Featured Articles

On the C over : Javina Magness By Eric Steiner

Welcome Back: Javina Magness

Remembering Ann R abson

Musings from Memphis: The 2013 International Blues Chal lenge

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Celebrating 23 Years of Blues1989 - 2013

March 2013 BluesletterVol. XXV, Number III

Publisher Washington Blues SocietyEditor & Art Director Jesse Phillips (jesse@jessephillipsdesigns.com)Secretary Rocky NelsonCalendar Maridel Fliss (mflissm@aol.com)Advertising Malcolm Kennedy (advertising@wablues.org)Printer Pacific Publishing Company www.pacificpublishingcompany.com

Contributing Writers: Billy “The Pocket” Barner, Rick Bowen, Bob Horn, Malcolm Kennedy, Donnie Moorehouse and Eric Steiner

Contributing Photographers: The Blues Boss, Bob Horn, Bill O’Dell, Jerry Peterson, and Eric Steiner

Cover Photo: Javina Magness by Eric Steiner

The Bluesletter welcomes stories and photos from WBS members! Features, columns and reviews are due by the 5th of each month in the following formats: plain text or Microsoft Word. Graphics must be in high-res 300 dpi .pdf, jpg, or .tiff formats. We encourage submissions. If a submitter intends to retain the rights to material (e.g., photos, videos, lyrics, textual matter) submitted for publication in the Bluesletter, or the WaBlues.org website, he or she must so state at the time of submission; otherwise, submitter’s rights to the material will be transferred to WBS, upon publication. We reserve the right to edit all content. The Bluesletter is the official monthly publication of the Washington Blues Society. The WBS is not responsible for the views and opinions expressed in The Bluesletter by any individual.

© WBS 2012

Mission Statement The Washington Blues Society is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to promote, preserve, and advance the culture and tradition of blues music as an art form. Annual membership is $25 for individuals, $35 for couples, and $40 for overseas memberships. The Washington Blues Society is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization and donations are tax-deductible. The Washington Blues Society is affiliated with The Blues Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee.

Washington Blues SocietyP.O. Box 70604 - Seattle, WA 98127

www.wablues.org

Javina Magness by Eric Steiner

Wa s h i n g t o n B l u e s Society President Eric Steiner is a long-time blues society volunteer and represents affiliates on the Blues Foundation Board of Directors in Memphis, Tennessee. This month’s cover photo of Blues Music Award winner Janiva Magness is Eric’s first cover picture under Jesse Phillips’ editorial direction, and his story welcoming Janiva back to Seattle’s Jazz Alley last month is in this issue. This year’s Blues Music Awards will be held at the Cook Convention Center in downtown Memphis on Thursday, May 9th, and for more information on this annual awards celebration, please visit www.blues.org

On the Cover:

Letter from the Editor

2013 Membership Update 25 Passing the Torch 26Rick Estrin & the Nightcats 28Welcome Back, Javina Magness 30

In Memoriam: Ann Rabson 5Letter from the President 7Musings from Memphis 8IBC Contest and Application 10Tommy Castro & the Painkillers 13

LiveWire: Don O’Dell 13March Blues Bash 14CD Reviews 16Birmingham Buzzkill 18Festival Preview: Coeur d’Alene Blues 19

Calendar 20Blues on the Radio Dial 21Jam Guide 22Venue Guide 22Talent Guide 23

In This Issue...

Ah, Spring in the Pacific Northwest; we won’t see a really warm day until July, but already the cherry tree in my front yard has delicate pink blossoms peeking out from the darkened branches.

Just a quick note to highlight page 10 and 11 the International Blues Challenge Awards are being considered with a couple of amazing band battles that really need to be on your calendar, whether you are performing or just there to support your favorite band.

I also wanted to share a personal experience that happened to me this month that reminded me why I love BluesLovers: My sweet man and I purchased a house about a year ago in the tiny little town of

Des Moines. As I was heading home from a client meeting last month I decided to try someplace new for lunch that was on my new regular route.

As I got out of my car the smell of smoking meat nearly knocked me over and started my drooling. I walked in the door and Louis Armstrong was blaring on the radio and two of the sweetest guys stopped cooking to say “hi”. We got to chatting about the Blues - like you do - and I asked them if they’d

ever heard of the Bluesletter. Fellow BluesLovers, if you’ve ever made it out to the Rec Room (and you should) you know Mike and Jimmy by name for the BBQ Schacht for their wonderful smiles, they’re love of the blues and mostly, for their life-altering Bar-B-Que. The BBQ Schacht is right around the corner from my house! Good food, good blues and my day was more than made!

Take the time to make it out to the Rec Room this month from some amazing blues and incredible Bar-B-Que! Until next time,

Jesse Phillips, EditorWashington Blues Society Bluesletter

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In Mem

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Pianist/Singer/Songwriter

Ann Rabson (1945 – 2013)Co-Founder of Saffire – The Uppity Blues W

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Blues pianist/singer/songwriter/guitarist Ann Rabson died on Wednesday, January 30, 2013 in Fredericksburg, Virginia after a long battle with cancer. She was 67. Co-founder of the hugely successful trio Saffire--The Uppity Blues Women, Rabson was a legendary force on the keyboards as well as being a deeply soulful vocalist. She recorded eight albums with Saffire and one solo CD for Alligator Records, and released three solo albums for other labels. Her most recent was 2012’s Not Alone (VizzTone Records). Rabson’s prodigious talent, along with her take-no-guff attitude, struck a chord with music fans around the world. Considered one of th e finest barrelhouse blues pianists of her generation, Rabson -- an accomplished guitarist since she was a teen -- didn’t start playing piano until she was 35. DownBeat magazine said that “Rabson plays bluesy, honky-tonk piano with staggering authority.”

Alligator president Bruce Iglauer, Rabson’s long-time friend and producer, says Ann was a driving force in the blues world. “Our dear friend Ann Rabson was an extraordinary blues singer, pianist and guitarist and a delightful, smart and funny person. As a founding member of Saffire--The Uppity Blues Women, a solo recording artist and a live performer, she brought her talent, intelligence and intense love for the blues tradition to every piece of music she played and sang. Ann never gave her music or the rest of her life less than 100% of her commitment. She was a loyal friend, a dedicated champion of the blues, a loving partner to her husband George, and an unforgettable woman. We were blessed to have known her.”

Rabson was born in New York on April 12, 1945 and raised in Ohio. As a child she was touched by the blues. “Blues speaks to me directly. It wasn’t a choice, I was drawn to it naturally, sort of like a sheepdog with sheep,” she said. She received a guitar from her father when she was 17 and found role models in Big Bill Broonzy and Memphis Minnie, one of the few early female blues guitarists. Ann quickly became an accomplished guitar player and first sang professionally while still in high school. By age 18 she was performing around the Midwest. In 1971, Ann moved with her daughter to Fredericksburg, Virginia, where she performed full-time and gave music lessons on the side. During this time, Ann and her guitar student, Gaye Adegbalola, decided to perform together and the seeds of Saffire--The Uppity Blues Women were sown.

They pooled their money and recorded a demo tape, which they then forwarded to Alligator Records. Their 1990 self-titled debut became one of the label’s best-selling releases. With the addition of Andra Faye McIntosh in 1992, the trio continued to win over audiences around the world with their wholly original and captivating albums and joyous live performances. Their recordings for Alligator are among the best-selling in the label’s catalog. Ann released her first solo album, Music Makin’ Mama, in 1997. When Saffire--The Uppity Blues Women disbanded after 25 years in 2009, Rabson recorded three solo albums and continued to perform solo and with friends, including guitarist Bob Margolin. She appeared on recordings for numerous artists, including Cephas & Wiggins, Pinetop Perkins, EG Kight and Ani DiFranco.

Ann is survived by her husband George Newman, daughter Liz Rabson Schnore and granddaughter Georgia Rabson Schnore. Information on funeral arrangements will be forthcoming. For more information, please visit www.alligator.com.

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Hi Blues Fans! This year’s International Blues Challenge was a lot of fun. Well over 100 blues fans joined blues society competitors from Alberta, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. With each passing International Blues Challenge, I am always surprised at some of the new events and new venues that the Blues

Foundation adds to one of the most exciting weeks for blues music in Memphis.

This year, the former hardware department at Schwab’s general store was turned into a blues salon featuring the “Talking the Blues” series of lectures and conversations with Robert Gordon, Andy Cohen, and Dr. David Evans.

New venues were added to the program this year, too: Coyote Ugly, Pat O’Halloran’s Broadway Club inside the Orpheum, and Dancin’ Jimmy’s. There are Coyote Ugly bars in nine states, Germany, Romania and Russia – can we export the blues to these other locations, too? The Broadway Club felt like a living room with dozens of framed prints from touring musicals and plays dating back to the 60s, and it was a

perfect addition for the solo/duo competition. Dancin’ Jimmy’s, though, may be better suited for the summer months as some of the blues fans told me it was colder inside the tent in the courtyard than back outside on Beale Street.

This year, there was no keynote luncheon, but there were ample opportunities to learn new skills at Lee Oskar’s harmonica workshop, Tas Cru’s Blues in the Schools presentation with a local fourth grade class, Keeping the Blues Alive Award winner Nat Dove’s “Blues Stories” discussion, and the Cincinnati Blues Society’s marketing workshop. The Blind Raccoon showcase (and Finis Tasby benefit concert) was held at Purple Haze, while

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Washington Blues SocietyProud Recipient of a 2009 Keeping the Blues Alive Award from The Blues Foundation

2013 OfficersPresident Eric Steiner president@wablues.orgVice President Tony Frederickson vicepres@wablues.orgSecretary Mary McPage. secretary@wablues.orgTreasurer (Acting) Chad Creamer treasurer@wablues.orgEditor Jesse Phillips editor@wablues.org

2013 DirectorsMusic Co-Directors Cherie Robbins & Janice Cleven Gage music@wablues.orgMembership Michelle Burge membership@wablues.orgEducation Roy Brown education@wablues.orgVolunteers Rhea Rolfe volunteers@wablues.orgMerchandise Tony Frederickson merchandise@wablues.orgAdvertising Malcolm Kennedy advertising@wablues.org

2013 Street TeamDowntown Seattle Tim & Michelle Burge blueslover206@comcast.netWest Seattle Rev. Deb Engelhardt deb@revdeb.comNorth Sound Malcolm Kennedy & Joy Kelly advertising@wablues.orgNorthern WA Lloyd Peterson freesprt@televar.comPenninsula Dan Wilson allstarguitar@centurytel.netSouth Sound Smoke smkdrms@aol.comCentral WA Stephen J. Lefebvre s.j.lefebvre@gmail.comEastern WA Cindy Dyer cindalucy@hotmail.comBallard Marcia JacksonLopez Island Carolyn & Dean Jacobsen cjacobsen@rockisland.comMiddle East “Rock Khan” rocknafghanistan@gmail.comEastside Liz Caraway lizcares@juno.com

Special ThanksWebmaster The Sheriff webmaster@wablues.orgWeb Hosting Adhost www.adhost.comWBS Logo Phil Chesnut philustr8r@aol.com

March 2013 DEADLINES:Advertising Space Reservations: March 5thmalcarken@comcast.net

Calendar: March 10th calendar@wablues.org

Editorial Submissions: March 5th - editor@wablues.org

Camera Ready Ad Art Due: March 12th - editor@wablues.orgCamera ready art should be in CMYK format at 300 dpi or higher.

Advertising Rates:Graphics: 300 dpi PDF, TIF or JPGText: Plain .txt or WordFull Page: $260 (8.5” x 11”)Half Page: $150 (8.5” x 5.5”)Back Half Page: $200 (8.5” x 5.5”)Quarter Page: $90 (4.25” x 5.5”)Fifth Page: $65 (4.25” x 3.5”)Business Card: $25 (3.5” x 2”)ADD COLOR: ADD 25%

We’ve Got Discounts!20% off- 12 month pre-payment15% off- 6 month pre-payment10% off- 3 month pre-paymentContact: advertising@wablues.org

We value your business. Please send all advertising inquriries and ad copy to advertising@wablues.org with a

copy to Malcolm “Yard Dog” Kennedy at malcarken@comcast.net

THANK YOU FOR READING THE BLUESLETTER AND SUPPORTING LIVE

BLUES IN THE EVERGREEN STATE!

ATTENTION BLUES MUSICIANS: WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR LATEST CD REVIEWED IN THE BLUESLETTER?

GOT A BLUES CD FOR US?

Need help in getting the word about your music? We’d like to help. While we cannot predict when or if a review will land in the pages of the Bluesletter, we’d like to encourage musicians to consider the Washington Blues Society a resource.

