1 Volume 30; Issue 6 Dec 2009-Jan 2010 Inside this Tommy Castro will help us celebrate issue: our 30th Anniversary By Vj Are you ready? It is time again for in the ‘90’s. His sax player, Keith Moffett’s Musings 2 our FREE All Ages Member Party Crossan was with Tommy then and and Tommy Castro will help us cele- is still with him now. The two of brate our 30th year them make an Blues Band Blowout 3 as an official amazing Harp Showcase Blues Society. amount of mu- The opening band sic! So you Out & About w/ Lizzie 4 will be Two-Tone really won’t Did You Know? Steiny, that slick want to miss dresser with the this show. harmonica in his BITS News 5 hand. And there Each year, the Saying Goodbye is more! How band that is run- about a drawing ner-up in the Blues Blast Awards for prizes. You competition to 6 30 Year Tradition could discover a go to Memphis new favorite or and compete in add to your col- the International Profile: Kenny Nichols 7 lection of old fa- Blues Competi- vorites. tion (IBC) is the opening band Member Party! 8 What if you are for our Member not a member? Party. This You can join at the door! For just year we have Two Tone Steiny and Board of $25.00, you get a year’s member- the Cadillacs joining us. You won’t Directors ship to SBS and free entrance to the be disappointed in their version of Meetings party. But you want to bring the West Coast Jump Blues. are the 2nd family? A Family membership is Tuesday of each $40.00, and the kids can come Members have received their ballots month, 7:00 PM along. What a bargain, and you will for the SBS Board members by now. at the SMUD be assisting in Keeping the Blues If you haven’t voted, please do. And Building, Alive when you introduce your family if you have, but haven’t mailed it 6301 S Street, to the Blues. back yet, just bring it to the party, Sacramento, CA. and drop it off in the ballot box. Our headliner, Tommy Castro, Folks at the front table will be glad to All SBS mem- took home the 2008 Entertainer of help you. Mark you calendars for bers in good the Year at the Blues Music Awards, December 13 now, and see you at standing are but he has been making music for the Member Party! many years. He first caught my ear invited to attend. at the Monterey Bay Blues Festival Flyer is on Page 8 1 2 Volume 30; Issue 6 Page 2 Moffett’s Musings... Another two months have gone ber, we have our Annual Member Party and Board by and the Blues festival season elections. This year we have the Tommy Castro is nearing an end. We lost a few Band as the headliner. This is an opportunity to see good ones due to the economy, one of the Greatest Blues Bands of our time for but the news says it will improve FREE if you are a Sacramento Blues Society Mem- soon and hopefully we will have a ber. And for a bonus, Two Tone Steiny and the full schedule next year. Cadillacs are opening for Tommy. Tell you friends to join us in this Annual Party and membership concert. We had great events this last two Memberships will be available at the door. Member- By months, the Blues Band Blow- ships are $25.00 a year individual and $40.00 a year Dennis out in October and the Blues for families, and we make as many of our events as Moffett Harp Showcase in November. possible all-ages events. The Blowout is the SBS band competition that gives our local bands a chance to I would like to thank my Board of Directors. Patty, compete for a place in the Blues Foundation’s “Big” thanks for your efforts establishing the Musicians International Blues Competition in Memphis Tenn. Fund and the local Hall of Fame. Cynthia, thanks for The winner of the Single/Duo competition was Volker carrying on your great work with Blues in the Strifler, doing an impressive single performance and Schools. Sally, thanks for keeping us straight with Volker should do very well in Memphis. The Best your meeting notes, Linda, thanks for maintaining the Band (I am glad I was not a judge and had to vote, membership information. Kim, thanks for being Sec- as they were all winners) was Dave Channell’s band, ond Banana. Cathy, thanks for handling the newslet- Fire and Wheels. Congratulations to both. SBS and ter mailings, Dave, thanks for keeping the money others will be organizing fund-raisers for our straight. John and Stan, winners to help pay for the Memphis trip. We thanks for putting together