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The Blues AudienceNew England’s only independent Blues newsletter mailing the schedules of our outstanding, hard working Blues Bands and Blues Clubs to dedicated Blues Fans since 1991. © ATB/TBA 2015

April/May 2015 #211

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:Performance schedules and lots of Blues Newsfor our local New England Blues Bands and Blues Clubs

• Interview: Roomful of Blues’ versatile guitarist talks about his career by Art Simas

• The Ex-President’s File- local Boston area and beyond Blues news

by “Sistah K” Karen Nugent

• Another great New England guitarist, Ricky “King” Russell talks to Sistah K about his life in Blues.

above:Chris Vachon, lead guitarist and bandleader of Roomful of Blues talks about the road, recording and being a cornerstone of Roomful of Blues for the past 25 years, pictured here on stage at Tupelo Music Hall. - photo by J. LoFaro

to right:Rick Russell “go to” guitar player performs with The Love Dogs at Strange Brew, Manchester, NH

- photo by DIana Shonk

t h e b l u e s a u d i e n c e . c o m • The B lues Aud ience news l e t t e r 2015 2 Keeping the Blues coming to you, LIVE!

Notes from the Publisher

HELLO FELLOW BLUES LOVERSWelcome to SPRING!!! As I write this the wind is blowing hard and it is still very cold outside. But the sun is out and warming my house and office. I know that this winter will end even though it is hard to believe. There are plenty of HOT gigs for you to go to in this is-sue so I want you to shake off that winter dust and get out there and boogie!I am going to Memphis, with Nancy Weston, (it’s on her bucket list) on May 6th and we will represent our cool New England Blues scene at the Awards and it will be my pleasure to see Sugar Ray & The Bluetones perform on the 7th. The brand new Blues Museum will have its grand opening that weekend and it should be a fun celebration! I contributed to the building of the museum and will have a plaque on a wall somewhere, I want to see that! You can con-tribute to the bluesfoundation.org if you want to, as well. We will go to Graceland, the Civil Rights Museum, Stax Records and maybe even a trip to Clarkesdale (I might have relatives there, my middle name is Clarke, my mother’s maiden name...I kid). I can’t wait, Memphis is fun, the clubs are open to the street and BB King’s club is downtown, Rum Boogie has a guitar signed by Ronnie Earl and there will be bands playing everywhere including on the street. I will tell you this, there is NO vegetable matter in Memphis, they think cheese is a veg-etable. It is all points BBQ this and BBQ that. I remember the last time I went to the Blues Awards I came home with such a hangover and so much meat in my stomach I gave up eating meat for 3 years and have never quite gotten back on the bandwagon or should that be chuck wagon. I will be taking pictures and video I will put a bunch of them on the new web site. I look forward to seeing Sugar Ray & The Bluetones win a bunch of awards. I am also hoping David Maxwell wins the Pinetop Perkins Award for piano, that will be bittersweet.

It is our pleasure to bring you another article by Art Simas featuring Chris Vachon the guitar-ist and band leader of Roomful of Blues. He is so talented and versed in many styles of music which gives the band the ability to perform all the songs they feel will entertain the audi-ences. Jazz, Blues, New Orleans beats, they can

do it all with the steady backing of Chris’ very capable guitar playing.

RICKY “KING” RUSSELL Karen Nugent interviewed Rick Russell, who I think is one of our more outstanding guitar players here in New England. We have been spotlighting these guys because I don’t see enough press about them and I think it is important to realize how lucky we are to have such outstanding talent right here in New England where we can catch them on a regular basis. His band, The Cadillac Horns, was the back up band for the OPEN MIC AT THE KNICK which is one of my top ten favorite recordings of 2014, if you haven’t heard it, you should, many guest singers includ-ing Sugar Ray Willie J. Laws, Curtis Salgado and Brian Templeton, introducing me to John Sheerar and Malford Mulligan. (WHERE have I been?) With the Cadillac Horns behind them this is a strong Blues CD worthy of note. It is a seriously swinging CD, and with Rick at the helm you know it is great. He reminds me so much of Wynonnie Harris’ style, I just love it!

MICHELLE WILLSON You may have seen the video of her singing with Dr. John on FB. We are so proud of our Evil Gal, she is a star! She seemed so comfortable and at ease on stage with him. I asked her about the gig: “I sang sev-eral tunes, mostly from his newest release SKE-DAT-DE-DAT: THE SPIRIT Of SaTCH: “I’ve Got The World On A String,” “When The Saints Go Marching In,” “Lay My Burden Down,” “Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen,” “Sweet Hunk O’ Trash,” Pretty exalted company for this lil’ ol’ Evil Gal, huh?” I should say so, but we expect nothing less from Michelle.!! Dr. John’s music director (and badass trombone player) Sarah Morrow led the whole show and she is just amazing! Dan Moretti ( great sax man from RI ) got Michelle that gig. She is doing a show

Michelle Willson pictured with Mac Rebenac (Dr. John) at The Wilbur Theater in Boston, MA on February 25, 2015. You can see video on Youtube.

-photo by Johnboy Franklin

with him at Chan’s in Woonsocket, RI april 18. It’s officially being billed as “Dan Moretti and the Hammond Boys featuring Michelle “Evil Gal” Willson.” See Chan’s schedule on page 8. Michelle also has a radio show on WICN In Worcester, Ma 6-9am on Monday-Wednesday, It is very interesting and informative AND swinging.

WILLIE J. LAWS BAND is nominated for Best Blues Act 2015 in the New England Music Awards! He will be playing at the Showcase Live! in Foxborough, MA the night of the award show. See his schedule on page 6.

SUGAR RAY & THE BLUETONES are nomi-nated for seven Blues Foundation, Blues Music Awards and I am going down to Memphis to the Awards and I sure hope he wins all of them.

BaRNfUL Of BLUES We were lucky enough to secure Sugar Ray & The Bluetones as our headliner for The Granite State Blues Society’s Barnful of Blues Festival on August 1st in New Boston, NH. We are so excited to have this top flight Blues band, no foolin’. You can get your $20 tickets now by going to the web site: www.granitestateblues.org. The rest of our outstanding line-up is as follows: arthur James, Delanie Pickering acoustic acts respectively, be-tween sets, acoustic, openers the Tokyo Tramps, Mike Crandall Band (winners of GSBS Blues Challenge from CT), and Michelle Willson!! We are looking forward to a great day of plenty of Blues, food, vendors, raffles, and fun in the sun.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE LOVE DOGS celebrating their 21st birthday in March, “so I guess we can drink now!” joked Ed. Well it’s about time! Eddie’s Tuesday All Stars series is thriving in our their home, The Corrib, and they hope to be doing some Friday shows

I am looking forward to seeing Sugar Ray (l) and Neil Gouvin (r) in Memphis in May.- photo by Nick Tsui

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Notes from the Publisher

The Blues Audience newsletter’s (T.B.A.) Mission Statement: T.B.A.’s mission is to promote and encourage local New England Blues artists and to contribute to their continued success. Our objective is to keep live Blues fans informed of live perfor-mances, provide them with artist and club profiles so they can make informed choices in their live show selections. We hope to contribute to the growth, health and perpetuation of live Blues music through our efforts to publish and distribute this information to the people who appreciate it. Blues is truly an American invention and has given birth to many genres, Gospel, Jazz, Rock ’n’ Roll, Coun-try and even Hip Hop. It is a style of music that includes all economic levels because it speaks to the very core of the human experience.

