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HOMESICK JAMES On a sad note, we have lost a real blues legend this past week. HOMESICK JAMES died Tuesday, December 13. Homesick was 96 years old. He played many times in and around Fresno. I was introduced to him and got the chance to back him up thanks to Chris Millar, the valley's ambassador to the blues. - Don Heflin Another Blues Legend is Gone -- Homesick James Chicago blues legend Homesick James passed away Wednesday, December 13, at 11:15pm. He was in his mid-90s, but his own
accounts of his age would vary. He passed away resting comfortably in his home in Springfield, Missouri. His wake and
visitation is Friday from 5-7 pm. His funeral is this Saturday December 23 at noon. Both take place at Barlow Funeral
Home: His correct age may remain in doubt (he's claimed he was born as early as 1905), but the slashing slide guitar skills of Homesick James Williamson have never been in question. Many of his most satisfying recordings have placed him in a solo setting, where his timing eccentricities don't disrupt the proceedings (though he's made some fine band-backed waxings as well). Williamson was playing guitar at age ten and soon ran away from his Tennessee home to play at fish fries and dances. His travels took the guitarist through Mississippi and North Carolina during the 1920s, where he crossed paths with Yank Rachell, Sleepy John Estes, Blind Boy Fuller, and Big Joe Williams. Settling in Chicago during the 1930s, Williamson played local clubs and recorded for RCA Victor in 1937. The miles and gigs had added up before Williamson made some of his finest sides in 1952-53 for Art Sheridan's Chance Records (including the classic "Homesick" that gave him his enduring stage name). James also worked extensively as a sideman, backing harp great Sonny Boy Williamson in 1945 at a Chicago gin joint called the Purple Cat and during the 1950s with his cousin, slide master Elmore James (to whom Homesick is stylistically indebted). He also recorded with James during the 1950s. Homesick's own output included crashing 45s for Colt and USA in 1962, a fine 1964 album for Prestige, and four tracks on a Vanguard anthology in 1965. Williamson has never stopped recording and touring: he's done recent albums for Appaloosa and Earwig. No matter
what his current chronological age, there's nothing over-the-hill about the blues of Homesick James Williamson. More from Who's Who CENTERSTAGE CHICAGO centerstagechicago.com |
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STATE THEATRE OF MODESTO, INC. TAKE A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY TO NEW ORLEANS WITH THE PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND Modesto, CA - Wednesday, February, 28, 2007 at 8:00pm the State Theatre of Modesto beckons patrons to enjoy the historic sounds of pure New Orleans with the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band. There is probably no other group more dedicated to keeping the soul of true New Orleans music alive than the Preservation Hall Jazz Band - from Dixieland style tunes, southern spirituals, to vintage pop songs - the group's signature music never fails to have concert-goers parading, sashaying and clapping their way through the aisles. The band takes listeners back to the days when Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton ruled New Orleans. It's not just a band, it's a cultural phenomenon. The musical legacy of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band is carried on by Ben Jaffe, bass; Ralph Johnson, clarinet; Joseph Lastie, Jr., drums; Rickie Monie, piano; Frank Demond, trombone; John Brunious, trumpet; Carl Le Blanc, banjo; Lucien Barbarin, trombone; and Clint Maedgen, vocalist – is the house band of Preservation Hall, the venerable New Orleans nightspot. The musicians, who range in age from 29 to 88, have been touring the United States for more than 30 years and recently made appearances at Carnegie Hall and Wolf Trap, as well as in Thailand and at the Red Sea Jazz Festival in Israel. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band is known for its repertoire of Dixieland-style tunes, southern spirituals, and vintage pop songs including: I Ain't Got Nobody, Indy Blues, Memories, and Goin' to the Mardi Gras. Often, the audience parades around clapping and sashaying as the band launches into their signature piece, When the Saints Go Marching In. Awarded the 2006 National Gold Medal of Arts, the nation's highest honor for artistic excellence, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band has toured the world since 1961 with different line-ups perpetuating the traditional music of New Orleans as emissaries of this unique American art form. The National Medal of Arts, established by Congress in 1984, is awarded by the President to those who have