all will be announcing the times and dates of the great shows we enjoyed these events. this year (again). The Harp Showcase featured our headliner, me look good as President, Darrell Mansfield. He was backed by The and made this year a Great Used Blues Band, featuring Sean McGroarty. Year for the Sacramento Guests were Kevin Greenwood, Johnnie “Be Blues Society. And thanks to Good” Lopez, David Croall, Kyle Rowland Liz Walker, Valeriejeanne and Jean “Birdleg “ Pittman. And it was an- Anderson, and Hornitos Te- other great show for Sacramento Blues Soci- quila for getting me through ety members. You will see a sample of how this past year. Many of us will great our local musicians are when you come be returning next year to com- to the Member Party on December 13th. plete our 2-year term, and The first Blowout runner-up, Two Tone Steiny some of us will be candidates and the Cadillacs, will be opening for our for next year’s Board. headliner. I would like to thank all the Our shows keep getting better and better Two Tone Steiny is opening for new members that have thanks to the continuing membership support Tommy Castro at the Member Party. joined the Sacramento Blues as well as help from people like Randy of the Society. Our membership is Blue Room, Murray from the Powerhouse pub, always increasing. Thank you for the privilege of al- Brenda and Lynzi from Po Boyz, Tim at Constable lowing me to be your President of the Sacramento Jacks and of course, Marina Teixeira from the Torch Blues Society. Club. Support our local venues, because without them we would not have live music. Wouldn’t you I enjoyed it and will always remember the experience like to help with a show? Consider volunteering. of meeting such great musicians and blues fans. And I’ll always remember to Keep the Blues Alive. We have some great shows coming up. In Decem- 2 3 Volume 30; Issue 6 Dec 2009-Jan 2010 Blues Band Blowout Winners representing SBS in Memphis As ten groups competed to be the “solo/duo” and the band to repre- sent SBS in the International Blues Competition, we sat back and enjoyed the music of 10 acts in one afternoon. These two acts came out “on top”, and will Soloist—Volker Strifer make the trip to Memphis. Band—Dave Channell’s Fire and Wheels Other bands competing, left to right: Bobby Ray Watson & Mac, The Jokers, 2 Tone Steiny & the Cadillacs, Low-Down Dirty Dogs, Freewheelers, Isis & Cold Truth; Phil Berko- witz & the Dirty Cats; and Bluesion. Don’t miss this show next year! Harp Showcase a Big Draw this Year We had a full house and then some at the Harp Showcase. Sean McGroaty of the Napa-Sonoma Blues Soci- ety brought the Used Blues Band along to back up a stellar group of harp players this year, and the band was up to the task. And thanks Sean, for all your assistance on this show. Sean McGroarty Johnny “Be Good” Lopez Fred “The Deacon” Baker David Croall Kevin Greenwood Kyle Rowland Birdlegg Pitttman Darrell Mansfield Darrell with Guitar winner Wendy Tellez 3 4 Volume 30; Issue 6 Page 4 Out & About By Lizzie I unexpectedly found myself out on a Tuesday night never was a huge Dead fan, those long rambling (Happy Birthday to the U.S. Marine Corp!) and jams just confused me. I admit it. I’m pretty simple dropped in at the Torch. Don’t ya just love it that we & straight forward. Tell me a story, let me wander for can “drop in” at the Torch and always find some out- awhile but give me an anchor and the smooth, standing music? The Lew Fratis Trio was doing a sweet, soulfulness of Lew Fratis is a great anchor! great rendition of Otis Redding’s “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay”. Dave Garrity (Sammy Winner for Best It’s an odd sort of night, the crowd is a mix of old and Bass Player) harkens back to the old Torch days of young, regulars and newcomers, but everybody digs the Luminators. He can play anything asked of him Sam Cooke and “Cupid” brings out the dancers and with precision and passion. Kenny Nicholas (one of while the floor is hopping we’re on to some reggae. the sweetest guys you can meet) though fairly new to But somewhere in here Lew decides to turn it up and the area in the last couple of years, has been turning the smokin good guitar player comes out to play. up everywhere. He’s an excellent drummer and is in Kenny and Dave are right there bringing it on home.