It's all about the music !
THE BLUES
A couple weeks ago I traveled across the border into the very beautiful Western Canada
as a guest of the Compound Blues Band, a group which is actually based in South Surrey,
just a few miles south of downtown Vancouver BC. There I was treated to a weekend like
none other in my recent history, one which was filled with jamming with the very elite top
of all the musicians in the entire area. Jim Widdifield, the keyboardist for the band has
been a friend of mine for a number of years but I had never been able to go up and see
the boys play until now.
The members of the CBB have been together for a long time yet they approach music
today with as much passion as when they were just out of High School, and they play
not because they have to, but because they want to. So every song, every note is true
and from the gut, played as it should be - like life itself depended on the delivery!
The Compound Blues Band is currently working on their new CD and I know it's going to
be a hot one, because these guys don't just play the Blues, they Rock it !
Getting to sit in with this band will go down as one of the highlights of my entire career
and I couldn't be happier than to call the Compound Blues Band my friends for life!
Watch for their exclusive world-wide interview right here on damngoodtunes
in the next couple weeks. Find out how these guys have continued on through
so many miles and years, never leaving the flames to be extinguished.
Bruce Maier
A couple weeks ago I traveled across the border into the very beautiful Western Canada
as a guest of the Compound Blues Band, a group which is actually based in South Surrey,
just a few miles south of downtown Vancouver BC. There I was treated to a weekend like
none other in my recent history, one which was filled with jamming with the very elite top
of all the musicians in the entire area. Jim Widdifield, the keyboardist for the band has
been a friend of mine for a number of years but I had never been able to go up and see
the boys play until now.
The members of the CBB have been together for a long time yet they approach music
today with as much passion as when they were just out of High School, and they play
not because they have to, but because they want to. So every song, every note is true
and from the gut, played as it should be - like life itself depended on the delivery!
The Compound Blues Band is currently working on their new CD and I know it's going to
be a hot one, because these guys don't just play the Blues, they Rock it !
Getting to sit in with this band will go down as one of the highlights of my entire career
and I couldn't be happier than to call the Compound Blues Band my friends for life!
Watch for their exclusive world-wide interview right here on damngoodtunes
in the next couple weeks. Find out how these guys have continued on through
so many miles and years, never leaving the flames to be extinguished.
Bruce Maier
###
BLUES ATTITUDE
Blues Attitude / Olympia Washington
###
They say the Blues has three chords, sometimes a fourth. That the verses are A-A-B and are a one, four, five pattern and always predictable all the way to the end or it isn’t the real Blues. And some say you had to have lived in the South and be from a bloodline where pain and misery of working the fields with the sun beating down on your brow is all your family has ever known, that there’s no money and no way out. And some say that in order to know and to live the Blues there are those who have to make a deal with the devil at the crossroads in exchange for fortune and fame. But I say the Blues knows no borders, fields or crossroads. There is not a color of pigment that predetermines neither destiny in life nor affinity for the Blues. The Blues comes from life. Life in Memphis, Chicago, Doerun Georgia or Shelton Washington, it doesn’t matter. Pain and misery and hard work comes in many forms. Driving a log truck for a living can give one the Blues. Pushing a pencil or making keystrokes all day at the office can give you the Blues. Raising kids, going through a divorce or just trying to make ends meet can bring on the Blues. And yes, drinking and partying and dancing on the table in front of your buddies can sometimes lead to the Blues. But the Blues is not a color, a social class or a reputation or even a bad headache. Anyone can get the Blues, and anyone can live the Blues, everyone can feel the Blues but no one can buy the Blues. Blues is an attitude!
