backup american blues news: Memphis Tennessee

Showing posts with label Memphis Tennessee. Show all posts

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Michaela Rae by Robert "Nighthawk" Tooms

Michaela Rae

(Memphis, Tennessee) This week we take a listen to The album, "Blues with a Backbone," by 14 year old guitar prodigy Michaela Rae Knox who hails from Colorado. I heard her play with Jasco at the Snowy Range Music Festival in Laramie, Wyoming, over this past Labor Day weekend. I was there playing keyboard and harmonica with the Reba Russell Band and after our show we headed over to hear Michaela play.

Michaela and Jasco jamming in Wyoming

I was very favorably impressed as she plays with great precision and has a very good tone. I have honestly heard many adults who who could take some lessons on execution and style from this young lady. Her guitar playing was excellent. At 14 Michaela Rae has already performed at Denver's Mile High Blues Festival and the International Blues Challenge. That festival is one not to miss, by the way.

Here's a link to the Snowy Range Music Festival site:

http://www.snowyrangemusicfestival.com/homepage/

Here's a link to the Mile High Blues Festival:

http://www.milehighbluesfestival.com/

Michaela's CD starts out with the Booker T. & the M.G.'s classic, "Green Onions." She and the band do an admirable job on this great old instrumental. She is accompanied on the recording by:

Dave Beegle - Guitar, Hammond B3
Michael Olson - Bass
Matt Henderson - Drums

The CD is produced by Dave Beegle at Backbone Studios and the recording is tastefully performed with clean, clear sound and crisp tracks throughout. Among the eight tracks are Buddy Guy's "Mary had a Little Lamb" (which features some real cool Leslie guitar) and Jimmie Vaughn's "SRV Shuffle," which is the classic lumpty-lump bass line and some great harmonizing guitars and loads of hot solos.

Dave Beegle at this year's Snowy Range Music Festival

Here's a link to Dave Beagle's site:

http://www.davebeegle.com/

Michaela Rae and Andy Irvine on bass

When I was talking with my friend John Catt he informed me that Michaela Rae was going to be this year's IBC Youth Showcase entrant from the Grand County Blues Society in Colorado. I look forward to seeing Michaela and her family here in Memphis for the big competition. I had an opportunity to speak with her father for a while in Wyoming and he is a genuinely affable and kind man. He told me that he had started her out on guitar when she was only 4 years old.

Here's a link to the Grand County Blues Society site featuring this year's IBC entrants:

http://www.grandblues.org/OurSociety/GCBSandtheIBC/tabid/91/Default.aspx

Michaela jams with our old buddy Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin

Billy Branch and Michaela Rae

I thoroughly enjoyed Michaela's first CD and I understand that she is currently working up material for her next one. The guitar work and production were excellent and even the developing vocal styling of Michaela was always adorable, if not always perfect. As this blues player continues to develop the world will have some great performances to enjoy for many years.

When she's not playing the blues apparently Michaela Rae likes to drive fast in a straight line. This is a shot from her Facebook page of her dragster...cool, huh?

To get a copy of this Michaela Rae CD of your very own, click here:

http://michaelarae.bandcamp.com/

To read my article about this year's Snowy Range Music Festival, click here:

http://www.ameriblues.com/2009/12/memphis-snowy-range-music-festival.html

To read my article about this year's Mile High Blues Festival, click here:

http://www.ameriblues.com/2009/12/memphis-cincinnati-to-denver-and-mile.html

All the news that is BLUES!

AMERICAN BLUES NEWS

Bookmark us at:

http://www.ameriblues.com/

RCT

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Christmas Kindness by Robert "Nighthawk" Tooms

Welcome to

AMERICAN BLUES NEWS!

(Memphis, Tennessee) This week we want to thank some of our friends of the BLUES who are making a real difference in the lives of others.

Steve Bryson, friend and philanthropist

Our friend, Steve Bryson, owner of I55 Productions is not only supporting Memphis BLUES and embarking on about a dozen new BLUES CD releases, but also has provided over 20,000 meals to the homeless and hungry during the holiday season.

