Bluesnews 15 Nov 2009

We are now in third gear, heading for the summer festival season, and there’s lots to get excited about. The lineup for the Easter ECBRF is already outstanding, with promises of a blockbuster announcement next Sunday. Charlie Parr will be playing at The Zoo and The Soundlounge in mid Jan, Sly and Robbie will be at the Ragamuffin festival in late Jan, and there is a bunch of other great stuff happening at Woodford and other places over Christmas and New Year.

We will try to get another of these out before Christmas, but if not, have a great one and get out amongst the music.

And don’t forget, you can see this newsletter on the net. Click here

Cheers

Mark Hipgrave
0418 556048


NEWS
RADIO/TV
FESTIVALS
REGULAR STUFF AND GIG GUIDES


NEWS

Norton Buffalo RIP

Last issue I gave you a link to an item on the NY Jazz and Blues website regarding a benefit being held in late Nov for harpist and regular Australian visitor Norton Buffalo.

It hasn't quite been two months since Buffalo came home from a concert feeling a little ill. What he thought was pneumonia was diagnosed as cancer, starting in his lower right lung and spreading through is body.

"It's a nasty little bugger," he said. He said there is some of it in his brain and it is grown a little. "I've been doing some chemo and (doctors) are talking about starting radiation next week, but I'm not sure."

Unfortunately Norton died on Fri 30 Oct.

‘Norton Buffalo, a harmonica virtuoso and “musician's musician” who played with many of the biggest names in the music business, died Friday following a brief battle with lung cancer.

Buffalo, 58, called Sonoma County home for decades, living with his family in a Glen Ellen farmhouse.

He died Friday afternoon at Feather River Hospital in Paradise, said friends. Buffalo and his wife, Lisa Flores, moved from Glen Ellen to Paradise, near Chico, about four years ago.

Buffalo's musical career took off in the 1970s when he played rock 'n' roll harmonica and sang harmony with the Steve Miller Band. He continued playing in the band until this past summer.’

Norton had visited Australia at least twice in the past 8 years, playing with Roy Rogers at the ECBRF. More here.


Jim Dickinson RIP

I was very sad to learn the other day that James Luther (Jim) Dickinson (father of Cody and Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars) had died in mid August.

Jim Dickinson, who has died aged 67 of heart failure [on Aug 15], was a celebrated pianist and record producer in Memphis. He released several solo albums, but his greatest talent lay in helping other artists realise their potential, among them Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, Ry Cooder and Bob Dylan.

Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dickinson moved with his family to Memphis in 1948. His mother played the piano at the local Baptist church and gave Jim his first lessons. As a teenager he learnt blues and boogie-woogie piano from Alec Tiel, a black "yard man" his family employed, and formed his first band, the Regents, in 1958. The group played Memphis bars and parties, with Dickinson soaking up all he heard in what was then America's number one music city.

Obits and related articles are here, here and here .


ARIA Award Nominees

This year, the ARIA Awards will be handed out on Thursday, November 26 at Sydney’s Acer Arena, and broadcast on Channel 9.

Nominees for the Best Blues and Roots Album are here.


Byron Bay Bluesfest – The Tyagarah Site Wasn’t Such a Sure Thing:

The ECBRF Organisors formalized the long anticipated shift to the new Tyagarah on 3 Aug with this announcement

However it seems the Byron Council did not actually vote on the Development Application for the Tyagara site until more than a month later, on 10 Sept, and after voting was split four all, it needed the casting vote of the Mayor Jan Barham to get the approval across the line and avoid an embarrassing backdown for festival owner Peter Noble. See local news reports here and here, and dissenting comments below:

‘But four councillors voted against the proposal, even with the changes suggested by Cr Tabart.

Cr Patrick Morrisey said the grounds were simply too flood-prone for such a large number of people and public access to the beach would be unfairly restricted by the festival.

“I think everyone agrees that it's flood prone,” he said.

“However, the applicants think they can get 20,000 people there and manage their safety in any flood event.”’

