APRIL 2015 (1)

Est. 1993

APRIL 2015 Vol. 22.04

Charlotte Blues Society

www.CharlotteBluesSociety.org

PO Box 32752

Charlotte, NC 28232-2752

Celebrating

22 Years of

Keepin’ the Blues Alive!

FREE for CBS Members

Only $5 for Non-members Doors open at 7:00pm

Music starts at 7:30 Open Mic Blues Jam

starts at 10:00

(2) Blues News

Hey Folks!

You don’t want to miss this party.

This is one of the last

opportunities to buy a raffle ticket

for our autographed guitar by

Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Noah

Hunt. We are giving the guitar

away this Sunday at our

Anniversary Party. So, bring your

friends so that they can get a

chance at the guitar. We’ll also

have raffle packages worth $40

with great new Blues albums

included.

Rick Ballew

Drawing for the KWS Fender guitar to be held April 12 at our 22nd Anniversary Party

New colors and styles!

Ladies V-neck ($20)

Ladies scoop neck tees ($20)

Men's short-sleeve T-shirts ($20)

Men’s long-sleeve Tees ($25)

We will soon be taking orders for

embroidered denim shirts and polo shirts

for $40.00 each.

Be among the first to purchase these limited edition

shirts and support us in "KEEPIN' THE BLUES

ALIVE”!

—Sonny J.

NEW SHIRTS IN STOCK !

Only $1 each, with all proceeds

to benefit the Charlotte Blues

Society! Drawing will be at

10pm, you do NOT need to be

present to win.

We still have many tickets left,

so YOUR ODDS are REALLY

GOOD!!!

APRIL 2015 (3)

Charlotte Blues Society

Newsletter

Editor

Needed

If you are “into” Blues and want to share

news items, upcoming events, CD reviews,

concert reviews, etc. with your fellow

Blues fans, let us know!

Talk with any Board Member

to let them know you’re interested.

Or call Rita at 704-496-9243

for an overview of the current

newsletter process.

If interested, you’ll meet with Board Members

to finalize the transition and to share how

you would like to make it “your own.”

C’mon! We know there are

creative members out there!

Like the song says, “Step it up and go!”

(Plus - we’re a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization,

so it will look good on your resumé!)

M-m-m good! Can’t wait to sample all the great snacks and munchies

at our Anniversary Party! And CAKE … oooh, the cake!!

Everyone’s invited to whip up

a favorite party recipe to add to the table!

­

Charlotte's own Nappy Brown has been named as a

NC Music Hall of Fame 2015 inductee!!!

Ceremony in October

Napoleon Brown Goodson Culp, better known by his stage name Nappy Brown, was an American R&B singer. His hits include the 1955 Billboard chart #2, "Don't Be Angry"

and "Night Time Is the Right Time".

Born in October 1929, Brown was raised in Charlotte, NC. He began his career singing gospel music before switching to R&B. In 1954 he won a recording contract with Savoy Records, which yielded a series of hits. Brown was among the biggest stars in R&B,

frequently touring with the revues of Alan Freed.

In the early 1980s, a renewed interest in R&B led to some of Brown's early songs being released on European albums. Brown was urged by

fellow musicians to return to the music industry.

Nappy Brown's final album, Long Time Coming, was released by Blind Pig Records in September 2007. Reviews were overwhelmingly positive, and the album and Brown were each nominated for a Blues Music Award. The album, produced by Scott Cable, featured the guitarists Sean Costello, Bob Margolin, Junior Watson, and other special guests including baritone saxophonist Joe Sunseri performing Brown's hits and several new songs. At the ceremony for the Blues Music Awards in May 2008, Brown gave one last electrifying performance, capping an incredible

comeback year.

On June 1, 2008 following a performance at the Crawfish Festival in Augusta, New Jersey, Brown fell ill due to series of ailments and was

hospitalized. He died in his sleep on September 20, 2008, at Mercy Hospital in Charlotte.

Brown was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame on August 24, 2002.

(4) Blues News

Michael Wolf & D.B.A

I am very pleased with this version of Michael Wolf & D.B.A. We have a lot of history together. For many clubs, we have expanded our repertoire to include what we call Americana Rock Blues Fusion. Lately we have added material by artists as diverse as Ed Sheeran to Lowell George era Little Feat.

For our April 12th performance we will be returning to our roots of Blues, Southern Soul, and New Orleans Funk with some surprises and some special guests. Always a pleasure playing at The Double Door Inn and to play at the Anniversary Party for the Charlotte Blues Society.