Blues Attitude / Olympia Washington
This is a band of brothers ( in spirit ) who play music that they really love which is a variation on the traditional themes and their own take on The Blues which fuses Rock, Jack Swing, Funk, Country Rock, Ballads and get down, low-down dirty old Blues! With their blazing guitars and bass, T-bone and Jerry set the stage on fire from measure one, but it is drummer and total meter master " Smoke " who lays down the ground rules and sets the pace that you could set an atomic clock to. He plays subtle as a whisper when he want to but then turns around and hits you like a freight train when the cross-arms are broken! Every successful band I have ever loved has had a drummer who never really cared to show off and besides, he was way too busy building the foundation so the other cats could wiggle and pose without breaking the stage!
Seriously, this is a real band. A group of guys who play Blues influenced music not because they have to, but because the want to and they feel it with every heartbeat. They boogie, then they rock and then maybe they take you down, way down. But not for long because they've got a mission to fulfill and that's to rock the house, get it jumping and fill up the dance floor! No one that goes to a Blues Attitude concert, show or club appearance ever comes away with a bad vibe. No, this is the night to " lose the blues " and this is the band that takes you away from whatever you've been through today. Not since a recent opportunity I experienced standing back stage with the one and only ZZ TOP at the Hard Rock in Vegas have I actually heard three guys sound so freakin' tight! Blues Attitude does their homework and is always prepared to give the their best. I highly recommend this Blues band to anyone looking for a great time. Check out their CD at the link below and and also take a little trip through their website for bios, pictures and show schedules . They're not a just a Blues Band, they're Blues Attitude!
Bruce J Maier
BLUES ATTITUDE WEBSITE
BUY THE CD
Seriously, this is a real band. A group of guys who play Blues influenced music not because they have to, but because the want to and they feel it with every heartbeat. They boogie, then they rock and then maybe they take you down, way down. But not for long because they've got a mission to fulfill and that's to rock the house, get it jumping and fill up the dance floor! No one that goes to a Blues Attitude concert, show or club appearance ever comes away with a bad vibe. No, this is the night to " lose the blues " and this is the band that takes you away from whatever you've been through today. Not since a recent opportunity I experienced standing back stage with the one and only ZZ TOP at the Hard Rock in Vegas have I actually heard three guys sound so freakin' tight! Blues Attitude does their homework and is always prepared to give the their best. I highly recommend this Blues band to anyone looking for a great time. Check out their CD at the link below and and also take a little trip through their website for bios, pictures and show schedules . They're not a just a Blues Band, they're Blues Attitude!
Bruce J Maier
BLUES ATTITUDE WEBSITE
BUY THE CD
###
TAB BENOIT
Born and raised in the gulf area of Louisiana, Benoit brings a deep felt authenticity to the music he has grown up around and been involved in his whole life. He has been recording and touring since 1992 and has a new cd entitled Night Train to Nashville. He was joined on stage by bass guitarist Leon Medica and drummer David Peters. Currently touring with Benoit, both Medica and Peters are members of the Louisiana band LeRoux, well known in their own rite.
Tab Benoit doesn’t just play the music…it flows out of him like hot lava from a volcano, or perhaps I should more suitably liken it to the flowing waters of the mighty Mississippi River itself. His soulful voice is meant to sing the blues, his skillful guitar playing sets his music on fire, and his smokin’ good looks quickly melt this woman’s heart.
He chatted warmly with the audience between songs and soon we all felt as if we were hanging out with an old friend. With his fun loving humor and a Louisiana drawl he made a short task of noting that by Cajun blues standards, the small contemporary college theatre that hosted his concert was far from the type of venue that fits his style of music. We laughed when he first recognized that there wasn’t any popcorn on the floor, and when he noted that there also wasn’t even a dance floor in the place we started catching on to where this was going. With witty charm he helped us visualize a very different culture, one that represents the birthplace of his musical style, Southern Louisiana. We learned about crappie/Sac Au Lait fishing, oyster shell roads, mosquitoes, swamps and bayous.
