OBBS E-NEWSLETTER July / August 2014 Preserve Promote and Present the Blues RJ Harman & CO 2011 & 2012 Central FL Blues Challenge winners PG 4 Joel Dasilva & The Midnight Howl 2013 Central FL Blues Challenge winners Pg 5 1 Inside this issue: Karen Stott –Editor We need volunteers for the OBBS booth at : Letter from July 11th Alive After 5 the President 3 July 20 Gary Ingber Musician Fund Benefit Central Florida Blues August 10 Central Florida Blues Challenge Challenge Please contact OBBS at [email protected] The 4 RJ Harmon & Co Joel DaSilva We are looking to the membership to 5 assist with these committees – E Newsletter OBBS Events Single Issue Publicity/Press - Market- Blues in School / 6 ing/Promotions Ladies of the Blues Rates _________________ Newsletter 7 Business card SunFest w/ Daniel Membership Heitz Band 3.35” x 3.8 Entertainment $10 Blues In School—BITS Spot light 8 Don’t Scare the Dog _______________ Quarter page 3.5 Around Town 9 “x 7.875” $20 Mt Dora Blues Fest _________________ Half page 6.125” 10 x 7.875” $30 The Alley Blues Bar Full page 11.25” Jazz and Blues Blog 11 x 7.875” $70 CD Releases 12 ________________ Back page 11.25” Band Listings 13 x 7.875” $80 About OBBS Announcements 14- 16 Our BOD Membership 2 Our Mission Hey Blues Lovers and Fans!! We had a kick ass Bluesy Spring didn't we?? The Mt. Dora event was most excellent!! We all were waiting for the Blues scene in Central FL to get hot, and it got hot indeed!!! Big thanks to all the volunteers and support we had for the event. It was a success for Mt. Dora and OBBS! The summer is shaping up to be a great one! We are in the midst of planning our Gary Ingber Musicians' Relief Fund Benefit and Fun Raiser which will be held on July 20th from 1PM-6PM @ Bleu 42 in Oviedo! Blue 42 is located at 2960 West State Road 426 in Oviedo FL. We have assisted a lot of our musician family and friends and recently did our part help a local legend and guitar hero in his time of need. This fund is set aside yearly to help with medical expenses, travel expense, utility bills, funeral cost, or something as simple as food and necessities. We all need a helping hand some- times and we encourage members, friends, venues, artists, and patrons to always donate if you can. If you cannot make the event, you can always donate via PayPal. Just remember, in your payment memo insert text which directs us to apply those monies to the Gary Ingber Musicians' Relief Fund. We thank you for your support!! Also on tap for the summer is our Central Florida Blues Challenge which will be held on August 10th from 1PM-6PM at Bleu 42 also!! More details will follow, but we are doing this event early this year so the wining bands have more runway to raise funds for the trip. The event in Memphis is 5-days long and as one can imagine, a band with 3, 4, 5, or 6 members has huge tab that week for travel expenses. The winners pot is really good, but it does not cover the entire week of expense. We are looking for sponsors, volunteers, and of course bands for this event. A separate correspondence for this event is forth- coming which will specifically provide the needed details for the bands and participants. Now is the time to tell all your musi- cian friends that their magic carpet to stardom awaits them at the CFBC!!! Applications submission is open as of today, June 16th and go to obbs.org for more info!! (Advertisement) Social media is gonna drive us all to drink more!! We are constantly posting on our FaceBook page and to other groups on FB. Are there other social media sites you would like to see OBBS be a part of and post to? If so, let us know by contacting us. Don't forget to sign up for the OBBS Newsletter at obbs.org and also become a member to help Preserve, Promote, and Pre- sent the Blues here in Central Florida!! This area has been getting a great deal of press lately with so many of our talented friends touring, playing both national and regional festivals plus getting great recognition in the local press. Check out some great info about the historical Blues scene in San- ford, a good article about one the legendary local bands, and some great press for one of our local artist on the rise. Two of the articles were in the Orlando Weekly, one in the Orlando Sentinel, and one in the Wall Street Journal Speakeasy . Take care Blues Lovers and Fans - GET OUT AND SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC!!!!! 3 Preserve Promote and Present the Blues Central Florida Blues