PUBLISHING INFORMATION. The Blues Audience newsletter is a bi-monthly publication

dedicated to promoting live Blues music in New England and beyond. It is a marketing service for Blues musicians, and a convenient guide to live Blues for the Blues fan. The contents of this publication may not be repro-duced for profit without written permission of the publisher and are protected by copyright by Across The Board Graphic Design © 2015. The Publisher reserves the right not to publish any ad or article deemed inappropriate, and will not be held liable for typographical errors.

• Contributing writers: Karen Nugent, Art Simas and Diana Shonk• Contributing photographers: Diana Shonk and Karen Nugent, J. LoFaro, Johnboy FranklinThe Blues Audience newlsetter, 62 Cricket Hill Harrisville, NH 03450 • 603-827-3952 • web site: bluesaudience.com

• JOIN The Blues Audience Face Book Fan page. facebook.com/bluesaudiencenewsletter

Members of the Blues Foundation, Music Makers Foundation, Granite State Blues Society.

Use your Subscriber Credit Card for discounts at: Blue Chicago- Chicago, IL 312-642-6261Buddy Guy’s Legends- Chicago, IL 312-427-1190Johnny D’s- Somerville, MA 617-776-2004Gardner Ale House, Gardner, MA $2 off dinner bill! 978-669-0122White Mt. Boogie & Blues Festival ($ discount, ask when you call for tix) 603-726-3867House Rockin’ Productions- adv. ticket price at the door ($5 off) 603-934-5976

Get a special subscription rate at our new web site: thebluesaudience.com

there, starting this spring! Schedule on page 6.

HOUSE ROCKIN’ PRODUCTIONS is con-tinuing their shows at Pitman’s Freight Room in Laconia, NH. Here is a little info on upcoming performers for your information. JP Soars is not a typical Blues guitarist. He has a diverse musical background that encompasses a multi-tude of influences.“I love T-bone Walker, Jesse May Hemphill, Wes Montgomery, Django Re-inhardt, Muddy Waters, Johnny Guitar Watson, Guitar Slim and Louis Jordan. But I also love Tito Puente, Miles Davis, Hank Williams, Black Sabbath and Slayer.” Soars admits. Soars toured the globe and recorded several records with some of the most extreme metal bands in the world before finding his home in the Blues. It is these attributes that are giving Soars an in-stantaneously recognizable style.“When I first heard JP Soars, I knew right away that he was separate from the rest of the pack” to quote guitarist Jimmy Thackery. Chris Beard learned one essential detail about the music he plays: play it live. Since he first stepped on stage, Chris creates musical art, unique to that moment in time. True to all ar-tistic creations, Beard’s art is powerful enough to share his intense emotion release with audi-ences who take the time to hear what Chris plays. This is the core of pure Blues.Brandon Santini-There are many different opinions as to what the future of the Blues harmonica will be. Memphis vocalist and har-monica player Brandon Santini is undeniably a worthy player to keep an eye on as the lat-est surge of young Blues artists leave their footprint in Blues history. His name is worthy of conversations that include Jason Ricci, Billy Gibson, Dennis Gruenling, Rick Estrin and other frontline harmonica players by combining

his love and respect for traditional Blues with a present, colorful style of playing that is often compared to James Cotton or Paul Butterfield.

TRIPLE THREAT BLUES CRUSADE is putting on a special show at Chan’s. I thought you should have some background info on them so here it is. They are a four piece band from South East New England (guitar, bass, sax, and drums) playing throughout New England for many years. Winners of the 2013 Massachu-setts Blues Challenge, they are releasing the album SHE’S ONE OF A KIND the first Blues Rock Opera, in Spring 2015. They believe that the Blues is storytelling music, so to follow that tradition, this new album of songs are links in a chain, telling a story from the start to the finish of the album. See their current schedule on page 6 and a plug for the CD and the CHan’s gig on page 11.

PaULIE’S N.O. fEST is June 26, 27 and 28th. Johnny Sansone among other swinging N.O. type performers will be there at that new loca-tion in Worcester. I went last year and it was very comfortable, nice, big fairground and I can remember that warmth!

CHAN’S- WOONSOCKET, RIis having a Birthday Celebration with Jimmy ‘2 suits’ Capone & The All-Star Chan Clan Band! There isn’t just one star to this showthey are all-stars! This show quickly became a Chan’s crowd favorite as they enjoy this “off the cuff” round robin style show when each member shows off their individual talents. No set list, members of the band do not know when they will be called on to do a number, songs are not discussed, and then the audience members get to request who they want to

hear a tune from. It is raucous fun! Featuring Jimmy “2 suits” Capone, Eddie Scheer director/vocals (from the Love Dogs) Big Jack Ward, guitar (from Luther “Guitar Jr.” Johnson & The Magic Rockers) Johnny Juxo on keys (from Racky Thomas Band) Randy Bramwell on bass (from the Commander Cody Band) Mario Per-rett on sax (from Peter Wolf band, Mighty Sam McClain band & many others) Bobby Holfelder on trombone (from The Knickerbocker all-stars, Bellevue Cadillac Band) If “2 Suits” other Blues Bash Shows and annual Holiday shows are any indication, this show will sell out.

CHAN’S AWARDMonday June 15th Chan’s is honored to receive the Pell Award for Excellence in the Arts “Chan’s nationally recognized Jazz and Blues club has made a great contribution to the artistic vitality of Rhode Island and provided its citizens with the only continuous venue for this type of music in this state.”

- Trinity Repertory Company“It’s an honor to share this prestigious award with all the talented musicians that have graced Chan’s stages in the past 38 years and with our wonderful fans for their loyal support.”