If you would like your CD reviewed by one of our reviewers, please send two copies (one for the reviewer and one for our monthly CD giveaways at the Blues Bash) to the following address:

Washington Blues SocietyATTN: CD Reviews

PO Box 70604Seattle, WA 98027

the Nashville Blues Society’s annual showcase returned to B.B. King’s. Keb’ Mo’ played a free concert at the Raise the Roof! Rally – and past Blues Foundation Board president Paul Benjamin and President and CEO Jay Sieleman presided over a live auction that rose over $50,000 in less than an hour. The Memphis Blues Society pledged $10,000 to help Raise the Roof! – the largest contribution by any Blues Affiliate to-date. Over 30 societies have joined in this effort so far, and the Washington Blues Society plans to raise over $6,000 this year through the sales of ear plugs at concerts, festivals, and our monthly Blues Bashes.

Only ten of the approximately 120 competing societies worldwide had both their solo/duo and band act reach the semi-finals. That’s a pretty impressive achievement, and I am proud of our society’s acts that have reached this milestone two years in a row!. The Washington Blues Society’s competitors reached the semi-finals last year, and our band entry, The WIRED! Band, won first place. This year, Randy Norris and Jeff Nicely returned to the semi-finals for the second year in a row while Sammy Eubanks reached the semi-finals on his International Blues Challenge debut. Other first-time competitors that advanced to the semi-final round of competition include the White Rock Blues Society’s Poppadawg, and Blues Redemption, from the South Sound Blues Association.

I am also very grateful that the Washington Blues Society’s nominee in the Keeping the Blues Alive Award in the Best Festival – USA category received the award. Festival promoter Lloyd Peterson graciously accepted the pyramid statuette with one of the shortest acceptance speeches of the day, and later that night on Beale Street, Lloyd told me that the International Blues Challenge was “just like a blues cruise but on dry land.”

If you work for wages, please consider saving $25 per pay period in an “IBC Fund.” That financial discipline will pay off next January, because I am confident that first-time International Blues Challenge blues fans will return for another exciting week celebrating the blues. If the $100 ticket may be financially out of reach, blues fans on a budget can buy wristbands at the clubs on Beale Street for $10.

This month, I hope that you’ll join me at our monthly Blues Bash at the Red Crane Restaurant in Shoreline on the second Tuesday of March. Until then,please go out and support live blues music.

Eric SteinerPresident, Washington Blues Society

Member, Board of Directors, The Blues Foundation

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This year marked my sixth International Blues Challenge. Each year, the event gets bigger and better, and I encourage all blues fans to make the pilgrimage to Memphis, and if time allows, add a day or two to explore nearby Clarksdale, Mississippi, to get to the Ground Zero Blues Club and stay at the Hopson Plantation. There is a lot of history within two hours of Beale Street, and each I time I visit Memphis, I learn something new.

I was very pleased that our entrants – Randy Norris and Jeff Nicely in the solo/duo category and Sammy Eubanks in the band category – made it to the semi-finals. The South Sound Blues Association’s Blues Redemption also made the first cut as did the White Rock Blues Society’s Poppa Dawg. It was a thrill to see Sammy competing at Blues City Café as well as marvel at the jam session at the Hard Rock Café that included a stage full of bluesmen from Washington State when Sammy joined Blues Redemption. I also enjoyed the packed house at Mr. Handy’s Blues Hall when Randy and Jeff mesmerized the audience with their authentic acoustic blues.

The International Blues Challenge features six days’ of blues events, starting with the international showcase sponsored by the Beale Street Merchants’ Association on Tuesday night at the FedEx Forum. The Dutch Blues Foundation’s Robbert Fossen & Peter Struijk joined Croatia’s Delta Blues

Gang, Kat Magic Express from the Phillipines, and Australia’s Tim Griffin to kick off this year’s festivities.

The size and the scope of the week-long series of events continue to grow. There were book readings, workshops on marketing, a Blues in the Schools presentation by New York’s Tas Cru, a youth showcase, storytelling with Keeping the Blues Alive Award educator Nat Dove, and jam sessions that continued well past two in the morning. The Galaxie Agency hosted a showcase in partnership with the Nashville Blues Society, and the Blind Raccoon Roots and Blues Showcase featured Tim “Too Slim” Langford and Stacy Jones. The strong Canadian blues contingent returned to the Kooky Canuck restaurant for the Polar Bear Blues Showcase, and it was great to reconnect with a number of Canadian blues fans and bands.

The event features two nights of quarterfinals in 12 band venues and nine solo/duo venues. This year 124 bands began the competition, and 60 advanced to the semi-finals. In the solo/duo category, 79 acts started, and 36 advanced. There is simply no way a blues fan can catch each of these 203 different performances! The semi-finals and finals were announced after midnight on Thursday and Friday nights, and the historic Orpheum Theatre hosted the finals with nine

bands and seven solo/duo acts. One innovation that the Blues Foundation added this year to the finals was food: three local food trucks were kept busy most of the day, and Pat O’Halloran’s Broadway Club next to the theatre lobby was opened for us. This year, the finals alternated between solo/duo and band performances unlike in years past when each category was grouped together. I think that this change is a positive one for the solo/duo performers.

The solo/duo winner was Little G Weevil, sponsored by the Atlanta Blues Society and second place honors went to The Suitcase Brothers, a duo from the Barcelona Blues Society in Spain.

The top prize in the Band competition was awarded to the Selwyn Birchwood Band of Florida’s Suncoast Blues Society. A beautiful custom Gibson ES-335 guitar featuring The Blues Foundation’s logo and a Category 5 amp was awarded to Selwyn Birchwood as the band finals’ top guitarist. Second place honors were earned by Michael van Merwyk and Bluesoul, German Blues Network, and the third spot went to Dan Treanor’s Afrosippi Band w/ Erica Brown, hailing from the Colorado Blues Society. Little G Weevil won the St. Blues Cigar box guitar for best guitarist in the Solo/Duo competition. Jim Liban of the Alex Wilson Band took top harmonica honors for the Lee Oskar Harmonicas prize package. In

the Best Self-Produced CD contest, the judges determined the best to be: Solo Recordings by Steve Hill, Montreal Blues Society. This year marked Washington Blues Society award-winning blues DJ, Jonathan “Oogie” Richards’ debut as one of the Best Self-Produced CD competition judges. “Oogie” was a real blues trooper in Memphis: he immersed himself totally in the week’s events, and participated in an early morning the meeting of the Blues Foundation Board of Directors (after a very late night out), and enjoyed the 2013 Keeping the Blues Alive Award luncheon (after another very late night out).

The Blues Foundation hosted a rally to get the word out about the Raise the Roof! campaign for a new Blues Hall of Fame. The rally featured a spirited live auction led by former Board president Paul Benjamin and Blues Foundation CEO Jay Sieleman. To date, 32 affiliates’ have pledged over $50,000 to build the Blues Hall of Fame. The largest pledge has come from the Memphis Blues Society, who has pledged $10,000. Other contributing affiliates include the Billtown Blues Association, Blues Alliance of the Treasure Coast, Blues Society of Central Pennsylvania, Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania, Canal Bank Shuffle, Central Iowa Blues Society, Colorado Blues Society, Connecticut Blues Society, Crossroads Blues Society of Illinois, Great Lakes Blues Society, Great Northern Blues Society, Houston Blues Society, Indiana Blues

Society, Inland Empire Blues Society, Lake of the Ozarks Blues Society, Los Angeles Blues Society, Memphis Blues Society, Minnesota Blues Society, Mississippi Delta Blues Society of Indianola, Norsk Blues Union, North East Ohio Blues Association, Ottawa Blues Society, Panama Blues, Santa Barbara Blues Society, Thunder Bay Blues Society, Topeka Blues Society, Ventura County Blues Society, Vicksburg Blues Society and the Washington Blues Society have each pledged to the Campaign for the Blues Hall of Fame.

Thanks to the visionary leadership of our Vice President and Merchandise and Promotions Director Tony Frederickson, the Washington Blues Society has pledged to raise $6,000 to help Raise the Roof! Volunteers got off to a good start at this year’s challenge by selling high quality, reusable ear plugs for $3 each emblazoned with the Raise the Roof! logo on the outside and a Washington Blues Society logo on the inside. So, when you need ear plugs this year, please visit our merchandise booth and you, too can help us Raise the Roof!

This year’s awards luncheon was special for Washington State as the awards committee selected the Washington Blues Society’s nomination of the Mount Baker Rhythm and Blues Festival in the Best Blues Festival – USA category. Lloyd Peterson accepted the award with his wife with aplomb

and grace, and it was fun watching Lloyd work the room reconnecting with performers whom he has hired at the festival like award-winning Alligator recording artist Janiva Magness.

This year’s International Blues Challenge was another exciting event, and I am looking forward to the 30th anniversary next year in Memphis. One thing I did learn (or, rather, re-learn) is that Memphis weather can be unpredictable: some of the days were clear and sunny, but the wind chill reminded me of Chicago in December! Next year, I’ll be better prepared with an extra sweater and pair of gloves, and celebrate this uniquely American art form with my extended blues family.

When I return to Memphis for the Blues Music Awards in May, I am going to revisit places I missed this trip: Alcenia’s, for some of the greatest soul food in America; the Smithsonian Memphis Rock and Soul Museum, for a little Memphis musical history; and the Peabody, so that I can play tourist and see the procession of the fabled ducks in the grand lobby.

There’s something for every blues fan at the International Blues Challenge, and despite the weather and an overcrowded club or two, it’s the chance to honor Keeping the Blues Alive recipients as well as some of the world’s best blues talent.

from MemphisMusingsArticle and Photos by Eric Steiner & Jerry Peterson

The 2013 International Blues Challenge

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Don O’Dell continues to bring in high-end performers for his cable access “Legends” show which profiles some of the top names on the club and theater live music circuit in the greater Springfield, Massachusetts, area. The performances are recorded and available by request on most local cable access stations and through the program’s YouTube channel.

“We had 18 shows last year and they were all national touring acts,” said O’Dell. “Some of the shows shot right here in Palmer include Joe Louis Walker, Guitar Shorty, and Pat Travers. The Royal Southern Brotherhood which includes Devon Allman, Cryil Neville and Mike Zito stayed in the studio for three days and rehearsed for an upcoming tour.”

When O’Dell started recording in the Palmer studio almost five years ago there was far more legwork involved in pulling in these types of acts. More recently, O’Dell has noticed the show’s reputation out on the touring circuit has made management and booking agents far more receptive to his pitch.

“I had Albert Castiglia come in and he was so excited about doing the show,” O’Dell said. “The day before he did the Rockport Maine Blues Fest with Anna Popovic, Walter Trout and the Royal Southern Brotherhood and they all told him what a great time they had. So I went from bands coming in being skeptical about who I was and what I am doing, to looking forward to it.”

Often O’Dell is at the mercy of tour schedules when putting his wish l ist together for performances.

“I have to be very flexible, most shows are generally on Tuesday and Wednesday nights,”

he said. “It works out good for the bands because they don’t lose any gigs. Management or booking agents have called me with tour dates and I see if I can squeeze them in when they’re in the area and have a night off.”

The Palmer studio only seats 30 for a performance and O’Dell says this intimate setting is one of the driving forces behind the success and quality of the show.

“I announce shows on an email list,” he said. “Since there are only 30 seats I have a two seat limit. It’s very exciting for the audience to see such big bands in a room the size of a large living room.”

There are currently over 400 shows available through the “Legends” YouTube channel at “>youtube.com/user/dodell590

LiveWire:Don O’Dell Cable TV Access Show ‘Legends’ Continues to Attract TalentStory by Donnie Moorhouse/Photos by Bill Odell - reprint courtesy of The Republican newspaper

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Tommy Castro & The Painki l lers wi l l celebrate the release of their new 45 rpm single, “Greedy”/”That’s All I Got” with a live performance on Friday, March 15th at Seattle’s Highway 99 Blues Club. Multiple Blues Music Award-winning guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Tommy Castro has been playing his signature brand of rocking rhythm and blues professionally for over 25 years, thrilling fans around the world with his incendiary live performances.

With his new, stripped-down, turbo-charged band, The Painkillers, Castro has embarked on the next phase of his storied career. Along with original Tommy Castro Band bassist Randy McDonald, new members Byron Cage on drums and James Pace on keyboards, Castro pares his music down to its tough, raw core.

Experience Tommy Castro and the Painkillers on Friday, March 15th beginning at 8:00 PM. For reservations and ticket information, please call (206) 382-2171 and visit www.highway99blues.com.