Conditions imposed by the council on the approval included:

‘reducing the number of daily festival-goers from the 20,000 that organisers had asked for to 17,500; to reduce the consent period from five years to three years; that paid representatives of the New South Wales Fire Brigade and SES be invited on site; strict noise restrictions be put in place; and that the entrance to Grays Lane east of Tanner Lane be restricted to residents and their guests for the duration of the festival.

Bluesfest will also be required to provide a social impact statement each year, and all security personnel must be fully accredited by festival management.

[Festival Owner] Mr Noble said there were a couple of conditions that he would have to ‘think about’.

“I am investing in a multi-million-dollar festival and to only get a three-year approval and to have to put in the necessary infrastructure for the site, well, that will take some thought,” he said.

“I’m not sure about a couple of these conditions which I have to say I am not really pleased with.”

The council’s 40 page Conditions of Consent also indicate that there will be no long encores from the acts that close out each evening, with the requirement that:

The event is to comply with the requirements of the EPA Industrial Noise Policy. All amplified music must cease by 12:00 midnight on each night of the festival ….

On the upside, punters can take comfort that:

The applicant shall provide Council with formal written agreement between East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival Pty Ltd and the Cape Byron Pistol Club Inc. which provides a guarantee that no person will be placed at risk of injury by a projectile escaping the licensed shooting ranges located on the southern boundary of the property


ECBRF – Travel and Traffic

The ECBRF website used to say that the new Tyagarah site is 9km north of Byron Bay. They have now fessed up to 10KM. That may be true if you are a crow, but the festival site entry off the highway is actually 14 km by road from the centre of Byron Bay – The Beach Hotel. Mr Google calculates the driving time as 17 minutes, but that’s on a good day.

The Tyagarah Sustainable Community Allliance has made available on their website various traffic studies commissioned for the new festival site, and those interested can wade through them all.

A report commissioned by the Byron Ratepayers Association reviews the ECBRF’s own traffic studies and comments that private vehicle access to the site and carparking, especially in wet conditions, is likely to be a s***fight (as KRudd would say). It concludes:

From the viewpoint of traffic operations, traffic safety, acceptable parking provision and management, and sustainability, the proposal as outlined in the available documents … is unacceptable in terms of:

· potential hazard to the travelling public (particularly through traffic on the Pacific Highway);
· likely detrimental impacts on ease of local movement and access to existing local businesses;
· high potential for overflow of parking demands onto the nearby road system;
· an undue reliance on private car, rather than pedestrian and/or cycle, travel.

Notwithstanding all the above, the lineup will overwhelm all the potential negatives. Tickets are now on sale here


Press Articles – Various

2009 Blues Blast Music Awards Nominees & Winners, from About.com
Music puts the life back into your days and nights, from the Courier Mail
Ry and Lowe, from The Australian
Woodford festival struggles to cope with crowds, from the ABC
Torture songs spur a protest most vocal, from the Washington Post
Buddy Guy Checks Out Construction of His New Club, from Today’s Chicago Blues
The Lowe Down, from Rhythms (for those going next Sat night)
Luther Dixon Obit, from The Guardian
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu at the Empire, London W12, from Times Online
Kate Miller-Heidke – Curiouser, from Pop Matters
New Levels of Inclusion at Country Music Awards, from NY Times
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Greatest Moments: Watch History Being Made, from Rolling Stone


RADIO/TV/YOU TUBE

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.


Video Selections

Jim Dickinson on Having a Career in Production – this is a ‘must watch’
Only 18 Years Old – courtesy of ‘Shaky’ Shaun Bindley
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions, from Rolling Stone
Kitty, Daisy and Lewis
Roy Rogers & Norton Buffalo - Ain't no Bread in the Breadbox
Charlie Parr - 1922
Sly & Robbie – Answer Riddim


FESTIVALS

Queenscliffe Music Festival

Coming up on Nov 27, 28 & 29, at Queenscliff, Victoria..

