl of Foghat is a past bandmember of Savoy Brown. I talked to Roger Earl of Foghat too. BTW-Roger and Kim are still friends to this day.

We republished our article on New Riders of the Purple Sage. If you get a chance, try to help this band get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I bet they will be thankful for the honor. And, why shouldn't they have it? Do you realize how many artists this band influenced? They weren't part of the scene. They were an influence of the scene.

We covered the Memphis scene with Victor Wainwright. And, a great acoustic blues band in my own back yard that I'm sure you'll hear more about, Izzy and Chris.

As always Nelson is on the scene snapping some great shots. Take a look at the blues scene in New York City with pictures of:

Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, Popa Chubby, and Mark Hummel's Blues Harp.



We all know that the holiday season is around the corner, and J. Blake and Gatorman have been trying to give you the most honest reviews they can on several new CD's. So, if you are thinking about what to buy for your favorite blues fan or what show to catch, try taking a read on the following reviews:

Tinsley Ellis, and George Thorogood's The Dirty Dozen CD.

We, at American Blues news, are a bit partial to Dave Riley & Bob Corritore, since Bob has graciously been a past and future contributor to American Blues news.
I saw Derek Trucks this summer as he was out promoting his, Already Free CD. Other art works we shared an opinion on are: T-Bird Huck, and Diamond Jim Greene "Holdin On".

We can't forget about America's Blues History. It was exciting for many blues fans this month to know that Robert Johnson's Birthplace has been verified! Plus Nighthawk told us a few stories along the way.

We took a look at Memphis and where the music came from in I55 productions. Take a read and see what great productions I55 is working on for your listening pleasure. We were pleased to share with you a Handy recipient and friend of Nighthawk, Dr. Herman Green. This article let us peek at W.C. Handy's Memphis home. Our friends in Chicago, Earwig Music, presented Six Generations of the Blues. Check this article out for showtimes, for the documentary is still being shown.




If you have an itch to go to an open blues show and can't get there, well Gatorman is doing a Chicago Blues Streaming. So, catch Gator and his friends once a week just jamming.

Oh-we also shared some turkey blues songs. Thanks Gator for sharing Turkey Blues!

Now it's time to move onto December. We will be doing a theme week during the week of December 6, offering blues items that you could consider purchasing for your favorite blues fan.

We are also bringing on two new writers: Abby Owen who will be covering the Texas scene and CR Bennett who will share photos on Christmas day of a very appropriate subject matter: Candye Kane. We are excited to bring these fabulous new writers to the blues scene, and we feel that you will enjoy reading and seeing their work!

We will have a guest writer by the name of Teeny Tucker in December. Teeny is the daughter of Tommy Tucker, who is famous for his song, "Hi Heel Sneaker Man". I am excited to share her thoughts and words with you this coming month. BTW Teeny is working on a new CD for all of you!

I'd like to share with you what interviews I will be doing in December. There will be interviews from me-I have about a dozen I haven't transcribed yet! But, I am sure that you understand that the female of the species is ALWAYS overwhelmed during this month and doesn't have a clue what they are doing! So, that goes for what interviews I'll be doing. So here's a tidbit for you this holiday season, don't ask her what she WANTS for the holidays. Ask her what you can DO for her this holiday season! I'm sure she will love you for the thought!

As always, we will continue to provide the best in blues coverage with reviews, interviews, and covering the blues scene. Thanks for taking a read and I'll talk to you next month. In the meantime, may you have a Blessed Holiday!

Monica

Thank you for reading American Blues News!

USA: Happy Halloween! by Monica Yasher

Would you sale your soul this Halloween?
Enjoy a video I found of the 1986 movie Crossroads.



Wasn't that a great movie? I guess I was liking the blues before I knew the blues even existed!

American Blues News has an exciting announcement this October. We have a marketing director, Maureen Ciedro, to add to our roster. The first thing on Maureen's todo list is a logo. I personally think it is pretty cool, and can't wait to unveil it!

I would like to thank all the artists and record labels who are sending us emails and letting us know what is going on in with their artists and work! From those emails, I have determined that some of those events need to be covered! Keep them coming. I can't answer them all, but some of you know that you have gotten a review or an interview from your efforts! If you have any artists coming to the following areas: New York, Memphis, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, or Dallas, please be sure to let us know you will be in town. If schedules permit, you could see American Blues News covering your event!

November is the time to give thanks. I will offer my tribute for giving thanks for the great blues artists from across the Atlantic, Great Britian. Look for two interviews of Robin Trower. One on his guitar work. The second on his new CD. I also talked to Roger Earl of Foghat. I hear he is a great cook, so I wonder what he will be cooking for Thanksgiving? And, lastly, I will share a great conversation I had with Kim Simmonds of Savoy Brown. Figures my husband found a record of his weeks after I met him! I wish I would have had him sign it!

Next month look for a review of the very talented Zac Harmon, who has been traveling around with Bluzapalooza. We will also be talking to Michael Frank of:

SIX GENERATIONS OF THE BLUES FROM MISSISSIPPI TO CHICAGO
ONE NIGHT - ONE STAGE
CELEBRATING THE 30 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF EARWIG MUSIC

Last month our guest writers were from all over the world. We went to Australia, India, and California. This month, I have a guest writer a little closer to my home, Pittsburgh. You have to catch Izzy and Chris! They are ranking on the blues charts, and Chris has an endorsement on harmonicas, being the great player he is!

This November I am thankful for all the people in my life. Be sure to tell those that you love that you are thankful for them. Logoff and do it right NOW! Life is too short. Until next month....

Monica


If you liked this summary, you may wish to read the September summary.

Thank you for reading American Blues News!

Copyright © 2009 Monica L. Yasher. All Rights Reserved.