Tommy Castro and the Painkillers

Celebrate the Release of a New 45RPM Single “Greedy”/”That’s All I Got” at the Highway

99 Blues Club on March 15th!

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The violin or fiddle added something to this performance. I have heard Billy do some of the same songs with a full electric band on stage at major festivals like the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival (and that is about as big-time as it gets) but it had a different sound as a duo that included a fiddle and Billy sitting in a chair. It was good, too. The guitar, fiddle, and vocal combinations were unique and should be tried more often. Billy Stoops sometimes shows up at a jam but also plays in a couple bands. Catching him in either the Rectifiers or with Junkyard Jane with female vocalist extraordinaire Leanne Trevelyan is a great experience that should be guaranteed by the constitution.

Speaking of the constitution, a constitutional scholar was speaking somewhere else on C-SPAN, and Washington Blues Society President Eric Steiner made reference to that from the stage. Our president, Eric Steiner, began his remarks by saying that some of you may have wanted to hear another president in another Washington speak tonight, but he was there to tell us about the state of the blues: it is strong in the Evergreen State, and I know that is true. Tony Frederickson was soon introduced after a comment from the President about how much money Tony had raised for the Blues Foundation. Actually, I was thinking of an idea for generating revenue for rebuilding America’s infrastructure, and now I know I will be calling Tony to enlist him in this effort.

Tony talked about the new earplugs in cases with labels showing the Washington Blues Society logo on one part and the Blues Foundation logo on the other. Those earplugs can be purchased from Tony at festivals and the Blues Bash. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that those high-quality stickers can be ordered from 1-800-456-8884 ext #265 in quantities of at least 1,000: and they’re good for more than earplug cases, they’re good your band, bottles of wine, BBQ sauce, etc.

Tuesday, February 12th 2013 was not only two days before Valentine’s Day, but also the date of the traditional State of the Union Address by the President of the United States. I was watching the pre-event discussions on TV, and thinking of channel surfing to catch any political or economic fight between the John Maynard Keynes camp vs. the Ayn Rand camp. Yes, that is what I sometimes do for fun with a pile of political, philosophical, and economics books next to me. Then, I saw that it was nearing six o’clock, and I knew I had an obligation on the second Tuesday of the month. No, it was not the obligation of sending something red with green stems to a dear friend, though I do like doing that when it’s appreciated, but I had to go to the Red Crane Restaurant above Club Hollywood on Aurora Avenue North, so I was so happy to be there as soon as I saw the inside of the place.

All the chairs were taken by 6:45 PM, even though the event didn’t start ‘til seven o’clock. Billy Stoops was already on stage with his guitar and was soon joined by Sean Goodrich who brought his fiddle. Billy did a lot of original songs like “The Problem with Your Plan,, “Walkin’ On My Dreams,” and “The Difference Between Whiskey & You”.

Billy talked about each song, and it often started out with something like “I met this girl and....” I ran into Billy in the restroom and got more information about some songs he wrote and this happened right after a woman asked if guys ever talk in the restroom and I told her “No, we don’t do that.”

OK, ladies, we talk about songwriting in there and nothing else (or maybe some wild stories related to some songs).

There was the usual raffle from Tony’s gift bag, and Blues for Food’s Deb Rock played “Vanna White” in assisting Tony with the raffle.

Alice Stuart’s band, The Formerlys, put on an outstanding electric set. Jim McLaughlin did a great job on harmonica, and he deserves a lot of recognition for his music. Stephen Penn did some great singing and guitar playing, and I conducted another restroom interview where he talked about playing with the “Armed and Dangerous Blues Revue” at the J & M Café in Pioneer Square. The third restroom interview I conducted that night got me the business card of The Joseph Barton Trio after I told another singer they sounded good on stage. The guy playing the keys sang “Flip, Flop, and Fly” later and I had to get on the dance floor. There was far too much talent at the February Blues Bash to do justice to it in one page of this great publication. The audience was demanding more as I left - way later than I assumed I would for a regular Blues Bash.

I stayed up later than I planned that night, but it did no harm. I am ready to do it again, and to quote the great McKinley Morganfield: “as ready as any man can be,” because the second Tuesday at the Red Crane Restaurant in Shoreline needs to be marked on each and every Bluesletter readers’ calendar if it’s not there already.

These monthly Washington Blues Society Blues Bashes feature a great opening set, an outstanding free raffle of blues CDs and other blues memorabilia, and a great electric set – not to mention the great camaraderie of blues fans from throughout Puget Sound. That is one of the things this blues society does well: it brings people together once a month for a great free evening of blues.

Billy Stoops

SeanGoodrich & BillyStoops

The February 2013 Blues Bashat the Red Crane

By Robert Horn, Photos by Blues Boss

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Blues ReviewsNew Blues that you can Use

Johnson, Miller & DermodyWe Heard the Voice of a Pork Chop(Orb Discs)

The trio of Orville Johnson, John Miller and Grant Dermody perform an acoustic mixture of music featuring elements of folk, old timey music and pre-war blues. Sometimes when I listen to it my mind tells me, ‘that’s really not blues,’ while another part of me is saying; ‘oh, yes it is!’ One thing I know for sure is that every time I listen to We Heard the Voice of a Pork Chop I am hearing some really good music regardless of what label you want to use to describe it. All three share vocals, sometimes solo and other times together in harmony, Orville plays mandolin, John plays the guitar and banjo and Grant is on the harmonica. This is a trio of highly regarded professionals, and to me it sounds like they really get a lot of enjoyment making music together. From the opening refrain of “The Rain Don’t Fall On Me,” an old Blind Willie Johnson tune, with its strumming guitar, picking mandolin, expressive moaning harp and Orville’s warm vocals through to the traditional gospel song “I Shall Not Be Moved” the 11 songs on this CD are a fun ride. The spry lyrical rhythm of the title track featuring Orville’s exquisite vocals is a gem. Other standouts include the brisk instrumental penned by Miller “Down to the Hills,” and the heartfelt lament of Dermody’s “I’d Do It All Again” with Grant on lead vocals and Orville harmonizing on the chorus. I also enjoyed the trio’s version of Mance Lipscomb’s “Take Me Back” with its delightful harp solo and the slow peaceful take on “I Shall Not Be Moved” with more fabulous harmonizing with Grant on lead vocals and Orville on supporting vocals. We Heard the Voice of a Pork Chop contains witty songs with superior craftsmanship, deft musicianship and terrific vocals. This CD was on my “top 10” list of last year, and I recommend this CD very highly. - Malcolm Kennedy

Make sure you check them out at wablues.org for all the

Blues you can use.Blues Reviews

Doug MacleodThere’s a Time(Reference Recordings)

Doug Macleod’s debut on Reference Recordings will be released March 12th. There’s a Time features 2013 Blues Music Award nominees Doug Macleod and drummer Jimi Bott, along with bass player Denny Croy (who played on Doug’s Black and Tan releases Dubb and A Little Sin). Doug kicks off this new CD with a plaintive “Rosa Lee” and this baker’s dozen of acoustic blues is a must for fans of the National steel guitar. The playful “My In-laws Are Outlaws” is a lot of fun, but my favorites on this CD tap into Macleod’s ability to be an exceptional storyteller: “A Ticket Out,” “East Carolina Woman,” and the closing song, “Ghost.” There’s A Time was engineered by “Prof ” Keith Johnson at Marin County’s Skywalker studios. In 2011, “Prof ” Johnson received the Grammy Award for Best Surround Sound Album (for vocal or instrumental albums) at the 53rd Annual Grammy® Awards for Reference Recordings’ hybrid multi-channel SACD, Britten’s Orchestra performed by the Kansas City Orchestra, conducted by Michael Stern,

Doug’s careers as a bluesman has spanned three decades, and he’s recorded 19 studio albums, several live records, compilations, a blues guitar instructional DVD and a live performance DVD. His songs have been covered by such artists as Albert King, Albert Collins, 2013 Blues Hall of Fame inductee Joe Louis Walker and Eva Cassidy. Doug MacLeod is currently on tour nationally and internationally in support of There’s a Time.

Note: This month, Doug Macleod returns to the Pacific Northwest with performances at Duff ’s Garage in Portland, Dusty Strings in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood, The Upstage in Port Townsend, Blues-to-Do TV “Life from the Sound,” Blues Vespers at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Tacoma, and two private house parties. For more information, please visit www.doug-macleod.com. – Eric Steiner

Eric Bibb and Habib KoiteBrothers in Bamako(Stony Plain)

Malian guitarist Habib Koite joined Eric Bibb on his second Stony Plain CD, Brothers in Bamako. Recorded long before last year’s most recent flare-up of Islamist terrorist attacks in the Malian capital city of Bamako, this CD captures two acoustic musicians that complement each other nicely. Brothers in Bamako features 11 original songs and two covers: a thoughtful version of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and a banjo- and pedal steel (courtesy of Finland’s Olli Haavisto)-tinged interpretation of the traditional “Goin’ Down the Road Feelin’ Bad.” The CD opens with Bibb’s hopeful, forward-looking song about going to Mali “On My Way to Bamako,” and continues on with Koite’s ode to Los Angeles in which he sings (in French): “one glass, two glasses, three glasses, four: tequila makes me happy!” The light and lilting “Nani Le” from Habib is one of the CD’s standout instrumentals alongside the song dedicated to the water goddess, “Mami Wata.” While Eric and Habib’s music was included on the Putumayo compilation in 1999’s Mali to Memphis: An African-American Odyssey, Brothers in Bamako captures these musicians live in the studio for the first time. Eric’s also been included in other Putumayo world music compilations, such as Blues Around the World, Sing Along, and World Playground, and he’s recorded more than two dozen CDs out on a number of other labels, including Ruf, Telarc, Earthbeat/Rhino, M.C., and now Stony Plain. I expect that this CD will land on a number of “Best Of ” lists for the way it effortlessly mixes West African music with the blues. - Eric Steiner

The Sonja Lee BandTelling It Like It Is(Self-Released)

In researching a piece I was going to write on the Centrum Fundraising event, held last May at Seattle’s Triple Door, I ran across Sonja Lee, an artist who was performing with Centrum Acoustic Blues Festival Artist Director Daryl Davis. I didn’t recognize her at first, so I looked her up. Sonja Lee’s web site features several sound bites, and I was instantly impressed by the Bellingham resident’s wonderful jazz meets blues vocals. Sonja’s band is a harmonious blend of a veteran rhythm section on bass and drums with guitar, sax and piano provided younger players. Sonja expertly mines the jazz and blues vaults for 14 chestnuts and nails every one of them. Several other local women, notably Mia Vermillion, Stickshift Annie and Dana Lupinacci have also had success with this format, and I would easily put Sonja Lee in their league. The version of Peggy Lee’s “He’s A Tramp” has a distinctly jazzy feel while “Hound Dog-Big Mama Style” has a touch

Royal Southern Brotherhood(Ruf Records)

The critics are positively raving about last year’s Royal Southern Brotherhood’s eponymous titled debut produced by Jim Gaines and recorded at Louisiana’s Dockside Studios. Although I like it immensely, I would call it jam rock; but not call it blues. The two big names in this five piece outfit give it the name with Devon Allman, Greg’s son and Cyril Neville, at 64, the youngest of the famed Neville Brothers. I am pleased that guitarist Mike Zito is part of the Brotherhood: Mike’s got two stellar Eclecto-Groove releases out on Eclecto Groove Records, both of which were nominated for a Blues Music Award in the Best Blues Rock Album category: , 2011’s Greyhound and 2009’s Pearl River. Cyril and Mike penned “Pearl River,” which won the 2010 Blues Music Award for Song of the Year. The rhythm section keeps things all together with Yonrico Scott (Derek Trucks Band, Greg Allman, Allman Brothers Band) and Charlie Wooton on bass (Bonerama, Zydefunk), and Cyril plays percussion. The thundering beat of the opening track “New Horizons” shows that they mean business. The cool groove of “Fired Up!” shows excellent potential as an extended jam song and I am sure that they could stretch this five and three quarter’s minute studio version into a fifteen plus minute live version. The Royal Southern Brotherhood give the Grateful Dead’s “Fire on the Mountain” from their 1978 release Shakedown Street a lilting reggae treatment that

James ArmstrongBlues at The Border(Cat Food Records)

