Can you distribute Sierra Blues Society fliers in your town?

We need help distributing fliers about our up coming shows for July and August. If you can help by passing fliers out to your friends or co-workers, or posting fliers on bulletin boards or in stores, send me an email and I will mail you some.

Thanks,

Mike Shea
Sierra Blues Society

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Music Store Burglarized

This news just cmae in from Don Heflin of the Central Valley Blues Society. Let's do everything we can to help this out........
Thom Myers
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"Our good buddies who just opened The Tone Shop in Fresno were burglarized in 
the early morning hours last weekend. The thieves got away with a lot of guitars 

and amps. What I need from all of you is to help pass the word anywhere you can 
to see if any of this gear surfaces. We have helped in the past in retrieving 
guitars for Cole Fonseca and Tommy Castro by everyone spreading the word. Here 
is a list of what was taken. If you run across any of it please call the Police, 

then let them know ASAP." 

2007 Marshall jcm 2000 dsl head

fender twin from around the early 1990s red knob

Marshall jcm 800 1-12 combo, kinda beat and power plug was modified

ibanez djd91 guitar with tv jones pickups, red in color

1960s silvertone rocket, pretty good shape for its age

bc rich neck threw strat style guitar. it was brand new. 
two humbuckers still had factory sticker on tone control, natural wood color

yamaha 4 string bass black like new condition

1993 heritage 575 jazz guitar, sunburst, short scale, near mint condition

epiphone strat, red color, hockey puck headstock

fender 62 reissue strat from the mid 1980s, black, black pickguard and new jumbo 

frets

epiphone casino elite natural and was like new

gtx super strat snake skin finish, floyd rose trem, new condition

gibson les paul studio worn cherry wood color

fender fmt tele, flamed maple, set neck, two humbuckers

fender mij squire strat, black with white guard
 
Thanks.
Jim Eachus
the tone shop
559-436-8663

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Rest in Peace- Mitch Faber.htm

My heart is sad to let you all know of the passing of our friend Mitch Faber. Mitch is one of the very first friends I made when I moved here about twenty years ago. Mitch was a genuinely good man with a big heart for the less fortunate. To say that he was an incredible, deep guitarist is an understatement. A delightful musician with a great sense of humour. Rest in peace my friend, you were one of a kind and I'll never forget you. 
Mitch's brother and I talked this morning and there will be a Sunday gathering soon for friends to honor our departed friend. 
Respectfully Yours, Steve Foster

update:

There will be a Mitch Faber Memorial on Sunday, September 5th at The Five Mile House out 49 just past Nevada City from 3-9 PM. Things are arranged so that Mitch's friends can come and visit and/ or play music together. Please tell your friends about this, we'll be remembering the good times we had with our gifted friend. 
Thank You, Steve Foster 

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Just Booked! TAJ MAHAL TRIO with Vieux Farka Toure opening

TICKETS ON SALE TO CENTER MEMBERS NOW!
CALL THE CENTER BOX OFFICE AT 530-274-8384.
TICKETS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC BEGINNING SUNDAY, JULY 11

Sunday, October 24
The Center for the Arts presents at
VETERANS MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM
Taj Mahal Trio
with Vieux Farka Toure opening
7:30PM, $45 General Admission
$65 VIP seating includes reserved seats,
reserved parking, (limited to the first 100 guests), 1 drink coupon 
PLENTY OF ROOM TO DANCE! 
"...boldest and most eclectic of blues musicians, 
Taj Mahal has become a legend by following his unique vision."
- About.com
"One of the most prominent figures in late 20th century blues, 
singer/multi-instrumentalist Taj Mahal played an enormous role 
in revitalizing and preserving traditional acoustic blues." 
- AllMusic.com
"...Taj Mahal was one of the first major artists, if not the very first one, to pursue the possibilities of world music. Even the blues he was playing in the early 70s showed an aptitude for spicing the mix with flavours that always kept him a yard or so distant from being an out-and-out blues performer." 
- Rough Guide to Rock

Composer and multi-instrumentalist Taj Mahal, a two-time Grammy winner and one of the most influential American blues and roots artists of the past half-century, may best be described as a collaborator. His recording career includes working with The Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, Ry Cooder, Etta James, Toumani Diabate, Los Lobos, and many more. One of the reasons for Taj's appeal is his direct connection to the roots. Early on in his career Taj also had the opportunity to hear, meet, and play with such blues legends as Howlin  Wolf, Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Louis and Dave Meyers, Sleepy John Estes, Yank Rachel, Lightin  Hopkins, Bessie Jones, the Georgia Sea Island Singers, and Hammy Nixon. In his never-ending exploration of the complex origins and underpinnings of American music, he has forged a four-decade career by gathering and distilling countless musical traditions from a range of sources: the Mississippi Delta, the Appalachian backwoods, the African continent, the Hawaiian islands, Europe, the Caribbean and more. 
Taj Mahal was born Henry St. Clair Fredericks in New York on May 17, 1942. His parents - his father a jazz pianist/composer/arranger of Jamaican descent, his mother a schoolteacher from South Carolina who sang gospel - moved to Springfield, MA, when he was quite young and while growing up there, he often listened to music from around the world on his father's short-wave radio. He particularly loved the blues - both acoustic and electric - and early rock & rollers like Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley. While studying agriculture and animal husbandry at the University of Massachusetts, he adopted the musical alias Taj Mahal (an idea that came to him in a dream) and formed Taj Mahal & the Elektras, which played around the area during the early '60s. After graduating, Mahal moved to Los Angeles in 1964 and, after making his name on the local folk-blues scene, formed the Rising Sons with guitarist Ry Cooder. The group signed to Columbia and released one single, but the label didn't quite know what to make of their forward-looking blend of Americana, which anticipated a number of roots rock fusions that would take shape in the next few years; as such, the album they recorded sat on the shelves, unreleased until 1992.

Frustrated, Mahal left the group and wound up staying with Columbia as a solo artist. His self-titled debut was released in early 1968 and its stripped-down approach to vintage blues sounds made it unlike virtually anything else on the blues scene at the time. It came to be regarded as a classic of the '60s blues revival, as did its follow-up, Natch'l Blues. The half-electric, half-acoustic double-LP set Giant Step followed in 1969 and taken together, those three records built Mahal's reputation as an authentic yet unique modern-day bluesman, gaining wide exposure and leading to collaborations or tours with a wide variety of prominent rockers and bluesmen. During the early '70s, Mahal's musical adventurousness began to take hold; 1971's Happy Just to Be Like I Am heralded his fascination with Caribbean rhythms and the following year's double-live set, The Real Thing, added a New Orleans-flavored tuba section to several tunes. In 1973, Mahal branched out into movie soundtrack work with his compositions for Sounder and the following year he recorded his most reggae-heavy outing, Mo' Roots.

