Bluesnews 26 Jan 2009

Hello again. Here is another edition of a newsletter setting out all the blues news for South East Queensland.

I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year. Woodford was great as usual – uplifting, stimulating and inspiring. There were many musical highlights, but I was particularly impressed with these new (at least for me!) discoveries:

· the Gold Coast’s Tijuana Cartel,
· Mojo Juju and The Snakeoil Merchants. (Their cabaret act was preceded by a delightful young lady in a milkmaid outfit who came on stage to milk a mechanical cow, and then did a striptease to Wynonie Harris’ 1952 raunchy song ‘Keep on Churning till the Butter Comes’
(Keep on churnin' 'til the butter comes
Keep on churnin' 'til the butter comes
Keep on pumpin', make the butter flow
Wipe off the paddle and churn some more))
· Mandolin playing bluesman Jimi Hocking,
· talented Virginia (USA) bluegrass duo Martha Spencer and Jackson Cunningham, on leave from The Whitetop Mountain Band. Martha’s Appalachian accent was so fetching she could have just stood on stage and read her shopping list and held everyone spellbound.
· King Curly
· Symbiosis
· White Boyz Can’t Funk
· Barons of Tang

Also interesting were Festival Director Bill Hauritz’ revelations in his Directors Report that in mid 2008 he had to have a serious sit-down with the festival’s bankers to discuss a threatened revenue shortfall due to poor ticket sales following last years wet weather. Thankfully budgets were trimmed and ticket sales picked up, and the bankers were pacified.

Bill is working on a number of strategies to shore up festival finances for at least the next 500 years.


It looks like this internet thing is not just a one minute wonder, so we’ve used the break, here at Bluesnews Headquarters to get on the net. You can find this newsletter here. Over coming months we will put some more stuff up, with the ultimate aim of earning a $ or two, so that I can give up my day job and, (like Rhythm’s Brian Wise) spend my life listening to music and travelling overseas to festivals ………..)


Cheers

Mark Hipgrave



NEWS

Best Of Lists for 2008……..

It’s that time of year again….

Barnes & Noble’s Best of List for 2008

From the wilds of upstate New York, the Felice Brothers kidnap traditional American song forms and take them on a dangerous caper stuffed with guns, drugs, and drink. They topped off a year of stellar releases that included vital sets from veteran folkies and bluesmen alike.

· The Felice Brothers, The Felice Brothers
· Kathleen Edwards, Asking for Flowers
· Sonny Landreth, From the Reach
· Buddy Guy, Skin Deep
· Amos Lee, Last Days at the Lodge
· Charlie Haden, Rambling Boy
· Joan Baez, Day After Tomorrow
· Pete Seeger, At 89
· Ray LaMontagne, Gossip in the Grain
· Bob Dylan, The Bootleg Series Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs - Rare and Unreleased 1989-2006

Their full list, in all categories, is here

Also …..

Amazon’s Best of Blues List
Something Else’s Best of Blues and Louisiana Music for 2008 (interesting categorization!)
Chicago Sun Times Best Blues of 2008 List

Other, more general music lists:

Time Magazine
Metacritic
Blogcritic
Pitchfork
Rolling Stone Magazine



John Ward Writes

Just before Christmas, John Ward, from Onlybluesmusic wrote:

Some good news, from the Courier Mail, Brisbane.

Blockbuster Albums Defy Gloom.
There is no sign of a recession in retail music with album sales rising by up to 60% on last years figures.

Music fans have been flocking to record stores with the release of blockbuster albums artists such as AC/DC, Kings Of Leon & Pink.

Australian Record Industry Asn chairman Ed St John yesterday said "for the past six weeks we've seen a dramatic increase in album sales. Given the economic climate consumers seem to be reprioritising their spending and music suddenly looks like a really attractively priced gift". Sales were up more than 20% since October 27, compared with the same period last year. Sales of the top five albums are double of those last year.

The week of AC/DC's Black Ice release showed a 47% increase in physical sales over the same week in 2007. The following week Pink's Funhouse album pushed CD sales 57% higher than the same period in 2007.

Warwick Vere, owner of Brisbane's largest independent record store, Rocking Horse Records, said "you constantly read stories that downloading is the end for the record shop but we've never noticed any downturn in CD sales or vinyl and niche market stuff. There has always been the adage that entertainment does well in recession & albums like Kings Of Leon's Only By The Night have been enormous for us, so has Australian blues singer C.W. Stoneking." Noel Mengel

Now for some not so good news.