made extraordinary contributions to the creation, growth, and support of the arts in the United States. Immediately after Hurricane Katrina, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band embarked on a world tour bringing attention to the critical needs of New Orleans and its musicians. In order to provide immediate assistance to musicians, Ben and his wife Sarah Jaffe founded the New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund, www.nomhrf.org. The group has recorded numerous albums including: Preservation Hall Jazz Band Volumes I - IV, The Best of Preservation Hall and Preservation Hall Jazz Band Live! produced for Sony Records. In 2004 Preservation Hall launched its own record label, (spearheaded by Ben Jaffe, son of Preservation Hall's founder, the late Allan Jaffe) as a way of enlivening and preserving the traditional New Orleans sound. With the recent impact of Hurricane Katrina, preserving that tradition is more important now than ever and we welcome the group to Modesto as a salute to the Crescent City. Concert Information: Single Tickets: $28 - $37 - $45 State Theatre of Modesto More info, photos and press kits: |
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RON THOMPSON BLUES FLASH A note of thanks. Thanks to YOUR telephone votes and YOUR support, Bay Area's very own rhythm and blues legend RON THOMPSON & HIS RESISTORS won the most votes and came in first place out of 20 bands!! Pete Wilson concluded his show by playing "Silvertone Boogie" (Magic Touch CD) in its entirety. Special thanks to KGO Radio, Pete Wilson, and Brad Kava, music critic for the San Jose Mercury News! Many thanks to all of you for your continued support! |
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SCHOOLBOY CLEVE One of Ron Thompsons old buddys, Cleveland White, known in the music world as Schoolboy Cleve, is among Baton Rouge's classic blues men. A resident of the San Francisco area since 1959, the 81-year-old singer, harmonica player and guitarist recently released his first CD. The collection, South to West: Iron and Gold, stretches from his 1950s singles for J.D. Miller's Feature Records and Johnny Vincent's Ace label through the 1990s. "The CD is sort of a kind of reminiscence for my family, because my grandchildren, my children, they all like to hear me play the harmonica.", White said from his California home. "I had a lot of stuff that I recorded, so I decided I better put it on CD for them, because they do cherish this very highly. I like it, too, because it makes me think back when I was young and performing these things." White's CD is available from online music retailer cdbaby.com |
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8TH ANNUAL CENTRAL VALLEY BLUES FESTIVAL
TICKETS: FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: |
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RENÉ SOLIS' BLUES GUITAR EXTRAVAGANZA - 2006 SERIES As creator and producer of the Blues Guitar Extravaganza, René Solis once again brings together the best blues guitarists in the Bay Area for a series of amazing shows throughout Northern California. Now in its fifth year, this event has impressed audiences and garnered accolades from media insiders and blues aficionados alike. From its modest beginnings at JJ's Blues Club in San Jose, this exciting show now commands standing-room only status and usually sells out tickets far in advance. René is a gifted guitar player and constantly reaches new heights of showmanship and finesse. As bandleader of the highly popular band NiteCry, René's career has come full circle: in addition to being an exceptional guitarist, he has also become a well-respected vocalist and songwriter. Over the years, René has been a featured artist at countless festivals and nightclubs, often sharing the stage with such industry giants as Albert King, Luther Tucker, Joe Louis Walker, Davey Pattison, and former NiteCry member Tommy Castro. Saturday April 29 - The Little Fox, Redwood City, CA
www.foxdream.com Tuesday May 11 - JJ's Blues, San Jose, CA
www.jjsblues.org Friday June 30 - Moe's Alley, Santa Cruz, CA
www.moesalley.com Monday July 7 - Le Chai Wine Lounge, Visalia, CA
www.lechaiwinelounge.net Monday July 17 - Yoshi's, Oakland, CA
www.yoshis.com Saturday September 9 - Modesto Blues Festival, Modesto, CA
www.jbpresents.com Friday October 27 - Villa Montalvo, Saratoga, CA
www.montalvoarts.org |