Thank You – John Chan

We are so lucky to have such great bands and clubs here in New England. Now that the weather has changed things will pick up and we can all get together and have some fun! I hope to see you out there somewhere (that sounds like some good song lyrics)

Keep Swinging with the BLUES!- Diana Shonk

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Profile:Multi-talented Chris Vachon at the helm after 25 years.Guitarist, songwriter and producer of Roomful of Blues

By Art Simas

Profile:Multi-talented Chris Vachon at the helm after 25 years.Guitarist, songwriter and producer of Roomful of Blues

By Art Simas

Growing up in Peacedale, RI, Chris Vachon said his first interest in music started with his sister’s” Meet the Beatles” album in the early ‘60s. He said he listened to early rock ‘n’ roll, but there was something about the Beatles that made him gravitate to the guitar. “Plus, I really played that record so much I wore it out.” His first band in high school was called the Falcons. “We had two acoustic guitars, a snare drum and an accordion, and we were trying to play like the Monkees.Thank God he eventually discarded those bubble-gum rhapsodies and kept learning his craft, working his way to play in Misquamicut clubs along the shore. “When I was around 17 I got into a band that played a lot of originals and we ended up playing a lot. Then I moved to Florida … then New York for a while … then came back here when I was 20 and I joined a country-rock band. We actually played a lot and did pretty good, considering the money we made back then.” After learning to play bass, Vachon joined a classical rock band based out of Rhode Island. But he said he had lost the feeling for that type of music. Four years earlier he discovered the “BB King: Live at the Regal” album. “That’s when I really started to catch on to blues.” But by the time he was ready to take a shot at playing blues-based music, Vachon said there weren’t many blues bands in the area. “As time went on, I eventually went back to guitar and started playing blues as the bass player in The Groovemasters Thom Enright, another Rhode Island native, was the leader and guitar player. Fast-forwarding through the ‘80s, Vachon joined Duke Robillard and The Pleasure Kings for about a year; formed his own band for a while; joined D. Willie Smith who had a popular band based in Connecticut; then 8 to the Bar, another Connecticut-based band; then it was finally on to Roomful in 1990. In the mid-80s, Vachon heard that then-Roomful’s great guitarist, Ronnie Earl was getting ready to leave Roomful. Hearing that Roomful was going to have tryouts for that coveted spot at the original Lupo’s at 377 Westminster St., in Providence, Vachon signed up for the tryout with 20 other people for a chance to replace Earl. After the competition, Vachon thought he secured the job because they seemed to like him and his style. But

then Ronnie decided to stay on, and he played another four or five years before he rejuvenated his former band, Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters. “After Ronnie left, Roomful hired guitarist Tommy K. But then he broke his arm, and they called me,” Vachon recalled. “And I went on tour with the band out to California and back. I guess they liked me because when Tommy left, they hired me right away. This would have been Oct. 4, 1990. And I’ve been with Roomful for 25 years.” At the time I joined, Greg Piccolo was the leader and we didn’t record for quite a while until “Dance All Night,” which came out in 1994 on Bullseye Blues, an imprint of Cambridge, Mass., Rounder Records. When Piccolo left to go in another direction with Heavy Juice in April 1994, Carl Querfurth became the leader,” Vachon said. “We did three more albums, Turn iT on, Turn iT up (1995) under one roof, (1997) and a Christmas album roomful of ChrisTmAs (1997), also on Bullseye. After those records came out, Querfurth (trombone), Ray Norcia (vocals, harp), Kenny “Doc” Grace (bass) Matt McCabe (keyboards) and Doug James (baritone sax) all left at once in January 1998. “I had all the material to do another record, but when those guys left and I had to scramble to find guys to fill in, such as Marty Ballou on bass. That’s when we did There Goes The neiGhBorhood, which came out later in 1998. After the shakeup, Vachon said, “Nobody else really wanted to take control or knew what to do, so I just said, “We’ll do this or that.” But he admitted it took a lot of work to keep the band going. Vachon said he remembers doing the neiGhBor-hood record with all the uncertainty swirling around Roomful. “When we finished the first session, I went upstairs where I was staying and my head just exploded. I must have had a panic attack and I thought I was going to throw up. I mean it was freaking horrible. But I got over it and everything was good from there on in.”

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He added, after that project, people would come and go, but nothing like the five who all left at once. “But I’d have to say that was probably the hardest time for Roomful.” Today, Vachon continues to produce that signature Roomful sound along with song writing and being the front man for business transactions. “I don’t actually book the band, we do have an agent, but I’ll call our agent when things are seeming to get a little slow. I’ve been a producer of the band for quite a long time, so I’m responsible for that and dealing with the record company (Alligator), and making sure everyone knows what they’re supposed to be doing and showing up ready to go. “I don’t rule as a band leader, I guess I do hold the gavel if things aren’t going so great. I’m more of the person who sorts it out and gets everyone to refocus,” Vachon said. “But we all get together and talk about ideas that we have for songs, and when we make a record, it’s definitely a group effort.”

Tales from the Road After the mass exodus in 1998, Vachon said Roomful – the business – had to refinance its tour bus and take care of other potential financial problems. “When I joined Roomful in 1990, we had what looked like an airplane parking lot shuttle bus with an extended back for our gear. That’s what they used for most of our trips. And it was in pretty bad shape back then. There were wires hanging out from underneath here and there. And it had been patched up I don’t know how many times and it was always leaking oil.” “On a cross-country trip to a gig in California, we were in Yuma, Arizona, on what had to be the hottest day on the planet, and then all of a sudden the bus just seized up and died.” Luckily, they got a ride and made it to the gig that night with their equipment. Those type of multi-week trips are a thing of the past. Most music venues are not open during weekdays any more. “So obviously, we can’t do a weekend, then sit in a hotel for three nights. It’s too expensive for us and most bands these days. Plus, we have twice the size of other bands (eight players). “We used to crisscross the country at least twice a year. But it’s disappointing because we had a big fan base across the country and a lot of people can’t see us

anymore because we can’t go out as far as we used to,” he said. “I’ve been to a lot of interesting places and feel lucky to have been to about 25 different countries (Russia, Turkey, Lebanon, Poland, to name a few), and we played every state in the United States, except for Hawaii, and it’s been a lot of fun,” he added. “I really don’t have a preference where we are. And I think that’s true for most of the guys in the band. Most of the work is doing the travelling… getting up early, and going and going and going. Once you’re on stage and playing, that’s the easy part.”

As far as travelling to far-away festivals, Vachon said it’s kind of scary from a business point of view. “If we want to play a festival in Europe, we have to balance what we’ll be getting to play vs. how much it will cost to fly, plus any other ground travel plans. So if something goes wrong, we’re basically screwed. It hasn’t happened yet … but if you miss a flight or a flight is delayed, they (promoters) could turn around and say, ‘Well, you were supposed to

be here, and you’re under contract. Sometimes we’ll be able to fly, if there is enough money involved to do that, but everything’s gone up, from plane tickets to fuel. We have to pay for that out of the business. And most of the time, a promoter will put us up in a hotel room for a night, but never for three nights. “Nobody buys [airline] tickets for performers anymore, not even in Europe. Back then, if they wanted you, they would buy the tickets and make all the arrangements. And on top of that, a lot of the festivals have lost sponsorship, and that’s another big problem,” Vachon said. “There used to be many more businesses that would finance a festival. It’s not that way now.” When he is not involved with Roomful, Vachon dabbles in his own recording studio in Wakefield, RI, helping others achieve their dream of putting out a record and realizing a lifelong dream. “I produced a lot of the Roomful records, and even recorded a few of them,” Vachon said. “And I do like working with other people, too. There are many people out there who have something to offer. Who knows where it’s going to go for them because this is a tough business. But I like doing this, too. It’s been my hobby since I was in high school. But it’s also a business for me now.”

