• Magic Slim health update. Magic Slim has been hospitalized for a few weeks now, and this is the information that his manager, Marty Salzman has released; “Magic Slim remains hospitalized in Pennsylvania under treatment for bleeding ulcers complicated by pre-existing issues with his kidneys, his lungs, his weight  and his heart.   Although seriously ill, he has been stable for the past three days, his kidneys have improved, the bleeding has stopped and his heart rate has improved.  He still has a long road ahead of him but things are moving in the right direction.  We thank everybody for their kind words and prayers and ask that you keep Magic Slim in your prayers”.
• Blues In The Schools Benefit Saturday at the Rhythm Room! This Saturday, February !6 from 3pm to 6pm, Reverend Charlie F. Edwards “The Preaching Bluesman” will present a Blues In The Schools Benefit at the Rhythm Room in Phoenix. This show is all ages. Reverend Charlie will present a seminar / workshop on the birth of the blues to be followed by performances that will include Dave Riley & Bob Corritore, Paris James and Revernd Charlie. To see the event flyer clickhere.
• Tail Dragger & Bob Corritore to appear at Boquete Jazz & Blues Festival in Panama! The city of Boquete, Panama will become a music hub for Central America on February 28th – March 3. Those are the dates for the Boquete Jazz & Blues Festival which features music, parades, parties, art shows, concerts and jam sessions. This year the music lineup will include Tail Dragger & Bob Corritore, B3, Andy Egert, Randy Oxford Band, Carlos Ubarte Latin Jazz Quintet, Ron Hacker & The Hacksaws, Spicy Latin Jazz Band, Rigobertto Coba Big Band, Maria Rivas & Her Libertango Band, Sounds like a party to us! For more information on this event please click here
• Petition to reactivate two Grammy blues categories! In April of 2011 NARAS (The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) announced their unfortunate decision to eliminate numerous award categories. The most shameful of these eliminations was reducing the blues from 2 categories: “Traditional Blues” and “Contemporary Blues,” into just one general blues category. What that did was effectively wipe out the chance that the less commercial traditional blues performed by some of the musics pioneers would have any representation at all. Earlier that year, before this elimination, the Traditional Blues Category was won by Pinetop Perkins and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith for their Tel-Arc CD Joined At The Hip. If there would have just been one general blues category as exists right now, then Pinetop and Willie, both elder statesmen of the blues who died later that year, would have likely never even made it into the nominees category from being swept away by more comercial contemporary blues artists who have more crossover appeal to the mainstream. This move by NARAS is nothing short of an atrocity as it dismisses the value of the tradition of the blues. If we sound angry well, you guessed it, we are! A petition movement has been activated by Micheal Freeman and Patricia Morgan (Micheal produced Joined At The Hip, and Patricia manager Pinetop and Willie). For more information on this movement with an explanation of its reasoning and importance, click here. You can help this cause by printing out the petition form and actively seeking signatures in your community. Michael Freeman will need all petitions back on or before February 28 for his meeting with NARAS officials on March 1st. Please help this cause. You can access the petition form by clicking here. Thank you!
• 2013 Hall of Fame Inductees Annouced! The Blues Foundation has announced the class of 2013 Blues Hall Of Fameinductees. The induction dinner will be Wednesday May 8 at the Downtown Memphis Marriott. Congrats to all:

Performer

Otis Clay

Earl Hooker

Little Brother Montgomery

Jimmie Rodgers (Note that Jimmy Rogers was inductued in 1995)

Joe Louis Walker

Jody Williams

Individuals

Dave Clark

Henry Glover

Cosimo Matassa

Classic of Blues Recording – Single or Album Track

“How Many More Years” – Howlin’ Wolf (Chess, 1951)

“Canned Heat Blues” – Tommy Johnson (Victor, 1928)

“Let the Good Times Roll” – Louis Jordan (Decca, 1946)

“Mystery Train” – Little Junior [Parker]’s Blue Flames (Sun, 1953)

“Me and My Chauffeur Blues” – Memphis Minnie (OKeh, 1941)

Classic of Blues Recording – Album

Complete Recorded Works (Herwin, 1975)/Texas Worried Blues – Henry “Ragtime Texas” Thomas– (Yazoo, 1989))

More Real Folk Blues – Howlin’ Wolf– (Chess, 1967)

Louis Jordan’s Greatest Hits – Louis Jordan– (Decca, 1969)

Classic of Blues Literature

Soulsville, U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records – Rob Bowman

For more information on the Blues Hall of Fame, and for bios and information on the recipients, click here.

