2011 In The Rear View Mirror
With the curtains closing on 2011 and the uncertainties of 2012 still ahead, I’ve put together this list of notable people and events from the past year with a secure feeling that things are looking up. The music industry is still in turmoil trying to find it’s ‘market share’ while independent artists struggle to survive. Suddenly being a ‘lounge act’ doesn’t seem as cheesy as it once did and playing dive bars for any compensation is a welcome change from the ‘norm’ of having no gigs at all or ‘paying to play’.
Despite the desperate times, I’ve found that one only has to look to find the bright spots within the music (specifically blues) community. While others continue to dwell on the hardships and losses we’ve suffered and endured, I’ll carry on looking through my rose colored glasses in anticipation of better times ahead.
Sadly, we lost some of the greatest players of the blues we’ve ever known this year and it is with a heavy heart that I remember these events while at the same time, I do not feel compelled to dwell on them. While I’m the first in line to ‘always remember’ I also feel strongly about taking care of those who are still around. Much like society as a whole, the blues community as we know it is aging, the old timers and many of the great players of our time are sadly passing on. A lot of great men and women left us in 2011, from every walk of life and every corner of the world. From our war heroes of WWII to the legendary bluesmen of the Mississippi Delta, I mourn the loss of every one and always will.
Having said that and with every drop of respect I posses to those who have passed, here is my list of the people, places and events which I found notable throughout the year who are still with us:
I’ll start with my vote for ‘Upcoming Blues Artist of the Year’: Randy Scott.
Randy hails from Detroit and has been successfully transplanted to Southern California. After a long hiatus Randy returned to playing in ’08 only to win Guitar Centers ‘King of the Blues Guitar’ competition in 2010. Randy just finished work on his first album produced by legendary producer Pete Anderson with help from guest players including Albert Lee . The album drops in early 2012, watch for it, you wont be disappointed. The video below is Randy at the Egnater Amps exhibit at NAMM 2011.
Next up: ‘Blues Band of the Year’: The 44′s.
One of the hardest working, hardest playing blues outfits ANYWHERE, The 44′s continue to knock me out every time our paths cross (which was at least a dozen times in 2011) and the top spot on my year end list is well deserved. Below is a video from last years Irvine Lake Blues Festival. The festival has no place on my list but the band sure does.
Speaking of festivals, here’s my pick for ‘Festival of the Year’: The Simi Valley Cajun and Blues Fest.
Randy Chortkoff continues to out-do himself by presenting a wide spectrum of honest to goodness blues acts for not just one, but two full days every year for the last eight years. This year was extra special for me because it seemed like I knew everyone there, from the talent to the audience, I was right at home.
Read about it here:
Simi Valley Cajun Blues Festival
While Randy and Delta Groove took the prize for festivals I feel compelled to make a spot for ‘Benefit Concert of the Year’. There were plenty to choose from, in fact it seemed like 2011 was the ‘year of the benefit’ out here in the West and it makes picking just one as the best that much more difficult. After careful consideration and taking into account all the factors the winner is: ‘Loreys Blues For Hope’ held at Joes Great American Bar and Grill in Burbank CA. This gig was not the biggest by far, (compared to huge events like The Relay For Life) but for a hometown event it did raise the most money and more importantly, every penny (over 7k) was accounted for then presented publicly to the City of Hope to help with treatment for cancer patients who are unable to afford treatment of this insidious disease.
Kelly Zirbes organized the event and true to her style, everything went off without a hitch. Below is the promo for the event.
Speaking of Kelly Z, I couldn’t create a ‘best of’ list without including this lady. After chasing her around with a video camera for the past year or so I’ve come to a couple of conclusions. First I realized that I can’t keep up with her. And second, I found that her drive to succeed is only surpassed by her talent as a musician and her desire to help others. KZ’s efforts to help spread awareness for Hepatitis C are huge, add that to the time she devotes to events like ‘Loreys Blues For Hope’ then throw in an aggressive touring and recording schedule with her band Kelly’s Lot and all the work she does with me right here at Ameriblues…and YOU figure out how she does it. For this, Kelly gets the top spot of the year for ‘Inspirational Artist of the Year’ (considered by many to be the most coveted and prestigious award on my list). Here’s a little something Kelly and her band did this year to honor our men and women in uniform serving in the military:
Joes Great American Bar and Grill (mentioned above) was also in the running for the ‘Dive Bar of the Year’ award but they’ve been around a bit too long to be considered for the honor this year. I’m trying to keep the list fresh with the ‘latest greatest’ and with that in mind, the choice was easy: Sillys Cocktails in Winnetka, CA takes the prize. Click here to read about this SFV best kept secret:
Sillys Cocktails
While we’re talking live music, one of the most important things to consider is having a place to play it (besides dive bars). My vote for ‘Concert Venue of the Year’: The Marquee 15 in Corona CA. This upscale venue is doing it’s part to promote the blues by booking some of the brightest stars of the blues world including one of my favorite guitar players, Albert Lee. Below is a video from a gig we (MusicUCanSee Productions) taped at the M-15
Two of the last three spots on my list are both held by guys named Jeff. Jeff number one, Jeff Dale takes the spot for: ‘Blues Concert of the Year’, it was held at neither a dive bar nor a concert hall but at one of the most unique venues around: ‘The Typhoon Room’ located at the Santa Monica Municipal Airport. Jeff is one of the coolest cats in the blues today and his live gigs really reflect his style and personality. Jeff’s CD release party for his latest record: ‘Blues Room’ was one that I’m glad I didn’t miss, read about it here along with an interview with the man himself:
Jeff Dale Ameriblues Interview
The second Jeff in my story but still on the top of my year end list is Jeff Stone for: ‘Blues Album of the Year’: ‘Three Faces of the Blues’. The fact that I don’t write a lot of cd reviews for Ameriblues doesn’t mean I don’t listen to at least two or three new ones per week. Jeff’s ’3 Faces’ disc was a late entry this year but man am I glad I got it in time for this article. The production and time spent in the studio on this record is obvious, this is no ‘pro-tools’ production and every song proves that there is simply no substitute for a top flight recording studio and personnel who know what they’re doing. Add that to the line-up of talent on this record and what you get is in my opinion, Grammy material.
I won’t write my ’3 Faces’ review here but watch for it coming to our pages in early 2012 and watch for Jeff out there promoting this record, he’ll blow you away like no other can.
Finally, the category of most importance to not only artists and bands, but venues alike. The fans, the people who make all the work worth while, the reason we exist. Folks just like you, who read about, spend money on, buy records from and support our beloved blues music. Of all the fans out there, there’s one who stands out in So Cal above all the rest, he probably spends more money to park at blues gigs than most people spend on entertainment in total. I’ve tried to pin him down for an interview so many times he runs when he sees me coming. I think I’m starting to wear him down but until I do I guess I’ll just have to be satisfied naming:
Al Factorman, ‘Blues Fan of the Year’. You da man Al…Thanks for the ride!!
To recap:
2011 In The Rear View Mirror
Story/Photos/Video By:
Casey Reagan/MusicUCanSee
For:
American Blues News
all rights reserved 2011