Roomful on stage at Tupelo Music Hall. l-r Rich Lataille, Chris Rivelli, John Turner, Phil Pemberton and Chris Vachon. - photo by J. LoFaro

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The Love Dogs PRoFessoR hARP Su-April 5 (3-7) Harp solo with the Rick Harrington Band at Cady’s- Chepachet, RITh-April 9 Harp with Dave Sag and Mike DiBari at The Rhumb Line- Gloucester, MASu-April 12 (1-4) The Narragansett Café- Jamestown RI

MAYS-May 2 The Wonder Bowl- New Bedford, MAS-May 16 Nelson’s Candy Shop- Wilton NHS-May 30 The Stomping Ground, Putnam, CT

CD THEY CALL ME THE PROFESSOR available on our web site

www.professorharp.com for more infoharpdevilzmusic@aol.com

For booking call Harp- 508-583-2582

F-April 3 The Strange Brew– Manchester, NH S-April 4 The C-Note – Hull, MA Th-April 9 Eddie hosts Toni Lynn Washington at The Venus II - Marshfield, MAS-April 11 (7) Johnny D’s – Somerville, MAS-April 25 Parish Center For The Arts- Westford, MATh-April 30 Chan’s- Woonsocket, RI

MAY Su-May 3 Dance 2 Swing at The Elks- Leominster, MATh-May 14 Eddie hosts Lydia Warren at The Venus II - Marshfield, MAF-May 15 The Next Page - Weymouth, MA The Doghouse Blues Allstars featuring Eddie, Randy, Ricky Russell & Mario PerrettS-May 16 Green Space Blues Concert- Waltham, MATh-May 21 (2:30) Brookline Library Concert Series- Brookline, MA

EDDIE SCHEER’S TUESDAY NIGHT ALL STARSFeaturing the BEST Blues and R&B musicians from all over New England, the U.S. and the

World! Every Tue 8-11:30 @ THE Corrib- Brigh-ton Center, MA Great food, no cover, and you never know WHO might show up! Upcom-

ing guests: 4/7 Fred Griffeths, Gail Nickse and The Natural Wonders 4/14 Brian Templeton & Billy Loosigian 4/21 Lisa Marie, Johnny Juxo

& Silvertone Steve 4/28 Racky Thomas & Pete Henderson 5/5 International Guitar Summit w/

Roberto Morbioli & Ricky King Russell 5/12 Dennis Brennan, Matt Stubbs & Bruce Bears 5/19

Lydia Warren 5/26 Chris Fitz & Ken Clark

eddie@thelovedogs.comFor bookings call Eddie at 617-735-0604

S-April 4 (8) The Knickerbocker Café- Westerly, RISat. April 18 (7:30) Johnny D’s- Somerville, MATh-April 23 Iridium- NYC - Sugar Ray Norcia special guest with The Nick Moss BandF-April 24 Johnny D’s- Somerville, MA Sugar Ray Norcia special guest with The Nick Moss BandS-April 25 Tupelo Music Hall- Londonderry, NH Sugar Ray Norcia special guest with The Nick Moss BandSu-April 26 World Café- Live at the Queen Wilmington, DE Sugar Ray Norcia special guest with The Nick Moss Band

MAYTh-May 7 Memphis Cook Convention Center- Memphis, TN Blues Music AwardsSu-May 17 (4) The Villa- West Warwick, RI Sugar Ray Norcia special guest with The Vintage Rhythm and Blues EnsembleSu-May 24 (noon) Paradise City Arts Festival- Northampton, MAS-May 30 The Regent Theater- Arlington, MA Mai Cramer Blues After Hours FundraiserSu-May 31 (4) The Naragansett Café- Jamestown, RI

www.sugarrayandthebluetones.comFor bookings call Ray at 401-284-6404

sugAR RAy & The BLueTones

ToKyo TRAMPstba Tavern at the End of the World- Charlestown, MATh-April 9 Stonehedge Inn & Spa- Tyngsboro, MA S-April 11 Arlington Center for the Arts- Arlington, MA BluesapaloozaF-April 17 Fody’s Tavern- Nashua, NH S-April 18 Chilihead BBQ- West Bridgewater, MA F-April 24 Granite Rail Tavern- Quincy, MA Geezers Garage Night

MAYtba Tavern at the End of the World- Charlestown, MAS-May 16 Chilihead BBQ- West Bridgewater, MA S-May 30 Granite Rail Tavern, Quincy, MA Geezers Garage Night

We have more shows coming up!Please visit our websites to see our updated

schedule!!The latest album “Rollin’ Rockland Blues Hour”

is on Sale!!!!www.tokyotramps.com

www.facebook.com/tokyotrampswww.reverbnation.com/tokyotrampswww.sonicbids.com/tokyotramps

For booking : email us at tokyotramps@hotmail.comOr call us at 617-775-0750

RooMFuL oF BLues

To book the band call Blue Mountain Artists, Phone: 704.525.1559visiti our web site at www.roomful.com

ChRIs FITZ BAnD

July 18 (7) New Mexico Jazz Festival- Albuquerque , NMAugust 7(8) The River Club Music Hall- Scituate, MA

May 2 (8) Towne Crier Café- Beacon, NYMay 22 (8) Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center- Old Saybrook, CT

JUNEJune 20 (5:30) Billtown Blues Festival- Hughesville, PA

Ten FooT PoLeCATs

Taking some needed time off, we will be back at it in June! See you then.

For booking please contact:tenfootpolecats@gmail.com

Come check us out at www.tenfootpolecats.com

Also join aboard our ship at Facebook, Twitter, Reverbnation, SoundCloud, Itunes,

Bandcamp, Amazon, Rhapsody, You Tube and other social media dungeons.