The music was fabulous. Benoit’s guitar work is amazing, his command of the blues is inspiring, and his song writing and vocals are intoxicating. We really could have put a dance floor to good use. In the middle of their set Benoit took the stage all by himself and entertained us with his music on a very personal level. It was a great performance all night long. Like most artisans he is very passionate about what he does. This passion shines through not only in his music but also in the message he carries to his audience as a concerned Louisiana citizen bearing witness to the alarming daily loss of the gulf coast wetlands
In 2006 Benoit founded V.O.W., Voice Of the Wetlands, to raise awareness towards the dangerous erosion of miles of the Southern Louisiana wetlands. These marshy areas are extremely important to the protection of New Orleans, world class shipping ports, and a vast array of cultural industries from storms beating in from the gulf of Mexico. He told of how many miles of wetlands have disappeared over the last 20 years explaining that his is why hurricanes Rita, Katrina and Gustav wreaked so much water damage on the cities, homes, and businesses. He made us aware of how this problem affects all of America, not just his state. Benoit takes this very seriously and invites us all to closely look at what is happening, to get involved, and to use our voice.
Benoit revealed many layers of himself during the evening. And for those folks there that night, like my friend, who didn’t know who Tab Benoit was before this, they won’t soon forget him. To learn more about the man, his music, and his causes check out his websites at :
www.tabbenoit.com
www.voiceofthewetlands.com
Kris Edem is not only a world class journalist who has written articles for other Northwest publications for years, but she brings to the table a sense which only a working musician, particularly a guitar player who sings the Blues, Rock, R & B with passion and conviction. Her guitar work is way above average and she would shine in any professional recording act. In fact Kris Edem fronts a popular Seattle Washington area band which has recently released a new CD.
A woman dedicated to her family, a successful business owner, Kris Edem is a rare and shining jewel who is a dynamic individual. We are very happy to have Kris on board here at damngoodtunes! Oh, and also I must ad, I can't wait to get the guitars out again and jam with Kris!Bruce J Maier
www.wisecrackerband.com
of people through the gates for each of the six-day duration and provides live music on four different stages. Many, many fabulous acts have played here over the years. Five star hotels surround the festival grounds for fans in need of such amenities. Numerous workshops and activities are also on the daily schedules for those who can break themselves away from the live music for a bit. Large, multi-decked boats take the festival out onto the Willamette River for scheduled cruises offering live bands on each deck, along with food, spirits and plenty of mojo.
In sharp contrast to that setting is the Winthrop Rhythm and Blues Festival. Winthrop is a charming historical little town in northern Washington State. Located far from any major city, it lies in the beautiful Methow River Valley of the north Cascade Mountains. Once a year this town generously opens it’s doors and offers its hospitality to a three-day blues invasion. This festival claims to be Washington State’s longest running blues fest with a twenty-year history. The Winthrop Music Association operates this party through a combination board of directors, volunteer staff, and sponsors. Several thousand people now flock to this event each third weekend in July. The official festival site is located one mile from town on a fifty-acre field called The Blues Ranch. It sits amid some of nature’s finest scenery. The festival hosts a single stage for all of the scheduled acts, while well-organized stage crews minimize time between sets. This festival may be small in size comparison and its setting may be a long way from the mainstream venues, but the entertainment lineup is first class. In 2007 they hosted such greats as Eddie ‘Devilboy’ Turner, Grammy Award winner John Lee Hooker Jr. (yes, the son of blues legend John Lee Hooker), harp man Charlie Musselwhite, and Eric Burden…and that was just for half of one day! Guests can opt to bring their own tent or RV for the unique opportunity to camp all weekend at the Blues Ranch itself. For the many that choose this option the blues party goes on long into the night, well after the festival shows are over each evening.
As you can see, there are different ways to experience a festival. And there are so many to choose from, they can be found nearly everywhere in the world. So try to make the time to attend one and enjoy a blues experience like no other. Use the Blues Festival Guide to find out where the festivals are scheduled and located. www.bluesfestivalguide.com It will link you to the festival websites for more specific information such as directions, show times and activities. Don’t forget to take your lawn chairs, blanket, backpack, and lots of friends. Get there early, find yourself a spot on the lawn/landscape to call home for the day, and enjoy. Let me add that I have always felt safe and secure at these events and I find them to be clean and organized. It will be a wonderful treat to yourself….and to your soul.
by Kris Edem
Go To Page 2 of The Blues---->
Blues Festivals
If you have never attended a blues festival, let me encourage you to add it to your list of “must do’s” this year. It is such a great opportunity to bear witness to some high quality live blues music in a forum that caters to all of the senses. It will be well worth a day of your time and is always a great bang for your blues buck.