Mahal continued to record for Columbia through 1976 recording three albums for that label, all in 1977 (including a soundtrack for the film Brothers). Changing musical climates, however, were decreasing interest in Mahal's work and he spent much of the '80s off record, eventually moving to Hawaii to immerse himself in another musical tradition. Mahal returned in 1987 with Taj, that explored this new interest; the following year, he inaugurated a string of successful, well-received children's albums with Shake Sugaree. The next few years brought a variety of side projects, including a musical score for the lost Langston Hughes/Zora Neale Hurston play Mule Bone that earned Mahal a Grammy nomination in 1991. The same year marked Mahal's full-fledged return to regular recording and touring, kicked off with the first of a series of well-received albums on the Private Music label, Like Never Before. Follow-ups, such as Dancing the Blues (1993) and Phantom Blues (1996), drifted into more rock, pop, and R&B-flavored territory; in 1997, Mahal won a Grammy for Se or Blues. Meanwhile, he undertook a number of small-label side projects that constituted some of his most ambitious forays into world music. 1995's Mumtaz Mahal teamed him with classical Indian musicians; 1998's Sacred Island was recorded with his new Hula Blues Band, exploring Hawaiian music in greater depth; 1999's Kulanjan was a duo performance with Malian kora player Toumani Diabate.

His 2008 release, Maestro, marked the fortieth anniversary of Taj s rich and varied recording career by mixing original material with chestnuts from vintage sources and newcomers alike. Guests include Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Angelique Kidjo, Los Lobos, Ziggy Marley and others   many of whom have been directly influenced by Taj s music and guidance.

"...Vieux Farka Tour  is forging his own identity, expanding on his father s drones and gnarled picking patterns with a rocker s joyful audacity." - The New York Times
"Here in Africa, he who teaches you in life, you follow his path. As [Ali] neared the end of his life, I knew that the wisdom he imparted on me was important to spread." - Vieux Farka Tour 
Vieux Farka Tour , the son of the great Malian guitarist Ali Farka Tour , has already stepped out from his late father s shadow. Ali Farka Tour  proved   in case anyone ever doubted it   that the soul of the blues could be found in West Africa. His son Vieux is turning heads with a more radical idea: that those western Saharan roots can be heard in everything from the jam band scene to Jamaican dub.

Fondo, Vieux s newest recording, is more than a stirring mix of traditional instruments and modern production. More than a world music artist embracing the sounds of rock, it is the sound of a young man coming into his own. His self-titled debut, released in 2006, seemed to be the passing of a torch, as it included the last recordings by his legendary father, and a healthy dose of traditional Malian songs from his father s repertoire. But his new album has only one traditional song; everything else was written by Vieux himself. The album s opening salvo,  Fafa,  has a bluesy rhythm and intricate guitar solos that may recall Eric Clapton s glory days with Cream.
www.vieuxfarkatoure.com