Just a few weeks ago in the UK the huge distributor Pinnacle went bust. Leaving 100 staff out of a job & over 1000 labels without a distributor or payment.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/dec/04/pinnacle-distributor-enters-administration

Then in the last week or so, Australian distributor Creative Vibes has closed its doors. http://www.cvibes.com/

My Two Cents Worth –

Certainly we are entering into new territory, the big company with a lot of staff just does not make financial sense any more. Smaller leaner companies that focus on what they know & stick to quality, not quantity, I think they will survive & flourish. Musicians will certainly continue to make music with or without a lot of money about. They have always been given the rough end of the stick when dealing with the big companies anyway. Fans will always want to buy music, it is one of the best & safest forms of entertainment available & it is affordable. Music stores & places that sell music will continue to stock it as long as people still buy it, and they are. So at the end of the day, you need someone to connect the musicians with the fans & the shops. So distributors will always be needed, especially ones that know what they hell they are doing.

Welcome to the future, it is here now. Happy & safe 2009 to all.

Cheers, John.


And in perhaps related news, the Virgin Megastore in NY Times Square recently announced that it will close in April


Cheech and Chong to Tour

If you can remember the 70s you will be interested to learn that Undercover.com.au reports that:

Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong are coming down under. The “dopiest” comedians of the 70s and 80s will make Australia a part of their reunion tour.

Cheech and Chong epitomized the drug induced 70s with a series of comedy albums and films that are now cult classics.

Their characters like Sister Mary Elephant and Basketball Jones where known by any teenage kid from the 70s who had even walked past a joint.

More here

They will be in Brisbane on April 30 at the Performing Arts Centre


Macavine Hayes Dies

Music Maker Foundation reports that Macavine Hayes (who appeared at ECBRF a few years ago) died in his sleep Monday, January 12. He was 65 years old, and his most recent Triangle Performance was at Durham's Broad Street Cafe on New Year's Eve.

"Macavine had a wonderful, soulful, almost childlike warmth and happiness," says Music Maker head Tim Duffy. "He was internationally known, toured Australia and over 10 countries in Europe. Wherever he went, people just loved the guy. But he died with his boots on -- asleep at a drink house."


Blues Music Awards


Nominations for The Blues Foundation’s 30th Blues Music Awards were recently announced. Awards will be given at a function in early May, in Memphis. Key nominees are:

Acoustic Album of the Year
Eden Brent - Mississippi Number One
Rory Block - Blues Walkin' Like a Man
Paul Rishell & Annie Raines - A Night in Woodstock
Hans Theessink & Terry Evans - Visions
Fiona Boyes, Mookie Brill & Rich Del Grosso - Live from Bluesville

Acoustic Artist of the Year
Doug MacLeod
Rory Block
Otis Taylor
Paul Rishell & Annie Raines
Eden Brent

Album of the Year
The Mannish Boys - Lowdown Feelin'
Curtis Salgado - Clean Getaway
Buddy Guy - Skin Deep
Janiva Magness - What Love Will Do
Elvin Bishop - The Blues Rolls On

Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
Elvin Bishop - The Blues Rolls On
Watermelon Slim & the Workers - No Paid Holidays
Janiva Magness - What Love Will Do
Sean Costello - We Can Get Together
Buddy Guy - Skin Deep

Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
Gaye Adegbalola
Marcia Ball
Robin Rogers
Bettye LaVette
Janiva Magness

Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year
Michael Burks
Elvin Bishop
Sean Costello
Watermelon Slim
Buddy Guy

Traditional Blues Album of the Year
Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials - Full Tilt
B.B. King - One Kind Favor
Honeyboy Edwards - Roamin' and Ramblin'
Eddy 'The Chief' Clearwater - West Side Strut
The Mannish Boys - Lowdown Feelin'

A full list of nominees in all categories is here.

This is the third year in a row that Fiona Boyes has scored a nomination, which is in itself a great achievement.


Press Articles – Various

Lots this issue ……….

Van Morrison Performs Astral Weeks Live at Hollywood Bowl, from yahoo music
Van Morrison - Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl from the Huffington Post
Where to go tomorrow - Festival au Desert, Mali, from Bob Gosford’s blog
Tangled up in red and blue, from New Statesman
Exile on Main Street: a Season in Hell With the Rolling Stones, from New Statesman
If John Lenon Were a Painting …. From Washington Post
Nowhere Man – Brian Epstein, from Washington Post
David (Fathead) Newman, Saxophonist, Dies at 75, from NY Times
Blues Musician Macavine Hayes Dies at 65, from World Music Central
All you need is Net, '60s folkie Donovan says, from Yahoo News
Delaney Bramlett, Singer-Songwriter and Slide Guitarist, Dies at 69, from NY Times
Blues Guitarist Robert Ward, R.I.P, from About.com
Longtime Roadmasters drummer Wilbert "Junkyard Dog" Arnold, 1955-2008, from Times Picayune
Jazz Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard Obit, from Jazz Review
Louisiana's Disappearing Music, from Time
Rock Stars and Their Parents from The Guardian (it’s worth a look)
Seasick Steve not down and out in Paris, from Times Online (he’s coming to ECBRF again)
And More Seasick Steve, this time from New Statesman
Rocking Cincinnatti’s Cradle, from NY Times
Clint Ballard Jr., Writer of Hit Songs, Dies at 77, also from NY Times
50 years later, Holly remains frozen in time, from JS Online
At Motown vault, the songs live forever, from PopMatters


RADIO/TV/YOU TUBE

Arthur Elliot reports on his upcoming Sidestream shows– for Brisbane listeners 99.7 FM, Wed 7pm to 9pm.