—Michael Wolf

About the Band ...

Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals: Michael Wolf Ingmire was recognized as the Guitarist, Singer, Songwriter of the

Charlotte-based New Orleans Funk/Blues Band Michael Wolf and the Voodoo Brothers, Winners of the 2011 Charlotte Music Awards for Best Blues Band. Michael Wolf & D.B.A is a return to the Blues roots that informed and nurtured Michael’s music. Michael also occasionally plays with Gumbo Motion, a four piece band that pays tribute to New Orleans Funk, & through his 45+ years as a performer, Michael has shared stages with such

American Legends as Mac Arnold, Bob Margolin, Willie ‘Big Eye’ Smith, John Lee Hooker, Albert King, Kenny Neal, Johnny Copeland, Wilson Pickett, Allen Ginsburg, Tinsley Ellis, and many others.

Drums: Rick Kausch met the blues in a juke joint in Tallahassee, Florida at the age of 12. The boogie disease

would not let him rest until he applied a pair of sticks to a set of drums. After playing in several Rock-Blues cover bands, he played drums with Michael Wolf and A Side of Blues. Rick was encouraged greatly by the late drummer Willie ‘Big Eye’ Smith, and that influence is felt in his solid meter and swinging drumming style.

Bass: Ray McClelland Jr. was born and raised in Concord, NC. His bass playing was influenced by The Isley

Brothers, Earth, Wind & Fire, Stanley Clarke, George Duke, The Brothers Johnson, Parliment-Funkadelic.

When not playing with D.B.A., Ray plays with the Golden Eagle Blues Band and The Unique Ones. His funky

style of bass playing solidly anchors D.B.A.

Keyboards: “Crazy Al” Lee has been in the music business for more than 20 years. His first band, The Epsilons,

was a five-piece band that became a local favorite all across Pennsylvania, his home state. They opened for some great bands back then like The Kingsmen (“Louie, Louie”), The Newbeats (“Bread and Butter”), and others. He was also in a four-piece show band, Visions, that toured the northeast coast, and another called The Northbrook Gang that toured all over the Midwest. Along with several other very successful groups, he also made his mark in

music by becoming one of the top DJs in Charlotte, NC, at a local hotspot known as The Cellar. This is where he got his nickname “Crazy Al”. The owner called him this, saying, “I never know what you are going to say or do next!” He plays both Roland and Hammond keyboards. His influences are Allman Brothers, Grand Funk Railroad, Rare Earth, Van Morrison, and Gov’t Mule, just to name a few. Favorite keyboardists: Booker T, Jimmy Smith, Rick Wakeman, Jon Lord, Billy Preston, Joe Zawinul … again, just to name a few! Originally from Philadelphia, PA, he currently resides outside of Rock Hill, SC.

BB King Hospitalized

Blues icon B.B. King says he’s feeling “much better” after being treated for dehydration

linked to his diabetes. King was rushed to a hospital in Las Vegas on April 7.

In a post on his FaceBook page (April 9), the guitar hero stated, “I’m feeling much better and am leaving the hospital today.”

King was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes more than 20 years ago. Last year, he was taken ill during a show in Chicago and had to cancel the remainder of the US tour after being struck down by dehydration and exhaustion.

King has been recording music and performing live since the late 1940s. He was inducted

into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

APRIL 2015 (5)

On Wednesday, April 22,

Sharrie Williams Crawford

will be performing at The

Double Door Inn and paying

Tribute To Robin Rogers.

Sharrie was a very special

friend of Robin’s (she took

Robin to Paris and included

her in her live DVD). I will be

joining her on stage for a few

songs as well.

Sharrie is a powerhouse and

has a message. Not to be

missed! You can get your

tickets early. Thanks.

— Tony Rogers

Wednesday, Apr il 22 8:00pm

Sharrie Williams

Three-time Blues Music Award nominee Detroit Music Awards nominee for Best Blues Album

2012 Blues Album of the Year award winner from L'Academie du Jazz

Like so many great blues and soul singers, Sharrie Williams began singing in the church choir. In 1996, she began singing with The Wiseguys, the

house band at a club in her hometown of Saginaw, Michigan. They quickly evolved into Sharrie Williams & The Wiseguys, and appeared regularly at renowned Chicago Blues clubs, The Kingston

Mines and Buddy Guy’s Legends.