Several of the songs on James Armstrong’s Cat Food Records debut were already familiar to me from the last time I caught him live at the New Orleans Creole Restaurant in Seattle’s Pioneer Square as they were works in progress. I like them just as much now as I did then, too. Eight of the 11 tracks were produced by Michael Ross with the instruments recorded in New York and the vocals in Toronto. The remaining three were co-produced by Armstrong and Cat Food’s Bob Trenchard in Texas and featured the Cat Food studio band. One of the tracks I enjoyed most is the opener “Everything Good To Ya (Ain’t Always Good For Ya),” and I will let you read between the lines there for yourself. Armstrong is one of my favorite vocalists, and he is an equally good guitarist. On the title track, Armstrong laments the difficulties faced by the touring musician trying to move back and forth across either the Canadian or Mexican borders to perform (or for that matter the average citizen). James unleashes some of his wicked slide guitar to punctuate his points of frustration, and I love the list that he recites of what you will need in order to cross our borders. The upbeat rhythm of “Nothing Left To Say” belies its serious lyrics of a relationship come to an end. On “High Maintenance Woman,” James sings ‘if it wasn’t so much work/it wouldn’t be so much fun.’ James Armstrong should already be a well-known name in the blues world: if he isn’t already on your blues radar he sure should be. Check out Blues At The Border and listen firsthand to what I’m talking about. Highly recommended. - Malcolm Kennedy

of blues. Tom Wait’s “Temptation” is performed in a jazzy Latin style rhythm with tastefully polished solos on guitar and sax. Standout tracks abound with stellar takes on Johnny Otis’ “Aged and Mellow” as Sonja sings, ‘I like my men like I like my whiskey, aged and mellow;” another Big Mama Thornton shouter “I’m Feeling Alright,” with its cooking sax solo, Billie Holiday’s “Lady Sings the Blues,” and “At Last,” often associated with Etta James. Most singers would have difficulty with the range required to sing these varied songs not to mention the chutzpah to attempt songs by these legends. Sonja Lee has the stuff to pull it off with aplomb and gusto. There are standards like Brooks Bowman’s 1935 tune “East of the Sun and West of the Moon” covered by artists from Sarah Vaughan to Diana Krall, Fitzgerald, Bird, Sinatra, Bennett, Armstrong, Getz and Holiday just to name a few; Cole Porter’s “Get Out of Town” sung by both Ella and Peggy Lee and the title track “Telling It Like It Is” first recorded by Aaron Neville in 1966. If pressed to pick a favorite I would go with Pablo Ruiz’ mambo, “Sway” a hit for Dean Martin in 1954 and Rosemary Clooney in 1959; but there just isn’t anything that is less than supreme on Telling It Like It Is. The Sonja Lee Band is a well-conceived and compelling mix of jazz and blues, the vocals are a paragon of excellence and the music top notch. Telling It Like It Is, is a fantastic album and I give it my highest recommendation. – Malcolm Kennedy

works quite well breathing new life into this Dead classic. The shimmering slide guitar sets “Nowhere to Hide” off well and the strong vocals make it one of the standouts. The strong groove of “Hurts My Heart” is reminiscent of a Tom Petty classic while the final track “Brotherhood” has a jazzy Jeff Beck meets the Allman Brothers vibe that also could turn into an extended jam tune. My one complaint and this very well have been done by design, is that there is a dearth of liner notes telling who is singing lead vocals and which guitarist, Mike or Devon, is on which solo. They clearly left their egos at home before they even met up to record this project. I’ve heard that the band’s tour supporting it has met with enough positive response that there is already talk of a follow-up release and commitment by all to keep their solo careers on hold while this project continues to blossom. Malcolm Kennedy

Coyote Kings w/ MushNasty Habits and Dirty Little Secrets(Twin Lion Records)

For over a decade, Walla Walla’s Rob Barrett and his Coyote Kings have been a driving force in the eastern Washington blues scene. This month, they are proud hosts of the 2nd Walla Walla Guitar Festival. In 2010, the Kings teamed up with powerhouse vocalist Michelle “Mush” Morgan, releasing the critically-acclaimed album Move the following year. Their follow up, Nasty Habits and Dirty Little Secrets, features 11 new songs immaculately produced and penned by Barrett who tag teams lead vocals duties with Morgan equally and offers a bonus instrumental track for good measure. The album kicks off with the Texas BBQ styled funk of the title track featuring Morgan belting out vocals as gritty as the guitar riffs. The 6/8 blues of “the Best You Couldn’t Do,” burns icy-hot with a feel reminiscent of Robert Cray including a jagged guitar solo from Barrett and a moaning B3. Barrett pushes his baritone to the max on the low down blues of “Hard To Be a Man,” matching notes with the guitars on an infectious turnaround hook; a nice touch on a classic theme. After the clever, but maybe too cute, sing along of the funky “Baby Wake Up,’ Morgan gets to stretch out on the mournful “Baby’s Gone.” Barrett gives us a fine twist on a classic lazy shuffle feel with his own “My Rider,” featuring some great barrelhouse piano from Doug Scarborough. The surf rock boogie “That Hot Daddy,” is bound to be popular dance floor filler. The album hits its highpoint with the sweet, southern fried backyard lullaby “Afternoon Sun,” with a laid back groove so smooth you can taste the iced tea and feel the warm summer breeze. The CD ends with the poignant honky tonk blues “Am I Getting’ Wise,” which finds Barrett doing his best Delbert McClinton and preaching the blues of an experienced road dog. Nasty Habits and Dirty Little Secrets will satisfy longtime fans of the Coyote Kings, and its high production values should win over some new ones, as well. – Rick J. Bowen.

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Recapping the first installment which was featured in the March 2011 Bluesletter:

It’s Spring in 1972.

The South is still in the throes of civil unrest. We, the members of the seven-piece Tacoma-Seattle based Hometown Blues Band, are on tour with ATCO recording artist R.B. Greaves. After driving 500 miles overnight straight through from the gig we did the night before in Shreveport, Louisiana, we arrived in Birmingham, Alabama, at about five o’clock in the morning.

In town now for little more than an hour, we had already:- Received a warning from a colored woman to “get out of town if we know what’s good for us,”- Been banished to the “Colored Only” section of a restaurant by a bigoted, white “Soul Food Nazi” who refused us service, and - Avoided a potential brawl with some intoxicated colored guys in the alley behind the fabled Showboat-Lounge in Birmingham’s historic district.

Trying to rationalize this, we thought that this is all occurring because we are long haired outsiders - Yankee/ Hippie/ Musicians - who looked, talked, and acted differently than everyone else.

We are not welcomed by:- That segment of white folks who are still holding a Civil War grudge -we’re Yankees, - Those who detest the philosophies that they believe Hippies represent - we’re Hippies, and- Those who find our passive demeanor to be different from theirs, and easy to prey upon - because we are musicians.

On one side and:- That segment of African American folks who (understandably) still hold a grudge against white folks because of their past generations of slavery

and mistreatment and still being oppressed in the South (we’re white), - Those who see white Hippie/musicians as being non threatening and an easy target for revenge or retaliation without consequence (we’re White, we’re Hippies, we’re musicians) and we’re equally hated by bigoted whites who would have no interest in protecting us but would (more likely) take delight in seeing us in a skirmish with “blacks” and in arresting us all.

On the other side. - We don’t have the address of the motel where we have reservations, but we know we need to get out of the public eye… the sooner the better.

We drive around until we find a motel. Curt gets out of the Econoline van, and I exit the Travelall, and together we approach the sliding glass door at the entrance of the motel office. As we approach the door, the desk clerk looks up from the desk and spots us.

With an expression on his face best described as a combination of panic and contempt, he swiftly runs around the check-in counter and up to the glass doors. He locks the door, turns the VACANCY sign over to NO VACANCY, dropps the Venetian blinds, and pulls them shut!

One of us says to the other, “Holy cow! Can you believe this shit?” or words to that effect.

We return to the trucks to commiserate with our band mates to brainstorm a new plan. This will be “Plan D.”

We decide to go to a phone booth and call a hotel and reserve a room. “They can’t turn away someone with reservations!“ we figure.

Locating a phone booth, I pick out a hotel from the yellow pages that’s not far from our location. I call

and they politely take my reservation. Relieved, we proceed to our newest potential sanctum.

Once again, Curt and I disembark and go into the second hotel while the rest of the band waits in the vehicles baking in the 100+ degree heat. As soon as we enter the lobby we see the desk clerk side step over to the manager, point at us and say something to him. They both glare at us as we approach the desk.

“This doesn’t look good,” I am thinking.

The manager utters something else to the desk clerk, and then steps back to the side as if to do something else. The desk clerk does not greet us… he just abruptly barks: “We have no vacancies”!

“Oh, well,” I start to explain. “We have reservations.” The manager then steps back over and interjects “Did y’all just call and make a resahvation?”

“Yes, I did,” I reply

“Unfahtunately,” he says. “We have a convention comin’ in today and all ah rooms are already taken. Yo resahvation was taken in errah and is no good.”

Exasperated, I plead “We only need the room for a few hours. We just got into town. We’ve driven straight through from Shreveport, Louisiana. We’ll be performing at the Show-Boat Club with RB Greaves, and we have reservations at another motel, but we won’t know where that motel is for another few hours and we need to get in out of the heat and clean up. Won’t you help us out? Our money’s good!”

I get no reply; just two blank stares. I might as well have be speaking to the concrete pillar next to the desk. Both of them ignore everything I say, and then just walk away.

As we walk back out, dejected, we see our band mates standing outside the vehicles. They are over heated, dehydrated, hungry, and road-fatigued. As we approach we see them looking at us with hopeful expressions on their faces. We break the news that “Plan D” has failed. Their reaction isn’t good. Some of the guys are getting pretty bent out of shape over all of this by now, and it’s tougher to control the loud outbursts from more than one of them. I can’t blame them. I want to shout the same repartee they are directing at us to the cold-hearted, prejudiced people we have encountered, but dared not.

It’s now around nine o’clock in the morning. It seems so simple…we just need to get somewhere to stay out of sight until eleven o’clock when we can get into the club, and find out where the hell we are to stay that night. I’m feeling like a fugitive on the lam desperately seeking cover. So, we develope “Plan E:” to try to find an air-conditioned restaurant that isn’t segregated, and one that preferably tolerates and serves Hippies, Yankees, and musicians. This seems like an impossibly tall order. Where we’re from – the Pacific Northwest - this would not be a problem in 1972, but like Dorothy and Toto, we are no longer in Kansas (or, in our case, Washington State). We pile back into the vehicles, and we are determined to succeed. By the time we launch “Plan E,” Birmingham is awake and active, but the temperature just keeps getting hotter and hotter: the humidity is so high, we feel like we could drown in it. We feel very conspicuous as we tool around town in search of our elusive refuge. We feel like we are on parade: but, instead of smiles and waves, people ogle us

with disapproving eyes and point fingers instead of waving. Finally, on the outskirts of town, we spot a little rib joint. There are no “White Only - Colored Only” signs, just one screen door at the entrance.

“This looks promising!,” I think to myself.

We park in the dirt parking lot, naively oblivious to the fact that all the other vehicles in the parking lot are pick-up trucks with shotguns mounted inside the rear windows.

Road weary, tired, wearing wrinkled clothes we’ve slept in, crammed around and on top of our equipment, and not able to clean up anywhere, we definitely don’t look our best. We, once again, disembark and head toward the restaurant together in hopes that we may experience some semblance of “normalcy” on the other side of that screen door.

The spring in the screen door squeaks as we open it and entered the restaurant. Three or four of the tables have two to four men sitting at them. One of the empty tables is a large one just inside the door. All the men inside are white farmer types. About half of us have come through the screen door, and none of the seated regulars have paid us any mind.

Suddenly, the kitchen door swings open as a white waitress hurriedly stepped though carrying a large tray piled with silverware and dishes. Glancing our way, with an expression of horror, she stops dead in her tracks. She throws both hands up and drops the tray. Silverware, dishes and the tray clang and crash loudly to the floor. “Oh my Gawd!” she exclaims in unison with the

crash. As the last unbroken dish spins to a stop on the floor, you can hear the men’s denim-clad butts squeak on the plastic seat cushions of their chairs as they turn, curiously, to see what has caused the commotion.

“Stop right theah,” says the waitress in an agitated, almost panicky voice. She points at the large table just inside the door, and barks the next command.

“Y’all just sit right thayuh at thayuh table! Don’t y’all come in heuh any futhuh! I can smell y’all from heuh! I’ll bring y’all catfish and greens and that’s all y’all! Y’all eat fast and leave three dollars each on the table and leave on outta heuh!” The “good ol’ boys” glare at us with disgust as, one by one, the rest of the seven musicians filter through the door. The prolonged squeal and a final slam of that screen door gives us a hopeless feeling... similar to the feeling that a first-time offender feels when the prison door slams shut behind him while hardened criminals inside salivate at the sight of fresh meat at the new arrival. We feel like we arre the main course on an “all you can eat Hippie Yankee Musician Smorgasbord at a Redneck Convention.”

With the melodramatic demonstration performed by the waitress, and the hateful, snarling expressions on the faces of the redneck regulars, we know this is no safe house.

Hell, no.

This is the lion’s den.