Steve Bryson and Darren J. Fallas at the recent
Dennis Brooks Celebration of Life in Memphis

"Bryson, Chief Executive Officer of the Cypress-based Global Electronic Technology, Inc. (GET) and founder of Never Forgotten Foundation (NFF), a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization donated 2,500 pounds of turkey and other meat products, 700 lbs. of ground beef, 1000 lbs. of chicken as well as enough canned and dried food to feed over 10,000 people. Other items consisted of thousands of pounds of canned vegetables, breakfast items, and bags of flour, sugar, pasta, and rice to help make the holiday season brighter to those who frequent the Long Beach Rescue Mission (LBRM) every day.

Bryson's International charity

www.neverforgottenfoundation.com

"I have long held the belief that charity should began at home. When we arrived last year during our initial donation and saw the long lines of people around the building and the dire need for food at the shelter, I wanted to make certain that we would more than double our efforts this year. It is my heartfelt desire to ensure that at least during this holiday season, not a single person in Long Beach would go hungry," states Steven H. Bryson.

These annual donations, solely funded by Bryson, has enabled him to develop key relationships with many local businesses such as Costco in Cypress as well as Smart & Final stores in Cypress and Lakewood to help provide well-balanced and nutritional meals for the homeless. With the collaboration of many who were gracious in their donations or gave discounts on purchased items, Bryson was able to maximize the amount of people fed. He also enlisted the help of his GET employees, who showed up in mass to help unload the massive amount of food from the 27 foot truck that was rented this very purpose.

Steve Bryson, I55 Productions

"The amount of food purchased has never been seen before. We felt fortunate to have been part of such a great deed," said Nick Espinosa, owner of Signal Hill's Casa de Carne, who also donated hundred of pounds of patties, sausage links, and crab cakes.

Last year, Bryson donated what was estimated to be enough food for 8,000 meals. This year Fred Sigrist, Director of Food Service at the LBRM, estimated that Bryson has exceeded the previous donation for an estimated 20,000 meals."

To read more about Steve Bryson's I55 Productions and some of the new music they are about to release, check out this link to an earlier story I wrote on their new label:

http://www.ameriblues.com/2009/12/memphis-i55-productions.html

NEXT: BLUE STAR CONNECTION

spreads the music and the love

my friend John Catt

More great news from our friend, John Catt, who has been a proponent of the BLUES and all things musical for many years at events all across Colorado. John has befriended the Reba Russell Band and turned us on to some splendid gigs in Colorado over the years. I first heard about BLUE STAR CONNECTION a few months ago when I got to visit with John in Colorado. We were in Denver to play the Mile High Blues Festival, an event which was covered by me in an article earlier this year. Here's a link to that story:

http://www.ameriblues.com/2009/12/memphis-cincinnati-to-denver-and-mile.html

Billy Branch and Michaela Rae jam

John Catt, BLUES protagonist and BLUES luminary Michaela Ray

John is a board member of the Grand County Blues Society, serving with President Cassidi Brickner and my friend Art Ferrari who serves as their Treasurer. These folks have a remarkable blues society, they put on some absolutely terrific shows, and they also do good works as well as keep the BLUES alive. Here's a link to their site:

http://www.grandblues.org/

On August 14, 2005, Colorado's awesome Grand County Blues Society pioneered the Blue Star Connection to help kids with cancer and other life threatening diseases.

This from their site:

"What is the Blue Star Connection?

The Blue Star Connection provides kids with cancer and other life threatening illnesses musical instruments and access to live shows with the help of our musician friends.

Most of our Blue Stars receive an electric guitar and amp. We prefer electric guitars because most of the kids don't have the strength in their hands to play an acoustic guitar and they get a real kick out of the power and noise. Keyboards have now gained a lot of popularity. We get almost as many requests for Keyboards now as guitars

Upon request, we have provided children with harps, saxophones and a violin.