Challenge Winners : RJ Harmon & CO (2011 & 2012) In this series you will be introduced to the past and present Central Florida Blues Challenge winners. - K Stott Editor RJ Harman and Company is a rockin' blues band from Orlando Florida. If you're craving Hip-shakin', Toe-tappin', blues jams, look no further. This harmonica driven band has toured all over the United States, played with many national touring acts and hold numerous titles from the International Blues Challenge. This group thrives on their youthful energy, funky grooves, and dedication to their craft. Don't let their youth fool you, however, these guys can hold their own with even the most veteran blues musicians. Check their tour dates for the next time they're playing near your; it's a guaranteed good time. Richard "RJ" Harman has been playing the harmonica since he was 16 and has already won numer- ous music awards including; a full endorsement with Hohner harmonicas, Currently the Two time harmonica champion of the Florida Harmonica Championship, 2011 People's choice Award and over all Winner's of the Central Florida Blues Challenge, and 2012 Semi Finalist at the International Blues Challenge. His style is fresh and vibrant; he brings a youthful passion and a love of the Blues, Funk, Jazz, and HipShaking music to the stage. Harman started performing by himself and hiring musicians to play for him. He is now a renowned professional jazz and blues harmonica player at the age of twenty five and has graced the stage with such performers as Jason Ricci, Lupe Fiasco, Motion City Soundtrack, Rachel Goodrich, Joe Filisko, Phil Wiggins, Ian Walters, Rev Paytons Big Damn Band, Jp Soars and much more. RJ has also been featured in the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper, The Daily City, and Orlando Local Music Examiner. "The way Harman plays the harmonica is the way BB King plays his six stringed beauty with such soul and quickness into his face-melting jazz riffs that sounded like they were screeching out of a Gibson Les Paul, not a tiny harmonica." Nick Holcomb has been playing bas for a number of years and joined RJ Harman & Comany in 2011; he has been an integral member of this band ever since. His funky rhythms and pulsing bass lines keep their tunes moving and keep your hips shaking. Nick draws his inspiration from music across a wide range of genres. He hopes to continue pursuing deeper musical expression with the band Tommy Shugart studies guitar with Bobby Koeble at Rollins College, with a focus in jazz perfor- mance. His adoration of soul and R&B music led the young musician to inquire into the harmony and rhythms rooted in jazz music, although Tom never quite became a straight ahead jazz cat. He has taken up a liking of the blues guitar, and enjoys playing loud rock and roll music as well. No matter how juiced his vintage fender amplifier is, he will not stray far from players such as Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Johnny Guitar Watson, and David T. Walker. Mixed with a rock influence ranging from Randy Rhodes, to Jimmy Page, to Carlos Santana, Tommy’s blend of styles is noteworthy. He has toured with R.J. Harman and Company (multiple award winning blues act), as well as the folk sensation Laney Jones. Aaron "Bucky" Buckingham was born to a family of wolves but quickly became acclimated to life with humans after a short stint in Rehab in New York CIty. Once kicked out of rehab he learned to live on the streets; surviving off of the money he made as a bucket drummer in Brooklyn. It is a common miscomception that his nickname comes from his last name, while in reality it comes from his first career. Rhythm rattles through his hands and helps him create the astounding beats he plays. Bucky is sponsored by Battlefield Drum Co. “As an Artist I have changed for the better, I know longer “try” to write “blues” I just write what I know and what has happened to me. I’m in this mind set to pay homage to the roots but also just write great RJ HARMAN & COMPANY music as well. We are very much so going to be competing this year in the IBC and all I can say is we’re [email protected] coming harder than ever! Please visit our webpages and help spread our love of this music to everyone, remember that the little things are most important! “ RJ 4 Central Florida Blues Challenge Winners : Joel Da Silva & the Midnight Howl (2013) In this series you will be introduced to the past and present Central Florida Blues Challenge winners.