From 1998 through 2003, the band toured extensively throughout Europe. Sharrie released her first CD

in 2001, then followed with four more in 2004, 2007, and 2011.

Sharrie has given great and unforgettable performances at blues festivals and clubs throughout the world and has collaborated and appeared with Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor, Ruth Brown, Mavis Staples, Van Morrison, Dizzy Gillespie, Larry McCray, Sugar Blue, Bobby Bland, Walter Trout, Johnny Taylor, and Joanna Connor, just to name a few. Her influences include Koko Taylor, Etta James, Tina Turner, Patti Labelle, Aretha Franklin, and the legendary Billie Holiday — each of whom have helped shape her

unique style.

(6) Blues News

The CBS ‘Jam Song’ for April: “Baby, What You Want Me To Do”

All of you guys can either learn to play the song for the acoustic jam — or you can sing along — or even

play it on kazoo. Got a uke?!? Bring it!! Audience Participation!! The more, the merrier!!

Below are the words, and you can hear Jimmy Reed singing it on YouTube.

BABY, WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO

By Jimmy Reed

You've got me runnin'

You've got me hidin'

You've got me run, hide, hide, run

Anyway you wanna let it roll

Yeah, yeah, yeah

You've got me doin' what you want me

A-baby why you wanna let go

I'm goin' up

I'm goin' down

I'm goin' up, down, down, up

Anyway ya wanna let it roll

Yeah, yeah, yeah

You've got me doin' what you want me

A-baby why'd you wanna let go

(Instrumental)

You've got me peepin'

You've got me hidin'

You've got me peep, hide, hide, peep

Anyway you wanna let it roll

Yeah, yeah, yeah

You've got me doin' what you want me

So baby why ya wanna let go.

Mathis James "Jimmy" Reed was an

American blues musician and songwriter, notable for bringing his distinctive style of blues to mainstream audiences. Reed was a major player in the field of electric blues, as opposed to the more acoustic-based sound of many of his contemporaries. His music had a significant impact on many rock and roll artists who followed.

Reed was born in Dunleith, Mississippi, in 1925, learning the harmonica and guitar from Eddie Taylor, a close friend. After spending several years “busking” (i.e., street performing) and performing in area clubs, Reed moved to

Chicago in 1943 before being drafted into the US Navy during World War II. In 1945, Reed was discharged and moved back to Mississippi for a brief period, marrying his girlfriend, Mary "Mama" Reed, before moving to Gary, Indiana to work at a meat packing plant. Mama Reed appears as an uncredited background singer on many of his songs, notably the major hits "Baby What You Want Me to Do", "Big Boss Man" and "Bright Lights, Big City".

By the 1950s, Reed had established himself as a popular musician. Reed failed to gain a recording contract with Chess Records, but signed with Vee-Jay Records through drummer, Albert King. At Vee-Jay, Reed began playing again with Eddie Taylor and soon released "You Don't Have to Go", his first hit record. This was followed by a long string of hits.

Reed maintained his reputation despite his rampant alcoholism and undiagnosed epilepsy; but in spite of his numerous hits, Reed's personal problems prevented him from achieving the same level of fame as other popular blues artists of the time, though he had more hit songs than many others – he placed 11 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 pop charts and a total of 14 on the charts, a figure that even a much more sophisticated artist like B.B. King couldn't top.

Reed's slow descent into the ravages of alcoholism and epilepsy roughly paralleled the decline of Vee-Jay Records, which went out of business at approximately the same time that his final 45 was released, "Don't Think I'm Through." His manager quickly arranged a contract with the newly formed ABC-Bluesway label and a handful of albums were released into the '70s, all of them lacking the old charm, sounding as if they were cut on a musical assembly line. Jimmy did one last album, a horrible attempt to update his sound with funk beats and wah-wah pedals, before becoming a virtual recluse in his final years. He finally received proper medical attention for his epilepsy and quit drinking, but it was too late and he died of respiratory failure trying to make a comeback on the blues festival circuit on August 29, 1976, eight days short of his 51st birthday.

In 1991 Reed was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Source: Biography by Cub Koda, All Music Guide to the Blues

"Baby What You Want Me to Do" reached No. 10 in the Billboard R&B chart and No. 37 in the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960. In 2004, Reed's song was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in the "Classic of Blues Recordings" category.