Every Sunday Chris Fitz & Steve Peobody host Sunday Funday with a who’s who of great New England guests, Brodie’s Seaport, Salem, MA

4:30-8:00*EVERY THURSDAY Chris Fitz & Steve Dineen host “Fitzy’s Acoustic Hoedown @ Jasper Hill

Café & Bistro” - Holliston, MA. 8-11pm

S-April 4 Red Nun Restaurant- Chatham, MAF-April 10 Sibling Connection FundraiserS-April 11 Barrelman’s Pu - Marblehead, MAW-April 15 (8:30) Chris Fitz hosts Blues Jam w/ Double D’s- Tavern on the Square - Plainville, MAS-April 18 Monadnock Country Club - Chris’ Concert- Peterborough, NH S-April 25 Jasper Hill Cafe & Bistro- Holliston, MA

MAYF-May 1 Forty’s Pub - Leominster, MAS-May 2 Winthrop Elks Club - Winthrop, MAS-May 16 (2-4) Brattleboro Brewfest - Brattleboro, VTW-May 20 (8:30) Chris Fitz hosts Blues Jam w/ Double D’s- Tavern on the Square - Plainville, MAS-May 23 Red Nun Restaurant- Dennisport, MATu-May 26 Corrib Pub w/ Eddie’s All Stars - Brighton, MAS-May 30 Barrelman’s Pub - Marblehead, MA

Check out our web site www.chrisfitzband.com for “tbas” and updates on gigs.

Info@chrisfitz.com617-416-9048

Don’T wAIT AnoTheR MInuTe, MAKe A PLAn FoR A nIghT ouT geT TogeTheR wITh youR FRIenDs AT youR LoCAL venue, oR MAyBe one In AnoTheR CITy, In AnoTheR sTATe oF BLues!

BLues CLuB sCheDuLes

on FoLLowIng PAge>>

wILLIe J. LAws, JR.Willie J Laws band hosts “Therapy Thursday Blues Jam”-The Next Page- Weymouth MA

Th-Apr 2 (8) Next Page Café- Weymouth, MA with Bruce Mattson on keysS-Apr 4 (8) Pitman’s Freight Room - Laconia NHSu-Apr 5 (1-4) Narragansett Café - Jamestown RIM-Apr 6 (1) Framingham State University Th-Apr 9 (8) Next Page- Weymouth, MA Cheryl Aruda on vocals F-Apr 11 Willie J Laws- Elks Lodge- Las Vegas NVW-Apr 15 (8) Willie J Laws guest artist Wacky Wednesday Night Jam at Greendale’s - Worcester MATh-Apr 16 (8) Next Page Café - Weymouth, MA Cheryl Arena on harp/vocalsS-Apr 18 (7) New England Music Awards (nominee for Best Blues Act 2015) Showcase Live!- Foxborough MATh-Apr 23 (8) Next Page Cafe - Weymouth, MA with Shikiboo on vocals F-Apr 24 (8) The Stomping Ground, Putnam CTTh-Apr 30 (8) Next Page Cafe - Weymouth, MA with Sax Gordan on sax

MAYS-May 2 (9) - Ron Levy’s Organic Blues All-Stars featuring Willie J Laws, American Legion Hall #101, Woburn MATh-May 7 (8) Next Page Café- Weymouth, MA with Toni Lynn WashingtonTh-May 14 (8) Next Page- Weymouth, MA with Roberto Morbioli on vocal/guitar Su-May 17 (6) Glenn’s Restaurant & Cool Bar - Newburyport, MATh-May 21 (8) Next Page Cafe - Weymouth, MA with Anthony Geraci on keysTh-May 28 (8) Next Page Cafe - Weymouth, MA with Steve Todesco on guitar

www.williejlawsband.comFor bookings call (603) 986-9161

willielaws@gmail.com

evIL gAL MICheLLe wILLsonTh-April 9 Birch St. Café Roslindale, MAS-April 18 (8) Chan’s Woonsocket, RI with Dan Moretti and the Hammond BoysS-April 25 Strange Brew- Manchester, NH

MAYSu-May 10 (6-9) Glenn’s- Newburypory, MAF-May 22 Back Page Lowell, MAS-May 30 Mai Cramer Blues After Hours Tribute Regent Theatre Arlington, MA

Start your day in a jazzy way w/Michelle on 90.5 WICN - Worcester, MA Morning Jazz - M-W 6-9AM

streaming live at www.wicn.orgGet our new album FORTUNE COOKIE

at gigs or visit www.evilgal.comFor Bookings michelle@evilgal.com

Typical showtime is 9pm unless otherwise noted. If it is an 8pm showtime it will be noted as (8).

ARThuR JAMes & BAnDS-April 4 (4) Salt Hill Pub Shanty- Sunapee, NHS-April 11 (4) The Rusty Moose- Alton, NHT-April 23 (6) The Lyme Inn- Lyme NHSu-April 26 (5) The Common Man- Claremont, NH

MAYF-May 1 (8) Mama Mcdonough’s- Hillsborough, NHS-May 2 (8) Lil Red Baron- Newport, NHF-May 8 (6) Big Fattys BBQ- White River Junction, VTF-May 15 (7) Mcnally’s Pub & Grille- Westminster. MAS-May 23 (7) Betsy’s Backyard Productions- House Party Northfield. NJ

Bookings & Info:http://arthurjames.org/

e-mail arthurjames@tds.netcell 603-801-8169

New Solo CD - ME, MYSELF & Ican now be ordered

thru the website or bought at the gigs.

PeTeR “hI-FI” wARDS-May 2 with Babe Pino Blues Band, Rivalry’s- Worcester, MAS-May 16 with Babe Pino Blues Band fundraiser for WCUW 91.3 Main St., Worcester, MAF-May 22 with Babe Pino Blues Band, Padavano’s Place-Worcester, MAS-May 30 BLUES AFTER HOURS tribute to Mai Cramer and fundraiser, Regent Theatre in Arlington. (Also, Luther “Gtr Jr.” Johnson, Sugar Ray & the Bluetones, Michelle Willson)

For booking and info contact Peter Ward <petermward@gmail.com>

TRIPLe ThReAT BLues CRusADe

F-April 3 The Atlantic Sports Bar- Tiverton RITh-April 9 Parlor Bar and Kitchen- Newport RI

MAYF-May 1 Newport Grand- Newport RIS-May 16 The Crossings Restaurant and Brew Pub- Putnam CTF-May 22 (7) Chan’s- Woonsocket RI

For bookings email: Steven Russo ruali@msn.com

t h e b l u e s a u d i e n c e . c o m • The B lues Aud ience news l e t t e r 2015 8 Keeping the Blues coming to you, LIVE!

ChAn’sMain St., Woonsocket, RI

Great food and music, directions and tix and more info at www.chanseggrollsandjazz.comShows start at 8pm unless otherwise noted

W-April 1 Ronnie Baker BrooksF-April 3 Rebecca Parris (Jazz)S-April 4 Johnny AF-April 10 Through The Doors- This Tribute to Jim Morrison & The Doors S-April 11 Luther ‘Guitar Jr.’ Johnson & The Magic Rockers celebrating Luther’s 76th Birthday party. A true legendary bluesman!F-April 17 Neal Vitullo & The VipersS-April 18 Dan Moretti & The Hammond Boys Saxophonist, Recording Dan Moretti with special guest Michelle WillsonF/S-April 24+25 Anthony Gomes Join this #1 Billboard Blues Artist and amazing guitarist and vocalist as he makes a 2 night stop here at Chan’s during his cross country tour!