The first hour of Sidestream at 7pm on Wednesday 28/ Jan brings you some of the music from the new Holly Throsby album. More Australian music will come from Jeff Lang, Still Flyin’, and Mark Cryle. As well, you’ll hear from Red Rock Rondo, Fleet Foxes, Steeleye Span, Bellowhead, and more.

In the blues hour at 8pm, we have music from top local bluesman Doc Span, Geoff Achison, and Dave Hole; Britain’s Kitty, Daisy & Lewis; early blues singer Tommy Johnson; slide player Sonny Landreth; Bonnie Raitt with Habib Koite; Lonnie Mack; the R&B Bombers and others.

On 4 Feb, Sidestream’s first hour includes newly-released music from the David Bromberg Quartet, and a little of the new album from top US musician Gurf Morlix, Other sounds include the intricate and flowing guitars of the Durutti Column, the Celtic themes of Old Blind Dogs, the fiddle-driven music of Horseflies, atmospheric singing from Australia’s Liz Martin, and more.

There is a lot of Australian music in the blues hour from 8pm, with Jeff Lang, Glen Terry, Mia Dyson, the Vibrolators, Darren Jack, Pete Cornelius and others, while you’ll also hear from Del Rey and the Motor City Sidestrokers.


The Daily Planet, Weekend Planet and Music Deli (ABC Radio National)

The Daily Planet website, the Weekend Planet website and The Music Deli website all have links to shows broadcast over the past few weeks.



Coming Up On ABC2 TV

Classic Albums - Paul Simon: Graceland
7:30pm Saturday, 31 Jan 2009
Classic Albums - Pink Floyd: Dark Side Of The Moon
5:10pm Sunday, 01 Feb 2009
Classic Albums - Jimi Hendrix: Electric Ladyland
7:30pm Saturday, 07 Feb 2009
Classic Albums - Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
5:10pm Sunday, 08 Feb 2009
Blind Boys of Alabama: Live In Concert
7:00am Sunday, 01 Feb 2009
The Who: Live At The Isle Of Wight 1970
8:00am Sunday, 01 Feb 2009
Paul Kelly: Live Apples - Part 1 Of 2
9:25am Sunday, 01 Feb 2009
Festival: Folk Music At Newport 1963 - 1966
9:20pm Sunday, 01 Feb 2009
Montreux Jazz Festival 2003 - Black Superstars of Music
11:00pm Sunday, 01 Feb 2009
Festival: Folk Music At Newport 1963 - 1966
7:00am Sunday, 08 Feb 2009
Dr John: Live At Montreux
8:35am Sunday, 08 Feb 2009
Paul Kelly: Live Apples - Part 2 Of 2
9:35am Sunday, 08 Feb 2009
Marianne Faithfull: Dreaming My Dreams
11:05pm Sunday, 08 Feb 2009
T.Rex: When T.Rex Ruled The World
10:00pm Monday, 09 Feb 2009




Full program details are here


You Tube Selections

“Shaky” Shaun Bindley (presenter of Blues With A Feeling (8.05pm-midnight on Mondays 98.9fm in Brisbane and lots of other stations across Australia via the National Indigenous Radio Service) regularly sends me You Tube gems he has discovered.

Here are a few recent ones, with Shaun’s own titles :

· Country Music Is The Truth (featuring Rodney Crowell - see ECBRF item below)
· Did I say I thought Id seen it all?
· Phew!
· This Will Stop You Fiddling Around
· Uhuh
· Woohoo!


….and here are a couple from John Ward of Onlybluesmusic

· ‘This will really make you laugh, what a world without blues would be like http://igetblues.com/without.php

· Now this is something special. Two guys travel around the world recording street performers doing the same song, then they mix it into one. It is done really, really, really well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM&feature=email



FESTIVALS


Ragamuffin Festival – Fri Jan 30

‘The second annual Raggamuffin festival kicks off this weekend showcasing a stellar lineup of the world’s best reggae artists.

