JUNE 2012 1

JUNE 2012

Vol. 19.6 $1.00

Charlotte Blues Society

PO Box 32752

Charlotte, NC28232-2752

www.CharlotteBluesSociety.org

BLUESunday ~ June 3, 2012

The RED DIRT REVELATORS are a dirty blues roots band, and not in the manner of lyrics or

distortion. The dirt is in the grooves -- Red Dirt grooves -- with lyrics that reveal a story, a truth,

and sometimes even an emotional Revelation.

The Red Dirt Revelators are powered by the irresistible "Big Deluxe" dirt engine of

Jason Gardner on drums, and Clay Ford on bass. The band gets their

supercharger cut from the incredible guitar work of Tony Rogers and the voice of

Willie Shane Johnston. When he gets to revelatin' on harp and stormin’ the room

with that “nasty” voice, he couldn't hold back the gasoline even if he wanted to.

Willie Shane Johnston was raised in Grenada, MS. He graduated from the RIM

program of MTSU in Murfreesboro, TN. In Blacksburg, VA, Willie had the opportunity

to build and operate Real2Reel recording studios now operated by Virginia Tech. He

now enjoys songwriting and performing in NC. Willie has performed in WSNB,

Skokat, Contagious Blues Band, and Electric Woodshed

After growing up in Burton, Michigan, Tony Rogers left the Navy after performing

actions that remain classified, and ventured his way to the Hardin Village of North

Carolina. Tony was songwriter and guitarist for his wife, the award winning legend

Robin Rogers. In addition to backing up the amazing entertainer and guitarist

Debbie Davies, Tony has also spent time cultivating music as a solo artist.

Jason Gardner has played drums for WSNB, Uncle Jam Band, Blues Kravin, and The

Blue Flames. As a baby, Jason was mysteriously found in a basket after a lightning

storm, and raised in a pool hall in Marion, North Carolina, filling in on drums at his

grandfather’s juke joint when the adult players had consumed too much “listening

fluid” to continue to play.

Clay Ford has played bass for WSNB, Uncle Jam Band, and The Terry Eckerd Band.

Hailing from Hudson, NC, Clay was reportedly to have hit the ground as a baby,

walking and talking, and with a knowledge of beef cattle and masonry. The family

says he grew to full size in just eight weeks. With his giant hands and natural

rhythm, his mama said he was a natural born bass man.

Old Friends with a New Sound … come check out the

Red Dirt Revelators ~ BLUESunday ~ June 3

The Double Door Inn

Doors open at 7:00

Music starts 8:00

1218 Charlottetown Ave.

704-376-1446

CBS Members – FREE

Non-members – $5:00

(2) Bluesletter

Reminder: We are looking for incentives for members so if your company or

business offers discounts for non-profits and their members or if you work for

a matching contributions company, let us know!!!

See ya Sunday!!

Diva

CBS TEES

Long-sleeve & Short-sleeve

White on Blue Blue on White

Prices range from $15 to $25

Pick up yours at BLUESunday or order from our website at www.CharlotteBluesSociety.org

JUNE 2 @ THE DOUBLE DOOR INN

TOM PRINCIPATO’S 60th BIRTHDAY PARTY!

Tom Principato has spent the last 40+ years as a guitarist and singer based in his hometown of Washington, D.C. He has been setting the

telecaster on fire all across the globe with some of the finest performers for over 25 years. He has performed on dozens of blues

recordings and is still making ground breaking American music

enjoyed by fans across the world.

Tom Principato is one of the most unique guitarists around, combining his rich blues background with high-energy rock, and

a highly charged, emotionally expressive delivery.

Help him celebrate his 60th birthday on June 2 at The Double Door Inn. Advance Tickets on Sale Now.

BLUESunday ~ June 3 featuring

Red Dirt Revelators

JUNE 2012 3

Another great jam last month.

Com’on to BLUESunday and join in the fun.

We’ll be jammin’ after our featured guest!

(4) Bluesletter

33rd BLUES MUSIC AWARDS WERE HELD MAY 10

Each year, The Blues Foundation presents the Blues Music Awards to the artists selected by its members. They are universally recognized as the highest honor given to Blues artists.

Category winners are listed below. To review all the nominees, go to www.blues.org

Acoustic Album of the Year

David Maxwell & Otis Spann - Conversations In Blue

Acoustic Artist of the Year Eric Bibb

Album of the Year Tedeschi Trucks Band - Revelator

B.B. King Entertainer of the Year Tab Benoit

Band of the Year Tedeschi Trucks Band

Best New Artist Debut Samantha Fish – Runaway

Contemporary Blues Album Tab Benoit - Medicine

Contemporary Blues Female Artist Susan Tedeschi

Contemporary Blues Male Artist Tab Benoit

DVD of the Year Ruthie Foster - Live At Antone's (Blue Corn)

Gibson Guitar Award Derek Trucks

Historical Album

Howlin' Wolf - Smokestack Lightning (Chess Records)

Best Instrumentalist – Bass Biscuit Miller

Best Instrumentalist – Drums Chris Layton

Best Instrumentalist – Harmonica Charlie Musselwhite

Best Instrumentalist – Horn Terry Hanck

Best Instrumentalist – Other Sonny Rhodes (lap steel guitar)

Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year Marcia Ball

Rock Blues Album Joe Bonamassa - Dust Bowl

Song of the Year "The Lord Is Waiting The Devil Is Too" - Johnny Sansone

Soul Blues Album Bobby Rush - Show You A Good Time

Soul Blues Female Artist Denise LaSalle

Soul Blues Male Artist Curtis Salgado

Traditional Blues Album Various Artists - Chicago Blues: A Living History -

The (R)evolution Continues

Traditional Blues Male Artist Charlie Musselwhite

Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female Artist)

Ruthie Foster

CBS Member Rick Kausch is downsizing … he has a variety of guitars for

sale that are valued from $300 to $3,000. And it’s a WIN-WIN-WIN

situation: You could gain a new guitar, Rick gets paid for making room at

home, and the Charlotte Blues Society gets a percentage of his sales!

Talk to Rick at BLUESunday to learn more about his offer.

Hurry! Before Michael (below) decides on the one he wants!

JUNE 2012 5

(6) Bluesletter

The Nighthawks are having a “Damn Good Time”

The Nighthawks are a roll-up-your-sleeves/drive to the next gig overnight/carry your own gear up the

steps and night after night make people happy kind of band. As they roll into their 40th year, they’ve released a new CD titled DAMN GOOD TIME (Severn Records). “This one’s a roots rocker with that blues driven sound that drove the ‘50s into the history books and gave birth to rock & roll as we know it,” wrote Robert Carraher of The Dirty Lowdown.

The Nighthawks sought not so much to reinvent rock and roll, but simply to have it reinvent itself by taking the original ingredients and following—if somewhat loosely—the original recipe. And like good

cooks, the individual personalities involved ultimately affected the outcome. The band was over 10 years old and had baffled the mainstream industry before the term “roots rock” was coined to explain the likes of West Coasters like Los Lobos and The Blasters. By then, the affiliation with many of the living blues greats seemed to brand The Nighthawks a “blues band,” despite the fact that they played with Carl Perkins as well as Muddy Waters. (—Blues Festival Guide)

Wendy DeWitt & Kirk Harwood release their creative energy.

I have not heard much boogie-woogie music lately, and that is a shame because it always puts me in a good mood when I hear piano with a deft left hand hammering out those dancing rhythms. Fortunately, I just got turned on to INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH, the latest release from Wendy DeWitt and Kirk Harwood (and a few of their friends), which is full of Texas/Chicago boogie-woogie at its best.

Wendy DeWitt supplies the piano expertise and vocals for this project. She has been in the business since the 1980s, and her piano has plenty of Otis Spann and Tommy Thomsen influence. Kirk Harwood performs the drumming chores as well as a few vocals

Industrial Strength not only shows off Wendy’s piano prowess and vocal chops but also her creativity, as she has provided nine original tracks for this album. The album kicks off with “Nervous,” a good example of her mad piano skills and the perfect interplay between her and Kirk Harwood. Though boogie-woogie may seem like a niche of the blues that not everybody will be able to get into, a lot of creativity and energy has gone into making all of the songs on Industrial Strength unique. It is very accessible, and I think it will appeal to a diverse cross-section of blues and/or piano enthusiasts.

(Source: Rex Bartholomew for Blues Blast Magazine)

Blues basics from Big Pete and The Gamblers

Born in Jamaica and raised in Austin, Texas, Big Pete Pearson eventually established himself as Arizona’s King Of The Blues. He played his first gig at the age of nine at The Triple J, an Austin juke joint, unbeknownst to his grandparents who thought he was playing guitar and singing with a spiritual group at the church. He’s been playing the blues with various bands since then for sixty-seven years. Blues seems to run in the family, as he was a mentor to his cousin W.C. Clark. Big Pete’s large and gruff voice sounds like the blues.

CHOOSE is a CD from Modesto Blues Records … it was all done with guitar, bass, drums, and piano – no additional musicians were used, resulting in a stripped down (and refreshing) approach. Big Pete’s warm and booming voice backed up by a band that knows its way around the blues makes for a soothing musical experience. Their no-frills sound must approximate the live experience. A sound that is rooted in the blues basics like this should have the blues Gods smiling in that juke joint in the sky.

(Source: Greg “Bluesdog” Szalony for Blues Blast Magazine)

Zoe Schwarz sees good times ahead with GOOD TIMES

Blue Commotion is a new U.K. band, and Zoe Schwarz has found the ultimate lineup which can fully realize her considerable talent and ambition. The other key personnel include Rob Koral, a guitar maestro who co-writes the beautifully arranged original material with Zoe; harmonica genius

Si Genaro; and, Pete Whittaker, who is a superb soloist and accompanist on Hammond organ.

It is impossible to compare Zoe Schwarz’s voice with anyone else on the blues and jazz scene, past and present, because it is quite simply unique in terms of range, pitch, and timing. She also sings with honesty, emotion, and intensity, which is a tour de force amongst the varied selection of tracks.

These include “Fine and Mellow” by Billie Holiday, Koko Taylor’s “Voodoo Woman,” and Willie Dixon’s “You Shook Me Baby,” which is underpinned by Genaro’s haunting and mellow harp. GOOD TIMES is overall a highly uplifting and joyous album, full of energy, fun, and love, and a signpost to the good times ahead for Blue Commotion.

