Orange Blossom Blues Society All Rights Reserved
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Orange Blossom S p e c i a l E d i t i o n “ T o P r e s e r v e , P r o m o t e a n d P r e s e n t B l u e s M u s i c i n t h e O r l a n d o R e g i o n ” V O L U M E 4 , I S S U E 1 - J u n e 2 0 0 7 J A N U A R Y - M A R C H , 2 0 0 8 In This Issue MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT THE EDITOR’S PEN: A RECAP OF 2007 ZAC HARMON IGNITES MCWELLS Goin’ to BACKSTAGE AT THE IBC CENTRAL FLORIDA IBC: REFLECTIONS BLUES TALENT JOEY GILMORE IN ORLANDO BLUES FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2008 MUSIC AWARD NOMINEES Memphis! CURFMAN TEARS IT UP AT BALDWIN’S TAKING THE TORCH PINETOP PERKINS HITS BIG IN 2008 GRAMMY AWARDS OBBS MEMBER WINS CRUISE NATIONAL WOMEN IN BLUES EDITOR: Zaida Zoller CONTRIBUTORS: Ben Basile Daryll Davis Peter “Blewzzman” Lauro Wayne Valzania Jerry Waller LAYOUT: Susan Baumann Brian Birkhofer Design Advertising: For rate info contact [email protected] Copyright © 2008 Orange Blossom Blues Society All rights reserved S e e IIB C d e t aiills b e g iinniin g on Pa g e 5 ! 2 O r a n g e B l o s s o m B l u e s S o c i e t y MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT JERRY WALLER ? s t n e v e g n i m o c p u t m u o o c . b y a t e t i u c o o : s d o s t n e i u f l i l a o b t m m e t o s s n i s l a o l d i l a b n e e m g e S n S a r B o B O @ o e f h n i t n i o j o t t n a W 3 O r a n g e B l o s s o m B l u e s S o c i e t y THE EDITOR’S PEN: A RECAP OF 2007 ZAIDA ZOLLER little over a year has gone by since our annual membership all her help with this project. While on the meeting on December 3, 2006 when I was unexpectedly elect- topic of obbs.org, the other great Aed president of the OBBS and found myself wondering how the improvement that happened was the heck that happened. At the time, we quickly held a board meeting and online Calendar. Jen Klask took the calen- reduced the board members from 9 to 5 with the goal of operating for a dar, which was basically nothing, and year with no working musicians on deck to see if we could advance this soci- made it a great place to go to find out ety positively into 2007. I feel we did just that. Here’s a recap. what’s going on in Central Florida. While Early 2007 found our membership numbers stagnating and I decided the Calendar is set up for musicians to to tackle this problem and began badgering the hell out of all those folks add their gigs, you would not believe how who hadn’t renewed. (Some of you know exactly what I’m talking about.) Our many do not take advantage of this great membership began turning around partially due to the badgering but also tool. To fill in the gap, there’s much due to our presence at various events throughout the year and by the research that goes into finding out who is playing where and Jen has spent beginning of December 2007, we had 117 new or renewed members in many thankless hours keeping us in the loop. Jen has now moved on to her addition to our current ongoing members, with 57 renewals (badgered true passion—getting the Blues in the Schools project in gear—and has renewals) and 60 new members. Since December 1, the list has grown passed the Calendar torch on to Gary Moore. Gary, you’ve got some big even more. Our very first business member joined in 2007—Baldwin’s shoes to fill. Pub—many thanks to David Dyer for his support of the OBBS and Blues in 2007 was a year of some pretty darn good entertainment as well. We Central Florida. Next, The Alley came on board as a business member, fol- kicked off the year with our carryover from 2006 Local Spotlight Series, this lowed by Susan Baumann Creative. Your membership dues are what fuel the time featuring Gary Ingber Band, then our direction changed and we decided ongoing efforts of the OBBS and while it might not seem like your $25 is a to do some bigger shows. Lil Jimmy Reed & Smokin’ Torps, Mark Hummel & big deal, we need your money. AND, as you know, we a non-profit organiza- the Blues Survivors, Bryan Lee & the Blues Power Band, Mem Shannon & tion which means you can donate to your society and reap the benefits with the Membership, Zac Harmon, as well as “A Blues Evening” Part I and II at Uncle Sam. We very much need and appreciate your support. the Helen Stairs Theatre in Sanford (thanks to Jeff Willey) which featured the Another one of my goals in 2007 was to get this newsletter back on Smokin’ Torps and the Beautiful Bobby Blackmon, then Mark Hodgson and track. Originally, the newsletter was published every other month but some Art Harris & the Z-Tones respectively. And we just closed out our 2007 time in 2006 the board voted to make it a quarterly because every other musical season with the very recent OBBS Holiday Zydeco-Blues Bash fea- month was just a little too difficult to keep up with. Even with that change, turing Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band and Joe “Survival” Caruso six months had elapsed since our last issue and it was time we kicked it & the Boogie Woogie Boo-Fay. What a blast our Holiday party was! There back into gear. We did. We put out what I consider to be three excellent edi- was some serious dancing going on and if you didn’t go you really missed tions—April/June, 2007, July/September, 2007 and October/December, out. 2007 was a year of hot shows! Each one of these shows was an 2007—full of informative and well written articles about the subject we love opportunity to witness top notch entertainment. the best—The Blues! Brian Birkhofer in Denver, Colorado—the artist who As an aside regarding Zac Harmon: you got your Memphis blues, you designed the current logo for the OBBS and has been doing all our concert got your down home blues, you got your Chicago blues, your sad blues, your posters gratis for nearly two years—laid out a template for the OBSE with happy blues, you got a whole heck of a lotta different kinds of blues . but the April/June 2007 issue and put that one together for us. Then—as if an NOBODY told me about those sexy blues! Holy smokes! (And all you ladies angel appeared from heaven—Susan Baumann said “I’ll help” and the local know exactly what I’m talking about—turn the air conditioner down, it’s get- production of the newsletter was off on a roll. The addition of Susan ting hot in here!) Zac! Phew! Moving on . Baumann on the last two issues was a huge plus for us, both graphically During 2007, the OBBS had a booth-presence at two Downtown and editorially, as she is an excellent writer as well! Again, many thanks to all Orlando shows—Buddy Guy and Lindsey Buckingham, the Clearwater Blues our fine writers, photographers, graphics folks, and production staff as well Fest in March, the Tampa Bay Blues Fest in May, both the Deland and the as the volunteers who help with the mailing process. Much work goes into Winter Garden Music Fests, the Stephen Miller Memorial Blues benefit, two each newsletter and we appreciate all the help we can get. [By the way, if Helen Stairs events in Sanford, several events at the Orlando Science Center, you are interested in writing an article, reviewing a CD, or placing an ad to Fodor Grove concerts, the recent Catfish Charlie benefit concert and other help support the ongoing efforts of your society, speak up!] venues around town. We also developed a new t-shirt design and have been Over the last year the OBBS website also made big improvements. selling those at our recent events which also helps support the OBBS and Christine Williams has been there at every turn, updating the site with ongo- give us more exposure in the community. ing information sent her way and in a very timely manner. Kudos to Chris for Continued on Page 10 4 O r a n g e B l o s s o m B l u e s S o c i e t y ZAC HARMON IGNITES MCWELLS WAYNE VALZANIA nce again die- hard OBlues fans who stepped up to the plate and supported the Orange Blossom Blues Society concert series were rewarded in spades, this time by master bluesman Zac Harmon and his band. Zac Harmon hails from Jackson, Mississippi, location of the legendary Farish Street district, where he developed his craft in the presence of other notable practitioners, including Elmore James.