Rock Fish Grill in Anacortes, WA Sun July 21st finds San Francisco’s Stompy Jones at the Century Ballroom in Seattle Meanwhile on Sun July 21st boogie-woogie pianist Michael Kaeshammer will be on stage at The Triple Door
in Seattle Cajun music will ring out at Highway th 99 Blues Club on Thurs July 25 when Jeffrey Broussard & the Creole Cowboys hit the stage
And finally, Blues Rocker Kenny Wayne Summer is finally here and we’re Shepherd & his band will be at the Tulalip ready for some Summertime Amphitheatre next to the Tulalip Casino on Sun Blues. Naturally we certainly July 28th hope that brings as big a smile to your face as it does Blue Frog Studios, an ours. Before we get to what’s new, let’s quickly award winning million dollar review of what‘s happening in July. Ray 5,000 square foot recording Bonneville will stop by the Green Frog studio complex at 1328 Acoustic Tavern in Bellingham on Fri July Johnston Road in White 5th UK guitarist & singer Albert Lee plays Rock is holding their 3rd The Venue on Granville in Vancouver on Annual Blues BBQ Bash Weds July 10th A founding father of British the first weekend in July and Blues, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers it’s open to the public. You can buy tickets for the perform at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley in Seattle Friday and / or the Saturday bash on-line at, from Thurs July 11th to Sun July 14th The www.bluefrogstudios.ca/newshows.html The Island Music Festival is Fri July 12th to Sun ticket price includes southern fried BBQ chicken July 14th in Comox with James Burton, Dave and all the fixings, cold beverages, plus great Kelly, Albert Lee, Amos Garrett, David music with The Blue Voodoo & Special Guests Wilcox, Blind Boy Paxton, John Hiatt, & on Fri July 5th and then The Pappa Dawg Band others The Triple Door in Seattle & Special Guests on Sat July 6th. Doors open at welcomes the Commander Cody Band on 6 each night. You should note, it is limited Sat July 13th Albert Lee is also at Jazz admission so we recommend purchasing tickets Alley in Seattle on Mon July 15th The ahead of time. Southern Fireball Nikki Hill & the Matt Hill Band return to the Vancouver FanClub on Our first new listing for July Thurs July 18th Also on Thurs July 18th in features guitarist, singer, Seattle, Rosie Ledet & the Zydeco Playboys songwriter Ray Bonneville who are at Highway 99 Blues Club the next will be sure to deliver some hard night Fri July 19th finds Tommy Castro & the driving grooves during his Painkillers in the Renaissance Room at the upcoming appearance at the Conway Muse in Conway WA Also Fri Green Frog Acoustic Tavern in July 19th the John Nemeth Band plays Bellingham on Fri July 5th. Jazzbones in Tacoma the 26th Annual A Juno nominee and award Winthrop Blues Festival is on Fri July 19th to winner, Ray also plays on the beach in Harrrison Sun July 20th with Nikki Hill, the Matt Hill on Fri July 12th during the Harrison Festival of Band, Too Slim & the Taildraggers, Otis the Arts, then the New Westminster Quay on Taylor, Janiva Magness, Peter Karp & Sue Sat July 13th as part of the Concerts at the Quay Foley, Rosie Ledet, Ivan Neville’s series being sponsored by the Hyack Festival and Dumpstaphunk, Johnny Winter & more the City of New Westminster. So there are plenty Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk also play the of opportunities for you to catch some greasy Tractor Tavern in Seattle on Sat July 20th guitar, harmonica, and smoky vocals from this Sat July 20th Peter Karp & Sue Foley hit the world class musician. 1 Billed as the Best Little Watch for a few Blues Festival in the West, this acts mixed in with the year marks the 35th various folk acts at the Annual Harrison 26th Annual Mission Festival of the Arts. Folk Music Festival Another great addition taking place in Fraser to this year’s festival River Heritage Park in that Fraser Valley line-up is Harry Manx who will bring his community from Thurs July 25th to Sun July Mysticssippi Blues to the Memorial Hall stage 28th. The Blues acts include Jim Byrnes, The in Harrison BC at 7:30 pm on Sun July 7th. Sojourners, plus Hans Theesink & Terry Manx has been busy touring extensively in Evans. support of his latest CD “Ohm Suite Ohm”. This apparently is his first CD that features his Austin Texas based Soul and Funk Bollywood style