(End of Part Two. To be continued)

Birmingham Buzz Kill(or I Hate To Eat And Run….For My Life! )

By Billy “The Pocket” Barner (All rights reserved)

Part Two of Three

(An excerpt from a work-in-progress, Real Road Stories of a Blues Musician,

by Billy “The Pocket” Barner)

The Coeur d’Alene Blues Festival returns to the Coeur d’Alene Resort in Idaho on April 5th through the 7th. The event will also include the Washington Blues Society’s traveling blues store led by Washington Blues Society VP/Merchandise and Promotions Director Tony Frederickson.

There are a number of ways blues fans can experience this festival. For the entire cruise on Lake Coeur d’Alene and four-band festival, it’s $37, and for the

cruise-only option, it’s $15. The four-band festival alone is $25. All other jams and pre-function events are free and open to the public.

The Doghouse Boyz kick off the festival in Whispers Lounge on Friday afternoon from 4:00 PM-7:00PM shortly before the Boat Cruise and Dock Party. There will be two boats with two bands: Bakin’ Phat and also Royce/Govedare & The High Rollers. The Fat Tones will play at the after-cruise party at Plaza Center Court Friday at 9:00PM.

On Saturday afternoon from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, VooDoo Church will host the Blues Jam on the Coeur d’Alene Resort rooftop. After the rooftop jam, Roberson & BZ will play until 7:00 PM in Whispers Lounge.

Saturday evening’s lineup features four great bands in the Resort Convention Center beginning at 7:00 PM with Lloyd Jones, Duffy Bishop, Charlie Musselwhite, and Ty Curtis. Two stages make Saturday night a nonstop blues experience!

Festival Preview: April 5-7th

Sunday morning features a Gospel Brunch from 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM at the Dockside Restaurant.

Tickets are $37 for combination Blues Cruise on Lake Coeur D’Alene and four-band Coeur d’Alene Blues Festival. The cruise-only option is $15, and the four-band festival is $25. All other jams, after and pre-function events are free.

For more information, please visit: www.cdaresort.com/. For information on special room and festival packages, please contact a Coeur d’Alene Resort Specialist at 800-688-5253. To purchase 2013 Coeur d’Alene Blues Festival event tickets only by phone, contact The Coeur d’Alene Resort Business Center at 208-765-4000, Ext.21. Online tickets are available at www.ticketfly.com - just type in “cda blues festival.” The online homes of the Coeur d’Alene Blues Festival are:

www.cdabluesfestival.com and facebook.com/pages/CDA-BLUES-

FESTIVAL/282040363067.

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April

March 27 - Wednesday (continued) Engels Pub: Granite Reign, 8pmNew Orleans: Legacy Quartet w/Clarence Acox, 8pm Royal Lounge, Olympia, Alice & Friends, 7:30pm

March 28 - ThursdayHighway 99: Monster Road New Orleans: Ham Carson Quintet

March 29 - FridayEngels Pub, Edmonds: WireProhibition Gastropub, Everett: Randy Norris & Jeff Nicely, 7pm

March 30 - Saturday Central: Alice Stuart & the Formerlys, 8pmDestination Harley, Fife: Mark Whitman band, 12pmDusty Strings, Seattle: Eric Madis’ Jazz-Blues Fingerstyle Workshop, 1:30pmEngels Pub: Tweety & The Tom CatsNew Orleans Restaurant, Seattle, Gin Creek Muse, Conway: Nick Vigarino’s Meantown Blues, 8pmOwl ‘n Thistle, Seattle: Randy Norris & Jeff Nicely, 10pmSons of Norway Hall, Bothell, “Left Foot Boogie” Dance w Brian Lee & the Orbiters, 7:30pmVino Bella, Issaquah: Kid Quagmire Band - Phil Lane, Kimball Conant, John Rockwell & Annie Eastwood, 7:30pm

March 31 - SundayEdison Inn, Edison/Bow: Stickshift Annie with Kimball & the Fugitives & Dan Duggin host, Sunday dance, 5:30pm

April 1 - Monday

April 2 - Tuesday New Orleans: Holotradband, 7pm

April 3 - Wednesday New Orleans: Legacy Quartet w/Clarence Acox, 8pm

April 4 - ThursdayNew Orleans: Ham Carson Quintet

March 1 - Friday Engels Pub: Red HillJazz Alley: Freddie PinkOld Village Pub: Chris Steven’s Surf Monkeys, 8:30pmRockfish Grill: Snake Oil Sonny Newman’s Dance Hall:

Phantoms of Soul, 8:30pm

March 2 - SaturdayDestination Harley, Fife: Mark Whitman Band, 12pmEngels Pub: 44th St. Blues BandHighway 99: Nathan James & the Rhythm Scratchers Pony Keg, Kent: Brian Lee Trio, 8pmRockfish Grill: Mark DuFresneStonegate: Steve Cooley & the Dangerfields, 7pm

March 3 - Sunday Central Club, Kirkland, Brian Lee & the Orbiters, 8:30pm

March 4 - Monday 88 Keys, Blues To Do TV: NW Blues Forum: Jam Host Symposium w/ various area Jam Hosts including Jeff Haas, Tim Turner, Bruce Ransom, Billy Brandt, Kim Workman, & and maybe...Cory Wilds, Justin Kausal- Hayes, Stephanie Porter, Tommy Wall, Andrew Cloutier, Paul & Willow, ( more next month on the first Monday as well)New Orleans: New Orleans QuintetSlaughter County Brewing, Port Orchard: Malcolm Clark Trio, 6pm

March 5 - TuesdayNew Orleans: Holotradband, 7pmRenton Senior Center: Norm Bellas (grand piano), 12:30pm

March 6 - Wednesday 88 Keys: Blues on Tap, 8pmEngels Pub: Dirty Rice, 8pmNew Orleans: Legacy Quartet w/Clarence Acox, 8pmPike Pl. Bar & Grill: John Stephan Band, 6 pmRoyal Lounge, Olympia, Alice & Friends, 7:30pm Waterwheel Lounge, Ballard: Annie Eastwood, Larry Hill & Tom Brighton w/guitarist Bill Chism, 7pmEngel’s Pub, Edmonds: Dirty Rice

CalendarBlues

March 7 - ThursdayDawson’s: guest artist Alice Stuart, 8pmJazz Alley: Lydia Pense & Cold Blood, featuring a tribute to Etta JamesNew Orleans: Ham Carson Quintet Salmon Bay Eagles: John Stephan, solo, 8pmTwo Twelve On Central, Kirkland: Annie Eastwood w/ guitarist Bill Chism, 8pm Highway 99: Brian Lee and the Orbiters

March 8 - Friday Engels Pub: Project-86 BandFlights Pub,Everett: Stacy Jones Band Jazz Alley: Lydia Pense & Cold Blood, featuring a tribute to Etta JamesMatch Coffee & Wine, Duvall: Annie Eastwood, Kimball Conant, Larry Hill, Fugitives Trio, 7:30pmTriple Door: Roy Rogers & the Rhythm KingsWild Hare, Everett: The Stacy Jones band

March 9 - Saturday Destination Harley, Fife: Chris Steven’s Surf Monkeys, Noon Highway 99: Kevin Selfe & Blues Tornadoes Delta Groove CD Release PartyEngels Pub: Astro CatsPony Keg, Kent: Dirty RiceJazz Alley: Lydia Pense & Cold Blood, featuring a tribute to Etta JamesLeft Foot Boogie Dance Sons of Norway, Bothell: Stickshift Annie w/Kimball & the Fugitives and Brian Kent, 8:30pm Scotch and Vine, Des Moines: Brian Lee Trio, 7Walla Walla Elks Club: Guitar Festival, Alice Stuart & the Formerlys, afternoonWild Hare, Everett: The Stacy Jones band

March 10 - SundayJazz Alley: Lydia Pense & Cold Blood, featuring a tribute to Etta James

March 11 - Monday88 Keys, Blues To Do TV: NW Blues Forum: Women Mentoring Women: Pianozilla w/ Ashley Young, &more female piano blues player ....hopefully, Gael Kurath & Annieville Blues! Slaughter County Brewing, Port Orchard: Malcolm Clark Trio, 6pm

March 12 - Tuesday New Orleans: New Orleans QuintetRed Crane Restaurant, Shoreline: Washington Blues Society Blues Bash – 7 PM all ages!

March 13 - Wednesday88 Keys: Blues on Tap, 8pm Madison Pub, Everett: Eric Rice hosts the Unbound Blues Jam, 7pmEngels Pub: Moon Daddy Band, 8pmNew Orleans: Holotradband, 7pmRoyal Lounge, Olympia, Alice & Friends, 7:30pm

March 14 - Thursday Highway 99: James King & the SouthsidersNew Orleans: Selbred/Jackson

March 15 - FridayDusty Strings, Fremont: Doug Macleod & Mary Flower 7:30 pm, All Ages $(20.00)Engels Pub: Mary Mcpage & the AssassinsCoeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel, Worley, Idaho: Mark Holt , 8pmElliot Bay Pizza, Mill Creek: Annie Eastwood w/guitarist Bill Chism, 7pmGarden House Blues: Elliott Bay Blues w/ Jack Cook & Mick Knight & piano great, Ray SkjelbredNew Orleans: Ham Carson Quintet Old Village Pub: Stacy Jones BandPt. Townsend Elks: Swing Dance w/ Brian Lee & the Orbiters, 7pmSlider’s House of Slide, Carnation: Eric Madis & Blue Madness, 7:30pmHighway 99: Tommy Castro & The Painkillers

March 16 - Saturday Top Shelf Broiler, Kirkland: Dirty RiceConway Muse, Conway: Randy Norris & Jeff Nicely, 7:30pm Destination Harley, Fife: Chris Steven’s Surf Monkeys, NoonDusty Strings, Fremont: Doug Macleod Blues Guitar Workshop, 10:30am ($40)Dusty Strings, Fremont: Mary Flower Up the Neck Workshop, 1:30pm ($40)Engels Pub: T-Town AcesPort Gardner Winery, Everett: Annie Eastwood w/guitarist Bill Chism, 6pmRepp, Snohomish: Alice Stuart, 7pmStation House, La Conner: Nick Vigarino’s Back Porch Stomp, 8:30pTop Shelf Broiler, Kirkland: Stacy Jones BandWild Hare, Everett: Gin Creek, 9pm

March 17 - SundayRed Crane Restaurant, Shoreline: 2nd Annual Pass the Torch Fundraiser with The WIRED! Band, Mark Riley, the Duffy Bishop Band, Pianorama, and more! All-ages! 3:30 PM

March 17 - Sunday (continued)Blues Vespers, Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Tacoma: Doug Macleod, 5pm (All Ages)Johnny’s Dock: Steve Cooley & the Dangerfields, 5pmSiren’s Point Port Townsend: Keith Scott

March 18- Monday 88 Keys, Pioneer Square, Blues To Do TV: J.D. HobsonMr. Villa, Lake City: Annie Eastwood, Kimball Conant, Larry Hill, Fugitives Trio, 7pm Slaughter County Brewing, Port Orchard: Malcolm Clark Trio, 6pmTriple Door: Hot Tuna

March 19 - TuesdayNew Orleans: Holotradband, 7pmRed Wind Casino, Olympia, Alice Stuart & the Formerlys, 6pm

March 20 - Wednesday 88 Keys: Blues on Tap, 8pm Engels Pub: Richard Allen & the Louisiana Experience, 8pmNew Orleans: Legacy Quartet w/Clarence Acox, 8pmRoyal Lounge, Olympia, Alice & Friends, 7:30pmHighway 99: Dirty Rice, 8pm

March 21 - ThursdayJuxtamuse Equinox Showcase, Everett: Nick Vigarino’s Back Porch Stomp, 6:30pmNew Orleans: Ham Carson Quintet Two Twelve On Central, Kirkland: Annie Eastwood w/guitarist Bill Chism, 8pm 3231 Creatives, Everett: Juxtamuse EQUINOX $howcase, Brian Lee Trio 7:30pm 1:30-11pmBallard Eagles: Dirty Rice, 8pm

March 22 - FridayEngels Pub: Boomtown Jazzbones, Tacoma: Stacy Jones Band, 8pm

Laurelthirst, Portland: Alice Stuart, 6pmMarch 22 - Friday (continued)New Orleans: Flexicon w/Thomas Marriott Woodard Lane, Olympia: Doug Macleod, 7:30pm (All Ages)Pogacha: Dirty Rice, 8pm

March 23 - SaturdayEl Norte, Lake City/Seattle: Stickshift Annie w/Fugitives Kimball, Larry & JohnEngels Pub: The Weather HeadsGrinders, Shoreline, John Stephan Band, 8:30 pm Madison Pub: Ladies First! A vocal showcase featuring Mary McPage, Annette Taborn, Stickshift Annie Eastwood, Michelle Taylor,