According to Cub Koda, "Baby What You Want Me to Do" "was already a barroom staple of blues, country, and rock & roll bands by the early '60s" and has spawned versions by a variety of blues, R&B, and rock artists. The song continues to be performed and recorded, making it perhaps the most covered of Reed's songs. Some of these include The Everly Bros., Etta James, Johnny Rivers, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, Lonnie Mack, Jerry Lee Lewis, Hot Tuna, and others.

Of note, nowhere in the song do the lyrics "baby what you want me to do" appear, although later cover versions

would often wrongly include the phrase in place of the original "baby why you wanna let go."

APRIL 2015 (7)

The phrase “play through the pain” took on a whole new meaning when

Eric Gales performed at The Double Door Inn March 14. The Memphis

native, who now lives in Greensboro, injured his back before leaving home to

play the gig. After making the decision that “the show must go on,” Eric put on a stellar performance. He played through the pain he was in — and had he not told the crowd what had happened, no one would have been the wiser.

The audience could sense that Eric was playing from a place deep inside. His was solid throughout both sets. It must be noted that the his band, including his

wife on backing vocals, was outstanding, a true compliment to Eric’s guitar mastery. Those who were in the house experienced an extraordinary evening.

— Jim Sellers

Thanks to The Double Door Inn for the CBS discounts at

March’s Blues gigs — Mike Zito, Eric Sardinas,

Eric Gales, and The Nighthawks.

Always check your emails for future special announcements

only for CBS Members!

If YOU were not at The Double Door Inn Friday, March 20, 2015, for Eric Sardinas

and Big Motor, YOU missed it!! TOO BAD, SO SAD!!

Eric played his sweet old tunes as well as introducing us to new ones from his latest CD,

BOOMERANG. I grabbed my copy as soon as I heard him play the first tune from the album. Eric is totally energized into each song, playing hard and loud. Drummer, Bryan Keeling, and, bassman, Levell Price helped fill the stage with full raw "tuneage"!

Not only did the band “deliver,” but also had the crowd dancing to the beat and participating singing the tunes at Eric's warm requests. GET DOWN TO WHISKEY and RUN DEVIL RUN for sure come to mind for singalongs. If you do not know these songs, check ‘em out as soon as you can and CRANK ‘EM UP the way it should be!! Whiskey was Eric's "after dinner" treat … I am still sippin' it down.

Eric was sincerely friendly with everyone at the DDI from the second he walked through the door … talking and shaking hands with patrons, staff and often with the CBS Board at our table in the back. Eric made pictures with us as he autographed one of our new CBS

KEEPIN’ THE BLUES ALIVE long-sleeved shirts for an upcoming raffle AND Eric wanted one of our shirts for himself to shine in at his upcoming shows. Eric was totally humble with not one touch of arrogance, which was pretty cool. He stayed after the show signing everything put in front of him and taking pictures.

Eric talked with the audience between tunes, asking what were our first concerts. He shared his first was seeing ELVIS, and Elvis has been with him since. The band's rousing cover of a Big E tune, TROUBLE, oozed Elvis through drops of sweat. Eric has also been known to do TREAT ME RIGHT, BURNING LOVE, and more.

If you do not have Eric’s latest CD, pick one up as soon as you can. Tune after tune is oh so sweet. I remember walking up close to the stage to watch Eric's

guitar moves and to sing along with him to a Sonny favorite, IF YOU DON'T LOVE ME. I have it cranked as I am putting this review together! Well, we totally love you, Eric, and hope it won't be five more years until you return. CBS is working on your next show to make sure that does not happen. This

show will NOT be forgotten.

—KEEP ON BLUESIN' ~ Sonny J

The Nighthawks 3/28/15

(8) Blues News

Join The Blues Foundation and

YOU can Vote for Your Favorites!

The Blues Foundation has announced the nominations for its 36th annual Blues Music Awards, which will be presented in Memphis, Tennessee, on Thursday, May 7, 2015.

All Blues Foundation members have the privilege of deciding which nominees will actually take home the Blues Music Award

in May. Of course, anyone can join and become a member of The Blues Foundation. See details at www.blues.org

The Blues Music Awards (BMAs) are universally recognized as the highest accolade afforded blues music performers. The annual

Blues Music Awards ceremony is the premier event for blues professionals, musicians, and fans from all over the world.

PICCOLO SPOLETO CRUISES on the "Carolina Queen"

This Charleston arts fest is next month, and they’ve got some blues for you!