(Source: Dave Scott for BluesWax)

JUNE 2012 7

SEVERN

Blues Guitarist/Singer Albert Castiglia is Living the Dream

Electric guitar riffs kick off the opening track of his new CD, LIVING THE DREAM (Blues Leaf Records), which is due out June 12. Castiglia announces that this release is something special. And throughout the rest of this impressive new album from the guitar master and former band leader for the legendary Junior Wells, Albert Castiglia delivers big time on the promising steps he’s taken on his previous CDs.

Living the Dream sports an even-dozen tracks dripping with soulful, searing blues, the product of his energetic guitar work - alternatively pensive and reflective, then filled with sparks and fire – melding with a vocal style that pays tribute to the masters, but clearly stamped with Castiglia’s own, inimitable sound. “I'm extremely proud of the work the band and I did on Living the Dream … I was able to churn out some quality original material and the band’s performance on the project was powerful. I'm ready for this CD to hit the shelves and the airwaves so that folks can determine if I’m full of crap or not.” (Source: Blues Festival Guide)

Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials are celebrating 24 rip-roaring years together!

From working at Chicago's Red Carpet Car Wash to appearing on national television, from gigging at the smallest ghetto blues bars to performing on the biggest international concert stages, master bluesmen Lil' Ed Williams has come a long way. They have electrified audiences around the world for nearly a quarter century with their infectious blend of razor-sharp, foot-stomping and soulfully houserockin' Chicago blues.

JUMP START is their most hard-hitting album yet. Mixing smoking slide guitar boogies and raw-boned Chicago shuffles with the deepest slow-burners, Lil' Ed and his blistering Blues Imperials deliver the blues, from gloriously riotous and rollicking to intensely emotional and moving. The band's wildly energetic and seriously soulful new CD is jam-packed with Lil' Ed's incendiary slide playing and rough, passionate singing, as the ragged-but-right Blues Imperials cook like mad alongside him.

You can pre-order Jump Start before the June 5th release date at www.alligator.com — early orders will receive an autographed copy.

Nathan James & the Rhythm Scratchers release WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT

Viewing the cover photograph of this release, one might wonder: “Is that a guitar or a washboard?” Remarkably, it’s both – a homemade instrument dubbed the “Washtar Gitboard”! Nathan James (2007 International Blues Challenge winner in the Solo/Duo category with Ben Hernandez) has never been one to follow convention. As Nathan says in the liner notes to WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT, “[we recorded this album] setting up very few microphones and playing together in the same room without any isolation, or even headphones, to capture as much of our live sound as possible.”

Nathan James became a member of James Harman’s band at the age of 19. Over the years, he has played alongside such other legends as Kim Wilson, Pinetop Perkins, and Billy Boy Arnold. In 2007, he and harp-er Ben Hernandez conquered the Memphis crowd at the International Blues Challenge, winning first place. Five years later, they’re still going strong.

Delta Groove Music defines this CD as “1920s acoustic blues, amplified juke joint hill country, 1950s uptown blues w/ 1960s soulful R&B.” For Nathan James, it works … because modern blues music is “What You Make of It!”

(Source: Rainey Wetnight for Blues Blast)

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Taj Mahal just turned 70! For 50 years, this multi-talented musician has been bringing us the music of the world, re-shaping and re-defining it with the force of his own personality. Legacy Recordings will celebrate by compiling a two-disc collection of previously unreleased studio and live performances entitled The Hidden Treasures of Taj Mahal 1969-1973. (Scheduled for release this Fall.)

Mahal has created an inimitable and enduring body of work, a bedrock blues flavored with strains of West Indian, Caribbean and African music with elements of jazz, rock and reggae flowing effortlessly through the mix. A two-time Grammy winner, Taj Mahal opened the untapped potential of the Delta

Blues, felt the connection to African soul and island rhythms, and became one of world music’s first proponents and champions.

(8) Bluesletter

NC Folk Icon “Doc” Watson

March 3, 1923 ~ May 29, 2012

Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson died Tuesday, May 29, after a fall at his home in Deep Gap, NC, and subsequent abdominal surgery at Wake Forest Baptist medical Center in Winston-Salem. He was 89.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 66 years, Rosa Lee Carlton Watson, and their daughter Nancy Ellen, as well as his two grandchildren, several great-grandchildren, and his brother David Watson, not to mention thousands of guitarists worldwide who fell under his spell.

Doc Watson was a recipient of the National Medal of Arts, a National Heritage Fellowship, and eight Grammy Awards including Grammy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. As President Bill Clinton said when awarding the 1977 National Medal of Arts, "There may not be a serious, committed baby boomer alive who didn't at some point in his or her youth try to spend a few minutes at least trying to learn to pick a guitar like Doc Watson."

"He is single-handedly responsible for the extraordinary increase in acoustic flat-picking and finger-picking performance," folklorist and musician Ralph Rinzler once wrote. "His flat-picking style has no precedent in early country music history." Doc Watson played the acoustic guitar with such pure precision that Bob Dylan once compared his picking to “water running.”