Highlighted by the outstanding live music from top-notch performers, the blues festivals are amazing events produced by committed sponsors and hardworking event planners. Fans are offered a unique opportunity to catch the acts of legendary blues artists along with top quality regional blues acts, altogether in an open casual setting. The sheer number of different musical acts that entertain over the course of a day, weekend, or week long fest is sensational. Each entertainer brings their own personal style to the stage, enriching the whole musical experience with multi-layers of blues definition.
Festival planners work hard to create the right balance of entertainment, atmosphere, vendors, facilities, sponsorship, and support staff for blues fans. However, no two are alike and that is what gives each festival a personality of their own. Success for them is rewarded with return and growing attendance year after year. A number of blues fests have been annual events for decades. Festivals come in all sizes, durations, and locations, too. Some even offer music workshops, blues cruises, and after hour jams. As you can imagine, there’s a lot more than music going on at these gigs. A wide selection of vendors help to keep everyone fed, hydrated, and happy as they help sooth the soul with satisfying food and beverages, artwork, music sales, memorabilia, clothing, and more.
Just to give you a feel for differences between blues festivals, let me share my experiences from two that I visited last year:
I’ve been attending the Waterfront Blues Festival in downtown Portland, Oregon for a number of years. It is put on by the Oregon Food Bank and numerous sponsors. The donated admission proceeds of cash and food go to the state’s
hunger-relief programs. It claims to be the largest blues festival on the west coast and just celebrated its twenty-year anniversary. Held at Portland’s Tom McCall Waterfront Park, the location is gorgeous with manicured lawns sloping right down to the Willamette River.
It draws tens of thousands
If you have never attended a blues festival, let me encourage you to add it to your list of “must do’s” this year. It is such a great opportunity to bear witness to some high quality live blues music in a forum that caters to all of the senses. It will be well worth a day of your time and is always a great bang for your blues buck.
Highlighted by the outstanding live music from top-notch performers, the blues festivals are amazing events produced by committed sponsors and hardworking event planners. Fans are offered a unique opportunity to catch the acts of legendary blues artists along with top quality regional blues acts, altogether in an open casual setting. The sheer number of different musical acts that entertain over the course of a day, weekend, or week long fest is sensational. Each entertainer brings their own personal style to the stage, enriching the whole musical experience with multi-layers of blues definition.
Festival planners work hard to create the right balance of entertainment, atmosphere, vendors, facilities, sponsorship, and support staff for blues fans. However, no two are alike and that is what gives each festival a personality of their own. Success for them is rewarded with return and growing attendance year after year. A number of blues fests have been annual events for decades. Festivals come in all sizes, durations, and locations, too. Some even offer music workshops, blues cruises, and after hour jams. As you can imagine, there’s a lot more than music going on at these gigs. A wide selection of vendors help to keep everyone fed, hydrated, and happy as they help sooth the soul with satisfying food and beverages, artwork, music sales, memorabilia, clothing, and more.
Just to give you a feel for differences between blues festivals, let me share my experiences from two that I visited last year:
I’ve been attending the Waterfront Blues Festival in downtown Portland, Oregon for a number of years. It is put on by the Oregon Food Bank and numerous sponsors. The donated admission proceeds of cash and food go to the state’s
hunger-relief programs. It claims to be the largest blues festival on the west coast and just celebrated its twenty-year anniversary. Held at Portland’s Tom McCall Waterfront Park, the location is gorgeous with manicured lawns sloping right down to the Willamette River.
It draws tens of thousands
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