electric slide technique. band Mingo Fishtrap will be filling the Sounds very intriguing, doesn’t it? Tractor Tavern in the North Seattle neighborhood of Ballard on Mon July On the heels of their “He 29th. This amazing 8 piece band is on Said, She Said” release a mission to get people to shake their souls to on Blind Pig Records, great music that is part Memphis flavored soul Blues duo Peter Karp & and N’awlins funk gumbo that grew out of Sue Foley wrote songs college jam sessions when one of the founding that reflected positivity, members was going to school. The band renewal and absolution delivers infectious rhythms replete with punchy which they then recorded for their latest album horns & restless melodies, much like they do in “Beyond the Crossroads” that has been their song, “Without Question” in this video… resulting in a number of gigs across the land http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDGfgiNsC3 including some in the U.S. Pacific Northwest w&feature=share&list=PL1F65555F8DE93FCF One of those gigs will be at Highway 99 Blues Club in Seattle on Fri July 19th, which is the night before their Rock Fish Grill gig in
Anacortes that we told you about earlier. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDGfgiNsC3 w&feature=share&list=PL1F65555F8DE93FCF Meanwhile back along Earlier we talked about the banks of the mighty boogie-woogie Blues & jazz Fraser River, the folks at piano man Michael the Hyack Festival and Kaeshammer. He’s more the City of New than a piano man, he’s a Westminster present consummate host, a gifted another in their Concerts at the Quay Series. On singer, songwriter, and an rd all-around great entertainer Sat Aug 3 they’ll be who draws his audiences featuring Dutch Bluesman into his highly contagious Hans Theesink (Tay-sink) teaming up with the stage performances featuring many of his own soulful gospel vocals of American Terry original jazz, soul, and R&B influenced Evans. Evans previously performed with the compositions. Kaeshammer will be at The southern vocal group The Knights, then as part Triple Door in Seattle on Sun July 21st. of a duo with Bobby King, and performed background vocals for a couple of albums by Ry Cooder & also one for Lloyd Jones.
2 Also on Sat Aug 3rd, Seattle The Robert Cray Band natives the Mark Dufresne Band has a couple of gigs will be on the bandstand at coming up. On Tues Highway 99 Blues Club just off Aug 13th they’re at Alix Alaska Way, located on the Seattle waterfront. Goolden Hall in Not to be missed if you get the opportunity, Victoria, and the next Dufresne is an amazing vocalist with a range of night Weds Aug 14th at several octaves & is also one of the Pacific The Port Theatre in Northwest’s top harmonica players. Nanaimo. David Gogo opens for them. No word of a Vancouver date yet, but we’re hoping Described as a master there’ll be one. Cray has been nominated for a of finger style, slide, Living Blues Award as “Most Outstanding banjo, harmonica & Musician (Guitar)” as well as “Blues Male Artist piano, Samuel James of the Year”. You can vote by going to is one heck of a talented www.LivingBlues.com up until July 15th. musical performer. His Winners will be announced in the Aug / Sept performances are like getting into a time issue of Living Blues magazine. machine that’ll take you back to the days of Son House, Mississippi John Hurt, and others. One of the reigning James will be at the Green Frog Acoustic Queens of the 88’s, Tavern in Bellingham WA on Fri Aug 9th. Kelley Hunt and her Check him out here on “Tower of Song” band will be back in the http://youtu.be/AI7RKkOeolw Pacific Northwest. This great boogie woogie Highway 99 Blues Club Blues pianist & her band regulars, the Lloyd Jones have a Weds Aug 14th Struggle, will be back at date at the Century the highly popular Seattle Ballroom in Seattle. Kelley just recently co- venue on Fri Aug 9th. scored the soundtrack to the upcoming Lloyd is busy travelling independent film release “The Battle for Bunker and performing all over the world in support of Hill”, a movie where she also co-wrote the his latest studio release “Doin’ What it Takes”, closing credits theme song “Mountain to and this latest Seattle gig follows on the heels Move” which is also on Ms. Hunt’s “Mercy” of a number of dates in Denmark & Norway. CD. She also has a small role in the film.