For many years, Watson toured with his son, Merle Watson, who died in a 1985 tractor accident. Merle's memory is honored by

MerleFest, an annual North Carolina roots-music festival that the elder Watson hosted. Held on the last weekend in April since 1988, MerleFest draws more than 75,000 annually to Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, N.C.

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Michael “Iron Man” Burks

July 30, 1957 ~ May 6, 2012

Michael Burks died in Atlanta on Sunday, May 6, 2012, at the age of 54. He was returning from a tour of Europe and collapsed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and could not be revived.

Burks earned his “Iron Man” moniker by his hours-long, intensely physical performances, fearsome guitar attack, and tough, smoky vocals. He also earned it by the thousands of miles he personally logged behind the wheel of his touring van. Burks was a true modern blues hero whose music was driven by an intense, blue collar work ethic that had won him well-deserved national and international recognition. His instantly identifiable guitar sound and his live charisma earned him four Blues Music Award nominations. He won the 2004 Living Blues magazine Critics' Award for Best Guitarist.

Born in Milwaukee in 1957, Burks grew up immersed in the blues, and learned to play guitar at an early age. His family moved to Camden, Arkansas in the early 1970s. There, Burks and his siblings helped their father build the Bradley Ferry Country Club, a 300-seat juke joint. By this time Michael was fronting his own band as well as backing several of the blues and R&B greats that passed through town. Burks left music to raise a family and returned to performing blues in the 1990s.

After self-releasing his first CD in 1997, Burks signed with Chicago's Alligator Records in 2001 and released three critically acclaimed albums. GuitarOne named his debut album, Make It Rain, one of the Top 200 greatest guitar recordings of all time. He toured the world, headlining blues festivals, concert halls and clubs. His status as an Arkansas musical hero was confirmed by his receipt of the prestigious Sonny Payne Award for Blues Excellence in 2006, presented by the Delta Cultural Center, and by his multiple headlining appearances at The Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival. Burks had just finished recording his fourth Alligator CD, which is due for release at the end of July 2012.

A memorial and musical celebration was held on May 20 in Burks’ hometown of Camden, Ark. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations in Burks' name be made to the HART Fund of The Blues Foundation, which aids musicians

with health care needs: http://www.blues.org/#ref=hart_donate.

Michael Burks was one of those cats that I have heard bits and pieces from off of some studio tracks over the years. The obvious was that he sounded quite a bit vocally like Albert King, so of course he would throw a couple of Albert King guitar licks out there to garnish. Well, never assume that one’s power in the studio is what it will be live and in the moment. I had only been able to attend two of his shows at The Double Door in the last 10 years, and made it a point to catch the last one earlier this year. WOW! …… Some things a lot of guitar players don’t get is how to do so much with a little, then save the fire in your playing for when the song needs it, and only when the songs needs it. Don’t over do, take it to a climax, and repeat throughout the night. That, I believe, Burks did effortlessly. It was simply how it was with him. Never a dull moment and always the anticipation for what is to come. He was able to have shows to remember and a talent to be missed.

— Michael James Simonetti, CBS Board Member

JUNE 2012 9

How Sears, Roebuck & Co. Midwifed the Birth of the Blues

Delta blues is as much legend as it is music. In the popular telling, blues articulated the hopelessness and poverty of an isolated, oppressed people through music that was disconnected from popular trends and

technological advances. Delta blues giants like Robert Johnson were victims, buffeted by the winds of racism, singing out mostly for personal solace. The story is undoubtedly romantic, but it just isn’t true. “It angers me how scholars associate the blues strictly with tragedy,” B.B. King complained in his 1999

autobiography Blues All Around Me. “As a little kid,

blues meant hope, excitement, pure emotion.”

The tragic image of the blues that originated in the Mississippi Delta ignores the competitive and entrepreneurial spirit of the bluesman himself. While it is certainly true that the music was forged in part by the legacy of slavery and the insults of Jim Crow, the

iconic image of the lone bluesman traveling the road with a guitar strapped to his back is also a story about innovators seizing on expanded opportunities brought about by the commercial and technological advances of the early 1900s. There was no Delta blues before there were cheap, readily available steel-string guitars. And those guitars, which transformed

American culture, were brought to the boondocks by

Sears, Roebuck & Co.

The first Sears, Roebuck catalog was published in 1888. It would go on to transform America. Farmers were no longer subject to the variable quality and arbitrary pricing of local general

stores. The catalog brought things like washing machines and the latest fashions to the most far-flung outposts. Guitars first appeared in the catalog in 1894 for $4.50 (around $112 in today’s money).

By 1908 Sears was offering a guitar, outfitted for steel strings, for $1.89 ($45 today), making it the cheapest harmony-generating

instrument available.

Throughout the 1910s Delta blacks routinely ordered a wide assortment of goods from Sears, Roebuck, including the instrument that would define them. In an interview with Alan Lomax, Gospel songwriter

Charles Haffner recalled the switch from the reels of the past to the new blues sound: “Back around that time the guitar came into style, and the first blues I remember originated.…Yessir, we were entering into a jazz age, and the old world was being transformed.”

