35th Blues Music Awards Winners Announced

The 35th Blues Music Awards took place on May 8, 2014 in Memphis, Tennessee. The event brought together the lovers and players of the blues into one great night of celebration.

Congrats to all the winners; it's always nice to see a mix of the traditional bluesmen such as Buddy Guy and James Cotton with contemporary bluesmen like Susan Tedeschi and Gary Clark Jr.

Here's the full winners list after the jump:

More Bad Places to Have the Blues

A few years back I posted a small list of places where you can't have the blues.

Here's a new list of places that you just cain't have the blues , no matter how the economy dragged you down , or no matter how many men/women done mistreat you:

You dropped your monocle at an art gallery

You missed Kim at her opening of Millions of Milkshakes

Your doctor left some fat on your leg during lypo

Your iPhone's home button don't work so you go the Apple Store

A Justin Beiber concert

Blowin' the Blues: Top 10 Blues Harp Players

Hohner, the most famous brand of harps for blues players.

The harmonica, or as it's known in blues terms as the 'harp', has been and still is an essential addition to any blues song. The harmonica is older than the blues, but ever since the early days of the blues in the Mississippi Delta,  harp players started accompanying guitarists and vocalists, it gave the song a more 'country folk' sound that people associate with. 

Eventually with the great migration of blues players to the urban centers of Chicago, Detroit, etc, harp players started using amplifiers to keep up with the electrified guitars and vocals, and since then traditional blues players most always have a harp in their band lineup.

I compiled a list of my personal top 10 harp players, based on influence and legacy.

'BB King: The Life of Riley' to Get Theater, DVD Release

A new documentary called 'BB King: The Life of Riley' is set to be released in select US theaters on May 21st, with a DVD, Blu-Ray and digital release for June 17.

The film, directed by Jon Brewer and narrated by God Morgan Freeman, will cover the rich and long-lasting musical history of Riley 'B.B.' King from his childhood, to his career beginning until now, where at 88 years old remains one of the only original bluesmen from back in the day. It features interviews by BB King himself, as well as Bono, Eric Clapton, Bruce Willis, Ringo Starr  and others, including appearances by Keith Richards, Mick Jagger And President Obama.

The soundtrack will be released as well, featuring selected works spanning his entire career.

Here's the trailer for the film:

'3 O'Clock Blues' - Ike & Tina Turner

When you hear the names 'Ike & Tina Turner' you probably only think about domestic violence, drug use, and the wild media fire surrounding their marriage.

However they were a musical force back in the day; they were responsible for many hits in the 60's and 70's like 'Proud Mary', won Grammy's and were inducted in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. Ike's guitar playing and Tina's soulful voice won them a lot of fans and recognition.

What's interesting is that they recorded a pure blues track, the standard '3 O'Clock Blues' which was originally by Lowell Fulson in 1948, but is most known to be a standard BB King tune as he made it famous in 1951.

It's a great version, and Tina rips through the blues while Ike's lead guitar fits the bill quite nicely.

Singers to Commemorate 50th Anniversary of the Blues & Gospel Train Concert

[SOURCE]

In a very exciting piece of news, several singers are getting ready to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the famous Blues & Gospel Train concert that took place at a train station in Manchester, UK, on May 7, 1964.

The concert, which was released as a film, features the great Muddy Waters, Cousin Joe, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee.

Here's Muddy Waters performing 'Can't Lose What You Ain't Never Had' from that show:

Now, on May 3rd, several musicians including Phil Busby, will perform at Whalley Range, close to the original location of the concert. Phil had this to say:

"Coming over to the UK to play gigs like this reignited the careers of musicians like Muddy Waters, and the Blues and Gospel Train gig has become an iconic moment in Blues music history. This single film that Granada made has become part of the memory of the British music scene."

You can visit the event page of [Facebook] and if you are in the UK you owe it to yourself to be there!!

'Sitting At My Window' - Son Seals

Son Seals (real name Frank Seals) was a well known blues guitarist and vocalist, and was most active in the 1970's up until his death in 2004. He had a soulful and dazzling guitar technique that propelled him to the heights of the Chicago blues circuit.

This song is from his electrifying debut album The Son Seals Blues Band in 1973 on Alligator Records, where he would stay for most of his recording life.

Rap Meets Blues: 'Bridging the Gap' - Nas ft. Olu Dara

I love seeing the blues being fused with other genres; it makes for interesting combinations.

One such mix is the 2nd single from famous rapper Nas, off his 2004 album 'Street Disciple'.

Sampling Muddy Waters' "Mannish Boy", it features his father Olu Dara (who is also a musician) on the chorus, singing about raising Nas as a child, whose real name is Nasir.

Nas spits some lines about his life when he was young, growing up, and the blues too:

The blues came from gospel, gospel from blues
Slaves are harmonizin' them ah's and ooh's
Old school, new school, know school rules
All these years I been voicin' my blues

There have been many tries to mix these genres together, but Nas brings it hardcore.

Standard of the Week: 'The Sky is Crying'

In 1959, electric slide master Elmore James recorded an impromptu track in Chicago. Influenced by the rainy day, he picked up the guitar and wailed the blues, starting with the now famous line:

The sky is cryin' 
Can't you see the tears roll down the street 
The sky is cryin' 
Can't you see the tears roll down the street 
I've been looking for my baby 
And I wonder where can she be 

And  the rest is history; the song reached number #15 on the Billboard charts, and listed in the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame as a Classic of Blues Recording. It has since been covered by dozens of artists, such as:


Albert King:

Gary Moore:

Stevie Ray Vaughan:

Eric Clapton:

Beirut Speaks Jazz @ Metro Al-Madina

In celebration of International Jazz Day, the hard working folks at Metro Al-Madina have announced a free concert called 'BEIRUT SPEAKS JAZZ'.

I will miss this concert by one day (I'll be in Beirut on the 1st of May), so it would have been great to see all these superb artists again along with my friends who run the Metro.

Below is from their event page:

"Come experience the most versatile jazz event in Lebanon where an all-star lineup of rock, pop, rap, blues and tarab artists get together in one night and on one stage to perform arrangements of songs over the foundations of Jazz harmonies and rhythms.

Beirut Speaks Jazz 2014 artists:

Vocals:
Oumeima El Khalil
Tania Saleh
Mazen El Sayed (aka El Rass)
Donna Khalife
Erin Mikaelian
Chady Nashef

Musicians:
Makram Abol Hosn / bass
Fouad Afra / drums (my relative!)
Bashar Farran / bass
George Kassis / piano
Jean Madani / bass
Chady Nashef / guitar
Avo Tutunjian / saxophone
Tarek Yamani / piano
Joseph Zayoun / guitar

Tarek Yamani: Artistic Director / producer
Metro al Madina: Co-producer

and more to be announced soon…

FREE ENTRANCE
Doors open at 9:00 pm
Concert starts at 9:30 pm"

http://facebook.com/beirutspeaksjazz