March 23 - Saturday (continued) Becki Boyle, Marilyn Beebe & Suze Sims.Muse, Conway: Nick Vigarino’s Back Porch Stomp, 7:30pmOld Edison Inn, Bow/Edison: the Stacy Jones BandSalmon Bay Eagles: Big Multi-Guitar Show with Chris Steven’s Surf Monkeys, 8:30pmRockfish Grill: Dirty Rice hosts the Guitar Slinger Showcase with Scotty Lind, CD Woodbury and Eric Rice

March 24 – Sunday

March 25 - Monday88 Keys, Pioneer Square, Blues To Do TV: NW Blues Forum: Duo Streaming Broadcast w/ Live From The Sound Dot Com & NWCZ Radio’s Jonathan ‘Oogie’ Richards & ‘Sweet’ Danny Ray New Orleans: New Orleans QuintetSlaughter County Brewing, Port Orchard: Malcolm Clark Trio, 6pm

March 26 - Tuesday New Orleans: Holotradband, 7pm

March 27 - Wednesday 88 Keys: Blues on Tap, 8pm

attention all music people: If you would like to add your music schedule to our calendar please send it to: wbscalendar@yahoo.com It is greatly preferred to be sent in this format: (Arial, 8pt). date - venue, city(if other than Seattle): band name, time(if other than 9pm) please no bold or Caps. Thank you, your calendar girl, Maridel

22 23

SundaysAlki Tavern: Jam hosted b y Manuel MoraisDawson’s, Tacoma: Tim Hall Band, 7pmCastle’s, Sedro Wolley: Gary B’s Church of the Blues, 6-10pmEastlake Zoo Tavern: Eastlake Zoo Social Club & Jam featuring the Seattle Houserockers, 7pmPony Keg, Kent: Rafael Tranquilino JamRaging River: Tommy WallSilver Dollar: Big Nasty, 8pm Two Twelve, Kirkland: hosted by HeatherBBlues, 7pm

TuesdaysBarrel Tavern: hosted by Doug McGrew, 8pmDawson’s, Tacoma: hosted by Shelley & Jho, 8pmElmer, Burien: hosted by Billy ShewEngels Pub, Edmonds: Jam Session with Lou & Don, 8pmJ & M Cafe JamPacific Rim Marysville Best Western: Mike Wright & the Blue Sharks, 7 - 11pmSnohomish Spirits & Sports: Sean Denton & friendsSummit Pub: Tim Hall & the Realtimes, 7:30pmWild Buffalo, Bellingham: hosted by Rick Baunach, 6:30 - 9:30pm

MondaysCaffe Mela, Wenatchee, 7pm (first Mon. of the month)88 Keys, Pioneer Square: Star Drums & Lady Keys host Blue Monday Jam, 8pmJR’s Hideway: Malcolm Clark, 8pmOpal Lounge, South Tacoma Way: Tim Hall, 8pmOxford Saloon: All ages open jam, 7 - 11pmTen Below: hosted by Underground Blues Jam, every 1st Monday of the month, Wenatchee

MondayKUGS 89.3FM Bellingham: Highway 61 8:00AM - 10:00AMwww.kugs.org - DJ, Chalkie McStevenson

KAOS 89.3FM Olympia: “Blues On Rye” 1:00PM - 3:00PM www.kaosradio.org - DJ, Val Vaughn

Mighty Mouth Blues on NWCZ Radio - www.nwczradio.com - Monday 8:00-11:00PM Pacific

Northwest Convergence Zone Online Radio: NWCZradio.com: Dave Samson’s BluesShow 7:00pm - 10:00PM

TuesdayKBCS 91.3FM Bellevue: Eh Toi! 11:00PM - 1:00AMwww.kbcs.fm - DJ, DJ Marte’

WednesdayKEXP 90.3FM Seattle: The Roadhouse 6:00PM to 9:00PM www.kexp.org - DJ, Greg Vandy

KSVR 91.7FM Mount Vernon: “The Blue Boulevard” 8:00PM - 10:00PMwww.mail@ksvr.org - DJ, Jackson Stewart

KSVR 91.7FM Mount Vernon: “The Blues Note with Janice” 10:00PM - 12:00AMwww.janice@ksvr.org - DJ, Janice Gage

ThursdayKSER 90.7FM Everett: Clancy’s Bar and Grill 8:30PM - 10:30PM www.kser.org - DJ, Clancy Dunigan

FridayKEXP 90.3FM Seattle: Shack The Shack 6:00PM - 9:00PM www.kexp.org - DJ, Leon Berman

SaturdayKPLU 88.5FM Tacoma: All Blues 6:00PM - 12:00AM

www.kplu.org - DJ, John Kessler

KAOS 89.3FM Olympia: “Blues For Breakfast” 8:00AM - 10:00AM www.kaosradio.org - DJ, Jerry Drummond

KSER 90.7FM Everett: Audio Indigo 7:00PM - 9:00 PM www.kser.org - DJ, Robin K

KPBX 91.1FM Spokane: Blues Kitchen 10:00PM - 12:00AM www.kpbx.org - DJ, Tina Bjorklund

KZPH 106.7FM Wenatachee: The Blues 11:00PM - 12:00AM www.therock1067.com - DJ, Dave Keefe

KSER 90.7FM Everett: Blues Odessey 9:00PM - 11:00pM www.kser.org - DJ, Leslie Fleury

SundayKEXP 90.3 Seattle Preaching the Blues with Johny Horn

Sunday Mornings 9am to Noon

KYRS 92.3 FM, KYRS.org Blues Now and Then 6-8 PM. DJ, Patrick Henry and Jumpin’ Jerry.

KPLU 88.5FM Tacoma: All Blues 6:00PM - 12:00AM www.kplu.org - DJ, John Kessler

KWCW 90.5FM Walla Walla: Blues Therapy 7:00PM - 9:00PM www.kwcw.net - DJ, “Biggdaddy” Ray Hansen and

Armand “The Doctor” Parada

KKZX 98.9FM Spokane: Blowtorch Blues 7:00PM - 10:00PM www.kkzx.com - DJ, Ted Todd Brion Foster.

KSER 90.7FM Everett: The Juke Joint 1:00PM - 3:00PM www.kser.org - DJ, Jon Noe

Blues on the Radio Dial

PLEASE SEND ANY RADIO UPDATES TO CALENDAR@WABLUES.ORG

Washington Blues Society Blues Jams

Central & Eastern BBQ & Blues – Clarkston (509) 758-1227Breadline Café – Omak (509) 826-5836Club Crow – Cashmere (509) 782-3001 CrossRoads Steakhouse – Walla Walla (509) 522-1200Ice Harbor Brewing Co - Kennewick (509) 582-5340 Lakey’s Grill – Pullman (509) 332-6622Main Street Tavern – Omak (509) 826-2247Peters Inn – Packwood (360) 494-4000Pine Springs Resort - Goldendate (509-773-4434Ram’s Ripple – Moses Lake (509) 765-3942Rattlesnake Brewery – Richland (509) 783-5747Red Lion Hotel Wenatchee (Tomasz Cibicki 509-669-8200)Tumwater Inn Restaurant and Lounge – Leavenworth (509) 548-4232

SeattleBlarney Stone Pub and Restaurant (206) 448-8439China Harbor Restaurant (206) 286-1688Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley (206) 441-9729 x210EMP Liquid Lounge (206) 770-2777EMP Sky Church (206) 770-2777Fiddler’s Inn (206) 525-0752Grinder’s (206) 542-0627Highliner Pub (206) 283-2233Highway 99 Club (206) 382-2171J & M Cafe (206) 467-2666Lock & Keel (206) 781-8023Maple Leaf Grill (206) 523-8449Mr. Villa (206) 517-5660New Orleans (206) 622-2563Paragon (206) 283-4548Pike Place Bar and Grill (206) 624-1365The Rimrock Steak House (206) 362-7979Salmon Bay Eagles (206) 783-7791St. Clouds (206) 726-1522Third Place Commons, Lake Forest Park (206) 366-3333Triangle Tavern (206) 763.0714Tractor Tavern (206) 789-3599Triple Door (206) 838-4333

North End (Lynnwood, Everett, Edmonds, etc.):Anchor Pub – Everett (425) 252-2288Balefire – Everett (425) 374-7248Bubba’s Roadhouse – Sultan, (360) 793-3950Canoes Cabaret – Tulalip (888) 272-1111The Conway Muse in Conway (360) 445-3000Demetris Woodstone Taverna, Edmonds (425) 744-9999Diamond Knot Brewery & Alehouse – Mukilteo (425) 355-4488Engel’s Pub – Edmonds (425) 778-2900Historic Spar Tree – Granite Falls (360) 691-6888 Madison Pub - Everett (425) 348-7402Mardini’s – Snohomish (360) 568-8080Mirkwood & Shire Café – Arlington (360) 403-9020North Sound:Star Bar, Anacortes (360) 299-2120 (Prohibition Grille, Everett (425) 258-6100 Stanwood Hotel & Saloon – Stanwood (360) 629-2888Stewart’s – Snohomish (360) 568-4684Timberline Café – Granite Falls (360) 691-7011Tracey’s Place – Everett (425) 259-0811Wicked Rack BBQ – Everett (425) 334-3800

South Sound Tacoma, Burien, Federal Way, etcAl Lago, Lake Tapps (253) 863-86362 Wheel Blues Club – TacomaBarnacles Restaurant, Des Moines (206) 878-5000The Barrel – Burien (206) 246-5488CC’s Lounge, Burien (206) 242-0977Capitol Theater/Olympia Film Society – (360) 754-3635Cascade Tavern – Vancouver (360) 254-0749Charlie’s – Olympia (360) 786-8181Cliff House Restaurant – Tacoma (253) 927-0400Destination Harley Davidson – Fife (253) 922-3700 Blues Vespers at Immanuel Presbyterian (253) 627-8371Jazzbones in Tacoma (253) 396-9169(The) Junction Sports Bar, Centralia (360) 273-7586Lighthouse – Des Moines (206) 824-4863Maggie O’Toole’s – Lakewood (253) 584-3278Magnolia Café – Poulsbo (360) 697-1447Mint Alehouse – Enumclaw (360) 825-8361Pat’s Bar & Grill – Kent (253) 852-7287rrPick & Shovel – Wilkeson (360) 829-6574The Pony Keg - Kent (253) 395-8022Riverside Pub, Sumner (253) 863-8369Silver Dollar Pub – Spanaway (253) 531-4469The Spar – Tacoma (253) 627-8215The Swiss – Tacoma (253) 572-2821Tugboat Annie’s – Olympia (360) 943-1850Uncle Sam’s Bar & Grill - Spanaway (253) 507-7808Wurlitzer Manor – Gig Harbor (253) 858-1749

North Sound Bellingham, Anacortes, Whidbey Island, etcChina Beach – Langley (360) 530-8888Just Moe’s – Sedro Woolley (360) 855-2997LaConner Tavern – LaConner (360) 466-9932Little Roadside Tavern – Everson (360) 592-5107Old Edison Inn – Edison (360) 766-6266Rockfish Grill – Anacortes (360) 588-1720Stump Bar & Grill – Arlington (360) 653-6774Watertown Pub – Anacortes (360) 293-3587Wild Buffalo – Bellingham (360) 312-3684Viking Bar and Grill – Stanwood (360) 629-9285

Eastside Bellevue, Kirkland, etc.Bake’s Place - Bellevue (425) 454-2776Central Club – Kirkland (425) 827-8808Crossroads Shopping Center – Bellevue (425) 644-1111Damans Pub – RedmondForecasters – Woodinville (425) 483-3212Raging River Café & Club – Fall City (425) 222-6669Rockin’M BBQ, Golf Range & Lounge - Everett (425.438.2843)Time Out Sports Bar – Kirkland (425) 822-8511Top Shelf Broiler & Tervelli Lounge - Kirkland (206) 239-8431Vino Bella – Issaquah (425) 391-1424Wild Vine Bistro, Bothell (425) 877-1334Wilde Rover – Kirkland (425) 822-8940Valhalla Bar & Grill, Kirkland (425) 827 3336Yuppie Tavern - Kirkland (425) 814-5200

Peninsula Clearwater Casino – Suquamish (360) 598-6889Destiny Seafood & Grill – Port Angeles (360) 452-4665 Halftime Saloon – Gig Harbor (253) 853-1456Junction Tavern – Port Angeles (360) 452-9880Little Creek Casino – Shelton (360) 427-7711Seven Cedars Casino – Sequim (360) 683-7777Siren’s – Port Townsend (360) 379-1100Upstage – Port Townsend (360) 385-2216