To augment the program, we get them tickets to live shows and festivals around the country. A lot of the artists are kind enough to treat them to back stage access."

here's a link to their site:

http://www.grandblues.org/BlueStar/tabid/59/Default.aspx

Here's a link to a great Blue Star Connection TV piece from KCNC in Denver:

http://cbs4denver.com/video/?id=65610@kcnc.dayport.com

"This is Kaite and Ashleigh, Kaite inspired me at the Shining Stars Reunion. She's 10 years old in this picture , one of the toughest kids you will ever meet, beat two rare cancers and now she is just an amazing young lady."

John Catt

If you wish to make a cash donation or donate an instrument to Blue Star Connection please make checks payable to GCBS with Blue Star Connection in the memo. All of BSC donations are only used for Blue Star purchases. You can also have a donation sent in the name of someone and that money will be noted and an instrument will bear that persons name.

You can mail donations to GCBS P.O. Box 1530 Winter Park, CO 80482

Here's how to get in touch if you have an instrument to donate:

http://www.grandblues.org/ContactUs/tabid/60/Default.aspx

Christmas is about LOVE and sharing with these noble charities would be a great way to celebrate this year.

All of us at the AMERICAN BLUES NEWS look forward to supplying you with more news and inside information in 2010 and beyond.

Thank you, dear readers, and from each of us:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

All the news that is BLUES!

AMERICAN BLUES NEWS

Bookmark us at:

http://www.ameriblues.com/

Sunday, December 13, 2009

BLUES BALL 2009 by Robert "Nighthawk" Tooms

Welcome to our new location for all the news that is BLUES:

American Blues News!

(Memphis, Tennessee) We are very excited to introduce the new improved site and I am honored to submit the first article on our opening day. Please join us every day for a new article, a host of fine writers scattered across the fruited plain, and inside information on American Blues News!

Accept no imitations, this is it.

This week I donned the suit, tie and the faithful Biltmore eleganza homburg to face a cold, clear wintry Memphis night and take part in the city's best party of the year, the largest annual ball in the United States, the BLUES BALL which is held at the Gibson guitar factory one block south of Beale Street. After dropping off my car with the valet, we quickly headed inside to escape the cold and join the revelers to enjoy some great food and music. After checking the old overcoat at the door we settled in to some light wine consumption and mingling with loads of old friends inside of this huge facility.

Gibson Guitars decked the halls

Outside the front doors

Two huge murals of Elvis by LeRoy Neiman are about 60 feet tall

Here's why they have this very well attended $200 a ticket party every year:

"The Memphis Charitable Foundation is not your typical nonprofit entity. Lighting the Hernando DeSoto Bridge; dropping a giant shovel from a helicopter for the groundbreaking ceremony of The Pyramid Arena; and organizing a parade of Harleys, howitzers, and floats to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Elvis's death are just three of the many unique events orchestrated by the founder and general chairman, Pat Kerr Tigrett, of The Blues Ball, the largest annual ball in the nation, and The Jingle Bell Ball, " America's premiere holiday party for children" (CNN). These events have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and priceless awareness for local charities. The events and charities championed by the Memphis Charitable Foundation are intended to support Memphis music and musicians as well as children's charities.

Jingle Bell Ball
"the premier children's holiday party in the nation"
-CNN-

Memphis Charitable Foundation beneficiaries have included LeBonheur Children's Medical Center, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital The Smithsonian Rock 'n Soul Museum, The International Children's Heart Foundation, Variety Children's Charities, Porter-Leath Children's Center/PaLs, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), The Isaac Hayes Scholarship/Manasas High School, Maternal Welfare League, Make-A-Wish Foundation, NARAS/MusiCares, and Madonna Learning Center, in addition to providing funding to Memphis musicians and area music scholarships."