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Dear Blues fans, Due to the current events in the life of Jason Ricci, we
will be unable to book Jason at the Fire On The Mountain ~ Sonora Blues
Festival 2010. Jason performed a great set for us in 2009 and we really
wanted to have him back this year. 
We wish him well and hope his career gets pointed in the right direction.
Hopefully we will be able to present Jason Ricci and his new band in 2011.
Thanks, Richard
Please read the lineup changes for 2010 show, think you will be thrilled
with the addition of Chicago inspired Michael Burks and Nick Moss. A great 
"guitar slinger" lineup this year! Should be some fine jams this year!
----------------------------------------
15th Fire On The Mountain~Sonora Blues/Rock Music Festival will be held
August 14, 2010 at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds - come see some of the best
acts in the blues world on our 
concert & workshop stages
Tequila Tasting added, good selection of Micro Beers available !!!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2010 Performers (so far)
Main Stage MCs ~ K104's Randy Maranz, Steve LaVine
Sierra Stage MC ~ Pop; Workshop Stage MC's ~ Mick Martin, Thom Myers
~~~~~~
NEW: MICHAEL BURKS (www.michaelburks.com) - Blues Awards winner, ferocious
blues guitarist reminiscent of Freddie and Albert King styles. LLiving Blues
Magazine Blues Guitarist of the Year Award 2004. Michael Burks is a
bluesman who stands poised on the brink of major stardom. A fierce
flamethrower guitar slinger and an exciting soulful singer, his music has
phenomenal firepower.
~~~~~~
NEW: NICK MOSS & THE FLIPTOPS (www.nickmoss.com), 16 time Blues Awards
nominee ----- Moss and his Flip Tops, Chicago based, blues supergroup if
there ever was one, are every bit as exciting as the Paul Butterfield Band
was during its heyday, an outfit brimming over with talent... Moss' vocals
throughout are masterful, by turns pleading and growling, a gruff primal
bark dripping with urban grit. Nick will be joined by incredible
keyboardist, PIANO WILLIE
~~~~~~
World Renown, Grammy Winning, Delta Slide Guitarist, ROY ROGERS & THE DELTA
RHYTHM KINGS w/Special Guest, violin/harpist CARLOS REYES
(www.carlosreyesmusic.com) who was special guest at the Norton Buffalo
Memorial Benefit Concerts earlier this year.
~~~~~~
TOMMY CASTRO BAND (www.tommycastro.com, www.deannabogart.com)
Tommy's Big Band w/ legendary Special Guest on piano, saxophone DEANNA
BOGART (Deanna is Blues Award winner 2010, best horn player!)
Tommy is 5 time 2010 Blues Award Nominee (WON 4 BLUES AWARDS May 2010!) = BB
King Band of the Year, Entertainer of the Year!!!
~~~~~~
RICK ESTRIN & THE NIGHTCATS (www.rickestrin.com)
4 time 2010 Blues Award Nominee = BB King Band of the Year
~~~~~~~
LAURIE MORVAN (www.lauriemorvan.com) INDIE AWARD WINNER
~~~~~~
ALASTAIR GREENE BAND (www.agsongs.com)
Smokin' guitarist from Santa Barbara, Eric Clapton Tribute set
~~~~~~
BIG MO & FULL MOON BAND (8 Piece Big Band) W/ Special Guests, Carlos Reyes,
Volker Strifler
(www.bigmoblues.com,www.carlosreyesmusic.com, www.volkerstrifler.com)
~~~~~~
MIKE HAMMAR & THE NAILS (www.myspace.com/mikehammarandthenails)
Winner Monterey Blues festival battle of the Blues bands
~~~~~~
MICK MARTIN & THE BLUES ROCKERS (www.mickmartinblues.com) w/ TIM BARNES on
guitar
~~~~~~
VALERIE JOHNSON & AL B BLUE
~~~~~~
LOOSE CHANGE BLUES BAND from Grass Valle
~~~~~~
* WORKSHOPS(Q & A) *
GUITAR w/ TOMMY CASTRO, MIKE HAMMAR, LAURIE MORVAN,
KID ANDERSON, ALASTAIR GREENE, VOLKER STRIFLER, MICHAEL BURKS, NICK MOSS;
HARMONICA w/ RICK ESTRIN, MICK MARTIN ;
SLIDE GUITAR with ROY ROGERS;
PIANO w/ DEANNA BOGART, PIANO WILLIE, and Friends;
WOMEN IN BLUES;
BLUES FOR KIDS w/VALERIE JOHNSON
Time Schedules for all shows will posted on the website in July. 
ActsSubject To Change
--------------------
BLUES JAM SPONSORED BY WORLD OF BLUES AND SIERRA BLUES SOCIETY WILL BE HELD
AT SONORA PUB, DOWNTOWN SONORA (AT THE SIGNAL) AFTER THE SHOW!
--------------------
Plan Your Memorable Summer Vacation 2010 Around this Festival!
Your search for the perfect weekend getaway or extended vacation ends here!
Tuolumne County in the Central Sierra is the recreational -cultural center
of the Mother Lode near Yosemite National Park (1.5 hour drive from Sonora
on Hwy 120). You'll find all the outdoor activities you love and dream of
taking part in - hiking, biking, river rafting, fishing, horseback riding,
motorcycle rides, camping, beautiful lakes, sightseeing, wineries, inns, all
types of arts and entertainment are plentiful in the beautiful Sierra
Foothills.
See www.tcvb.com or www.thegreatunfenced.com for tourist info.
Cabin rentals in Twain Harte (209) 585-5204, Sonora apartment rentals at
209-533-1310

See www.fireonthemountain.com for festival info and ticket sales.
Thanks, Richard

Exciting news! Several of the acts at this year's Fire On The
Mountain~Sonora Blues Festival won WC HANDY Blues Awards in Memphis May 2010
* TOMMY CASTRO for ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR, BAND OF THE YEAR, CONTEMPORARY
BLUES ALBUM OF THE YEAR, and BLUES MALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR.

* DEANNA BOGART for BEST INSTRUMENTALIST - HORN (Saxophone)
-------------------------------
* RICK ESTRIN was deservedly nominated for 4 awards, though did not win in
his categories.
* NICK MOSS is 16 time Blues Award nominee
* MICHAEL BURKS is multi Blues Award nominee

Blues Festival warm up show at Twain Harte Summer Arts and Wine this July
24-25. NO REGRET R & B Band on Sat July 245, Shane Dwight Band on Sunday
July 25. Free admission!
Sonora Blues Fest, Aug 14, 2010 see www.fireonthemountain.com
-----------------
Press Release;
33rd TWAIN HARTE SUMMER ARTS AND WINE FESTIVAL 2010
JULY 24 & 25 . Opens 10am . Downtown in the Village Of TWAIN HARTE 
Well it's "Hot Fun In The Summertime" once again, as the friendly Central
Sierra village of Twain Harte becomes the center of creativity, music and
fun, at the 33rd Twain Harte Summer Arts & Wine Festival 2010. This highly
respected event, held since 1976, has garnered a loyal following of quality
craft purchasers and music lovers. Presented this year are the works of many
talented craft and graphic artists, continuous live entertainment. Starting
at the Twain Harte Arch (Joaquin Gully Rd) nearly 100 high caliber artists
will display and sell their fine wares which include watercolors, metal
sculptures, iron work, pottery, photography, candles, fine jewelry of gold &
silver, clothing & accessories, woodworks, stained glass, folk art, floras,
leather goods, soaps and lotions, garden art, gourmet food products, and
much more - lots of great work on display in the artists' marketplace!
THE WINE TASTING is 2 DAYS THIS YEAR! 
The Chamber of Commerce Wines In The Pines will be presenting wines from
throughout California SATURDAY AND SUNDAY offering the best in Northern
California Wines with organic wines featured on Sunday. The wineries include
Chatom Vineyards, Muir-Hanna Vines, Mt Brow Winery, Com'e, 
Clos du Lac Cellars, Quady Winery, Winters Winery, Wine In The Pines,
Michael David Winery, Irish Vineyard, Ironstone. More wineries to be
announced. Olive oils by Treasured Olive Oils of Fair Oaks and Jamestown
Olive Oils will also be attending (All Vendors Subject To Change). 
(See www.twainhartecc.com for info)
2010 ENTERTAINERS INCLUDE
* NO REGRET (Saturday only!) - Blues, R & B, featuring Lillian McLeod on
vocals;
* SHANE DWIGHT BAND (Sunday only!) - Popular Nashville act - Blues, Country,
Rock singer/songwriter
www.shanedwight.com
* One Of America's Finest Juggler/Comic/Storytellers IZZY TOOINSKY 
(izzytooinsky.com) Please see websites for
online photos and bios. 

Festivities for this 33rd Twain Harte Summer Arts & Wine Festival 2010, in
downtown Twain Harte,
runs Saturday July 24 & 25, 2010. show hours are 10am to 6pm Sat, & 10am to
5pm Sun. Twain Harte is 12 miles East of Sonora, just off Hwy 108. Admission
is FREE. Artists' booths are open from 10am, booths wind around the Eproson
House, down Cedar Drive and Joaquin Gully. Entertainment runs continuously
on the Main Stage. Public Parking is located at Twain Harte School, please
follow direction signs. Please do not block fire lanes, park on side streets
where allowed. Lots of food and drink available. 
Join us for some "Hot Fun" in cool Twain Harte.
This festival helps to benefit the Twain Harte Volunteer Fire Department and
Auxillary and other community groups in the area. Twain Harte Chamber of
Commerce. Twain Harte's Concerts In The Park will feature HOMEGROWN,