• Big Walter Horton remembered and a glimpse at Chicago Blues in 1970! Thanks to Clas “Volvo Slim” Ahlstrand from Sweden, who has shared his story of travelng to Chicago with Lasse Lindedal  in January of 1970.  Volvo Slim posted this two part story a few years back in Blindman’s Blues Forum and recently wrote us with these links. His story includes some wonderful descriptions, photos, and recordings made during this trip. Harmonica master Big Walter Horton is the primary subject, but many other Chicago artists of that time period are also discussed. These links are:

  Part one, click here

  Part two, click here

  Big Walter with Johnny Young sound recordings:

  Song one, click here

  Song two; click here

  Thanks Volvo Slim for this trip back in time, and for documenting the experience so that we can all enjoy it some 43 years later!

• Time Brings About A Change; A Floyd Dixon Celebration DVD to be released March 6!.  Movie premire announced!The long awaited documentary DVD companion to the 2006 CD Time Brings About A Change; A Floyd Dixon Celebrationwill be released on March 6 on Bob Auerbach‘s High John Records. This DVD includes interviews and concert footage ofFloyd Dixon, Pinetop Perkins, and Henry Gray who were all part of a two day live recording and filming that took place in June of 2006 at the Rhythm Room. Floyd had been diagnossed with a terminal illness and Bob Auerbach immediately initiated this project. Kid Ramos was the musical director of the event and special guests include Johnny Tucker, Joe Banks, Kim Wilson, Fred Kaplan, and Lynwood Slim with a great rhythm section that includes Larry Taylor and Richard Innes and a fine horn section. The project’s credits include director Phillip Cruess, producers Kid Ramos, Lisette Cruess,Bob Corritore and Clarke Rigsby, and executive producer Bob Auerbach. This film will premire at the Cinema City Theatre, 5635 E. La Palma Ave, Annaheim, California 92807 with a 6:30 to 7:30 meet & greet and a 7:45 movie presentation. You will be able to pick up this DVD at the premire, or at finer music stores and at http://www.highjohnrecords.com/. This film represents the last stand of an influencial West Coast blues pioneer and the meeting of three legendary piano masters. It also provides a great look at Kid Ramos‘ amazing guitar playing and bandleading. This show will be right before Kid’s cancer surgery and Kid plans to attend!. To see the DVD cover click here and to read about the CD and DVD on the High John Records website, click here.
• RIP Roscoe Chenier – November 6, 1941 to February 7, 2013. Louisiana blues singer / guitarist Roscoe Chenier was the cousin of Clifton Chenier but a fine blues artist in his own right. He lived his whole life in the Opelousas, Louisiana area and though he had solid reputation in Europe, he was little known in the USA outside of his hometown. Processing a rich full voice and downhome blues guitar style, he was able to make numerous albums and European tours playing Holland’s Blues Estafette Festival in 1992, 1993, 1996, 1998 and 2001, and performed at the very prestigious North Sea Jazz Festival in the Hague. His first recording, a 1961 single “Born For Bad Luck” on the Reynaud label led to numerous albums on labels such as Vidrine, Maison de Sol, Black and Tan, APO, Rhino, and Avenue Records. In recent years his diabetes would limit his travel and performance and eventually take his life. Here are some examples of his powerful music (click here  and here).

• Sin City Soul & Blues Revival announces a spectacular three day lineup! Las Vegas, Nevada will be the home of a 3 day blues event called the Sin City Soul & Blues Revival.  The event happens on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday Septempber 15, 16, and 17. Acts include Royal Southern Brotherhood, Tad Robinson, John Cleary, John Nemeth, Trampled Under Foot,Henry Gray & Bob Corritore, Tab Benoit, Sister Sparrow, Kris Lager Band, Orgone, Brad Cordle, Mike Zito, Karen Lovely,Curtis Salgado’s Big Band, Austin All-Stars featuring Malford Milligan and W.C. Clark, Monophonics, Tommy Castro, Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials, Tedeschi-Trucks Band, Selwyn Birchwood, Hadden Sayers Band, Contino, Ruthie Foster, Los Lonely Boys, Deanna Bogart, The Iguanas, Scottie Miller Band,  Carolyn Wonderland, Josh Hoyer, James Harman Band,.and more! Mark your calendars for this huge blues event. To find out more about this festival and to order tickets go to their website at http://www.sincitysoulandbluesrevival.com/.
• Memphis Slim and Matt Murphy on YouTube! Please enjoy these fantastic 1963 recordings by blues piano championMemphis Slim and Matt “Guitar” Murphy from a Belgian documentary of the 1963 American Folk Blues Festival tour. Note that the drummer is the great Billy Stepney!

“I’m Lost Without You” click here. 

“Wish Me Well” click here.

“Matt’s Guitar Boogie” click here.

“My Gal keeps Me Crying” click here.

A multi-song clip with a few different songs, click here.