FEBRUARY 2021

Lawrence Lebo’s coLumn Fantastic negrito interview with annie raines interview with jack j hutchinson articLe: the jake story reviews viDeos

Fantastic Negrito

CONTACT:email: [email protected] Web: www.bluesinthesouth.com Twitter: @bluesinthesouth GIGS: FROM EXMOUTH TO EASTBOURNE AND A BIT MORE BESIDES

ONCE MORE, WE HAVE NO GIGS TO PUBLISH. ALL HAVE BEEN CANCELLED OR OCCASIONALLY POSTPONED. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO

SAY WHEN THINGS WILL RETURN TO NORMAL, BUT BiTS WILL CAREFULLY MONITOR THE SITUATION AND WHEN THINGS START TO RETURN TO NORMAL WE SHALL LET YOU KNOW.

IN THE MEAN TIME, DON’T GO TO GIGS, MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCE AND REMEMBER:

THE CORONA VIRUS DOES NOT CIRCULATE

PEOPLE CIRCULATE IT

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ew Orleans's Mardi Gras celebration will conference this week, CNN reported on Tuesday. Ndefinitely look a bit different in 2021, but “It is going to look different. The mayor has been thankfully the festivities aren't completely off. very consistent about saying that at every stage.”

Next year, the holiday — also known as "Fat Some Mardi Gras Krewes may hold their Tuesday" — will take place on Feb 16. Due to the traditional Balls, with COVID-19 health fact that it's a religious holiday, it won't be modifications. Because the Balls are invite-only, canceled entirely, but parades and mass gatherings attendance will be strictly monitored and not that New Orleans is famous for won't be happening. open to the public.

"We will not be able to celebrate the Holiday this Bars on Bourbon Street may be open depending year as we have in the past,” the mayor's website on current guidelines, but revelers will have to read, but depending on what COVID-19 restrictions adhere to social distancing rules and wear a face look like in February, there may still be some small mask. Capacity and hours are subject to change, parties allowed in New Orleans. based on COVID-19 statistics throughout Louisiana at the time. "I want to be very clear. Mardi Gras 2021 is not cancelled,” communications director for Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Beau Tidwell, said at a press

Getty images THE BiTS INTERVIEW: Annie Raines

Annie Raines (born in Massachusetts on July 3, 1969) is an American blues harmonica player who mostly plays in a down-home country blues duo with guitarist Paul Rishell. She also has a series of harmonica tutorials and teaches online. She plays true blues and has even shared the stage with the late, great .

BiTS: Let's make a start Annie. Tell me something about your background. When you were brought up was there music in the house then?

AR: Well my parents were more carriers they didn't actively play music, but there was a lot of music in the house, classical music being played on the radio and on records and tapes and my mother actually had a few blues records in her collection, that I didn't really pick up on until later. It was the 70s, so they also really liked the Beatles and Stones. Of course, yeah, a little Jethro Tull thrown in, I think. Then I started taking piano lessons when I was eight years old, so I was sometimes practising.

BiTS: When you were an undergraduate, you suddenly started to want to play harmonica. How did that happen?

AR: I was looking for a book in the store, the novelty store and they had this book before, it was called 'Juggling for the Complete Klutz' because I wanted to teach myself ho