Saturday July 24 at 6pm. 
Added Event ~ COOL CUSTOM CARS will be shown at the Twain Harte Center in
the midst of the fair all weekend. (209.586.4092, space limited)
Visitors should take time to visit all the nice gift stores and quality
restaurants in beautiful Twain Harte. Surrounding the festival, Villa d'Oro,
The Rock, La Morenita, China House, Cottage Restaurant, Sportsman & more
offer tasty menus.
Lodging & visitor information, wine tasting information: 209-586-4482 (Twain
Harte Chamber of Commerce office. www.twainhartecc.com ~ email to 
info@twainhartecc.com)

For more festival info: Fire on the Mountain LLC, PO Box 148, Soulsbyville
CA 95372, 209-533-3473
email = events@fireonthemountain.com website = www.fireonthemountain.com

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This years Summer Concert Series 
 
Blues Concert at McConnell Estates Winery, Saturday August 14th
? ? ? 
I got My Blues at M.E.W

McConnell Estates Winery 
Summer Blues Concert Series
Andy Keane & Kinda Blue 
with Jim Gillespie, Marshal Wilkerson and Twanna Turner
Saturday, August 14th
Purchase Tickets, Click Here

Sponsored by 
Nissan of Elk Grove & Mazda of Elk Grove & Infiniti of Elk Grove

Blues At McConnell Estates Winery
Admission $10/per person for Advanced purchased tickets - $12.50 at the Door - Kids under 12 free
Advanced ticket sales available at the winery or online
Concert Starts at 6:30 pm Gates Open at 5:30 pm

Food Available for Purchase at the Event by the Brick Oven Catering
Fresh organic Pizzas and Salads
Old Wood Fired pizza oven on site used to cook thin Crust pizzas with fresh local produce & organic flour

Hors d'oeuvres Provided by Raley's and Bel air

No alcoholic beverages allowed other than wine purchased at McConnell Estates Winery - per State Law
Ice chest and bags Subject to search

Bring low back lawn chairs & blankets for lawn Seating - Seating is limited

September 18th at 6:30pm 
 
The Bad Catz 
Rockin Blues Band 
 
******************************************* 
October 2nd at 6:30pm 
 
Classic Rock at the Winery 
 
RENEGADE 
Tribute To STYX 
& 
The Best Of The Best Classic Rock Show 
*********************************************** 
For more information please call or e-mail 
Randy Meusling 916-416-9689 
All shows start at 6:30pm 
gates open at 5:00pm 
 
$10.00 pp in-advance call 916-685-5368 
$12.00 pp at the gate day of show 
 
McConnell Estates Winery 
10686 W. Stockton Blvd. Elk Grove 
www.mcconnellestates.com 

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Tour Date Update

Tommy Castro Band On Tour
Upcoming Tour Dates

8/15/2010 - Nicasio, CA - Rancho Nicasio

8/16/2010 - Chico, CA - Sierra Nevada Brewery

8/21/2010 - Wausau, WI - Big Bull Falls Blues Festival

8/22/2010 - Marshfield, MA - North River Blues Festival

8/27/2010 - Monte Rio, CA - Highland Dell Restaurant and Lodge

8/28/2010 - Crockett, CA - Toot's Tavern

9/2/2010 - Avila Beach, CA - Avila Beach Resort (with ZZ Top)
9/4/2010 - Sebastopol, CA - HopMonk Tavern

9/5/2010 - Eureka, CA - Blues By The Bay

9/10/2010 - Fairfield, CA - Pepperbelly's

9/11/2010 - Kirkwood, CA - The White Hawk Ride - Kirkwood Mountain Resort

9/15/2010 - La Jolla, CA - Birch Aquarium at Scripps

9/16/2010 - Las Vegas, NV - Boulder Station Casino

9/17/2010 - Santa Barbara, CA - Warren Hall

9/18/2010 - Bakersfield, CA - B-Town Blues Festival

9/19/2010 - Sacramento, CA - The Eagle (KSEG) Biker Bash

9/25/2010 - Private Function
10/2/2010 - San Rafael, CA - Andy's Summerfest
10/16/2010 - Hermosa Beach, CA - Cafe Boogaloo

10/17-24/2010 - San Diego, CA - Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise - Pacific

10/29/2010 - Redwood City, CA - Wings Learning School Benefit

10/30/2010 - Santa Cruz, CA - Moe's Alley

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ALLIGATOR RECORDING ARTIST LEE ROCKER TO PERFORM LIVE IN AUBURN!

Hard rocking tunes, twang-rich guitars and doghouse bass...top-notch performances, terrific vocals and songwriting.   Billboard

Bassist/vocalist/songwriter (and Stray Cat) Lee Rocker, touring in support of his latest CD, Black Cat Bone, will perform at the Gold Country Fair in Auburn on Thursday, September 9, 2010. The new CD is a solid slice of Americana, filled with powerful, original songs and amazing musicianship. And when the band performs live, they leave audiences begging for more. Concert information is as follows:

Date: Thursday, September 9
Venue: Gold Country Fair-Coors Main Stage
Address: 1273 High Street
City: Auburn, CA
Phone: 530-823-4533
Showtime: 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Ticket price: $5-$8, children five and under free
Website: www.goldcountryfair.com

Since the release of his Alligator debut, Racin  The Devil, Rocker s solo career has been skyrocketing. Publications from USA Today to Billboard raved about Rocker s music. OffBeat declared,  What s most satisfying about Lee Rocker is his ability to graft classic Sun licks and shuffles onto Americana. He bridges the gap between Bruce Springsteen and Hank Williams, Sr.  Lee s live shows, fueled by his barnstorming, rocking band, grow wilder each night out. 

With musical muscle from his road-tested band (guitarists Brophy Dale and Buzz Campbell, and drummer Jimmy Sage) Black Cat Bone is an amazing collection of ten Rocker originals (and one co-written with guitarist Brophy Dale), one song by guitarist Buzz Campbell, and reinvented covers from Bob Dylan (One More Night) and Leon Payne (Lost Highway, made famous by Hank Williams). The CD s scorching rockabilly, roadhouse romps and straight-ahead, old-school rock  n  roll create by far the strongest set of songs of Rocker s solo career. 

Born Leon Drucker in Massapequa, Long Island in 1961 to world-renowned classical musician parents, Rocker grew up with music all around him. He began taking classical cello lessons at age eight and initially hated them, but ultimately grew to enjoy playing. As his ears widened into rock 'n' roll, he picked up the electric bass, and quickly mastered the instrument. During grade school, his close friends included Jimmy McDonnell (later to become Slim Jim Phantom) and Brian Setzer. The three jammed together often, playing a wide variety of rock 'n' roll, before discovering classic blues musicians like Muddy Waters and rockabilly giants like Carl Perkins. Rocker picked up the acoustic bass to emulate the sounds he heard on those records, and the band began playing more and more roots music. By 1979, this trio, now known as The Stray Cats, began to single-handedly revive rockabilly music in the U.S. and eventually around the world. 

Adding a contemporary punk attitude to traditional slap-bass, twangy guitar and drums, The Stray Cats headlined famous New York haunts like CBGB's and Max's Kansas City, drawing overflow crowds every time they played. They moved to London in 1980 and became an even bigger success, even attracting The Rolling Stones to their shows. The group's first American album, 1982's Built For Speed, became a huge hit, and held the #2 spot on the Billboard chart for 26 weeks, right behind Michael Jackson's Thriller. 

By 1984 the group was exhausted and decided to temporarily call it quits. But the furious touring of the early 1980s turned Rocker into one of the best showmen working in any genre. In 1985 Rocker and Phantom hooked up with ex-David Bowie guitarist Earl Slick to form Phantom, Rocker & Slick, scoring a minor hit with the song Men Without Shame. The Stray Cats reformed in 1986, performing together briefly. Rocker never stopped rocking, as he befriended and collaborated with his hero Carl Perkins as well as with Dave Edmunds, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Jeff Beck and Willie Nelson.

Rocker's solo career took off in 1994 with the release of Big Blue and in 1995 with Atomic Boogie Hour, both on Black Top Records. Four more releases followed, and Rocker toured relentlessly, becoming one of the premiere Americana/ rockabilly/ roots artists in the U.S. and Europe. In 2002, Rocker toured the U.S. with ex-Elvis Presley guitarist Scotty Moore. In 2003 The Stray Cats reunited for an 18-city tour of Europe, culminating in a filmed show at London's Brixton Academy. The show was released on DVD as Rumble In Brixton in 2004. This summer, The Stray Cats will reunite once again to play to tens of thousands of appreciative fans across the U.S.