May 24: SHRIMP CITY SLIM May 25: CHUCK THE CAT MORRIS May 29: ANTHONY CHARLES & THE BLUES DOL-PHINS May 30: STEVE & THE STILETTOS June 6: JUKE JOINT JOHNNY & THE HURRICANES

Festival details at www.piccolospoleto.com

The 9th Annual

DRUMSTRONG 2015

Drum Circle

will be held at the

NC Brewers & Music Fest

at Historic Rural Hill Farm

on May 8-9.

The Gong to kick off DRUMSTRONG's Non-Stop 12-hour drumming will sound at

noon Saturday, May 9, and will end at Midnight. All festival attendees are invited to take part.

Come celebrate survivorship, honor those we've lost, boost cancer education & research, and drum with us

on Saturday, May 9.

Camp out the night before and/or the night of. Enjoy great music and camaraderie (+ Rhythm)!

We're drumming to BEAT cancer!

http://www.ncbmf.com/Drumstrong.asp www.drumstrong.com

The regularly scheduled North Carolina Brewers and

Music Festival Events and Music will grace the pastures as they do each year and guarantee smiles.

Rural Hill Farm 4431 Neck Road

Huntersville, NC

704-875-3113

It’s happenin’ in western South Carolina …

A P R I L 1 5 - 2 5

10 days of events in Clemson, SC

and adjoining communities

Wanda Johnson ~ The Voltage Brothers Mac Arnold & Plateful o’ Blues ~ Ceasar Tony Tidwell ~ The Swinging Medallions

Cheap Blond Blues Band ~ Sarah Mac Band Bobby Lane Thomason ~ The Snopes Family Band

and much more!

See the complete schedule at

Mark your calendar for July 9-11

15th Annual Greenwood Blues Cruise

Greenwood, SC

Outdoor stage, BBQ cook-off, & club crawl.

All performances FREE

Artists from “all over” …

Detroit, Australia, Georgia, Chicago, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Louisiana,

Florida, Sweden, Virginia, DC, Alabama, and - of course - South Carolina

Check website for 2015 updates … www.greenwoodbluescruise.com

APRIL 2015 (9)

Ticket info and artist bios at

www.doubledoorinn.com www.maxxmusic.com

UPCOMING BLUES/ROOTS MUSIC

Bringing the bes t in l ive music

to the Charlotte area!

www.maxxmusic.com

Like us on Facebook

for pics, updates, and

ticket give-aways!

4/12 (Sun, 7:00) CBS 22nd Anniversary Party featuring Michael Wolf & D.B.A.

4/18 (Sat, 10PM) Stewart Mauldin & Friends From his clean, angelic, intricate Blues stylings to his searing, angry,

on-the-edge, harmonic squawks, Stewart creates a unique tone that is on the cutting edge of the underground Blues scene.

4/19 (Sun, 8PM) Jackie Venson Leaving the classical tradition to make a giant leap to raw and gritty blues,

Venson is a multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter with an out-of-this-world voice,

4/20 (Mon, 9:30PM) 20th Anniversary Celebration ~ Monday Night Allstars

4/22 (Wed, 9PM) Sharrie Williams ~ Tribute to Robin Rogers “Powerhouse of a singer,” states Tony Rogers.

Sharrie was a very special friend of Robin’s and included Robin in her live DVD from her Paris tour.

4/25 (Sat, 10PM) Samantha Fish Blues-rock guitarist/singer and winner of 2012 Blues Music Award debut album,

Runaway, and a member of the Blues Caravan tour throughout Europe & the U.S.

4/26 (Sun, 3PM) Benefit for Project HALO (Helping Animals Live On) Performances by The Lenny Federal Band,

Toleman Randall, Mike Strauss Band, Leadville Social Club, Dead Cat, and more.

Project HALO is a non-profit, NO-KILL animal rescue and sanctuary based in Charlotte.

Every Monday ~ 10pm ($5)

Monday Night All Stars

Every Tuesday ~ 9pm ($7)

Bill Hanna’s Jazz Jam

COMING IN MAY …

The Double Door Inn 5/3 CBS Bash featuring Marta Christmas & Scaldcat 5/6 Chris O’Leary Band 5/15 Tom Principato

5/16 Bruce Katz Band (Traffic Jam opens) 5/21 Tommy Castro & The Painkillers 5/27 Bex Marshall

Knight Theater (704-372-1000)

5/26 Dr. John & the Nite Trippers w/ the Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Neighborhood Theatre 5/29 Delbert McClinton

APRIL 20

MONDAY N IGHT A LLSTARS

CE LEBRATE 20 YEARS!