Traveling bluesmen took to the back roads of the

American South. Whether through showmanship, technical wizardry, or lyrical wordplay, bluesmen were engaged in a constant battle for supremacy. Musicians would travel north to absorb new sounds in hopes of getting ahead of the competition, all the while pushing the new music in fresh, more creative

directions.

Guitar quality kept improving while the price kept going down. Soon sharecroppers throughout the Delta were ordering guitars from Sears in hopes of supplementing their income on weekends. The catalog is frequently mentioned in the biographies of Delta bluesmen. In 1930 Muddy Waters purchased a

used Stella, most likely originally purchased from the

catalog, and began playing gigs. He quickly earned enough money to order a brand new guitar from Sears. B.B. King learned the rudiments of the instrument through an instructional book he ordered from the catalog. And of course, blues musicians weren’t the only ones to profit from the availability

of cheap guitars: White country artists such as Roy Clark would get their first instrument from the same catalog that black bluesmen like Son Thomas would.

Article was posted in the Blues Festival Guide Ezine.

Originated from reason.com’s archives entitled “Delta Dawn”

http://reason.com/archives/2012/04/19/delta-dawn

(10) Bluesletter

WHO’S PLAYIING WHERE? BILL MILLER BAND

Fri, 6/8 Stadium Sports Tavern—Charlotte, NC Fri, 6/22 Finz Raw Bar & Grill—Matthews, NC BLUES PROVIDERS Sat, 6/16 The Speakeasy Alehouse—Concord, NC (9PM) DONNA DUNCAN BAND

Sat, 6/23 The Double Door Inn—Charlotte, NC ELLIOTT & THE UNTOUCHABLES Sat, 6/2 Blues-n-Brews Festival—Fayetteville, NC Fri, 6/29 Antler Hill Village, Biltmore—Asheville, NC (4PM)

GENE GENE & THE BLUES MACHINE Sat, 6/23 The Cellar Club—Spartanburg, SC HORSEFLY Thu, 5/31 The Speakeasy Alehouse—Concord, NC Sat, 6/9 “June Tunes” —Mint Hill, NC (7:30PM) (On the lawn at the Mint Hill Tower)

Sat, 6/30 Finz Raw Bar—Matthews, NC JILL DINEEN BAND Sat, 6/2 Z Pi—Albemarle, NC (7PM) Sat, 6/9 Charlotte Roller Girls—Charlotte, NC (6PM) Sat, 6/23 PJ O’reilly’s Irish Pub—Charlotte, NC (8PM) Sat, 6/30 Kickstand Burgers’n’Bar—Charlotte, NC (8PM)

LENNY FEDERAL BAND Every Fri The Comet Grill – Charlotte, NC MAC ARNOLD & PLATE FULL O’ BLUES Sat, 6/2 Blues at the Vineyard—Russellville, TN

Sat, 6/9 Pop Ferguson Blues Fest—Lenoir, NC June 14-July5—European Tour MATTER OF FACT Thu, 6/7 Summit Coffee House*—Davidson, NC (8PM) Sat, 6/9 Conover Tavern*—Conover, NC (8:30PM) Thu, 6/14 Mac’s Speed Shop*—Cornelius, NC (6PM)

Fri, 6/15 McHale’s Irish Pub—Rock Hill, SC Wed, 6/20 Lancaster’s BBQ&Wings*—Mooresville, NC (6:30PM) Thu, 6/21 MantraBash—Ferguson, NC

*A Free “Covering Carolina” event featuring members of MOF)

MICHAEL WOLF & D.B.A. Sat, 6/9 The Speakeasy Alehouse—Concord, NC

Sat, 6/16 The Cellar Club—Spartanburg, SC Sat, 6/23 Miciah’s Speakeasy Club—Mooresville, NC

* Gumbo Motion (Michael Wolf & Donn Livingston)

Fri, 6/1 SkinnyZ—Matthews, NC (8:30PM)

* Wolf, Donn Livingston, & Tara Tucker

20 Years & Growing!

Next date: Sept. 8 Be sure to check bands’ websites,

Facebook, ReverbNation, MySpace, or

“Google Search” for more bookings & updates.

SATURDAY JUNE 23

Noon—8:00 PM

Independence Park

300 Hawthorne Lane

1st Annual Charlotte Bayou Fest

with All-You-Can-Eat Cajun Seafood,

Arts & Crafts, Vendors, & Music

www.charlottebayoufestival.com

Experience the heart and soul of Louisiana in true Cajun style from

special Louisiana spirit, unique Bayou

culture, and Cajun food.

The Charlotte Bayou Festival is a family-friendly event with a lot of

interactive activities such as the kid’s zone, cooking demonstrations,

hot pepper eating contest, caricature artist and sketches,

roaming jugglers, mask making, face painting, games, and

so much more!

The Charlotte Bayou Festival is a

non-profit 501(c)(3) organization

dedicated to providing both a

community-building experience and

raising funds for Charlotte's

emerging arts scene.

JUNE 2012 11

Bringing the Best in Live Music

to the Charlotte Area!