With Racin  The Devil, Rocker reclaimed his spot in the rockabilly world and forged a new base with fans of Americana. From garage rockers and deeply textured roots anthems to the rockabilly sounds he helped reinvent, Racin  The Devil is a rich piece of American music, as timeless and unique as the songs Rocker fell in love with as a youngster. Now, with Black Cat Bone, Rocker returns with the most rock solid album of his career. With his band rocking, rolling, and burning behind him, this legendary musician will continue to rip it up and rock it out all around the world.

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CARRERA PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Contact:  Mary Carrera 
       916.941.9001
       mcarrera@carrera-productions.com

AN EVENING WITH ROY ROGERS & THE DELTA RHYTHM KINGS AND LUKAS NELSON & THE PROMISE OF THE REAL - LAKEHILLS GREEN, 
EL DORADO HILLS, THURSDAY, SEPT. 16TH
 
FOLSOM, CA. August 9, 2010. Carrera Productions is proud to announce a very special evening with two amazing bands - together for one night of unforgettable music at Lakehills Green in El Dorado Hills on Thursday, September 16, 2010. (Venue Address: 7000 Rossmore Lane, on hill just above Town Center - behind Regal Cinema).
Roy Rogers is an 8 time Grammy nominee for producing, songwriting and performance and one of the premier slide guitarists today. He is also an internationally acclaimed producer for John Lee Hooker (winning two Grammy Awards and four nominations) and Ramblin' Jack Elliott (two Grammy nominations). He has received numerous awards and accolades from around the world. For years Roy has been widely recognized as one of the finest practitioners and innovators of modern slide guitar. Guitar Player said, "Many guitarists dabble in slide guitar, but the number of modern masters can probably be counted on one hand. Roy Rogers is surely one of them." 
Guitarist, singer and songwriter Lukas Nelson was born in Austin, Texas, raised on his father Willie Nelson's famed Honeysuckle Rose bus, and now based out of Venice Beach, California, the 21-year-old Nelson is no stranger to the road, with his first trip on the bus at 5 weeks old on a tour by The Highwaymen (the supergroup featuring his father, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson). He is joined in the aptly-named Promise of the Real by drummer Anthony LoGerfo, bassist Corey McCormick and percussionist Tato Melgar. The band has released a well-received EP, Brando's Paradise Sessions, produced by former Oingo Boingo bassist John Avila, and plans to release a full album in the not too distant future. 
Tickets for this incredible night of entertainment are available on line at: 
www.carrera-productions.com/tickets - and are only $32 in advance, $37 at the gate. The Lakehills Green is located at 7000 Rossmore Lane, El Dorado Hills - overlooking the El Dorado Hills Town Center - on hill behind Regal Cinemas. The Gates open at 5PM - show runs from 6-9:30 PM. The event is general admission, No Outside Food or Alcohol (personal bottled water fine), beer, wine, food, water/soft drinks available at very reasonable prices. Bring low-back chairs, blankets - high back chairs and umbrellas OK off to sides or in the back. More information and tickets available on-line at www.carrera-productions.com. A portion of net proceeds from this event will benefit the El Dorado Arts Council. Other sponsors include: Mountain Democrat, Village Life, Eagle 96.9, Money Mailer, Shingle Springs Nissan Subaru, Overcome Fitness Center, Town Center Family Chiropractic, Foreign Autohaus, Pete's Restaurant & Brewhouse, Ruffhaus Hot Dog Company, Mira Flores Winery and Coors Light. 
CARRERA PRODUCTIONS IS OWNED-OPERATED BY MARY CARRERA - WITH EVENT MANAGEMENT/PRODUCTION RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EVENTS SUCH AS: COLOMA BLUES LIVE, EL DORADO HILLS ART & WINE AFFAIRE AND THE THURSDAY NIGHT CONCERTS "LIVE ON THE BOULEVARD" AT THE EL DORADO HILLS TOWN CENTER - WITH MORE TO COME!

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Blue Miles Sextet in Lotus!

Greetings Everyone 

Many thanks to all of you who joined us for the Keith Greeninger and Dayan Kai concert - what an incredible performance they gave us !! We really enjoyed and appreciated having you all here to experience such a wonderful evening of music. 

We are very excited about our final house concert for the season & are planning a very special evening for the culmination of our 2010 series.

On September 11th the Blue Miles Sextet will perform on stage at our venue . This band, powered by a Hammond B3 organ, features 5 talented musicians from the Sacramento/Stockton/Davis area.

Miles Cope Accomplished vocalist,instrumentalist and lyricist. Miles Cope has been an integral part of the California music scene for the last twenty five years. He has produced and organized numerous benefits and concerts featuring nationally acclaimed jazz & blues artists,as well as his own multi-faceted "Miles Cope Quartet, " and his newest group "The Blue Miles Band". He has opened for headliner Lou Rawls , renowned Bay Area jazz pianist Smith Dobson , and the dynamic Bob Doscher Quartet. He has recently released his second CD with his quartet featuring Capital City greats, jazz pianist Joe Gilman, guitarist Steve Homan, Berkley bassist Fred Randolph and drummer Jeff Redlausk. 

UC Davis jazz director Delbert Bump has established himself in the musical world as a performing artist playing piano, keyboards, and jazz organ. He has released seven CDs and a number of other recordings representing various aspects of his unique performance and compositional style. He is a jazz educator of the highest caliber, having the experience of teaching at the college level for more than 30 years. Bump has written for big bands, combos, television, and radio, and he has received numerous awards. His output as a composer with respect to the jazz literature is significant. Currently, he maintains a full schedule as a performer, locally and nationally; as a teacher at Solano Community College and here at UC Davis; and as the leader of an organ trio, a latin sextet, and an organ-driven big band. 

Bump is featured in three tracks on Mike Clark's new album, Carnival of Soul, now sold and played nationally.

Darius Babazadeh (saxophone), a multi-instrumentalist, composer and music educator, who has toured Asia, Europe, Russia, and the USA with Paul Anka, Johnny Mathis, Natalie Cole, the Temptations, Jessica Williams, Xavier Cugat, Mumbo Gumbo, Stan Lunetta, Joe Gilman and Lynard Skynard. Since touring, Darius formed DBaba Project.
Steve Homan (Guitar) - Steve, an accomplished guitarist, composer and instructer has released a number of CDs playing with artists such as Joe Gillman, Cheri Murphy, Delbert Bump, Anita O'day and Gene Estes. Steve performs regularly throughout the region.
Francesca Homan (Vocals) - Performing with Steve Homan Blue Miles and other jazz ensambles in the area, Francesca will add her fabulous vocals to the mix.
Tony Dey (drums) - Was Van Morrison's, as well as a host of other greats, Drummer of choice.

As you can tell, this promises to be another amazing night of music under the stars! Don't miss this one!! 

Please visit out website for more information and to request an invitation.
www.lotushocuspocus.com/houseconcerts
or call 530 622-4914 530 622-4914

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What going on at the BLUEROOM LOUNGE ? 
 
Blueroom Lounge Update
 
This Friday Night August 24th

at the Blueroom Lounge 

its the Band MR. DECEMBER 

This is going to be a great party starting at 9:00pm 

hope to see you all out to party with 

MR. DECEMBERThank you
for more information
Randy Meusling
916-416-9689

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Powerhouse Sunday Night Jam

Blues Lovers,
 
Hey, here s a personal invitation to come out and join us at the Powerhouse Pub in Historic Folsom this Sunday evening for the Powerhouse Sunday Night Jam between 7-10:30 pm. 
 
This Sunday we ll have a horn section too! Join Kenny Nichols, Jim Cobb, Marty Deradoorian, Michael Haviland, Deacon Baker and Ricky V. We ll also be giving away a couple of Northern California Blues Festival tickets featuring Elvin Bishop, Zac Harman, SBR, Chris Cain, Dennis Jones, Kaye Bohler and Volker Strifler during the jam.
 
There s a lot going on with the blues on Sunday afternoons. When you re done with your afternoon ventures, come out to Historic Folsom and the Powerhouse Pub, enjoy a beer, pizza, friends and a little music before you have to go back to work on Monday morning. We have a GREAT sounding stage! 
 
Ricky V