MAYF-May 1 Debra Mann tribute to Joni MitchellS-May 2 The Fat City BandF/S-May 8+9 Poppa Chubby- two shows Double the fun with 2 hot nights of high energy blues with the incredible master of the rocking Blues guitar.F-May 15 Danny Klein’s Full HouseS-May 16 Duke Robillard-two showsF-May 22 Triple Threat- CD release party SHE’S ONE OF A KIND Special Guest Blues Legend James MontgomeryS-May 23 Greg Abate QuartetSu-May 24 Steve Smith Vital Information NYC Edition- two showsW-May 27 (7) Open Mic Night- no coverTh/F-May 28+29 Samantha Fish- two nights showsS-May 30 Chan’s Big Blues Bash “Birthday Celebration Edition” Jimmy ‘2 suits’ Capone & The All-Star Chan Clan Band!

Let Chan’s new CEO CATERINGAND EVENT PLANNING SERVICE

cater your next gala. Our attention todetails and creativities fit for

executives, perhaps kings and queens!Leave all the planning to us

Tickets and pricing on web site chanseggrollsandjazz.com.

Limited seating advanced tickets suggested call 401-765-1900.

major Credit Cards accepted

never underestimate the healing power of blues, take a friend with you.

gARDneR ALe house74 Parker St., Gardner, MA 978-669-0122

gardnerale.comHave dinner and a home brew at“Blue Monday” at the Ale House

7-10 no coverLive Jazz & Sunday Downtown Brunch 10am

With Chet Williamson & Jimmy Morrell! M-April 6 The Rusty MikesM-April 13 Matt McManamon & Doug BanksM-April 20 JukeM-April 27 L & M Rhythm Kings

MAYM-May 4 Barrett AndersonM-May 11 Lights Out Blues BandM-May 18 Big John ShortM-May 25 Melanie & the Blue Shots

Blues Audience Subscribers with their cards get the $2 off dinner.

Look for updates on our web sitewww.gardnerale.com

house RoCKIn’ PRoDuCTIons PResenTsWorld Class musicians at The Elks Lodge

192 Central St., Franklin, NH and Pitman’s Freight Room, Laconia, NH

S-April 25 J P Soars and The Red HotsMAY

S-May 23 Chris BeardS-May 30 Brandon Santini

All shows $20 adv. & 25 at the door.Blues Audience Subscribers with their cards

get the advance price at door $5 off. Doors open at 7:30pm showtime 8pm

LoCAL’s CAFe AT neLson’s CAnDIes

65 Main Street Wilton, NH603-654-5030

Show starts at 7 House band opensBYOB!

S-April 25 Mr. Nick & The Dirty TricksMAY

S-May 16 Undaunted: Professor Harp

(Shhhh upcoming special gig with Bobby Radcliff July 3rd!)

Tickets available at Nelson’s CandiesTo Reserve by Charge CardOr for more information call

603-654-5030 ($2 processing fee)https://www.facebook.com/

The TAP100 Washington St., Haverhill, MA

Please check our web site

for events and the schedule. More info at: www.tapbrewpub.com

Info and more 978-374-1117

The BuLL Run ConCeRT seRIesoff Rte 2 at 215 Great Rd, Shirley, MA

(978) 425-4311 Toll-free 877-536-7190

F-April 3 Dueling PianosS-April 4 Danny Klein’s Full HouseF-April 10 The Darren Bessette BandS-April 11 Pure Prairie LeagueTh-April 16 Bob Marley ComedyF-April 17 Albert Cummings (Sawtelle)F-April 17 Town Meeting Band (Ballroom)S-April 18 Allman, Neville, Pitchell BandSu-April 19 Joan OsborneF-April 24 The James Hunter SixS-April 25 The Mark Marquis GroupSu-April 26 The SmithereensW-April 29 Charlie Musselwhite

MAYF-May 1 The Grand SlamboviansS-May 2 Jenny TolmanTh-May 7 Ari HestF-May 8 John SebastianS-May 9 Peter Mulvey (Ballroom)S-May 9 Triplets of Bluesville (Tap Room)Th-May 14 Tinsley EllisF-May 15 Jorma KaukonenS-May 16 Roberto MorbioliF-May 22 VanRetS-May 23 Jazz on the PatioTh-May 28 The OutlawsF-May 29 Deadbeat

www.bullrunrestaurant.comhttp://tickets.bullrunrestaurant.com

The B lues Aud ience news l e t t e r 2015 • t heb luesaud ience . com Subsc r i be on l i ne w i th Paypa l 9

Profile:From a Kid to a King of the local New England Blues Scene, Rick Russell Brings Classic Blues to the Contemporary Stage.

By Karen Nugent

Ricky “King” Russell is one of those guys you can naturally chat up. He’s not pretentious, he doesn’t try to promote himself, and he doesn’t come off as a “guitar god” poser on stage. (That “King” moniker was bestowed on him by a reporter – more on that later.) Russell simply consistently plays great Blues. Often, it’s with his band, the Cadillac Horns, and just as often he’s with musicians he met 30 minutes before the show. Sometimes, he has performed against all odds, having faced some serious health problems throughout the years. A co-founder of the Boston Blues Society in 1988, Russell, 62, was born in Newton, Massachusetts, but he chalks up his easygoing nature to his father’s job which kept the family moving around. The elder Mr. Russell was an electrical engineer for Westinghouse (he helped design the lighting at Fenway Park) and also did lighting for those old Jenny gas stations, and similar projects. “I guess moving around a lot made me adaptable, and I easily made new friends,” Rick said. In addition, Rick was the doted-on youngest child - and a boy chile at that - with two older sisters. Sadly, an older brother passed away before Rick knew him. “My first musical experiences were in my living room. It was when 50s Rock ‘n Roll was prevalent, and my oldest sister’s boyfriend was into it.” Due to an atmospheric phenomenon, he said, the gang was able to get Blues broadcasts from a radio station in Nashville, allowing him to hear Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker, and Ray Charles, along with Rock ‘n Roll bands such as Johnny and the Hurricanes and Elvis. Rick was only 5 or 6 at the time. “Everybody was dancing and having a good time and I wanted to be part of that, even then.” With that background firmly cemented, Rick began playing guitar at the age of 10, taking lessons at the Dorchester YMCA. His next teacher was a “little old Italian guy from the neighborhood.” Around that time, in the early 1960s, his interest in playing guitar got a huge