For upcoming events,

log on to www.maxxmusic.com

WHO’S PLAYIING WHERE? NITA B & THE SWINGIN’ SOIREE

Sat, 6/2 Blues-n-Brews Festival—Fayetteville, NC Thu, 6/14 McHale’s Irish Pub—Ft. Mill, SC Sat, 6/16 Swing Dance at Chantilly Hall 2101 Shenandoah Ave., Charlotte, NC Fri, 6/22 Mingling on The Green—Huntersville, NC Sat, 6/23 Common Market, Midwood—Charlotte, NC Fri, 6/29 The Kickstand—Charlotte, NC

Thur, 5/10 McHale’s—Ft. Mill, SC Sat, 5/19 D’vine Wine—Charlotte, NC

* Nita B & Bill Buck Duo

Fri, 6/15 Café Monté (Phillips Place)—Charlotte, NC

Sun, 6/17 Dean & Deluca (Phillips Pl)—Charlotte, NC

Sun, 6/24 Dean & Deluca (Phillips Pl)—Charlotte, NC Sat, 6/30 Café Monté (Phillips Place)—Charlotte, NC

* Nita B Trio

Mon, 6/18 Amelie’s French Bakery—Charlotte, NC NoDa Arts District (8PM) Thur, 6/28 The Comet Grill—Charlotte, NC (8:30PM) PAMELA TAYLOR BAND Fri, 6/1 Blues Blvd—Spartanburg, SC Sat, 6/2 Good Time Charlie’s—Lancaster, SC

Fri, 6/8 Rossy’s liquid Lounge—Spindale, NC Sat, 6/16 The Back Porch—Chester, SC Thu, 6/21 World of Beer (Southend)—Charlotte, NC (8PM) Sat, 6/23 The Comet Bar & Grill—Charlotte, NC Fri, 6/29 OneMor Bar & Grill—Concord, NC

Sat, 6/30 Sparetime Lounge—Albemarle, NC

PART-TIME BLUES BAND Fri, 6/1 River City Bar & Grilll—Mooresville, NC Sat, 6/23 Queens Landing—Mooresville, NC

* Rusty, Mike, Dennis - Acoustic

Every Tues Sports Page Deli – Mooresville, NC Every Wed Sports Page Deli – Denver, NC RED DIRT REVELATORS Sat, 6/2 Freeman’s Pub—Gastonia, NC (9PM) Sun, 6/3 The Double Door Inn—Charlotte, NC (8PM)

(BLUESunday - Charlotte Blues Society) Sat, 6/16 The Bootlegger’s Cabin—Mill Springs, NC

SONNY SKYYZ & THE RAINMAKERS Fri, 6/1 Hojo & CC’s Wing Shack—Mt. Holly, NC Fri, 6/8 the Blue Vine—Salisbury, NC (9PM)

Sat, 6/9 Miciah’s Speakeasy—Mooresville, NC Fri, 6/15 Jeffrey’s—Mooresville, NC (7PM) w/ Mother Blues Cohen & Selwyn Cooper Fri, 6/15 Big Al’s Pub & Grubberia—Mooresville, NC *Rainmakers One-Year Anniversary Party! Sat, 6/16 The County Line—Kernersville, NC Fri, 6/22 The Tavern—Durham, NC

Sat, 6/23 Big Harry’s—Fayetteville, NC SPEAKEASY BLUES COMBO Tue, 6/5 Hosting the Open Mic Blues Jam (7PM) (1st Tues.) Concord Blues Preservation Club The Speakeasy Alehouse—Concord, NC

CLUBS THAT HAVE THE BLUES!

Finz Raw Bar & Grill 704-814-9114 142 E. John St, Matthews, NC

Forty Rod Roadhouse 704-573-1773 9229-15 Lawyers Rd, Mint Hill, NC

Hojo & CC’s Wing Shack 704-827-8867 130 W. Charlotte Ave, Mt. Holly, NC

McHale’s Irish Pub 803-548-2151 1820 Goldhill Rd, Fort Mill, SC

Miciah’s Speakeasy 704-799-0095

229 Medical Park Rd, Mooresville, NC

Skinnyz Bar & Grill 704-893-2157 15060 Idlewild Rd, Charlotte, NC

Smoky Joe’s Café 704-338-9380 510 Briar Creek Rd, Charlotte, NC

>> Open Jam Every Tues. Night <<

Speakeasy Alehouse 704-784-0107 9 Union St. N, Concord, NC

>> Open Jam 1st Tuesdays <<

Thirsty Beaver Saloon 704-332-3612 1225 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC

Tropical Escape Café 803-366-38888 564 N. Anderson Rd, Rock Hill, SC

The Comet Grill 704-371-4300 2224 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC

Wet Willie’s 704-716-5650 900 Seaboard St, Charlotte, NC

>> Blues Every Monday <<

~~~~

We think there are more …

Let us know !!

(12) Bluesletter

JUNE 5

Open

Mic Blues

Jam

Mark your calendars for the 1st Tuesday of each

month! Head out to the Speakeasy Alehouse for the Concord Blues Preservation Club’s Blues Jam.

Hosted by the Speakeasy Blues Combo

Speakeasy Alehouse 704-796-4560

9 Union Street North Concord, NC

JUNE 8

VIVA KLEZMER

Since the late 1700s, Charlotte's Jewish citizens

have figured prominently in the city's history.

We honor that history with a concert by

Viva Klezmer!

Klezmer has been described as "Jewish jazz."

We promise your toes will be tapping to music by

Gene Kavadlo (clarinet), Ali Kavadlo (violin/percussion),

Mike Mosely (guitar), and Ron Brendle (bass)!

Great Aunt Stella Center 926 Elizabeth Ave., Charlotte, NC

Show starts at 7:00 ~ Gatherings are Free to the Public

JUNE 2012 13

The Double Door Inn

Check out The Double Door’s Website for other bands playing this month,

updates and future bookings, show times, admission, nightly drink specials, & more!

Sign up for weekly updates.

Purchase Advance Tickets for selected shows.

www.doubledoorinn.com

1218 Charlottetown Ave. 704-376-1446

Join the DDI Fan club at www.facebook.com

Early shows 9:00 most Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays. Check website for mid-week discounts!

EVERY MONDAY

MONDAY NITE ALL STARS

The awesome Monday Nite All-Stars will be playing some of your favorite Soul / Funk ... easy to listen to and

great to dance to!!

EVERY TUESDAY

JAZZ JAM NIGHT

Bill Hanna's Jazz Quartet has been hosting this jam session at the club for years. Whether you are an up-and-coming jazz musician, or someone shaking the dust off the old instrument, either way this is the place

where you can come out and jam with one of the best.

GOT SOME BLUES & FUN IN JUNE!! Adv. Tix purchased at www.doubledoorinn.com

6/2 TOM PRINCIPATO—60th Birthday Bash! (10PM) Blues/Rock $12 Adv. Tix

6/3 BLUESunday w/ RED DIRT REVELATORS (8PM) Blues $5 / Mbrs Free

6/6 ALVIN YOUNGBLOOD HART (9PM) Blues/Folk/Rock $10

6/8 THE LEE BOYS (10PM) Blues/Gospel/Jazz/Rock $10

6/9 KRISTIN DIABLE & THE CITY (10PM) Roots/Folk $10

6/14 DAMON FOWLER (9PM) Blues/Roots/Rock $10

6/21 COPPER INTO STEEL w/ CHRIS COOK (9PM) Americana/Blues/Roots $7

6/23 DONNA DUNCAN BAND (w/ Opening Act) (9PM) Blues (TBD)

6/24 TOMMY CASTRO (9PM) Blues/Rock/Soul $15 Adv. Tix

6/29 CHRIS SANCHEZ w/ CHUCK JOHNSON & THE CHARLEYHORSE ALL-STARS (9PM) Americana/Blues/Country $8 Adv. Tix

(14) Bluesletter

You can help increase revenue by selling (or buying) advertising in the Bluesletter. Our rates are very inexpensive compared to other local newsletters … and now that previous issues are posted on our website, your ad can be viewed by more readers for a longer period of time.

Ads are due by the 10th of the month for the following month’s issue. Ads must be pre-paid unless billing arrangements have been approved. (Federal Tax ID available upon request)

Contacts for questions are: - Betsy at bnsb40@carolina.rr.com (704-351-3848) - Rita at fulobluz@gmail.com (980-226-0917)

(Print this page as a handout for ad sales!)

MONTHLY RATES $ 15 .............. Business Card $ 40 .............. Quarter Page $ 75 .............. Half Page $125 ............. Full Page Package Rates Available

10% discount to CBS members

(excluding business card)

Due to e-mail distribution, we can

now accept ads related to finance,

insurance, or credit cards.

The Bluesletter is published monthly by the

C h a r l o t t e B l u e s S o c i e t y

PO Box 32752

Charlotte, NC28232-2752

www.charlottebluessociety.org

SMF PBN: 1938390

The Charlotte Blues Society (CBS) is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the American Blues tradition through the presentation of concerts, forums, workshops, and educational programs in Charlotte and surrounding areas. Founded in the Spring of 1993, CBS has steadily

grown in membership and popularity in support of this musical art form.

CBS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors and is an affiliated member of The Blues Foundation the umbrella organization for a worldwide network of 165 affiliated Blues societies and has individual memberships around the globe. The Blues Foundation produces the Blues Music Awards, Keeping the Blues Alive Awards, Blues Hall of Fame Induction, and the International Blues

Challenge.

CBS members gather on “BLUESunday,” the 1st Sunday of each month, 8:00 PM, at The Double Door Inn. Meetings include announcements and updates, special guests, and an Open Mic Blues Jam. BLUESunday is free to CBS members and only $5.00 for non-members. The Board of Directors also meets every 1st Sunday. Meetings are open to

the membership.

Members receive a monthly newsletter and free admission to monthly meeting entertainment (unless otherwise posted). In addition, members receive discounts and co-sponsored or CBS-advertised events. Annual dues (12-month period) are $20~ Individual, $35 ~ Family, and $75 ~ Sponsor Membership. Corporate sponsorships and individual

contributions are welcome and are tax deductible (excluding dues).

The CBS Bluesletter is published monthly and distributed to approximately 600 readers. It includes information on Society activities, a