Just announced last A couple of blocks off week, the great one of Lonsdale in North time child prodigy Vancouver sits a fun Lucky Peterson will be little pub called The landing at The FanClub Rusty Gull where you in Vancouver on Sat can find “Live” music Aug 10th. Of course most every Friday and Lucky is all grown up Saturday nights. On Fri Aug 16th & Sat Aug and continues to sing, plus play organ, & 17th they’ll have Hurricane & the Hooligans guitar. He’ll be flying in from clear across the featuring well known Twisters frontman Dave country, from Nova Scotia. That date of course “Hurricane” Hoerl on harmonica. Dave has is the same date as the Burnaby Roots & Blues been putting the finishing touches on an album Festival. It’s our belief that the real serious that he recorded here recently and word is that Blues fans will be out to see Lucky as it has it is quite different from previous recordings been quite a few years since he was last here. with The Twisters. We can hardly wait for it.
3 Portland based Karen Talk about an honour. Lovely & her band have Duke Robillard is living been building up quite a the dream of a lifetime, reputation, a reputation currently touring as that has them coming guitarist in the Bob Dylan back to Seattle on Sat Band through Aug 4th. Aug 17th. Backed by a He’ll no sooner finish that stellar band, Karen will be delivering and be back on the road with his own band for powerhouse vocals at that cool joint, with great their “Independently Blue Tour” that’ll bring music, Highway 99 Blues Club. Karen’s star them to Vancouver. We’re very happy to continues to rise thanks to her many announce that the Duke Robillard Band will performances that have caught the attention of be at The FanClub on Granville Street on Fri the trade magazines like Downbeat, Blues Aug 30th. Does this guy ever slow down? Revue, and others. When he’s not busy touring, he’s producing different artist’s albums, or producing & playing Feel like a sea cruise? A on his own albums, or giving guitar lessons. short ferry ride away the city of Nanaimo will be the Few artists love their fans site of the annual as much and as sincerely Summertime Blues as Soul singer and Daptone Festival in late August. It Records recording artist all starts Fri Aug 23rd to Charles Bradley. He Sun Aug 25th and some of believes they’ve helped him the acts announced for this grow a lot since he was year’s festival in Maffeo discovered as a James Brown impersonator in Sutton Park include Rita Broolyn area clubs a few scant years ago. Chiarelli, David Gogo, Tom Lavin & Powder Since then his career has being rising Blues, the Lloyd Jones Struggle, James meteorically with festival and club appearances “Buddy” Rogers, the Mud Dog Band, Uncle throughout North America and further abroad. Wiggly’s Hot Shoes Blues Band, plus a few With 2 albums now, the most recent being others. “Victim of Love”, Bradley is once again on the road and has been booked to play The Wild Expect some real Buffalo in Bellingham on Sun Sept 1st which Chicago electric Blues is over the Labor Day long weekend. Check when Highway 99 out his “Crying in The Chapel” from YouTube Blues Club in Seattle http://youtu.be/enzO8qyf7YQ welcomes back Studebaker John & In September The Triple the Hawks from the Door in Seattle will be windy city. This veteran Chicago group of celebrating 10 Years as a musicians will be at the club on Fri Aug 23rd. premier “Live” music venue Band leader Studebaker John Grimaldi tries to and their big anniversary incorporate the raw sound that he first heard party will feature none other the old school Blues musicians playing on than New Orleans Music Chicago’s Maxwell Street. The band’s sound Legend Aaron Neville. is contemporary, providing something for both What is being billed as An the rockin’ Blues crowd and the purists. Evening with Aaron Neville is actually two evenings, Fri Sept 20th & Sat Sept 21st and it’ll be an all-ages show, which means you can bring your kids with you.