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The Return of Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave.Friday September 17! Supafunkrock Party!
 
A Swell September! 
Swell Productions Announces The Return of Trombone Shorty 
& Orleans Avenue on Friday, September 17

(Sacramento, CA) Direct from New Orleans! Swell Productions is happy to announce the young New Orleans sensations are returning to Sacramento: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue are back by popular demand on Friday, September 17 at Harlow s. Twelve weeks and counting as Billboard chart toppers!

Friday, September 17
Direct from New Orleans! High octane Supafunkrock!
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Harlow's
2708 J St./Sacramento, CA 95814
Doors: 8 PM
Showtime: 9 PM
Harlow's is accepting dinner reservations prior to the concert this night. Call 916-441-4693.
Advance tickets: $20 /$25 @ the door available now online at www.harlows.com 

You'd be hard pressed to find a star rising faster than Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews. The 24 year old (equally adept on trombone and trumpet) is a product of New Orleans' culturally rich Treme neighborhood; he was a bandleader by the age of six. Now, he & his blistering band, Orleans Avenue, are headlining jazz, jam, blues and rock festivals internationally. The group s performances have been known to run for hours at an energy level that few others could sustain for a much shorter performance. 

In 2010 alone, 24-year-old New Orleans singer /songwriter/multi-instrumentalist and all-around musical powerhouse Andrews released "Backatown"(Verve), performed on David Letterman, Good Morning America and ESPN's SportsCenter pre-Super Bowl show. And, four appearances - as himself - for the HBO series 'Treme'.

Rare indeed is the artist with the virtuosity, elegance and class to draw the unqualified respect of some of the most iconic legends in jazz--- and the ability to deliver a high-energy funk rock show capable of mesmerizing international rock stars.

Troy possesses the rarest combination of talent, technical capability and down home soul. I m his biggest fan" says Wynton Marsalis. "We were mesmerized by him" says U2's The Edge. Andrews was honored as the subject choice for the official poster of the 2009 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival; and is roundly acknowledged as the torchbearer for New Orleans music across the globe.

Special guest opening this hot night will be Sacramento's funky new favorite soul band, 
The Nibblers. The Nibblers, a seven piece band, feature Mikey Palmer (bass) and Reggie Marks (sax) and Jon Wood (guitar) from Mumbo Gumbo and are led by singer Hans Eberbach. www.myspace.com/thenibblersfunk 

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Sacramento Blues Society Event

"8th Annual Blues Divas Galore Show"
Our Blues Women 
Lady Bianca 
Tess & Hip Trash 
Lena Mosley 

Please join the Sacramento Blues Society on Saturday evening, August 21, 2010 for our 8th Annual "Blues Divas Galore" Showcase presentation!

For more information, visit our web site or call Liz Walker - Event Chair (916) 712-7277.

SacBlues Band & Solo/Duo Invitation

Compete For A Trip To Memphis 
You're Invited! 
International Blues Challenge 

Memphis in February 2011 ! 
The winning act will represent the SBS at the 2011 IBC in Memphis and receive a $1500 travel voucher. 
Entry Form for the SBS Combined Competition 
 
Dear OBD, 
The Sacramento Blues Society is conducting the annual "IBC Competition" October 10, 2010. Please go to our web site to download an entry form! 
Entrants must have a valid Sacramento Blues Society membership in good standing and be willing to travel to Memphis to represent the SBS at the 27th International Blues Challenge being held February 1-5, 2011. 
Fine Print 
The cut-off date to apply is October 3, 2010.

Limited to first 10 acts who sign up and are qualified!

IBC rules & qualifications apply. Impartial judges will be from the local & regional blues music community and will follow the official criteria outlined by The Blues Foundation.

Past SBS representatives include: 2010 Fire & Wheels & Volker Strifler, 2009 - The Aces & Lew Fratis & Jimmy Pailer, 2008 - The Delta Wires & Pinkie Rideau & Ron Cook, 2007 - The Lara Price Band & Marta Gee, 2006 - Sumac's Soul Heaven Band, 2005 - Gayiel Von & Witness This! and a few years back, Marshal Wilkerson's Band.
DATE: October 10, 2010 
TIME: 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM 
LOCATION: Capitol City Hotel Ballroom 
Apply Now 

For the 'fine print' and a 'downloadable' entry form, please go to our web site. For more information or questions, please contact our IBC Coordinator, Kim DuVall: Info@SacBlues.Com. 
Sincerely, 

Willie Brown - President 
Sacramento Blues Society

email: wsbrown1@prodigy.net 
phone: 916-443-9212

SacBlues Supported Benefit

Side-By-Side Benefit 
September 11, 2010 

Dear OBD, 
Please join the Sacramento Blues Society in supporting the Side-By-Side benefit to be held on September 11, 2010 at the Torch Club in downtown Sacramento, CA. 
All proceeds will benefit "Side-By-Side". A program that provides a safe environment for homeless musicians and others at Loaves & Fishes near downtown Sacramento. 
Sincerely, 

Willie Brown, President 
Sacramento Blues Society

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Veterans Benefit Concert

We are working on a benefit concert and festival to recover the funds for the Veterans Community Center in Marysville. The date is October 16 at Mervyn s Feather River Pavilion in Marysville. The venue holds 12,000 people. We are looking for volunteers to help with security per Marysville Code 2.48.520 the minimum would be 15 and the maximum if we can fill it would be 42. We need to provide a medical tent with 3 to 12 cots, one doctor or certified EMT. I would like more. We need one ambulance. We need porta potties. This is all for the minimum and maximum requirements for the venue. The most important is a funds coordinator. I am assuming the VA facility is a 501 3C and need a method to receive and disburse funds.

Our lineup so far is funk band Lydia Pense and Cold Blood, from the Ritchie Valens family, little brother Mario and the Backyard Blues Band, and Popa Dave Montano and his  new  hired guns. We have a couple of talented local bands, and we are working on a couple of special guests but until I get a confirmation I can t let the names out. The Backyard Blues Band are performing some of Ritchie s unreleased songs so this should be a treat. This is the brainchild of Popa Dave Montano, a disabled Veteran and musician. Popa began his music career at the tender age of three when he began performing with his uncle on the local radio station. Popa a singer, songwriter and bass player has played with many top musicians like the late, great John Lee Hooker, Freddie King, Bo Diddley, Deacon Jones, Lydia Pense and has opened for Rick Darringer, Outlaws, Johnnie Winter, Edgar Winter, Little Feat, Todd Rundgren, Texas Slim and the Sundowner Boys just to name a few.

Lydia Pense and Cold Blood is well known in the bay area and recently toured Japan. Lydia is known for her dynamic vocals reminiscent of Janis Joplin except smoother. 

Thank you in advance for your help but mostly thank you for your service.

Respectfully,

Tiffany Montano
11997 Oro Quincy Hwy.
Berry Creek, CA 95916-9780
530-589-4667
tiffany@tiffanysart.com
Books by Tiffany:
Environmentalism and Government Run Amuck
Exposed: the Solar Energy Con
Reflections in Poetry, Chue's Trip and Squirrelly Squirrel

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ALLIGATOR RECORDS NEWS BRIEFS 7-30-10

TOMMY CASTRO AND CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE WIN LIVING BLUES READERS' POLL AWARDS
On July 28, 2010, Living Blues magazine announced that Tommy Castro won the 2010 Living Blues Readers' Poll Award for Best Blues Album of 2009 for his Alligator Records release, Hard Believer. Charlie Musselwhite, whose new Alligator CD The Well will be released on August 24, won the award for Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica).
In other award news, Janiva Magness, The Holmes Brothers, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, Tommy Castro and Guitar Shorty all received nominations for DownBeat's 75th Annual Readers Poll. Fans can vote by going to MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "mailman.305spin.com" claiming to be www.downbeat.com and clicking on the banner for Readers Poll.