local blues calendar, and a variety of blues-related items of interest.

CBS is proud to call The Double Door Inn home. The Double Door Inn, winner of the 1994 Keeping the Blues Alive award from The Blues Foundation, is located at 1218 Charlottetowne Ave., Charlotte, NC (704-376-1446) Over the past 38 years, the DDI’s stage lights have shined on Willie Dixon, Koko Taylor, Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials, Marcia Ball, Saffire ~ The Uppity Blues Women, Lonnie Brooks, Eddy “the Chief” Clearwater, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Luther Allison, just to name a few. (And that doesn’t even include the countless local and regional performers who otherwise would not have had a stage to stand on.) Thank you, Double Door, for all your support for live blues, zydeco, reggae, Americana, and most of all, your support of the Charlotte Blues Society!

OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jeri Thompson, President 704-488-9608

Rick Ballew, Vice-President

(tbd), Secretary

(tbd), Treasurer

Advisors: Beth Pollhammer, Bill Buck,

Rita Miller, Michael Simonetti

BLUESLETTER STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS

Bluesletter Staff— Jill Dineen, Rita Miller, Michael Simonetti

Contributing Articles/Photos– Michael Simonetti, Rita Miller,

Artists, Media, & Websites

Memberships / Address Changes - www.charlottebluessociety.org

Printing Services - International Minute Press, South Blvd, Charlotte

Submissions Welcome!

Blues Articles, CD Reviews, Concert Reviews, Interviews, Calendar Events, Advertising, News Releases

Items due no later than the 15th of the month for the following

month’s issue.

Items received beyond deadline will be used the following month,

if still timely.

Scanned or digital photos should be e-mailed to the editor; other

photos are also accepted and will be returned. (Note: Photos with matte finish or screen print may not reproduce

as sharp as glossy prints.)

Articles may be edited for brevity or clarity, unless otherwise

requested by the writer. (Please do not exceed 500 words for

articles or 300 words for reviews.)

Views expressed by the writers do not necessarily reflect

Phil Beam Jill Dineen

Dick Gilland

Jan Jenson

Larry Pace

Betsy Norton-Stowe

Nick Polyzos

Michael Simonetti

JUNE 2012 15

The Bluesletter is published monthly by the

C h a r l o t t e B l u e s S o c i e t y

PO Box 32752

Charlotte, NC28232-2752

www.charlottebluessociety.org

SMF PBN: 1938390

Something New for 2011! You can now renew your membership online at

www.CharlotteBluesSociety.org. We have a new email-able form and PayPal Button.

Just go to the Membership page and click!

Turn Your Radio On! Mondays, 6:00-9:00 PM .................... WSGE 91.7 FM “Hwy 321 Blues” Mondays, 11:00 PM-12:00 AM ............ WGWG 88.3 FM “Blues & Roots” Tuesdays, 6:00-9:00 PM ................... WSGE 91.7 FM “Hwy 321 Blues” Wednesdays, 6:00-9:00 PM ............... WSGE 91.7 FM “Hwy 321 Blues” Fridays, 11:00 PM-12:00 AM ............... WGWG 88.3 FM “Blues & Roots” Saturdays, 7:00-11:00 PM ................. WNCW 88.7 FM “Saturday Night House Party” Saturdays, 9:00-12:00 PM ................. WFAE 90.7 FM “Blues Central”

Please help us stay current – send radio updates to fulobluz@gmail.com

If you are a CBS member who still gets your Bluesletter by “Snail Mail,”please send us your e-mail address for faster delivery … and it’s in COLOR!

(On-line delivery saves postage and helps the environment.)

Membership Appl icat ion PLEASE PRINT

Name: _________________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________

_______________________________________________ Phone (Day):__________________ (Night): __________________ E-mail: _________________________________________________ (Not shared – Used only for Blues updates and late-breaking news!)

Please list members’ names for Membership Cards:

________________________ _________________________ ________________________ _________________________

HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT CBS? [ ] Web Search [ ] The Double Door Inn [ ] News Media [ ] Concert / Festival ________________________________ [ ] Other __________________________________________ [ ] Referred by: _____________________________________

Today’s Date: _________________ [ ] New Member [ ] Renewal

MEMBER CATEGORY: e-mail / postal

[ ] Individual ........... $20 / $25

[ ] Family (2-4) ....... $35 / $40

[ ] Sponsor ............. $75 / $80

(includes Qtr page ad

or T-shirt) Size: __________

VOLUNTEERS ALWAYS NEEDED:

[ ] Merchandise Sales

[ ] Membership Development

[ ] Fundraising / Sponsorships

[ ] Educational Programs

[ ] Promotion / Publicity [ ] Festivals / Event Booths

[ ] Bluesletter / Writing / Photos

ARE YOU A MUSICIAN?

[ ] Yes

[ ] No

[ ] vocalist

[ ] Instrument(s)

____________________________

(16) Bluesletter

Charlotte Blues Society

PO Box 32752

Charlotte, NC28232-2752

www.CharlotteBluesSociety.org

The Charlotte Blues Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors, and is an affiliated member of The Blues Foundation

featuring

RED DIRT

REVELATORS

Willie Shane, Tony, Jason, & Clay — Old Friends with a New Sound!

The Double Door Inn

Doors open at 7:00

Music starts 8:00

1218 Charlottetown Ave.

704-376-1446

CBS Members – FREE

Non-members – $5:00