WednesdaysCharlies Olympia: Blues AttitudeDaman’s Pub, 8 PMDogghouse Tavern, Mt. Vernon Alan: Hatley Trio, 7pmEddie’s Trackside Bar & Grill, Monroe: every 1st & 3rd Wed., 8pm88 Keys, Pioneer Square: Blues on Tap, 8pmHalf Time Saloon: Billy Shew & Billy BarnerLocker Room, White Center: Michael Johnson & Lynn Sorensen, 8-12pmMadison Pub, Everett: hosted by Unbound w/special guests 7:30pm March 6 - Andy “Badd Dog” Koch March 13 - Eric Rice March 20 - Chester Dennis Jones March 27 - AEKSalmon Bay Eagles: Broomdust presents Blues of the Past jam (1st Wed.), 8pmYuppie Tavern, Kirkland (Totem Lake), HeatherBBlues Acoustic jam, 8pm

ThursdaysBad Alberts: Invitational w/Annieville BluesBarrel Tavern: hosted by Tim Turner, 8pmClub Flight Nightclub: w/Cory Wilde, 9pmConway PubDawson’s, Tacoma: Billy Shew, 8 pmEddie’s Trackside, Monroe: Tommy Cook, Patrick McDanel & Teri Anne Wilson, 8:30pmO’Callahan’s: Tim Hall, 7pmTop Shelf (formerly Olive You), Kirkland: hosted by Chester Dennis, 8pmOxford Saloon: Invitational Jam w/Steve Ater, 8pm

Washington Blues Society

Venue Guide

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A.H.L. (206) 935-4592AlleyKattz (425) 273-4172Annieville Blues (206) 994-9413Author Unknown (206) 355-5952Baby Gramps Trio (425) 483-2835BackGround Noise (425) 931-8084Back Porch Blues (425) 299-0468Badd Dog Blues Society (360) 733-7464Bare Roots (206) 818-8141Billy Barner (253) 884-6308Bay Street Blues Band (360) 731-1975Norm Bellas & the Funkstars (206) 722-6551Black River Blues (206) 396-1563Blackstone Players (425) 327-0018Blues Attitude (360) 701-6490Blue 55 (206) 216-0554Blue Healers (206) 440-7867Blues on Tap: 206 618-6210Blues To Do Monthly (206) 328-0662Blues Playground (425) 359-3755Blues Redemption http://www.bluesredemption.comBlues County Sheriff (206) 979-0666Blues to Burn (253) 945-7441Boneyard Preachers (206) 755-0766/ 206-547-1772Bill Brown & the Kingbees 206-276-6600Bump Kitchen (253) 223-4333, (360) 259-1545Brian Butler Band (206) 361-9625Charlie Butts & the Filtertips (509) 325-3016Ellis Carter 206-935-3188Malcolm Clark Band (253) 853-7749Colonel (360) 293-7931Kimball Conant & the Fugitives (206) 938-6096Jack Cook & Phantoms of Soul (206) 517-5294Rod Cook & Toast (206) 878-7910ZCoyote Blues (360) 420-2535John Scooch Cugno’s Delta 88 Revival (360) 352-3735Daddy Treetops (206) 601-1769Sean Denton Band (425)387-0620Double Cookin’ (253) 945-7441Double Scott’s on the Rocks (206) 418-1180Julie Duke Band 206-459-0860Al Earick Band (253) 278-0330Sammy Eubanks (509) 879-0340Richard Evans (206) 799-4856Fat Cat (425) 487-6139Fat Tones (509) 869-0350Kim Field & the Mighty Titans of Tone (206) 295-8306Gary Frazier (206) 851-1169Free Reign Blues Band (425) 823-3561Filé Gumbo (425) 788-2776Jimmy Free’s Friends (206) 546-3733Gin Creek (206) 588-1924Paul Green (206)795-3694Dennis “Juxtamuse” Hacker (425) 512-8111Heather & the Nearly Homeless Blues Band (425)576-5673Tim Hall Band (253) 857-8652Curtis Hammond Band (206) 696-6134)Ryan Harder (253) 226-1230Scotty Harris & Lissa Ramaglia/Bassic Sax (206) 418-1180Terry Hartness (425) 931-5755Ron Hendee (425) 280-3994JD Hobson (206) 235-3234Hot Rod Blues Revue (206)790-9934Bobby Holland & the Breadline (425)681-5644James Howard band (206) 250-7494Raven Humphres (425) 308-3752Hungry Dogs (425) 299-6435Brian Hurst (360) 708-1653K. G. Jackson & the Shakers (360) 896-4175Jeff & the Jet City Fliers (206) 469-0363Vaughn Jensen Band (509) 554-6914Stacy Jones Band (206) 992-3285Chester Dennis Jones (253)-797-8937Harry “The Man” Joynes (360) 871-4438Junkyard Jane (253) 238-7908

James King & the Southsiders (206) 715-6511Virginia Klemens / Jerry Lee Davidson (206) 632-6130

Mick Knight (206) 373-1681Bruce Koenigsberg / the Fabulous Roof Shakers (425) 766-7253

Kolvane (503) 804-7966Lady “A” & the Baby Blues Funk Band (425) 518-9100

Brian Lee & the Orbiters www.brianleeorbiters.comBrian Lee Trio (206) 390-2408

Scott E. Lind (206) 789-8002Little Bill & the Bluenotes (425) 774-7503

Dana Lupinacci Band (206) 860-4961Eric Madis & Blue Madness (206) 362 8331

Bill Mattocks Band (206) 601-2615Albritten McClain & Bridge of Souls (206) 650-8254

Brian “Jelly Belly” McGhee (253) 777-5972Doug McGrew (206) 679-2655

Mary McPage Band (206) 850-4849Miles from Chicago (206) 440-8016

Reggie Miles (360) 793-9577Rob Moitoza / House of Reprehensibles (206) 768-2820

Moon Daddy Band (425) 923-9081Jim Nardo’s Boogie Train Blues Band (360) 779-4300

Keith Nordquist (253) 639-3206Randy Norris & the Full Degree (425) 239-3876

Randy Norris & Jeff Nicely (425) 239-3876/(425) 359-3755Randy Oxford Band (253) 973-9024

Robert Patterson (509) 869-0350Dick Powell Band (425) 742-4108

Bruce Ransom (206) 618-6210Red Hot Blues Sisters (206) 940-2589

Mark Riley (206) 313-7849Gunnar Roads (360) 828-1210

Greg Roberts (206) 473-0659Roger Rogers Band (206) 255-6427

Maia Santell & House Blend (253) 983-7071Sciaticats Band (206) 246-3105

Shadow Creek Project (360) 826-4068Tim Sherman Band (206) 547-1772

Billy Shew Band (253) 514-3637Doug Skoog (253) 921-7506

Smoke N Blues Allstars (253) 620-5737Smokin’ Jays (425)746-8186Son Jack Jr. (425) 591-3034

Soulshaker Blues Band (360) 4171-145Billy Spaulding (206) 310-4153

Star Drums & Lady Keys (206) 522-2779John Stephan Band (206) 244-0498

Chris Stevens’ Surf Monkeys (206) 236-0412Stickshift Annie Eastwood (206) 522-4935

Alice Stuart & the Formerlys (360) 753-8949Richard Sysinger (206) 412-8212Annette Taborn (206) 679-4113

Dudley Taft (206)795-6509Tahoma Tones (253)851-6559

Ten Second Steve Cooley and the DangerfieldsTom (509) 954-4101Tone Kings (425) 698-5841

Too Slim & the Taildraggers (425) 891-4487Leanne Trevalyan (253)238-7908Tim Turner Band (206) 271-5384

T-Town Aces (206)935-8985Two Scoops Combo (206) 933-9566

Unbound (425)212-7608 Uncle Ted Barton (253) 627-0420

Nick Vigarino’s Meantown Blues (360) 387-0374Tommy Wall (206) 914-9413

Mike Wright & the Blue Sharks (360) 652-0699 /(425) 327-0944

Charles White Revue (425) 327-0018Mark Whitman Band (206) 697-7739

Michael Wilde (425) 672-3206 / (206) 200-3363Rusty Williams (206) 282-0877

Hambone Wilson (360) 739-7740C.D. Woodbury (425) 502-1917

Beth Wulff Band (206) 367-6186, (206) 604-2829

Washington Blues Society Talent Guide

NEW:Jeannie AngeloDan BarclayJames Barkshire *Jake Barr **Linda BeilfusNola BlaswichJoyce BloomstromBarbara CampbellLiz CarawayDavid Chapman **Christine ClintonSean DivineSusan K. DoddNicholas Dyer **James Fitzpatrick *Erik HagstromLaura HallChris Hansche **Michael Hays **Scott HitchingsDanny Hoefer **Donna HoeferRon & Alejandra HooksRichard HundleyJill A. JohnsonThomas P. Koehler *Jenny Lee **Dennis McCartyJeannie Whoopie Kitty McLainMike & Fran McNettTom MinifieAllan R. MorganErin MorganAlbert NaranjoBrian Olver **Robert Gold Tooth Ray *Dan & Norma SeeseGerald Bruce SpeorMike TammanKen Tetreault *Mike WhiteJim WhitneyRay Wolpow

March 2013 Membership Update: Thank You to New and Renewing Members!

RENEWED:Jim AllchinRene Anderson *Craig AngusJW BassCindy Bee & Nick EricsonMarilyn Beebe & Marc TachellDave Bernhardt **Robb Boatsman & Courtney HanksJennifer BoyntonJim Brandt **Kathy BrandtCJ BrantnerBet ChurchJohn Coffey **Larry & Katherine CrandallCraig Daly **Rosalie DalyMajor DarstKristen DaveyBill Davis **Bobbi DoupéScotty Dog DrexlerFrank & Karen ElliottJanice EmeryRev. Deb EngelhardtSammy Eubanks **Janice GageKat Graham *Gary Grape & Maia SantellRichard & Kay Greenberg *Dennis Hacker & Linda CraftonCurtis Hammond **Scotty Harris **Ann HeintzGeorge & Ruth HespeDr. John & Jane HortonMary HubbsMike HudsonSon Jack, Jr. & Ghislaine Bernard-HasanFat James **Barry Kellems *Chris & Karen KliemannSteven Kunkel

Keith Kuhnau *Michael LambertAl LarimerPatrick LeeSteven LeifheitSandi & Al LyndenHarvey MaloneLisa MannAdrianne MarshChris MasonKeylin Mayfield **Conner McDanelPatrick McDanel **Toby McDaniels **Charlie McDowellMary McPage **Jerry & Lyla Meyer *Reggie Miles **Chris NelsonDennis & Yvonne NelsonJeff Nicely **Melinna NicelyMary NorrisRandy Norris **Angelo Ortiz & Yvonne ParkerJenneffer OwensCarolyn Peterman *Ricki PetoJevon Powell **Paul Quilty & Willow StoneBruce RansomHarley Ruff *Mitch PumpianLissa RamagliaDeb RhymerEric Rice **Wendy RiceJohn RockwellMichael “The Sheriff ” Rose

Jeffrey RossAaron Saliba **Tony & Jan SaulewiczMargene SchotzKen Sederdahl *Robert SeidmanSteven P. ShambergLindy Sheehan *Billy ShewJordy SiglerScott Simmons *Neil Sorensen **Billy StapletonEric SteinerLarry & Kim StriberDebbie StromMark Strom **Dave Teitzel **Kathy TeitzelDon Thayer *Paula ThompsonSteve Thompson **Daddy Treetops **Cynthia WatanabeBrian WatsonCarl & Linda WeaverVicki WelterEster WilfongZab & Jill Zyvoloski

* Thank you for donating to the Washington Blues Society’s Musician Relief Fund!

** Thank you for playing at our Blues Bash

26 27

Last year, this new Washington Blues Society program, administered through the education directorship, got off to a flying start. Our goal was (and is) simple. We want the Washington Blues Society to play a lead role in educating the next generation of local blues musicians. After all, if we don’t act, then who? Money is tight these days, and a few hundred bucks here and there to surround your kid with world class musicians and teachers is just too much for many families.

So last year we began the program to pass the torch to a new generation of youth musicians. We don’t want to dictate that they must become blues musicians; kids need to experiment and see where they fit. But we want to expose all that we can to the blues genre so that it can become a consideration. We want to find kids interested in any instruments; we want kids with in interest in learning how to write music. We want kids to know that as musicians or fans, they will always have a place in the blues community if they choose to be a part. We are providing partial to almost full scholarships to musicians who indicate an interest, to attend the 2013 Blues Week at Centrum. There they will spend a week with other musicians of all ages and from all corners of the world who come together for a week of blues camaraderie as well as for learning

Seattle Teen Music in conjunction with The Washington Blues Society is offering scholarships to the 2012 Centrum Blues Week in Port Townsend, Washington (www.centrum.org). Blues Week is held July 28th through August 4th. The minimum scholarship offering is $580 (approximately 50%); larger scholarships will be offered according to need. Music proficiency level is not required.

