blues
That’s the grace of music…
It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Derek Trucks’ guitar playing. If he put out a “hey this is Derek practicing scales on the front porch” album I would probably buy it. (who am I kidding – I would totally buy it) With this in mind, I was surprised by how much I like Revelator, the new
release from the Tedeschi Trucks Band.
Derek’s guitar is present, but it doesn’t overwhelm the other instruments or Susan’s voice. The arrangements are so well done, especially on tracks like Shelter. Susan’s voice weaves in and around the music so smoothly she almost sounds like another instrument playing. It is just beautiful.
(I know. I know…I can’t believe I am talking about arrangements either. I expect to look out the front windows and see flying pigs zooming around any moment now.)
The band is huge with Derek on guitar, Susan on vocals and guitar, Oteil Burbridge on bass, Kofi Burbridge on keyboards and flute, Tyler Greenwall and J.J. Johnson on drums, Mike Mattison and Mark Rivers on harmony vocals, Kebbi Williams on sax, Maurice Brown on trumpet and Saunders Sermons on trombone, but they all mesh together and the music just flows perfectly.
My favorite track is Shrimp and Grits with Shelter running a close second.
You can pick up a free mp3 of Bound for Glory off the Tedeschi Trucks Band website and can purchase Revelator from Amazon, iTunes and other retailers.
- Kit
Don’t scare the dancing clouds or they shall cease to perform…
Bah, I have spam in my filter.
For those inclined to MUD, my review of 6Dragons is up over on GamingHUD. Check out the new Battlefield 3 – Faultline trailer while you are there. All news and reviews are gathered on the front page so it should be easy to find.
If you sign up for the Tedeschi/Trucks Band newsletter you can download a mp3 single “Bound for Glory” off the upcoming album Revelator for free. Normally I wouldn’t rec more email to anyone but I get about one a month, sometimes less so it is worth it if you are a fan of the band or of Susan or Derek.
Amazon.com has the mp3 version of the new Los Lonely Boys album Rockpango on sale for 5.99. They have quite a few various releases on sale and will upgrage their new Cloud drive storage system from 5G to 20G with any purchase of an mp3 album. I haven’t tried it out yet but I suspect Kahuna will have tested it before the end of the day. 
Scooter and I have been trying to go to the park all week but it will not stop pouring rain. I understand this is likely normal spring weather but I am ready for sun and heat. I also miss my azaleas.
Off to test mods while she dozes on the couch.
- Kit
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They call me Pinetop…
Joe Willie ‘Pinetop’ Perkins – July 7,1913 – March 21, 2011
From the official Pinetop Perkins website:
It is with deep sadness that we announce Pinetop Perkins passed away peacefully at home on
Monday, March 21, 2011 in Austin, TX at the age of 97.Visitation and Funeral Services
Cook-Walden Funeral Home - Austin, TexasVisitation
Sunday, March 27, 2011 – 3:00pm – 5:00pm
Cook-Walden Funeral Home
6100 North Lamar Blvd., Austin, Texas 78752
512-454-5611Funeral Service
Monday, March 28, 2011 - 5:00pm
Colonial Chapel of Cook-Walden Funeral Home
6100 North Lamar Blvd., Austin, Texas 78752
512-454-5611
Celebration of Life
Monday, March 28, 2011 – 8:00PM
Antone’s Blues Club
213 W 5th St
Austin, TX 78701Burial services will be on Saturday, April 2, 2011 in Clarksdale, MS.
Details are still being finalized.
Ninety-seven and still performing. It is sad to see him go but at the same time, whoa…what an amazing life.
- Kit
My heart is dancin’ to a November tune…
November 2010 Blues and Music Festivals in the South:
Friday, November 5, 2010
Downtown Blues Festival
Gainesville, Florida, U.S.
www.myspace.com/ncfblues
352-264-1573
20th Annual Sarasota Bluesfest
Sarasota, Florida, U.S.
www.sarasotabluesfest.com
941 377-3279
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Andy’s Thank-A-Vet Freedom Fest
All Day Music Fest, Thanking our Vets
Gordon Park Speedway, Grovetown, Georgia, U.S.
www.andysthankavet.com
706.798-6314
Friday-Sunday, November 19-21, 2010
St. Johns River Blues Festival
Palatka, Florida, U.S.
www.stjohnsriverbluesfestival.com
386-325-5454
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Southwest Florida Blues Festival
Cape Coral, Florida, U.S.
www.SouthwestFloridaBluesFestival.com
239-464-0809
Looks like the music festivals are winding down for the year. For more information please check the individual websites or the Blues Festival Guide.
- Kit
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Wrote a song for everyone…
I wanted to title this post “this is what awesome sounds like” but since I use the word quite a bit I thought it might not convey just how exceptionally good the new release by Mavis Staples sounds. 
You Are Not Alone is a mix of bluesy gospel and bluesy rock and the best version of John Fogerty’s Wrote a Song for Everyone that I have ever heard.