boost from the Fab Four. Yes, it was the Beatles, who Russell heard prior to their legendary appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. There is a codicil to this: “Truth be known, when I first heard the Beatles, I really didn’t like them that much. I thought they were kind of thin sounding compared to what I was listening to,” he said. Fair enough if your prior music was Hooker and Reed – even the Beatles (big Elvis fans) would likely agree. Rick, who also went on to teach guitar, got his first gigs at high school dances in Somerville, Mass, with a band he dubbed The Days and Nights. They played “Gloria,” “Satisfaction” and all the great hits of the time. Later, after moving

to Chelsea, there were more opportunities, including a regular gig in a church basement called “The 18 Step Down Coffeehouse,” with a band made up of Rick’s neighborhood friends. The band got more shows by talking and bothering everybody they could,

until they could get a chance to play. These days, Russell usually has several gigs a week, in clubs from Rhode Island to New Hampshire. Earlier on, Ricky King Russell and the Cadillac Horns was the core band at the Knickerbocker, a well-known Rhode Island club. In 2013 they recorded a CD at Lakewest Studios in West Greenwich, Rhode Island, which is owned by Jack Gauthier, who is Duke Robillard’s manager. John Sheerar- Producer of the resulting CD OPEN MIC AT THE KNICK- The Knickerbocker All Stars, told The Blues Audience. “Rick played lead and rhythm guitar on all the tracks. I had to plead with Rick to go back into the recording room to let loose on ‘Going Down,’ a great Freddie King tune.” When he finished his guitar slinging solo, he came out of the room and said: ‘let’s see if some young stud can top that,’” Rick’s guitar playing on the CD has been praised by many Blues writers

continued on page 11

Rick enjoys playing on the porch at a back yard party in Rockport, MA last year. - Photo by Karen Nugent

“The Blues moved me when I was little,

and it still moves me now.”

t h e b l u e s a u d i e n c e . c o m • The B lues Aud ience news l e t t e r 2015 10 Keeping the Blues coming to you, LIVE!

The Ex-President’s file.by Karen “Sistah K” Nugent

I know it’s a cliché to complain about the crap-py weather this past winter, but damn! I count at least 10 shows that I missed either because they were cancelled or I was too chicken to drive in a snow storm. So it was with great joy toward the end of Feb-ruary when bright sunshine and (sorta) warm temperatures brought me and Mr. Nugent – along with a whole lotta other blues fans – to a Sunday afternoon jam at Hot Shotz in Leomin-ster, Mass. Hosted by the always fabulous A Ton of Blues, locals from North Central Massachusetts, the scheduled guest that day was guitarist Gil Cor-reia, who drove all the way from the Cape. Not only that, a surprise was soon forthcoming, as Ronnie Earl was also in the house. Gil did some Jimmy Rogers songs – (“Who’s Loving You Tonight” OK, I am not sure Rogers wrote that, but he performed it.) Rogers is truly missed these days, and his style is not some-thing one hears every night. Ronnie Earl took the stage to a huge round of applause and shouts, but it was amusing - and kind of annoying - that some dude was yelling “Ronnie, play some Santana!” (Yeah, OK, have another drink.) It’s not that Sistah doesn’t love Carlos, but it was a blues jam!Ronnie, who looked snazzy in a long camel-hair coat, played wonderfully as usual, with lots of deep, cool sound nuances and variations – from loud to barely audible. I liked his “Too Many Drivers.” And to be perfectly honest, that’s about the only show I can recall since my last column.

I heard the annual Winterfest at the Blue Ocean in Salisbury, hosted by Mr. Nick and the Dirty Tricks, was a near sellout and fun as al-ways. But of course it was snowing that night.On a sad note, Blues World lost a great talent much too soon. Keyboardist Dave Maxwell, 71, passed in Feb-ruary, losing a battle with prostate cancer that he valiantly kept secret for several years. Ev-eryone was shocked to wake up to that awful news one Saturday morning. I’d seen Dave at shows since the 1970s, with too many bands to name. He reminded me of Otis Spann and I reviewed his 2012 CD CONvERSATIONS IN BLuE which incorporated old Spann record-ings. It’s a great disc and it won a Blues Music Award for Acoustic Album of the Year. Dave is nominated this year for the Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year Award, and he and Pi-netop are probably jamming away in that great blues club in the sky. I didn’t know Dave personally, so I am going to include a tribute written by fellow keyboardist Ron Levy. But, I have to say that from a report-er’s standpoint, Maxwell was one of the best re-spondents to requests for photos and answers to dumb questions I have ever encountered. He responded immediately to information I requested about what was to be one of his last gigs, in September at Slater’s in Bolton, Mass. (Yes, the one I missed because we had moved to Salem.) Here’s what Ron said about Dave:“Nobody played more Blues piano than Max. He always sounded like he had three giant hands ripping and running up and down all the keys on every song in every key. Max was one of the true pioneers of the Boston Blues scene. I first heard him play in 1967 and was astounded. We both went on to play with Blues royalty in the 1970s, he with Freddie King and me with Albert and B.B. As rivals and competitors, we never really liked each other

David Maxwell’s Maxium Blues There are all types of personalities in Blues. David Maxwell was a geuine gentleman and extraordinarily talented piano player. His great deep voice brought his songs to the Blues commu-nity with creativity and humor. Peter Ward puts on a show at the Regent Theater in Somerville, MA in memory of the late, great, Queen of the Bos-ton Blues scene, Mai Cramer. Boston’s WGBH radio’s long time host of “Blues After Hours” with Mai Cramer.” David played “Blues After Hours,” the theme song for Mai’s show. It was very solemn and spiritual. He raised the memory of Pinetop Perkins in his performance and the bittersweet memory of Mai, who

as close personal friends but loved to cajole, tease, insult and challenge each other for almost 50 years. I will sorely miss him, hope he didn’t suffer too much and is now enjoy-ing hanging out and jamming with our many mutual heroes and friends someplace cool or really, really hot like we wished each other so many times.” - Ron LevyBy the way, Ron’s record and instrument memorabilia show will be rescheduled again from May to sometime this fall. (The original venue was another casualty of the winter – part of its roof collapsed.)The blues memorabilia thing brings me to an-other interesting topic. I belong to a Facebook group called “The Real Blues Forum” which always has thought provoking conversations and posts. A few months ago, there was an informative chat going on about old 78 rpm records Ap-parently, stashes of them used to be found occasionally at yard sales and consignment shops, especially in the South. Often they were left stored in the bottom of old phono-graph cabinets. I guess the value of blues, jazz and hillbilly recordings have increased substantially, even if scratches and damage makes the music barely listenable, while Big Band and later popular recordings aren’t worth much. What’s even more fascinating is some folks have found a few extremely rare, very old blues recordings – some never even heard in modern times! Spring is the begin-ning of yard sale season, so get out there. Summer follows spring and that means bar-becue time, so it behooves me to mention that wild guy, Dr. Gonzo, from Worcester, Mass. The Doc and I (his real name is J. Stuart Esty) were fellow judges at a blues challenge in Worcester a few years ago, and he is one funny bloke. Anyway, Gonzo has revived a Kickstarter campaign for his line of natural condiments, including the best garlic mash ever. He also has jalapeno mash, and some-thing called “Wazoo Juice.” Check it out on Kickstarter under “Gimme My Gonzo’s Take 2.”Otherwise, see you on the dance floor!

