Skies were blue and spirits were high on Friday afternoon as the first annual Bluestock festival kicked off with two time IBC winner Lionel Young and his band, but a sense of foreboding was palpable as attendees wondered what Sunday would bring as Irene left a wake of destruction in her path up the east [...]
Archive for Category: "Jim Kanavy"
Pennsylvania Blues Festival – A Cure For The Pocono Blues
The first annual Pennsylvania Blues Festival took place on July 30th and 31st at Blue Mountain Ski Resort in Palmerton, PA. The festival is a new event from Pocono Blues Festival producer Michael Cloeren who created the Pocono Blues Festival in 1992. When the Pocono Blues Festival was unceremoniously dumped by Big Boulder after 19 [...]
Briggs Farm Blues Festival 2011 – A Record Breaker
The 14th annual Briggs Farm Blues Festival was held on July 8 and 9, 2011 and by all accounts it was a rousing success. Record breaking crowds gathered at the 350-acre family farm nestled off Route 93 in Nescopeck, PA just west of the I-80 and I-81 junction to hear international, national, and local blues [...]
A Chat With PA Blues Festival Founder Michael Cloeren
The Pocono Blues Festival has been a Pennsylvania tradition for 19 years, bringing the best of blues music to the Pocono Mountains and fans from around the globe. In November 2010, it looked like the tradition might be over. Michael Cloeren, the founder and producer of the festival explains: “After 19 years and working at [...]
Davina and the Vagabonds – Black Cloud CD Review
The blues genre is like a forest. There are many types of trees but they are all part of the larger landscape, intertwined and bound together at root level by the earth that surrounds them. Roots mingle below the soil and new hybrids that defy categorization occasionally emerge. The music of Davina and the Vagabonds [...]
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne – An Old Rock On A Roll CD Review
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne has released his first disc for Stony Plain Records titled An Old Rock On A Roll. No, it’s not a new deli sandwich with fossils on a Kaiser. It is however a fun and inspiring collection of good-time boogie-woogie from one of the modern masters of the form. Kenny “Blues Boss” [...]
Jazz At Lincoln Center Presents Texas Blues Summit With Jimmie Vaughan
When Jazz At Lincoln Center was planning it’s second annual Blues Summit, legendary guitarist and performer Jimmie Vaughan was chosen to bring together a night of Texas Blues. A better choice would be hard to find. Jimmie Vaughan has been a fixture of the Texas blues scene for nearly 40 years. One of his first [...]
Of Fathers And Sons – Ronnie Baker Brooks Interview
Living up to a parent’s expectations is difficult for anyone. Add a legendary bluesman as the parent and it becomes almost impossible, especially when you too become a musician. Ronnie Baker Brooks learned the hard way that having a famous father wasn’t a free pass to success or acceptance. Luckily for him, his father is [...]
Rory Gallagher – Notes From San Francisco CD Review
In January 1978 Rory Gallagher scrapped an entire album. It was recorded, mixed, and even had vinyl test pressings made. Fiercely independent, Rory had integrity too and he wasn’t sacrificing either to make a record company happy. He walked away from it, stripped his band down to a trio, swapped drummers and recorded the blistering [...]
Todd Wolfe – A Conversation With The Bluesadelic Warrior
Todd Wolfe is not a household name, except maybe at his house. He’s never sold a million records under his own name, but he’s played on a few by others. He’s opened shows for his musical heroes and he’s shared the stage with many as well. He plays the blues, but he likes to rock [...]
Harry Manx & Kevin Breit – Strictly Whatever CD Review
What is blues? Is it a feeling? A frustration? A formula? Three chords, twelve bars, one turnaround and some good people feeling bad? It’s more than any of those things even begin to suggest. Occasionally musicians come along and blur the lines of preconceived notions of blues and recreates the music with blatant disregard for [...]
A Nod To Bob 2 – CD Review
Red House Records has released A Nod To Bob 2, a new tribute to Bob Dylan to commemorate his 70th birthday on May 24, 2011. A Nod To Bob 2 is the 10th anniversary sequel to A Nod to Bob, the best selling title in Red House Records’ history, and features performances from some of [...]
Elvin Bishop – Raisin’ Hell Revue CD review
Elvin Bishop has been on the music scene since the early 60’s when he was a member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. He became a fixture of the 70’s southern rock scene and was even name-checked by Charlie Daniels in “The South’s Gonna Do It (Again).” He’s had some hits, some misses and some [...]
Todd Wolfe Band Live – CD Review
If you’re looking for a slow blues infusion look no further than “Cold Black Night” on Todd Wolfe Band’s newest release Todd Wolfe Band Live. Around the three and a half minute mark Todd unleashes a guitar solo will put your guts through the wringer and snap them like a whip on the other side. [...]
Smokin’ Joe Kubek – BMA Nominee Has Blues, Definitely Travels
Smokin’ Joe Kubek and Bnois King have been taking their blues around the world for almost 22 years. This year they are again nominated for a Blues Music Award, this time for Contemporary Blues Album with Have Blues, Will Travel. Many artists tend to lose steam as their careers develop but Joe and Bnois’ last [...]