Process and EligibilityApplicants must be between the ages of 12 and 18 to be eligible and have their parent or guardian’s consent to attend. After reviewing all of the eligible applications, an independent panel of judges will choose the finalists. Applicants may be asked to perform a three song set of music prior to choosing the actual scholarship winners. Songs performed may be either original music or cover material. We do not limit the genre of music you must perform for the audition; music must be acoustic and country blues is suggested. All applicants will receive a confirmation email of receipt of their application and a ‘next steps’ email. Thank you for your submission. Regardless of the outcome of the scholarship competition, we encourage you to continue your music and blues education. Good Luck to all!

Full Name: _______________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________

Phone Number: _____________________________________________________

Email address: ______________________________________________________

1. What musical genre is the most interesting to you and why?2. What instrument(s) (including vocal) do you play, and how long have you been playing?3. Have you performed in a live setting before? If so, tell us about it.4. Do you have interests as a solo player and/or as a band member?5. Do you consider yourself a beginner, intermediate or advanced musician?6. Please tell us about yourself, and why we should choose you for the scholarship

(250 words or less). 7. Please provide the names and contact numbers/email addresses of two adults

(non-parents) who we can talk to about your application. 8. Will you be able to submit a performance video and / or perform at audition in

late May or early June?

Please provide the information (above) and answer the questions as thoroughly as possible. Then email your completed application form to: scholarships@seattleteenmusic.com

from some of the finest country blues musicians in the world. This is an experience that literally changes the life of young musicians; it keeps veterans coming back year after year to Centrum.

Sunday, March 17th (St. Patrick’s Day) will be our second fundraiser in two years. The psychology of a fundraiser is this: we provide you with the finest in entertainment; we provide you with raffle items worth your investment (how about 2 tickets for Winthrop, or two tickets to Sunbanks?). We let you in for a pittance compared to the quality of the show. This year our “opener” is the Wired! Band. We follow with an acoustic set from Mark Riley. Next comes the headline act, The Duffy Bishop Band. And finally we give you the headline show, Pianorama. This is several keyboards on stage at the same time with more players than keyboards. The players thread in and out, sometimes taking the lead and sometimes backing up. The result is more than an hour of high test boogie woogie piano blues, a show destined to be one you will never forget. Annieville is leading this part of the program, and providing the players, some you know and some you may not, but all are top of the line professionals. You get all that for ten bucks.

We can’t run the program by charging you ten bucks. We are hoping for your support for Passing

the Torch by chipping in lots more than the cost of the ticket. The raffle tickets will be $5.00. Come prepared to buy ten, or twenty, or more. Come prepared to throw a twenty or fifty dollar bill in the tip jar. And if you win an item and can’t use it, donate it back so we can raffle it again. Any way you can afford to donate is a help.

What I’m getting at here is that it isn’t just our little group that is responsible for Passing the Torch. It is me, and you; its all of us, even those who can’t make it to the fundraiser. We are but a small cog in the blues genre musical wheel, and we must all be responsible for pushing forward the original American art form, long after we are gone. This is how we can do it- by all Passing the Torch. Bring your cash and plan on spending it. Admission might get us to half our $5,000 goal. Your generosity must provide the rest. If you can’t come at all, the Washington Blues Society address is PO Box 70604, Seattle, WA 98127. Drop a check to Washington Blues Society and earmark it for Passing the Torch. You can get all the details for the fundraiser in the full page ad in this Bluesletter. And if you know a kid, maybe a grandchild or a neighbor let them know about our program. All applicants are welcome between the ages of 12 and 18.

Will You Be a Part of Passing the Torch?

Passing the Torch

Join Us on Sunday, March 17th at the Red Crane!

Centrum Blues Scholarship - 2013

By Roy Brown

Early Entries will be considered beginning January 1, 2013Application Must be Received by May 1, 2013

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On Saturday, February 2nd Rick Estrin and the Nightcats returned to Seattle’s Highway 99 Blues Club. In March, they will be performing in California, and in June, they will be in Colorado. This is a premier national act that hits many cities throughout the country, and blues fans everywhere should make a point of catching them live.

Before Rick Estrin joined the Nightcats, Little Charlie Baty fronted the band. Little Charlie retired a while back, and Rick became the band leader. He brought in another guitar talent, and he has been singing and playing harmonica as always. The band has been doing very well and records on the Alligator label.

The history of this band includes Rick’s nomination for a Blues Music Award as Best Instrumentalist – Harmonica in 2012. In 2010, the band received four nominations: the band received nods in the Best Contemporary Blues Album (for Twisted) and Band of the Year categories while Estrin was nominated in the BB King Entertainer of the Year and Best Instrumentalist – Harmonica categories. Before he began the award-winning “My Next Ex-Wife,” he asked audience members to raise their hands if they had ever been divorced, and this sparked

some lively conversations throughout the club. “My Next Ex-Wife” won “Best Blues Song of the Year” at the 1994 Blues Music Awards in Memphis.

His blues harmonica style flows from the old school tradition of Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson (the second). The songs have that historical feel, and they make the body move, so I was on the dance floor a good amount of the time while the band was onstage.

The band did a number of their other big songs like “Back from the Dead,” “D.O.G.,” “Calling All Fools,” and “P.A. Slim Is Back.” They pulled some songs from their back catalogue as well as some from their latest Alligator release, One Wrong Turn.

The rest of the band is essential for the sound of the band as well as Rick. Drummer J. Hansen is extremely impressive, and Lorenzo Farrell is as great on keys (piano or organ) as he is on standup bass. The guitar monster, and I mean that as a compliment, is Kid Anderson. He did some guitar solos that knocked the audience out.

Rick and Kid changed tempos a number of times in one song making couples on the dance floor try

out a number of things, and then built to an either a fast or slow ending that is appreciated either way. Kid can play with his fingers, teeth, tongue, either in front or behind his body or head. Yes, he seems to enjoy showing what he can do, and the audience doesn’t seem to mind that. Rick plays the harmonica with just his mouth (as far as I know) but has been known to make it disappear into his mouth somewhere and magically appear on his lips again without missing a note. All magic tricks aside, this was a great blues show.

The show began at exactly at eight o’clock, and the crowd was shouting for encores three and half hours later. Rick came out and did a song with his harmonica that sounded better than perfect. If the audience had its way, the show would have never ended.

I talked to Rick a little afterwards, and he thanked me for working on this article (even though he didn’t know what I was going to write). I hope he likes it the way it turned out. It’s always a treat to see award-winning, national touring acts like Rick Estrin and the Nightcats at the Highway 99 Blues Club, and I enjoyed seeing Rick Estrin and the Nightcats’ at Seattle’s own authentic juke joint.

Story and Photos by Robert Horn

Rick Estrin and the Nightcats: One Night of Old School Flaming Harp at the Highway 99 Blues Club!

Photos and Article by Robert Horn

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Janiva Magness returned to Seattle’s Jazz Alley on February 13th and 14th for two shows that featured most of her critically-acclaimed and Blues Music Award-nominated Alligator Records release Stronger for It. This year, she has received Blues Music Award nominations in the following five categories: B.B. King Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Contemporary Blues Album of the Year, and Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year. During the course of her career, Janiva has been nominated for 22 Blues Music Awards, and she’s taken home four. The only other blueswoman to receive the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year Award is the late Queen of the Blues, Koko Taylor, and I look forward to this year’s awards ceremony in Memphis in May to see if Janiva will win this well-deserved award again.

After her band warmed up with a couple of bluesy note-bending jams that drew the audience in, Janiva brought out her cigar box guitar with a slide and launched into the closing song from Stronger for It: “Whoop and Holler.” This rousing and upbeat revival-inspired holler and stomp from Texas songster Ray Wylie Hubbard was quickly followed by

one of the three songs Janiva co-wrote on the new CD, “There It Is,” a story about a woman who never dreamed of “hurting a man so bad.”

Janiva brought back her touring band for this brief Pacific Northwest swing: fellow Michigan native Jim Alfredson played the Hammond B-3 organ and Fender Rhodes electric piano along with veteran blues guitarist Zach Zunis (William Clark, Rick Holmstrom, Big Apple Blues). Long-time sidemen Gary Davenport and Matt Tecu formed the considerably talented engine room on bass and drums.

“I Won’t Cry,” co-written with Grammy-nominated David Darling, reflected a quiet resilience and strength, and it joins songs sung by Shemekia Copeland, Curtis Salgado, Lurrie Bell, and Mighty Sam McClain as 2013 Blues Music Award Song of the Year nominees. The other original, “Whistling in the Dark,” is a story of self-preservation and survival and hints at overcoming some pretty significant odds. One of the funkier numbers in the set was “Humpty Dumpty,” which is available as a download-only (but free with the purchase of a CD). As in the night’s opening two instrumental numbers, each player took turns, revue-style,

with some inspired solos and improvisation. By the end of the third verse, Janiva turned this song into a classic call and response with the Jazz Alley audience. Gary traded some pretty funky bass parts with Zach’s searing solos, and they clearly were having a lot of fun on stage with a song that did not land on Stronger For It.

Before concluding the hour-and-a-half-plus Jazz Alley set, Janiva talked about her roles as a spokesperson for National Foster Care Month, an ambassador for Foster Care Alumni of America, and her life in America’s foster care system. While on the road, each member of her band sports unique light blue National Foster Care Month pin, and offers information to fans about opportunities to help all children in need. She reminds audiences that while May is National Foster Care Month, she celebrates it every day when she meets fellow alumni of care while on tour.

After a standing ovation, the band returned to the bandstand with two encores: an emotional song penned by Gary Nicholson and Delbert McClinton, “You Were Never Mine,” and the powerful title cut from her 2008 Alligator

Records debut, “That’s What Love Will Make You Do.”

In addition to bringing back “You Were Never Mine” from her 2006 Northern Blues release Do I Move You, Janiva introduced the audience to award-winning singer-songwriter Cindy Alexander who open up each show. In 2004, Alexander won the Indie Pop Artist of the Year at the LA Music Awards, Songwriter of the Year at the Just Plain Folks Awards, and Best Female Vocalist from All Access Magazine. Janiva and Cindy share a producer in David Darling, and while Cindy’s set clearly isn’t blues, Janiva said that “this is our devious plan to do some cross-marketing.” Devious or not, the Jazz Alley audience warmly welcomed Cindy and young guitar virtuoso Mason Stoops. Most of tonight’s set featured her fifth original CD, Every Rise and Fall (Jamcat), with a number of songs reflecting on what it’s like being mom to twin four-year old daughters. “One Part Love” marvels at the miracle of birth and the live of a toddler, and “Turning Into You” is for every parent who thought they were turning into their own mother or father. Cindy said that while her Interstate 405 was mostly under construction, that highway moved (unlike the

one on our Eastside, and many commuters in the room identified with her wry “405.”

Janiva’s first visit to the Pacific Northwest this year began February 11th on Marlee Walker’s Northwest Blues Forum “Women Mentoring Women” on her Blues-To-Do television program captured live at Seattle’s 88 Keys in Pioneer Square and on Live On the Sound Dot Com. This innovative series highlights the achievements and aspirations of blueswomen, and Stickshift Annie with Kimball and the Fugitives followed Marlee’s conversation with Janiva. Marlee played selections from Janiva’ s latest Alligator Records release, Stronger for It, throughout their spirited and inspired discussion. Walker, honored by the Blues Foundation with a Keeping the Blues Alive Award in the Commercial Radio category in 2000, was the first blues DJ to play Magness’ music on the radio in the region, and fellow Keeping the Blues Alive Award recipient John Kessler continues on his

popular “All Blues” show from National Public Radio affiliate KPLU-FM at Pacific Lutheran University.

After Jazz Alley, Janiva and her band left Seattle for a show Friday night at The Upstage in Port Townsend, Washington, followed by headlining the second annual Winter Blues Festival at the historic Bob White Theatre in Portland, Oregon. The Winter Blues Festival, just like the nationally-recognized Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, supports the Oregon Food Bank, the Children‘s Healing Art Project, and the Oregon Music Hall of Fame.

WELCOME BACKJaniva MagnessStory and Photos by Eric Steiner

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Seattle, WAPermit No. 5617

P.O. Box 70604Seattle, WA 98127

The WBS is a proud recipient of a 2009 Keeping the Blues Alive Award

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