Castro, Magness, The Holmes Brothers, and Rick Estrin also received nominations for the 2010 Blues Blast Awards, presented by The Blues Beat magazine. Voting takes place at MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "mailman.305spin.com" claiming to be www.thebluesbeat.com until August 31.

THE HOLMES BROTHERS PLAY NPR'S 
TINY DESK CONCERT
The Holmes Brothers (Wendell Holmes, Sherman Holmes and Popsy Dixon) will perform an intimate, semi-acoustic NPR Tiny Desk Concert on Monday, August 2, 2010. The concert is available at the NPR website, and can be viewed anytime on and after August 2 at MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "mailman.305spin.com" claiming to be http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92071316. 
Paste magazine called the band's latest CD, Feed My Soul "raucous, joyful, lusty and reverent. Utterly uncategorizable except for the honesty and the heart, it's best to simply call Feed My Soul great."

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ALLIGATOR RECORDS SIGNS BLUES HARMONICA GIANT JAMES COTTON
NEW CD, GIANT, SET FOR SEPTEMBER 28 STREET DATE
Grammy Award-winning blues harmonica master James "Mr. Superharp" Cotton returns to Alligator Records with the new CD, Giant, set for a September 28 release. Giant is a ferocious blast of brash power blues from Cotton, one of the few bluesmen to have harmonicas literally explode from the pure force of his playing. Cotton, who in 2010 celebrates his 66th year as a professional musician (starting at the age of nine), has recorded 28 solo albums, including two highly-regarded releases for Alligator in the 1980s and the famed Harp Attack! with Junior Wells, Carey Bell and Billy Branch in 1990. The New York Daily News calls Cotton "the greatest living blues harmonica player." The New York Times adds, "Cotton helped define modern blues harmonica with his moaning, wrenching phrases and his train-whistle wails." Rolling Stone says Cotton is "among the greats of all time. He blazes on harp with remarkable and brilliant virtuosity."
Recorded by Stuart Sullivan at Wire Recording in Austin, Texas, Giant features 12 tracks, including four new Cotton originals and co-writes, alongside songs made famous by Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Ivory Joe Hunter and others. Throughout his career, Cotton has always had great bands, and the players on Giant are no exception. With guitarists/vocalists Slam Allen and Tom Holland, bassist Noel Neal (Ronnie James Weber on one song) and drummer Kenny Neal, Jr., Giant is not just a reminder of Cotton's legendary status, it is a remarkably vibrant and hard-hitting album made by one of the true blues masters.
Between his larger-than-life personality, his huge, boogie-blast-furnace sound and his massive frame, James Cotton is a blues giant in every respect. Born in Tunica, Mississippi on July 1, 1935, Cotton actually grew up on a cotton plantation. The youngest of eight brothers and sisters, he received a fifteen-cent harmonica for Christmas as a very small boy and mastered it almost immediately. He began listening to Sonny Boy Williamson's King Biscuit Time on KFFA from Helena, Arkansas and learned to imitate the older bluesman note for note. In 1944, after both of his parents had passed away, Cotton's uncle recognized the nine-year-old boy's talent and took him to Helena to meet his hero. Upon first meeting Sonny Boy, Cotton began playing the elder blueman's famous licks. Sonny Boy was amazed. The two became close, and Cotton spent many nights traveling with Williamson to juke joints all over the area. Cotton, being too young to enter the clubs, often played for tips outside.
When Williamson left for Milwaukee in 1950, Cotton, now 15, took over Sonny Boy's band. While this arrangement didn't last beyond a few gigs, Cotton got a taste of band leading. He met Howlin' Wolf and soon began touring with him all over the South. Cotton learned all about making it on the road from Wolf, and, though only a teenager, he was determined to succeed. By 1952 his reputation was growing, particularly in West Memphis. He worked often in local juke joints and clubs and, along with drummer Willie Nix, hosted a variety of local radio shows.
In 1953, the teenage Cotton received word that Sun Records owner Sam Phillips wanted to record him. He cut a total of four sides in 1953-54, including the classic Cotton Crop Blues. In 1954, Muddy Waters came through Memphis without Junior Wells, his harp player at the time. Waters was well aware of Cotton's growing reputation and asked him to join his band. Cotton headed to Chicago with Waters, staying by his side for the next 12 years, becoming Muddy's trusted confidante and the leader of his backing band.
The first few years Cotton was with Waters, Chess Records still insisted on having Little Walter record with Muddy. But that changed beginning in 1958, when Cotton joined Waters in the studio, recording on many of Muddy's classics sides, including She's 19 Years Old and Close To You. Cotton convinced Waters to perform and record Got My Mojo Working, and can be heard playing on the definitive version of the song on Waters' 1960 Chess LP, Live At Newport.
By 1966, Cotton was ready to head out on his own. He first recorded sides under his own name for the Chicago/The Blues/Today! series on Vanguard, and along with Otis Spann, cut The Blues Never Die for Prestige. He made his first solo albums - one for Vanguard and three for Verve - in the late 1960s, with bands featuring outstanding musicians, including famed guitarist Luther Tucker and master drummers Sam Lay and Francis Clay. With his gale-force sound and fearless boogie band (later featuring Matt "Guitar" Murphy), it wasn't long before he was adopted by the burgeoning hippie audience as one of their own. Cotton shared stages with Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Santana, Steve Miller, Freddie King, B.B. King and many others. In 1969 he appeared on Hugh Hefner's groundbreaking Playboy After Dark syndicated television program.
Cotton was well-known as one of the hardest-touring and most popular blues artists of the 1970s. His acrobatic showmanship (he often did somersaults on stage) and full-throttle blues kept him in demand at concert halls all over the country; he played the Fillmore East in New York, the Fillmore West in San Francisco and every major rock venue in between. During the decade, he cut an album for Capitol and three for Buddah. He rejoined his old boss Muddy Waters for the series of Muddy albums produced by Johnny Winter, starting with Hard Again in 1977. Cotton also guested on recordings by Howlin' Wolf, Koko Taylor, John Lee Hooker and many others. He was joined on his own albums by stars like Todd Rundgren, Steve Miller and Johnny Winter.
Cotton joined Alligator Records in 1984, releasing High Compression and Live From Chicago: Mr. Superharp Himself!!! (which earned him his very first Grammy nomination). In 1990 he joined fellow harp masters Junior Wells, Carey Bell and Billy Branch for the all-star release Harp Attack!. He won a Grammy Award in 1996 for his Verve album, Deep In The Blues.
During the 2000s Cotton has continued recording and touring relentlessly, playing all over the world. He was inducted into the Blues Hall Of Fame in 2006. The San Francisco Examiner says, "James Cotton is an inimitable blues-harmonica legend. His wailing harmonica blows them away. His jazzy improvisations on the blues are full of fun and good humor. The blues don't get much better."
Today Cotton, while turning over the singing duties to his road band, still blows the reeds right out of his harp. With Giant, James Cotton's aggressive, powerful blues harmonica playing is a true force of nature. In June 2010 Cotton was honored at New York's Lincoln Center, where his friends Hubert Sumlin, Pinetop Perkins, Taj Mahal, Shemekia Copeland and others paid tribute in an all-star concert. There James Cotton played in front of yet another sold-out venue, with fans all cheering the man known worldwide as "Mr. Superharp," an undisputed giant of the blues. 

 

A great link on electric blues guitarists

Hi,

My name is Patricia and I'm a music teacher at a public high school in my town. I've recently been doing research for a lesson plan I'm putting together as an intro into the blues, and I came across your page http://www.sierrabluessociety.org/SBS5.htm . It had some great info, so I thought I would suggest another link http://www.zzounds.com/edu--legendarybluesguitarists that had some excellent information on electric blues guitarists. This article was a great resource for me, and I think it would be a useful addition to your page. 