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COLE FONSECA BENEFIT CONCERT & LIVE AUCTION On behalf of Cole and the Cole Fonseca Benefit Fund, I want to extend a tremendous and heart felt THANK U to Stan Ruffo, Mezcal, A.C. Myles Band, Trey Tosh who joined in and impressed everyone, Mento Buru, Ron Thompson, MoFo Party Band, Don Heflin, Ed with Mountain Sound, Rudy Parris, Aaron Knight, Eric Frame, The Printer, Inc. in Corcoran / Phillip Aurand, the CFBCA Committee; Suzi Q, Pescado Pete & Pescado Cathy, John Crow, my three brothers from Pismo Beach; Jared, Mitch and Dittier, The Security Giants; Moose and Jon Weldon, Mrs. Weldon, the Display Girls, The Visalia Fox Theater and staff, our Web Master John Henry, all of the businesses who donated towards Cole's Benefit and most of all, my wife Beth who went the extra ten and a half miles and brought it all together for the awesome job they did with Love and diligence to make the Cole Fonseca Benefit Concert & Auction a tremendous success. We were all impressed with the out-pouring of Love and Compassion they and all who attended gave Cole. The support of the Blues Family in the Central Valley has left an impact of the Fonseca family and on Cole. We bless you with Health, Peace, Joy, and Love. The performances by all bands were awesome, they gave 100%. The crowed was rocked with 1 band on the outside with the Food Court ( Kudos to Pescado Pete) while waiting in line, and 5 bands on the inside. We had an estimated 850 people who attended, over 22 different buyers at the Auction. We raffled off a 2006 Chopper that caught everyone's eye, we had a great time in Visalia with the Blues. As was spoken at the concert, Cole is in need of a timely operation on his arm in order to regain the use of it. Cole is
currently undergoing rigorous therapy to prepare his arm for a scheduled surgery by the most premier surgeon of the world in
March. We achieved an awesome dent into the needed amount for this surgery at the Benefit Concert and Auction. We
cleared $27K and are filled with gratitude for ALL who participated in each of their own ways. We have three weeks to go
and still need $19K more to have to pay as a 1/2 payment at the time of the operation, or it will not happen. Because time
is of the essence, we are extending an urgent plea to all who may have wanted to donate, or would like to again donate more to
visit the Cole Fonseca Benefit website at www.colefonsecabenefit.com to help us reach our goal for this operation. OR you
can mail your donations to: If You can help us, we will be deeply grateful to all. I am looking forward to seeing Cole continue his contribution to
the Blues Music Industry. If I have missed anyone who gave their time to help Cole, I am sorry, I do appreciate you as well.
After a tough 5 weeks it is hard to recall everyone. |
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THE FRESNO BEE BEEHIVE BLOG SITE Hey Everybody.... I'm pleased to announce that I'm now blogging about Fresno music/culture on the Fresno Bee Beehive blog site. The address to the site is
www.fresnobeehive.com I just started last week so I'm still trying to get a feel for what my content is going to be like. This much I know: I want to give people some insight about what's happening in Fresno so they can get out and explore some of the great things our city has to offer. Many of my enteries will have to do with music, which should be no surprise. Everyday, I'll try to give people options of things to do that day, as well as report of any news that's happening. Sometimes you'll see stuff before it appears in the newspaper. I'll also be bringing you added content. I'm going to start a Band of the Week feature, each week picking a band/artist that deserves some attention, interviewing them, linking some of their music, etc. (if you're interested in more on this, e-mail me back and I'll tell you what it's about and how to be involved). I've already reported on my own adventures in town, talking about shows I go to and sharing my pictures. I'll ask people if they have questions for national acts that I'm interviewing. Most of all, I just want to engage people and bring our music scene together. The different cliques in town have their own eStomping Ground, but I'm trying to unite it all under one umbrella. As always, I encourage everyone if you have anything to share, anything you think I should be paying attention to, or if you just wanna speak your mind, let me hear it. But now you have a new forum. Thanks for reading. Please pass this along to your friends, too. Mike Osegueda |
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TOMMY CASTRO BAND Dear Blues Fans The Blues Foundation has announced that Tommy Castro has been nominated for two Blues Music Awards. Castro received one nomination for "Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year" and his best-selling CD release, Soul Shaker, got the nomination for "Contemporary Blues Album of the Year". The Tommy Castro Band is currently on tour in support of their new DVD release "Whole Lotta Soul" featuring songs from Soul Shaker, plus exclusive interview footage. "Whole Lotta Soul" was recorded live at the Sierra Nevada Brewery, in Chico, CA Catch the Tommy Castro Band at these upcoming appearances:
Debra Regur |