No matter how much I listen to Miss Mavis I am always blown away by the power and the beauty of her voice. While she has some great material to work with in Last Train, Creep Along Moses, Downward Road and the rockin’ I Belong to the Band Hallelujah, it’s her voice that carries the album and weaves it altogether.
Kit’s Awesome Vid of the Day Week – Wrote a Song For Everyone
I found this over on Gloriousnoise. Mavis Staples with Jeff Tweedy on guitar. Probably my favorite vid of the year.
You can listen and/or purchase You Are Not Alone over on Amazon or Emusic. Well worth the money.
-Kit
Hand clappin, hip shakin, heartbreakin…
October 2010 Blues and Music festivals in the South:
Friday-Saturday, October 1-2, 2010
Columbia’s 16th Annual Blues Festival
Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.
www.wordofmouthproductions.org
803-783-6420
Friday-Sunday, October 1-3, 2010
Bayfest 2010
Mobile, AL, U.S.
www.bayfest.com
251-208-7835
Saturday, October 2, 2010
SunTrust Big Lick Blues Festival
Roanoke, VA, U.S.
www.BigLickBlues.org
540-342-2640
Sunday, October 3, 2010
American Music Celebration
Kiawah Island, SC, U.S.
http://www.myspace.com/americanmusiccelebration
843-762-9125
Sunday, October 3, 2010
16th Annual Stevie Ray Vaughan Remembrance Ride & Concert
Arlington, Texas, U.S.
www.srvrideandconcert.org
817-265-1535
Thursday-Saturday, October 7-9, 2010
Carolina Downhome Blues Festival
Camden, SC, U.S.
www.bluesbash.com/camden
803-425-7676
Thursday-Saturday, October 7-9, 2010
25th Annual Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival
Helena, AR, U.S.
www.bluesandheritagefest.com
Friday-Saturday, October 8-9, 2010
Garvin Gate Blues Festival
Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
http://garvingatebluesfestival.com
502-896-9833
Friday-Sunday, October 8-10, 2010
Austin City Limits Music Festival
Austin, Texas, U.S.
www.aclfestival.com
Friday-Sunday, October 8-10, 2010
Daytona Beach Blues Festival
Daytona, FL, U.S.
http://annualdaytonabluesfestival.com
386-846-7302
Saturday-Sunday, October 9-10, 2010
17th Annual Pleasure Island Seafood, Blues & Jazz Festival
Kure Beach, North Carolina, U.S.
website
910-458-8434
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Cat Head Mini Blues Fest III
Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S.
www.cathead.biz
662-624-5992
Friday-Saturday, October 15-16, 2010
Historic Mansfield Music Festival
Mansfield, TX, U.S.
www.HistoricMansfield.net
817-475-7210
Friday-Saturday, October 15-16, 2010
Bukka White Blues Festival
Aberdeen, Mississippi, U.S.
www.bukkawhitefestival.com
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Rowan Blues and Jazz Festival
Salisbury, North Carolina
www.rowanbluesandjazz.com
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Columbia Blues Festival
Columbia, North Carolina, U.S.
www.wordofmouthproductions.org
803-733-8452
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Sam Hairston Celebration First Annual Legends Blues Concert
Columbus, MS, U.S.
www.columbus-ms.org
800-327-2686
Saturday-Sunday, October 16-17, 2010
Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
www.crescentcitybluesfest.com
504-558-6100
Sunday-Sunday, October 17-24, 2010
Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise Pacific
San Diego, CA, U.S.
www.bluescruise.com
888-BLUESIN / 816-753-7979
Saturday, October 23, 2010
7th Annual Mississippi Delta Regional Blues Challenge
Indianola, Mississippi, U.S.
www.indianolablues.org
662-887-4913
Thursday-Sunday, October 28-31, 2010
Hambone Festival
Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S.
www.hambonefestival.com
662-253-5586
Check out the websites for more information. For info on festivals outside the south check out the Blues Festival Guide. As always, have a great time and stay safe.
- Kit
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I’m so far away from home…
I have a confession. I now have an iPhone.
I know…trust me, I know but my old reliable Motorola (so tough it survived multiple falls, Scooter and skidding across the Wal Mart parking lot) had starting not holding a charge for more than a few hours and I knew I needed to replace it. Kahuna, easily swayed by the tech-pretty, had picked up an iPhone for his new job. Then he tempted me over to the Dark Side.
“we can talk to each other for free” he says. “both phones on the same handy bill” he says. “unlimited internet” he says. Having neither light saber nor Jedi mind powers I was unable to resist.
So now I have an iPhone. Since I had little time to download any music for it before the move, I ended up with lots of eighties power ballads, seventies southern rock-ish stuff, Lightnin’ Hopkins (lots of Hopkins – the tracks were on sale) Bon Jovi and a few new things.
We set off for North Carolina with Kahuna, the kids and the cats all in a rental monster SUV while I drove the car. By myself. For over ten hours.
I had a backseat piled full of boxes, pillows, blankets and our giant water bottle change jar. The front seat had boxes, bags and a guitar. I felt like a country song come to life. After a couple of hours of the radio, I plugged in my phone and pretty much listened to it for the rest of the trip. This explains why I have Bon Jovi on the brain (still) and have a new favorite band.