Thanks for your time, and take care,

Patricia

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The Golden Gate Blues Society will be holding a number of regional events to select a member band to compete in The Blues Foundation's 27th International Blues Challenge (IBC) to be held in Memphis February 2-5, 2011. 

The IBC is world's largest gathering of blues acts and represents an international search by The Blues Foundation and its affiliated organizations for the Blues Band ready to perform on a national stage, but needing that extra break. Some of the blues artists whose careers were launched at the IBC over the years include: Susan Tedeschi, Michelle Wilson, Michael Burks, Albert Cummings, Larry Garner, Richard Johnston, Matthew Skoller and Sean Carney. As 2004 IBC winner Zac Harmon said, "winning the International Blues Challenge is better than having a $100,000 publicity budget." 

We are finalizing dates and details for the events; the band application must be returned by June 30, 2010. Band members must be up-to-date with membership dues and non-member bands can enter by submitting their membership dues with the application. Go to our new I.B.C. page on the website www.tggbs.org to download the rules and application. If you e-mail ibc@tggbs.org, I will send you a pdf.

This is a unique opportunity for bands to gain recognition on the local level not to mention the career boost afforded to the winner. The movers and shakers in the blues attend this event every year to hear "new" bands--a journey to Memphis will yield many benefits.

If you can imagine playing on Beale Street at the most prestigious blues challenge in the world, here's your chance!

Dorothy L. Hill, President

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ALLIGATOR RECORDS NEWS BRIEFS 7-30-10

TOMMY CASTRO AND CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE WIN LIVING BLUES READERS' POLL AWARDS
On July 28, 2010, Living Blues magazine announced that Tommy Castro won the 2010 Living Blues Readers' Poll Award for Best Blues Album of 2009 for his Alligator Records release, Hard Believer. Charlie Musselwhite, whose new Alligator CD The Well will be released on August 24, won the award for Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica).
In other award news, Janiva Magness, The Holmes Brothers, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, Tommy Castro and Guitar Shorty all received nominations for DownBeat's 75th Annual Readers Poll. Fans can vote by going to MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "mailman.305spin.com" claiming to be www.downbeat.com and clicking on the banner for Readers Poll.
Castro, Magness, The Holmes Brothers, and Rick Estrin also received nominations for the 2010 Blues Blast Awards, presented by The Blues Beat magazine. Voting takes place at MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "mailman.305spin.com" claiming to be www.thebluesbeat.com until August 31.

THE HOLMES BROTHERS PLAY NPR'S 
TINY DESK CONCERT
The Holmes Brothers (Wendell Holmes, Sherman Holmes and Popsy Dixon) will perform an intimate, semi-acoustic NPR Tiny Desk Concert on Monday, August 2, 2010. The concert is available at the NPR website, and can be viewed anytime on and after August 2 at MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "mailman.305spin.com" claiming to be http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92071316. 
Paste magazine called the band's latest CD, Feed My Soul "raucous, joyful, lusty and reverent. Utterly uncategorizable except for the honesty and the heart, it's best to simply call Feed My Soul great."

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RICK ESTRIN & THE NIGHTCATS TO PERFORM IN FOLSOM!

An amazing blues harmonica player, soulful vocalist and brilliant, original songwriter.   San Francisco Chronicle

Blues harmonica master /singer/songwriter Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, touring in support of their debut CD, Twisted, will perform live in Folsom on Saturday, July 24, 2010. For more than 30 years and nine albums, Estrin fronted the jumping, swinging Little Charlie & The Nightcats, featuring guitarist Little Charlie Baty. With Baty s recent retirement from touring, Estrin along with the Nightcats  longtime rhythm section of J. Hansen and Lorenzo Farrell and a new member, fiery guitarist Kid Andersen takes the lead on his own. Concert information is as follows:

Saturday, July 24
Po  Boyz
9580 Oak Ave. Pkwy., #8
Folsom, CA
916-987-2886
Time: TBA
$10 general admission / $5 blues society members
www.poboyzfolsom.com

The band s debut album, Twisted, while still swinging the blues, is a harmonica-driven, rocking, guitar-fueled rave-up. Featuring 14 songs (including 10 Estrin originals, two by Kid Andersen, one by Hansen, and a superb band-created instrumental), Twisted showcases Rick s seemingly effortless command of the harmonica, his streetwise vocals and his remarkable original songs. 

Rick Estrin ranks among the very best harp players, singers and songwriters in the blues world today. His work on the reeds is deep in the tradition of harmonica masters Sonny Boy Williamson II and Little Walter Jacobs, while at the same time pushing that tradition forward. His award-winning original songs have been favorably compared with those of Willie Dixon and the team of Leiber and Stoller. And his hipster, street-smart vocals are the perfect vehicle for driving those songs home.

In addition to his harmonica and vocal skills, Rick Estrin is a songwriter of unparalleled talent. Critics have compared him to Cab Calloway, Louis Jordan and Willie Dixon. Blues Revue declared,  Estrin has created some of the finest blues songs of any artist on the planet. His carefully wrought lyrics penetrate human weakness with the precision of a boxer, though more often than not, he chooses to leave you laughing after the blow s been struck.  

Besides Estrin s songwriting and musical skills, he is among the most entertaining and colorful showmen around. His quick wit and his signature look coifed hair, pencil-thin mustache and sharp attire add even more color to his performances.  People don t go out to see people who look like themselves,  says Rick.  They want to see something special. I was schooled in this business to be a showman, and that s what you get when you come to see me perform. 

Estrin was born in San Francisco, California in 1949, and grew up following his own path. He discovered an entirely new lifestyle when, as a 10-year-old boy, he made his way to the tough Market Street area and befriended many of the neighborhood characters. He discovered another new world when his older sister gave him a copy of Ray Charles  The Genius Sings The Blues when he was 12. Albums from Jimmy Reed, Champion Jack Dupree, Mose Allison, Nina Simone and others soon followed. By the time he was a teenager, Estrin had completely identified with the urban, African American culture surrounding him. 

Rick got his first harmonica at age 15, and by age 18 was proficient enough to begin sitting in at black clubs around the city. He first jammed with blues master Lowell Fulson and almost immediately was hired to open five shows for Z.Z. Hill. He worked five nights a week for almost a year with guitar legend Travis Phillips in a band fronted by famed pimp/bluesman Fillmore Slim (who was the centerpiece of the acclaimed Hughes Brothers documentary American Pimp). Phillips introduced Estrin to Rodger Collins, the man who would become Rick s first real musical mentor, and who schooled Rick on the finer points of songwriting and show business. He moved to Chicago and worked with Johnny Young, Eddie Taylor, Sam Lay and Johnny Littlejohn before meeting and jamming with Muddy Waters. In fact, Muddy wanted Estrin to go on the road with him, but due to nothing more than a missed phone call, it never happened. 

Because of that missed connection, Rick eventually moved back to the Bay Area, met Little Charlie Baty and formed Little Charlie & The Nightcats. For the next 30 years, the band barnstormed around the globe, honing their skills and entertaining countless people. Now, as Rick Estrin & The Nightcats release Twisted and tour the country, they ll bring their raucous, rocking blues to fans both old and new. Clubs will be packed, dance floors will be filled and a guaranteed great time will be had by all.

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