Ziggy Marley, Eddy Grant, Ali Campbell, Shaggy, Arrested Development, Inner Circle and Bonjah take the stage at Perth’s Supreme Court Gardens on Saturday January 24 in a five hour musical feast of reggae - with a healthy dose of funk, dub, hip hop and soul! ‘

The seven-band tour then heads to Ballina, Northern NSW on Australia Day Monday January 26 before playing in Brisbane, Melbourne, Newcastle and Sydney. The tour ends with a massive show at Rotorua Stadium, New Zealand on February 7 for 25,000 fans.

More here


Blue Mountains Music Festival

The run-up to Festival 14 (2009) has begun. Many have said that last year's Festival can justly be described as “the best” in our fourteen year history, but many of those are now also saying that the 2009 line-up may be better yet! The only way to be certain is to turn-up for the weekend and be part of the whole wonderful experience. With that in mind, Festival 2009 is on March 13, 14, 15 so make your plans now.

Details, including the lineup, are here.


2009 East Coast Blues and Roots Festival – Easter at Byron Bay

Festival co-founder and now sole owner Peter Noble wrote recently that:

‘Our next artist announcement of 20 artists will be coming to you next Friday January 30. It will include quite a few artists who have been listed on the Bluesfest Forum by those sleuths who have checked around different artists websites, AND, there will be quite a few surprises.

There will also be at least 2 more artist announcements after this and some really, really exciting news regarding our brand new stages, which we will be telling you all about in the coming weeks

We have been advised the police will be attending on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 [April] with drug detection sniffer dogs. Although this will be happening for the first time at Bluesfest, it now occurs at most Festivals in Australia. Festival Patrons continue to ignore this reality and in most instances, if they bring drugs to Festivals they are caught. Nobody wants a criminal conviction.

Please think deeply about bringing drugs to Bluesfest.’

So… (nudge, nudge, wink, wink, ) you should leave your stash at home on Fri and Sat, but hey, on other days, as Cheech and Chong would say: ‘no problemo’!

(I am excited to see the report on Rhythm’s Magazine website that Rodney Crowell will be included on the ECBRF lineup. Crowell was recently given a big rap by Head Butler)


2009 Australian Blues Music Festival

The festival is held every year on the second weekend in Feb (12-15 Feb 2009) - at Goulburn NSW

The Dec 2008 newsletter – giving you everything you need to know is here while the festival website itself is here.


The Rotary Club of Laverton Point Cook proudly presents the 2009 Homestead Blues Festival on Sun 15 Feb.

The highly successful Homestead Blues Festival showcases the very best of emerging and established blues acts. Featuring the renowned and very talented Michael Charles, Andrea Marr, Jimi Hocking, The Blues Dukes, Mannish Boys, The Sweethearts, and Cold Snap. As well as the bands, there are Children’s Activities and Entertainment, Wineries and Gourmet food outlets to make it a complete day for the whole family.




CD LAUNCHES & REVIEWS

The people at Allmusic provide a good list of blues albums released in the USA during the past two weeks

You can also check out the Arizona USA based Blues Bytes review site for reviews of recently issued albums.

The Rhythms Magazine website also features reviews of locally available albums.



REGULAR STUFF AND GIG GUIDES

Coming up at The Step Inn

Ozreggae.com announces ‘Bob Marley Birthday Bash

Bob Marley, born on 6th February 1945 in Nine Mile St Anns Jamaica. [On Sat 7 Feb] join us as we celebrate his 64th birthday in a big session of reggae vibes with Gregwise, Erther (Rude Bwoyz) and Basmati


Coming up at The Troubabour

…..well lots really. Have a look.


At Joes Waterhole, Eumundi

Look out for:

Sat 31 Jan Ange Takats (Saw her at Woodford – very entertaining, great songs and stories)
Fri 6 Feb Brewster Brothers
Fri 27 Feb Mia Dyson


And later …..

· Preston Reed (Ireland)
· Bob Brozman (USA)
· Luka Bloom (Ireland)
· Ruthie Foster (USA)


At The Tivoli you can catch

· Wed 4 Feb Anni di Franco
· Wed 18 Feb The Waifs
· Thurs 27 & Fri 27 Feb The Stray Cats (but both shows now sold out)


At the Cooly Hotel

· Fri 6 Feb Phil Emmanuel - Will Scarlett
· Sat 7 Feb Grace Knight
· Fri 27 Feb Kate Miller-Heidke


And at The Judy.

· Thurs 26 Feb Mia Dyson


At The Zoo

· Sun 22 Feb Kaki King


At The Palmwoods Hotel

· Sat 7 Feb Asa Broomhall



At The Soundlounge, Currumbin

· Fri 6 Feb Kingfisha
· Fri 20 Feb Chase The Sun
· Sun 1 March Mia Dyson
· Fri 6 March Tommee Trio


And look out for Lori Lee’s next outings:

· Saturday February 21 Danny & The Cosmic Tremors plus The Pat Capocci Combo at the Holland Park Bowls Club

More details here