One of the things I picked up for my phone was The Nimmo Brothers “New Moon Over Memphis“. It is a fabulous album and the guys kept me company and kept me awake all the way through South Carolina and a ways into North Carolina. My favorite songs are probably “Feels Like Rain“ and “New Moon Over Memphis” but I love the entire track list.
Awesome Vid - Day Number Two – New Moon Over Memphis
This is fairly sparse. Black and white, Alan and Stevie on acoustics and on stage. No tidying up or mixing for a better sound. What you hear is them playing and singing. They are having a good time and the music is just beautiful.
Music by The Nimmo Brothers – Live recording at Cranleigh Arts Centre, 2008.
- Kit
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Just happy to get it up before the storm hits…
September 2010 Blues and Music Festivals in the South:
Friday, September 3, 2010
Howlin Wolf Memorial Blues Festival
West Point, Mississippi, U.S.
http://www.wpnet.org/Howlin_Festival.htm
662-605-0770
Friday-Saturday, September 3-4, 2010
Summertime Blues Festival
Freeport, TX, U.S.
www.freeportbluesfestival.com
979-549-9896
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Zydeco Louisiana Blues Festival
Manor,TX, U.S.
www.austinzydecobluesfest.com
512-981-6535
Saturday, September 4-5, 2010
Bedford Blues & BBQ festival
Bedford, Texas, U.S.
www.bedfordbluesfest.com
817-952-2128
Friday-Saturday, September 10-11, 2010
Blues, Brews and BBQ
Charlotte, NC, U.S.
www.bluesbrewsandbbq.com
704-332-2227
Friday-Saturday, September 10-11, 2010
23rd Annual Bull Durham Blues Festival
Durham, North Carolina, U.S.
www.bulldurhamblues.org
919-683-1709
Friday-Sunday, September 10-12, 2010
Blues at the Beach
Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S.
www.natchelblues.org
757-588-8689
Saturday, September 11 2010
End of Summer Blues Festival
Camp Green Cove, Zirconia, North Carolina, U.S.
www.endofsummerbluesfestival.com
828-551-3860
Saturday-Sunday, September 11-12, 2010
Mississippi Gulf Coast Blues Festival
Gautier, Mississippi, U.S.
www.msgulfcoastbluesfest.com
228-497-5493
Friday-Saturday, September 17-18, 2010
Tommy Johnson Blues Festival
Terry, Mississippi, U.S.
www.tommyjohnsonblues.com
601-212-6088
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival
Greenville, Mississippi, U.S.
www.deltablues.org
662-335-3523
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Chili, Blues n’ Blues Festival
Waynesboro, Virginia, U.S.
www.waynesborodowntown.org/events.php
540.942.6705
Saturday, September 25, 2010
3rd Annual Tangerine Blues Fest
Gulfport, Florida, U.S.
www.TangerineBluesFest.com
727-723-5660
Saturday, September 25, 2010
1st Annual Blue Gypsy Bluesfest
Virginia Beach, VA, U.S.
www.bluegypsybluesfest.com
804-384-7555
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Wing Dang Doodle Festival
Gaddis Park, Forest, Mississippi, U.S.
www.forestareachamber.com
601-469-4332
Saturday-Sunday, September 25-26, 2010
Clarkston City Blues Concert and Festival
Clarkston, Georgia, U.S.
www.clarkstonfestival.com
888-789-4830
Tuesday-Saturday, September 28-2, 2010
Mississippi Delta Blues Harmonica Jam Camp
Clarksdale, Mississippi, U.S.
www.bluesharmonicajamcamp.com
310-457-8278
Thursday-Saturday, September 30-2, 2010
Old Town Blues & Jazz Festival
Rockhill, SC, U.S.
www.yorkcountyarts.org
803-328-2220
Check out the websites for more information.
Here’s hoping the power stays on. -Kit
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- Blurred…
February 12, 2013 | 4:06 pm
I have been trying to write the review for Blurred, by San Francisco singer/songwriter Alex Wise for a few months now but can’t seem to finish it. This is difficult for me to say but I get about halfway through the process and find myself so homesick I just can’t continue. The past few years have been full [...] - Arc & Stones…
February 11, 2013 | 4:53 am
Now that Scooter is back sleeping nights I proclaim this ’dig myself out from under the mountain of un-reviewed music‘ week. Kicking off the week o’reviewing is Arc & Stones, the debut EP from Brooklyn band Arc & Stones. The guys are Dan Pellarin (vocals), Ben Cramer (guitar), Joe Doino (drums) and Eddy Bayes (bass). I had [...] - Telegraph Taboo…
January 21, 2013 | 8:45 am
So, I was in the mood for some blues and whoosh – blues appeared. Other people get coupons, bills and news updates in the mail while I get blues music. Cool new blues music in the form of the debut release Telegraph Taboo from the Chicago-based band Nick and the Ovorols. This is not a pretty album. The vocals on a few tracks [...] -
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