You are all cordially invited to the

20th Anniversary of The Monday Night Allstars.

For 20 years, The Allstars have consistently

entertained each Monday night at The Double

Door and we would like to show our gratitude to

our fans on this momentous occasion.

Many special guests are scheduled to appear and

jam with us some of whom you’ll recognize from

earlier Monday night incarnations. It should prove

to be a most exciting evening. Feel free to invite

all your friends!

We will get started around 9:30 for this event so

come out early and get your groove on and

thanks for

20 years of gettin’ down!!

(10) Blues News

1. Joe Bonamassa Out of all the people on this

list, Joe Bonamassa is probably the most successful modern blues guitarist in the past twenty years.

Bonamassa has been playing the blues since he was a little kid, catching the attention of B.B. King when he was only 12 years old. Joe and producer Kevin Shirley have used the young guitarist's inspired blues guitar playing as a springboard to incorporate other genres as well, most notably heavy rock music, like the 2009 hit “The Ballad of John Henry.” When Joe

performs live, his two most impressive blues numbers include the Jeff Beck cover “Blues Deluxe” as well as the acoustic “Woke Up Dreaming” which tend to go on for up to ten minutes with just Bonamassa and his guitar alone on stage.

2. John Mayer Who would have thought that

John Mayer would turn out to be such a blues aficionado when he first appeared on the music scene in 2001 with his first album Room For Squares? Many music fans dismissed Mayer as yet another singer-songwriter catering to broken hearted teenagers. But as Mayer's career progressed it became obvious that

he was actually a blues man at heart, especially from his appearance at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2004 where he preceded his song “City

Love” with a very inspired four minute blues intro built around Jimi Hendrix’s “Machine Gun” riff. Speaking of Hendrix, Mayer approaches the blues in the same way as the late guitarist did, fretting the

bottom note of barre chords with his thumb, and embellishing the chords like Hendrix on “Little Wing.” If you're not familiar with Mayer's blues antics, a good place to start is the John Mayer Trio album Try! from 2005, where Mayer play alongside bassist Pino Palladino and drummer Steve Jordan.

3. Jack White If there ever was a modern blues

purist, Jack White is it. White uses a minimum of effects, and goes the vintage route most of the time. His setup is little more than a guitar plugged straight in to an amp, aside from an occasional fuzz pedal or

some pitch shifters that he would use a lot in his

work with The White Stripes. It might not be obvious on the surface, but The White Stripes were essentially a blues band. On their first album they covered the Robert Johnson penned “Stop Breaking Down” as well as the folksong “St. James Infirmary Blues.” Once you catch on to their blues roots, it becomes obvious that it defines everything The White

Stripes did, and all that Jack White has done since. For example, listen to the excellent “Will There Be Enough Water?” from Horehound, the first album by The Dead Weather.

TOP 10 MODERN BLUES GUITARISTS

Daniel Eriksson, Gibson Guitar News, 2/3/15

4. Eric Gales Out of the guitarists on this list Eric

Gales is the one who first made a name for himself in the early ‘90s. What is perhaps most interesting about Gales is

that he is a right-handed guitar player who plays guitar as a lefty. Gales' brother is left handed, and so he simply taught Eric to play the same way. Gales plays a right-handed guitar that he flips over so that the thick strings are on the bottom and the high strings on top.

5. Dan Auerbach Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney

from The Black Keys have taken the blues to a new level.

The duo started out playing straight ahead blues on their first three recordings, as well as the Chulahoma EP, but have since progressed to incorporate the blues within a more modern setting. Perhaps the biggest contribution of The Black Keys is that they introduce their young fans to

the blues tradition that initially inspired The Black Keys themselves.

6. Davy Knowles At only 25 years old, blues guitarist

and singer Davy Knowles from the Isle of Man has already released two albums. The latest of which, Coming up For Air, was produced by Peter Frampton. Davy has toured all

over the States, originally as part of the trio Back Door Slam. He gained many fans as the opening act for Chickenfoot on their 2009 US tour. Davy plays the blues with the sincerity of someone twice his age, just listen to

his cover of the Blind Joe Reynolds song "Outside Woman Blues" from his first album Roll Away, and the song "Riverbed" from Coming Up For Air.