brought Blues and Blues musicians to the air every Saturday night for so many years. David brought Blues to people in many languages and his boogie woogie piano transcended all levels of apprecia-tion to bring the people to their feet. His illustrious past included many years with Freddie King, worked with Muddy Waters, Bonnie Raitt, John Lee Hooker, James Cotton, and Louisiana Red to name a few. His recording with Louisiana Red, a couple of years ago now, was so tastefully done; his accom-paniment gave Red a foundation to shine like the star he was, and David helped him put together one of Red’s most soul-

David hosted my most successful Blues Audience Party at Mal’s back in 2009 he was gracious to do so. You can see video on our web site.

- photo by DIana Shonk

The B lues Aud ience news l e t t e r 2015 • t heb luesaud ience . com Subsc r i be on l i ne w i th Paypa l 11

including Living Blues and Big City Blues magazines. A couple of years back, Rick took a bad fall down a flight of stairs while hauling equipment into a club. He suffered a traumatic brain injury that resulted in months of treatments. Among other issues, there was occasional memory loss and lots of visits to doctors and neurologists. Yet he persevered, kept a positive attitude and eventually got back on stage, to the delight of his many fans. “My illnesses have affected me in the sense that I value any and every opportunity to ply my trade, and to try to make people happy, as music has made me,” he said. When asked about set lists, Rick responded that he generally only prepares in advance for special gigs. “Other times, I just sort of play what is in my head. I have had my band a long time and they know where I’m going.” He doesn’t find song writing easy, and considers himself more of a “finisher.” “I really shine at taking other people’s ideas and visions, and helping them to complete them.” Rick noted. “I am happy and proud to be associated with the Blues, a music that I love, and that I have devoted most of my life to. It has its ups and downs, but I really wouldn’t have it any other way.” In the 1970s, Rick lived in a commune. (Is he an original hippie or what?) During that time, he met his lovely wife, Yvonne, at a huge Halloween party the house mates threw at a big rental house in Hyannis. “There she was – and the rest, as they say – is history.” Rick said along with spending time with Yvonne and their two cats, he enjoys reading, cooking and listening to baseball on a warm summer Saturday afternoon. So what about that “King” in between his first and last names? In an article, Steve Morse (of the Boston Globe) called Russell the “Kingpin of local Blues.” ”It was a short step from Kingpin to King,” Russell said. “We had a Duke, (Robillard) we had an (Ronnie) Earl. Why not a King? Besides, I love Freddy, B.B., Albert, and Saunders… it seemed like the right place to go. Besides, Ricky “T-bone” Russell doesn’t have the same ring!”

Ricky “King” Russell continued from page 9

ful and beautiful records. I remember one night, (I hate to say I can’t remember the club) but David came and got me, to take me to meet guitar player, Hubert Sumlin! “Would you like to meet Hubert? Yes, I had always admired his guitar playing with Howlin’ Wolf. David knew I would love to meet him. He lead me downstairs to where Hubert was relaxing and we all had a nice chit chat and a smoke and I don’t think I had ever felt more comfortable with two more self effacing, down to earth, outstanding, famous musicians! David was kind and intuitive, to think to do that for me, and I have that memory for all time. David will be fondly remembered by everyone at the Mai Cramer benefit, this year, on May 30th. So who will play that sad refrain? (See the ad to the right for more info.>)

-Diana Shonk

t h e b l u e s a u d i e n c e . c o m • The B lues Aud ience news l e t t e r 2015 12 Keeping the Blues coming to you, LIVE!

The Blues Audience newsletter62 Cricket Hill Road Harrisville, NH 03450

Your continued support helps keep the

New England Blues scene strong.

Thank you.

B l u e s B i r t h d a y s1 Charlie Patton 1891 Alberta Hunter 18954 Muddy Waters 19155 Doug Fulton 1928 Paul Benjamin 19536 Big Walter Horton 19177 Billie Holiday 19158 Lil’ Ed Williams 195510 John Brim 1922 Tom Sanders 1953 Bitty McLellan 198011 Luther “Gtr. Jr.” Johnson 12 Hound Dog Taylor Markita Johnson 1986 Max Rosenblatt 198815 Bessie Smith 1894 Mighty Sam McClain 1943 Skip Philbrick 1953 Frank Frost 193616 Johnny Littlejohn 1931 Memphis Piano Red 1905 TJ Wheeler 1952 Steve Jacobs 195417 Shemekia Copeland 197918 Clarence Gatemouth Brown 1924 Poor Howard Stith Robert Otis Doncaster Steve Ramsay 1954

20 Gary Primich 195821 Paul Geremia 194424 Miss Honey 195125 Albert King 192326 Ma Rainey 1886 J.B. Hutto 1929 Johnny Shines 1915 Maggie McLellan 198627 Hop Wilson28 Buddy Guy 1941 Boston Billy Letters29 Lefty Diz 1937 Otis Rush 1934 Scotty Monette Bronson Shonk 199030 Rev Gary Davis 1896 Homesick James 1910 Lonnie Shields 1956

MAY1 Ada Brown 1890 Big Maybell 1924 Little Walter Jacobs2 Doug Aborn 19564 Eddie Campbell 19395 Blind Willie McTell 1901 Sonny Parker 1925 Diane Blue6 Homer Harris 19167 Bumble Bee Slim 1905

Kansas City Red 19268 Robert Johnson 1911 Willie J. Laws9 A.C. Reed 1920 Bob Margolin 1949 Jon Ross 195510 Maurice John Vaughn Greg Piccolo 195111 Mudcat Ward 195412 Donald Kinsey 1953 James Montgomery13 Magic Dick 194514 Grady Gaines 193417 Taj Mahal 194016 Cleveland Chenier 1921 Johnny Nicholas 1948 Doug Woolverton 198118 Big Joe Turner 1911 B. A. Hedin 194819 Jimmy Thachery 195321 John Allgood 1955 Phil Monica 194725 Rusty Corson 197228 T-Bone Walker 1910 Papa John Creach 1917 Peter M. Shonk, Jr. 29 Ron Levy 1951

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