VOLUME EIGHTEEN, NUMBER TEN • OCTOBER 2013 TAJ MAHAL TRIO, VUSI MAHLASELA PERFORM BLUES CONCERT ON OCTOBER 25 Global Influences On American Blues To Be Celebrated At Holland Center Omaha, Neb., (Sept. 20, 2013) – Omaha Per- Tickets start at $35 and are available at TicketOmaha.com, forming Arts presents “World Blues” featur- 402.345.0606 or at the Ticket Omaha Office inside the Hol- ing The Taj Mahal Trio, Vusi Mahlasela and land Center, 1200 Douglas St. Fredericks Brown at the Holland Performing “World Blues” features three diverse points of view in the Arts Center on Friday, Oct. 25, world of blues music. Anchored by The Taj Mahal 2013, at 8:00 p.m. The celebra- Trio, led by iconic folk-blues legend Taj Mahal with tion of the global influence on Omaha native Billy Rich on bass and Kester Smith American blues is part of Omaha on drums, the evening will highlight the South Performing Arts’ 13/14 Season. African blues of guitarist/vocalist Vusi Mahlasela and the more modern rock ‘n’ roll perspective of New Zea- land band Fredericks Brown, whose vocalist is Taj Mahal’s daughter, Deva Mahal. Though his career began more than four decades ago with American blues, Grammy Award®-winning Taj Mahal has broadened his artistic scope to include music from around the world – west Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, the Hawaiian islands and so much more. Born Henry St. Claire Fredericks in Harlem in 1942, Taj Mahal grew up in Massachusetts where he learned to play the piano, clarinet, trombone and harmonica at a young age. He became serious about playing the guitar in his teens. Inspired by a dream while at college, he adopted the musi- cal alias of Taj Mahal and formed a popular party band at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. After graduat- ing, he headed to Los Angeles, where he formed the Rising continued on page 3 THURSDAY BLUES SERIES 4727 S 96th Plaza All Shows 6:00pm unless noted October 3rd (5:30pm) ...............Candye Kane w/Laura Chavez ($12) October 10th (5:00pm) ................Sena Ehrhardt, Jason Elmore, and RJ Mischo play the Fall Blues Fest! 5pm show, Indoors/Outdoors on 2 stages October 17th ..............................Too Slim and the Taildraggers ($10) October 24th ............................Lil’ Ed and The Blues Imperials ($12) October 31st ......................... Halloween Party with Bryan Lee! ($10) November 7th ................... Rockin’ Johnny Burgin w/JW Jones ($10) Also featuring RJ Mischo, an award winning world renowned Blues Singer, November 14th ........................................................The Bel Airs ($8) Harmonica player and Band Leader. November 21st ................................................................ Harper ($8) November 27th WEDNESDAY show ...................... Todd Wolfe Band PAGE 2 BLUES NEWS • BLUES SOCIETY OF OMAHA Why donate to The Blues Society of Omaha? The Blues Society of Omaha, Inc is a 501C3 Non-Profit Organization that was formed in 1998. We are an all-volunteer organization with over 800 members. BSO’s mission is to “Keep the Blues Alive”. We are recognized as one of the top Blues Societies in the country – a very cool thing for our great city. Through your support we continue to contribute to The Blues, its musicians and events in the area through our sponsorship and volunteer support: • BSO is a sponsor of Playing With Fire, a series of concerts held each summer on Omaha’s riverfront. We support the event financially as well as provide 500+ volunteer hours for each of the events. The PWF concert series has drawn national recognition to Omaha! • In 2001, BSO created BluesEd, a non-profit youth artist development program which provides opportunities for young musicians to perform with other students in a band format. BluesEd has also gained national attention for Omaha. • Regularly produces charitable events for musicians in need • Provides support to The Zoo Bar – Lincoln’s award-winning Blues venue • “Jammin Away The Blues” – annual fundraiser for The Nebraska Mental Health Organization • Operation Feed the Troops – fundraiser to provide free food to deploying and returning armed forces members and their families • Annual toy drive for the children of Pine Ridge Reservation Other Donor Benefits: • Free monthly subscription to “Blues Notes” – our monthly newsletter that will keep you abreast of Blues events in the area, Blues CD revues and other articles of interest to Blues connoisseurs! • Weekly e-blasts with late-breaking Blues news • Invitation to special events and parties • Special pre-sale and discounted tickets to select events • Various discounts offered by BSO advertisers • Pride in belonging to a group dedicated to “Keeping The Blues Alive!” Please consider switching to the GREEN VERSION of Blues Notes. You will be saving the planet while saving BSO some expense. Contact Nancy at [email