4 While the lights were turned out some nineteen months ago, there was a small flame, a flicker of hope, that The Yale Hotel would be reborn as Vancouver’s Home of Rhythm & Blues with a newly renovated look. If you were one of those holding their breath, it’s time to exhale, because sadly the flame has finally been snuffed out with word that the heritage building at the corner of Drake & Granville has been sold with hints the new It’s been said that every generation has their owners will turn it into two clubs with little own chosen one and it looks like this young likelihood that either will feature Blues. Those Texan may just be the next chosen one. nightmares The Yale would become another Guitarist, singer, songwriter Gary Clark Jr. is martini bar may be more real than you might have thought. in demand having played the White House in Washington D.C. for President Obama’s Red What a difference time and economics make. White & Blues evening, Eric Clapton’s recent In the waning days of November 2011 patrons Crossroads Festival, and having had the were publicly told that the venue would remain honour of opening for the Rolling Stones. Gary dedicated to presenting “Live” Blues. That was Clark Jr. has just announced his Fall 2013 then of course, and this is now. Perhaps with a Tour and we’re excited to say that it includes sense of betrayal you might ask how things got both Seattle and Vancouver dates. He & his so seriously off the rails for this former CP Rail band are at the Neptune Theater in Seattle on bunkhouse and heritage building that became Sat Oct 5th & Sun Oct 6th, and then at The a mecca for the Blues in Vancouver for well Fabulous Commodore Ballroom in th over a quarter of a century. Vancouver on Mon Oct 7 . Tickets for the upcoming Commodore show went on sale this There likely isn’t one pat answer to this demise past Friday. of a Vancouver institution and one of the last
great Blues clubs on the West Coast. It was You may or may not quite possibly a combination of things, like have heard that last young inexperienced management the final few January Stanley Dural years making changes to attract younger Jr., better known as patrons, but in the process alienating and Buckwheat Zydeco, driving away the older established patrons who was diagnosed with early helped build the brand and reputation, then a stage cancer on his left government change to drinking & driving laws, lung and on a vocal chord. Following a few all resulting in fewer and fewer coming out to months of treatment it was just happily support the travelling Blues icons, the up and announced a couple of weeks ago that he is coming stars, and the great “Local” acts that now cancer free. With this great news Dural appeared there, all of which contributed to less was quoted as saying “I said I’d beat this, and I revenue. Added to that was the big money did. Big thumbs up!” He and the band can poured into a new club down the street, which hardly wait to hit the road to resume touring resulted in little, or no money left to renovate once again. Let’s hope they make their way out The Yale. While it’s easy to point fingers, in to the West Coast of Canada once again soon. the end I think that sadly it’s a shared blame That would get a big thumbs up from me. rather than one thing in particular. 5 Fortunately for those of us who were regulars Blues, R&B Legend or even semi-regulars at The Yale over the Bobby “Blue” Bland, years, there are the memories of some great who blended Southern nights spent with old and new friends while blues and soul in songs soaking up some of the world’s best music by such as “Turn on Your renowned Blues musicians & singers. Who Love Light” and “Further can forget seeing old Legends & the newer On Up the Road,” died on stars, artists like Junior Wells, Clarence Sunday June 23rd, 2013 “Gatemouth” Brown, James Cotton, Buckwheat at the age of 83 surrounded by family at his Zydeco, Maria Muldaur, Pinetop Perkins, Koko longtime home in Memphis, TN. Taylor, David “Honeyboy” Edwards, Dr. John, John Hammond Jr., Charlie Musselwhite, Sista Born in Rosemark, TN, Bland was a Monica, Tab Benoit, the Downchild Blues contemporary of B.B. King and once served as Band, Bettye LaVette, Magic Slim & the King’s valet and chauffer. One of the last living Teardrops, Coco Montoya, Marcia Ball, Little connections to the roots of the genre, Bobby Charlie & the Nightcats, Hubert Sumlin, the moved to Memphis as a teen becoming a Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Robert Lockwood Jr., member of the Beale Streeters a group that Guitar Shorty, Janiva Magness, Little Ed & the also included B.B. King & Johnny Ace.
Blues Imperials, Big Dave McLean, John Following time in the army Bobby recorded Németh, Sue Foley, Eddie “The Chief” with the Legendary Sam Phillips at Sun Clearwater, Colin Linden, Otis Clay, Saffire – Records in the early fifties, but it wasn’t until The Uppity Blues Women, the Duke Robillard later that he found success scoring his first #1 Band, Candye Kane, Walter “Wolfman” R&B Hit with “Further On Up the Road” in Washington, Long John Baldry, Kenny Neal, 1957, followed by “I’ll Take Care of You” in Sonny Rhodes, Alvin “Youngblood” Hart, 1960, the first of a dozen hits in a row, which Smokin’ Joe Kubek & Bnois King, the Tommy also included “Turn On Your Love Light” in Castro Band, Debbie Davies, Phillip Walker, 1961. Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne, and so many, many more. Sadly some of them, much like Bland was a major influence on a number of The Yale now, are no longer with us, yet will young rock & rollers including David Bowie & live on in infamy. Eric Clapton, both of whom recorded Bobby “Blue” Bland songs in their early years. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
R.I.P. Bobby “Blue” Bland January 27, 1930 - June 23, 2013
Make the best of the warm summer weather and be sure to get out for some “Live” music! Consider it your great contribution to keeping the Blues alive. More news on “Live” gigs will be coming your way in about 30 days from now as we head into the BC Day long weekend.
Long Live The Yale! www.canadianpacificblues.com
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