7. Kenny Wayne Shepherd Shepherd released his

first album Ledbetter Heights in 1995 when he was only 18 years old. Aside from a foray in to heavy rock territory with The Place You’re In in 2004, Shepherd has stayed true to the blues. In 2007 he released a CD/DVD combo entitled 10 Days Out: Blues From the Backroads on which he traveled

the deep south seeking out old grandmasters of the blues and recording with them. Recommended listening: Kenny Wayne Shepherd covered Jimi Hendrix’s "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" and released it as an all instrumental B-side to "Blue on Black" in 1997. This hybrid between

Hendrix's version and Stevie Ray Vaughan's cover clearly

illustrate who Shepherd's two main influences are.

8. Derek Trucks While not simply just a blues

guitarist, Derek Trucks still belong on this list since much of his music is deeply rooted in the blues. Trucks cites blues greats such as B.B. King and John Lee Hooker among his influences. In 2007 Trucks was invited to perform on Eric

Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival where he played alongside Johnny Winter, a great pairing since both are great slide guitar players in their own right.

(cont’d, next page…)

When Stevie Ray Vaughan passed away in 1990, he left a void in the world of young blues musicians. Over the past twenty years we have seen the emergence of many talented blues guitarists. Here are ten of the most influential blues guitarists to come along over the past couple of decades. Do you agree with our choices?

APRIL 2015 (11)

(Cont’d—Top 10 Guitarists)

9. Jonny Lang Jonny Lang rose to fame around the

same time as Kenny Wayne Shepherd. His 1997

sophomore album Lie To Me was a huge hit for Lang, when he was only 16 years old. It gave him the opportunity to tour with Aerosmith on their Nine Lives tour. Aside from his very skilled vibrato-tinged guitar playing, what was most notable about Lang at the time was his mature voice that sounded more like a man in his forties than that of a teenager. Lang carried on the

blues tradition on his third album Wander This World, with the excellent opening track “Still Rainin',” but has since drifted more towards soul and gospel music.

10. Ben Harper Just like with Derek Trucks, Ben

Harper's style of music spans many different genres,

with blues being one of the underlying inspirations.

Although he's a multi-instrumentalist, Harper's signature instrument is playing acoustic slide guitar. Just listen to songs like “Homeless Child,” “Whipping Boy,” and “I Want To Be Ready” for a taste of how Harper incorporates the blues in his music.

KWSBAND & JONNY LANG

ANNOUNCE FIRST TOUR.

For the first time ever - Kenny Wayne and Jonny Lang will tour together! They

have been compared since they were teenagers, and while they have always maintained a personal friendship, however, their schedules have somehow never allowed them to tour together.

Both launched their careers while just teenagers, both have enjoyed

mainstream success while maintaining their roots, both are now critically acclaimed, well respected artists with loyal fan bases and now, they will finally tour together! They will be hitting the road on a co-headlining tour this June in the United States.

The tour will begin June 11th in

Portland, ME and will head down the

east coast and into the midwest and south, culminating with a show in Louisville, KY on June 28th.

Readers’ Votes:

Blind Lemon Jefferson

Huddie 'Lead Belly' Ledbetter

Charley Patton

Junior Kimbrough

Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown

Lightnin' Hopkins

Son House

John Lee Hooker

Duane Allman

Elmore James

Memphis Minnie

Albert Collins

Hubert Sumlin

Johnny Winter

Joe Bonamassa

The 30 Greatest Blues Guitarists of All Time

MusicRadar Team, February 17, 2014 (musicradar.com)

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!

MusicRadar's battle royal of the blues guitar was hard-fought, but in the end you handed the accolade of greatest blues guitarist of all time to the precociously talented Texan with curious dress sense who could play a Stratocaster like nobody before or since.

The late, great Stevie Ray Vaughan's style was informed by Hendrix, Otis Rush, Lonnie Mack, Buddy Guy, Albert King and many more, but his technique and sound have become the holy grail for hundreds of thousands of guitarists in the years since his passing.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Jack White

T-Bone Walker

Freddie King

Albert King

Gary Moore

Muddy Waters

Buddy Guy

Eric Clapton

Peter Green

Rory Gallagher

Jimi Hendrix

Robert Johnson

B.B. King

Stevie Ray Vaughan

(12) Blues News

Great music in March with Stress Test and all the jammers. And let’s not forget about “Shakey Legs and the Bobbleheads” !!

APRIL 2015 (13)

A few of our Raffle winners. Items include new Blues releases and our new T-shirts!

And then there was more music!