protected] to switch to e-mail newsletter delivery and get the scoop days before snail mail members! BLUES ON THE RADIO: Mondays 1pm-3pm on KIOS 91.5 “Blues in the Afternoon” with Mike Jacobs You can listen to the live stream at www.kios.org Sundays 9am-Noon on KIWR 89.7 Rick Galusha’s “PS Blues” Pacific Street Blues & Americana podcast: http://kiwrblues.podOmatic.com/entry/2010-02-03T11_00_49-08_00 Lincoln’s KZUM Radio - Nebraska’s only community radio, and you can listen to it on the web at KZUM.org. Monday – 3:00-6:00pm “World Gone Wrong Blues” Tuesday – 10am-Noon “The X” • 3:00-6:00pm “Group W Blues” Wednesday – 3:00-6:00pm “My Deja Blues” Thursday – 3:00-6:00pm “Every Kind of Blue” Friday – 1:00-3:00pm “Women’s Blues & Boogie” • 3:00-4:30pm “Hudson Blues” Friday – 4:30-6:00pm “A Blues Oasis” Saturday – 6:00-8:30am “Blues at Sunrise” BLUES NEWS • BLUES SOCIETY OF OMAHA PAGE 3 TAJ MAHAL from page 1 Sons and mingled with blues legends. He released a string of vocalist Deva Mahal and keyboardist Stephanie Brown. Their recordings in the 1970s, including the Grammy®-nominated music fuses the cultural heritage of both musicians: Deva soundtrack to the movie Sounder. He toured relentlessly in Mahal draws on her rich soul and blues roots and Brown’s the ’80s and immersed himself in the music and culture of his sound is rooted in the organic Pacific sound of New Zealand. new home in Hawaii. Among his releases in the ’90s were They released their album Out of the Rain in October 2010. two Grammy® winners. Overall, he has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards®. Born and raised in a musical family in Omaha, Billy Rich Save the Date began playing music at the age of 7, playing guitar before switching to electric bass. Growing up, Billy played with sev- Sunday, Dec. 8 eral local groups, most notably the Seven Wonders with his BSO Holiday Party siblings. Rich began playing with Taj Mahal in 1972. BSO Holiday Party Kester Smith was born in Granada and raised in Trinidad, to benefit West Indies, where he learned to play drums, congas and timbales with Andre Tanker and The Flamingos. For the last LASH LARUE’S 20 years, Kester has toured and recorded seven albums with Toy Drive for Children Taj Mahal. on the Pine Ridge Vusi Mahlasela is simply known as “The Voice” in his home Reservation country, South Africa, celebrated for his distinct voice and Reservation his poetic, optimistic lyrics. Mahlasela became a singer-song- This is one of the best attended writer and poet-activist at an early age, teaching himself how to play guitar and later joining the Congress of South African events the BSO is associated with. Writers. After the release of his debut album When You Come Come out and have a blast & Back, Mahlasela was asked to perform at Mandela’s inaugu- Come out and have a blast & ration in 1994 and continues to spread Mandela’s message help a great cause as well. as an official ambassador to Mandela’s HIV/AIDS initiative, 46664. Americans first caught a glimpse of Mahlasela in the Watch for details in film Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony. Long-time November Blues Notes, admirer Dave Matthews signed Mahlasela to ATO Records label and released The Voice (2003). Guiding Star and Say at www.omahablues.com and Africa, produced by Taj Mahal, soon followed. at www.toydriveforpineridge.com New Zealand duo Fredericks Brown is the collaboration of Check out B.J. Huchtemann’s column Hoodoo Blues each week in the Omaha READER for info on upcoming shows and other news in the roots-blues music scene. Find the new column online each Thursday at http://www.thereader.com/music/C12/ BSO CORPORATE SPONSORS BLUE CLUB John Rogers (Peace, Love, Etc.) SPECIAL Troy and Susan Krupicka Royce M. Kreitman Roger and Sheri Slosson Matthew Barges Jo Mach Sin City Soul & Blues Revival Dan Van Houten Mo Barry Michael J. and Paula McCarville Richard Wolken Glenn Bauer Tim & Sue Miller CORPORATE Bel Air Merchant’s Association Jerry Cyza Marcos Mora Mitch Bolte Cackin’s Repair and New Bill & Patty Doney John Pollack and Karen Berry Jim Bradford, Jr. Christy Rossiter & Tom & Sue Eiserman Sid Sidner Elizabeth Easley, 112 North Duck David & Kristine Evans Ernest Sutherlin Psychiatric Mental Health Care PC Mama’s Pizza West Paul & Beverly Hagen Bob and Becky Swift Chick Ganz Paul Scott Hoagbin Blues Band Mike and Sue Hansen Pamela Tanous Conrad Good West Point Rack Rick Hillyard James and Karen Tikalsky Steve and Lisa Krueger Craig Kelley Dave and Sue Vanlandingham Kit and Pam Kelley Greg Virant and Lynn Kost Virant PAGE 44 BLUESBLUES NEWS NEWS • OMAHA• OMAHA BLUES BLUES SOCIETY SOCIETY THE MERCH CORNER I want to thank everyone who has helped support the Blues Society of Omaha over the past year by purchasing BSO gear! Every little bit helps to forward our goal of supporting live Blues music in Omaha and surrounding.