Here's their address if you would like to contribute:

200 Wagner Place
Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: (901) 527-5683
Fax: (901) 526-3578
Email: memphischaritable.org

A link to their site:

http://www.memphischaritable.org/altindex.php

Pat Kerr Tigrett, Blues Ball Founder and General Chairman

"We always sell The Blues Ball out the first day, 2,500 seats," Pat Kerr Tigrett, founder and general chairman, said. "The secret is the extraordinary musicians. Despite the name, the focus at The Blues Ball is on all kinds of Memphis Music, from rock to gospel," she said. Each year the artists that shaped the Memphis Sound attend and perform at The Blues Ball. Legendary B.B. King, Soul Man Isaac Hayes, wild man Jerry Lee Lewis, Bobby Blue Bland, Reverend Al Green, Eddie Floyd, Jason D. Williams, Ruby Wilson, The BarKays, and the late Carl Perkins and Rufus Thomas have been just a few of the legends to play the Ball."

This year, Pat Kerr Tigrett received the Emmisary of Memphis Music Award from the Memphis Music Commission. My friend and bandleader of 20 years, Reba Russell, also received the award as did Ruby Wilson and Di Anne Price(pictured below). Here's the full list of recipients:

Joyce Cobb Jackie Johnson

Susan Marshall

Judy Peiser

Di Anne Price

Reba Russell

Linn Sitler

Pat Kerr Tigrett

Deanie Parker

Ruby Wilson

Santa used motorcycles this evening and gave the reindeer a night off
I drank with Blitzen at the bar

Event sponsors

Elegant party goers hit the enormous ballrooms

A painting of Steve Cropper at the silent auction

Steve Cropper

Steve was the Memphis Sound Award winner for 2009 and as many of you know he was a great part of what made STAX records and Booker T. & the M.G.'s sound so damn good. My partner in the Memphis Sheiks, Delta Joe Sanders ended up with Steve's 1968 rosewood Fender Telecaster that is now such a rare guitar. It was one of one or two that ever made it for sale in Memphis and the neck was broken by Steve one night at a gig. I wonder where that guitar is today.

A painting of B.B. King at the silent auction

Engineer, producer, studio owner, Knox Phillips
his father was the late Sam Phillips, owner of SUN Studios

"No event has ever fully embraced or publicly acknowledged

the spirit and achievements of what Memphis music represents

in Memphis and around the world until

the arrival of The Blues Ball 10 years ago.

Pat Kerr Tigrett's creation is the institutional definition of the truly good citizen."

Knox Phillips

Phillips Recording

Cool painted Gibson guitar bodies at the silent auction

My old friend Big Ed Kjellin and his wife, Connie

Preston Shannon accepts his award

Elvis' close friend, dj and emcee George Klein and Preston Shannon

2009 Pyramid Award Winner Preston Shannon

Blues man Preston Shannon

George Klein, G.K., was known as radio's "Gee-Ker in your speaker"
and hosted Talent Party on Saturday afternoons on WHBQ television for years

Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
the late James Luther Dickinson

Bassist, friend, and band mate, Laura Hughes lights up the ballroom

Red, white and blue pianos from Baldwin, one of Gibson's many brands

It was one hell of a lineup of great music all night long:

The Queens of Zion (3 cool reggae singing chicks)
15 year old Will Tucker
hip-hop star Al Kapone
my friend Preston Shannon
STAX singer/songwriter William Bell
wild-man piano player Jason D. Williams (who reminds me of a young Jerry Lee Lewis)

Di Anne Price

Ruby Wilson

My friends Ruby Wilson and Di Anne Price appeared in the piano bar. Ruby had a serious stroke last year after an out of town performance and she has healed remarkably well after lots of hard work at physical therapy. For years she was a mainstay at Beale Street's B.B. King's club and it is wonderful to see her back up and singing again. I will never forget her soulful, stirring voice, filling the Antioch Baptist Church the day of the funeral of my mentor, Earl Forest.

The Queens of Zion

Al Kapone

William Bell

Jason D. Williams

Will Tucker

Di Anne Price

We met lots of friends at the party and I had to take their pictures and share them with you here at the American Blues News as you don't get to see so many luminaries in one place very often.