The Queenscliff Music Festival’s 2009 programme includes a huge array of acts. Joining The Original Wailers, Tim Finn, Little Birdy, Marcia Hines etc. with be the fantastic saltwater sounds of Broome’s The Pigram Brothers, the sublime blend of kora, virtuosic Indian tabla and slide guitar with Djan Djan (Jeff Lang, Mamadou Diabate, Bobby Singh), Festival favourites The Badloves, South Australia’s Leader Cheetah, Peter Combe, Grace Barbe from the Seychelles, Jimi Hocking, Howl, country swing super group The Junes, Blue Heat, Gun Street Girls, Black Market Rhythm Co, Bonjah and Matt Joe Gow & The Deadleaves.

Other news is that country music’s hottest female trio, The McClymonts, will perform live at The Queenscliff Music Festival for the first time this year as part of the Telstra Road to Tamworth national talent search on Saturday 28 November.


Australian Blues Music Festival

A few issues ago we mentioned that the changes that were happening with the festival, held in Goulburn, NSW every Feb.

The 2010 Festival, to be held from 11-14 February will feature predominately free shows across numerous pubs and clubs as well as the city's central Belmore Park and the Regional Conservatorium. There will be a number of higher profile acts, including The Backsliders, offering ticketed shows.

Unfortunately, the lineup for 2010, or at least those announced so far, does not include anyone from Qld…….


Blues on Broadbeach - 2010

The dates for the 2010 Blues on Broadbeach Music Festival have been officially announced. The eighth annual festival will be held from Thursday the 27th of May to Sunday the 30st of May.


The Bluestone Festival

Run by the Sleepy Hollow Blues Club, (near Geelong, Vic),

the festival runs over two days, starting on New Year’s Eve afternoon until the early hours of the morning, then most people camp overnight and rock on during New Years’ Day. With a well-stocked bar, hot and cold food, and merchandise stalls ensure that all attendees are well catered for.


Music By The Sea

The 8th Music By The Sea Festival (8-10 January, 2010, at Sandgate) presents quality music in three venues of the picturesque, bay side area of Sandgate in Brisbane’s north. It brings classical, folk, jazz, popular and world music by International, Australian, local professional and emerging artists.

Programed artists so far: Jeremy Eskenazi (concert pianist, France), Joe Chindamo, Oka, Ganga Giri, Linsey Pollak, Carnatic Jazz Experiment, Julia Sojka (violinist, Slovakia), Tomas Rojcek (concert pianist, Slovakia), Brisbane Chamber Orchestra, Seaside Symphony Orchestra, Michael Fix, Swing Manouche, Alesa Lajana, Shenzo Gregorio, Jook Joint Boys, Gerard Mapstone, Andrew Veivers, Anthony Garcia, Andre Reginato, Tim O'Brien, Colin Offord, Chris Finnen, Donald Hall, Sue Wighton, Ian Dodd, Fred Graham, Steve Cook, Kevin Higgins, Ewan MacKenzie, Velvet Cellar Cabaret, Drumming workshop, Festival Choir and more...


Thredbo Blues Festival

The initial lineup for the 2010 Thredbo Blues Festival (15-17 Jan) has been announced:

The program for 2010 reflects the great depth of talent and the heritage of Australian Blues reflected in its players, their songs and the sounds and textures they create. All these elements give us our unique Blues heritage, one which we celebrate every year at Thredbo and 2010 will be exceptional.

The lineup includes

The Black Schu Band, Chris Raggatt & The Heavy Mellows, Darren Jack Band, Ray Beadle Band, Gail Page Band, Don Hopkins and Rob Grosser, Kevin Borich Band, Blue Murder, Bondi Cigars, Fiona Boyes Band and Solo, Steve Edmonds Band, Phil Edgeley, Andy Cowan Band, Brian Fraser, Sugarcane Collins, Dai Pritchard Band, Chris Mawer Solo, Alison Penny Band, Phil Manning Solo. Chase the Sun



Sunset Sounds Festival

Back for its sophomore year after the inaugural sellout event in January, Sunset Sounds returns to the stunning Brisbane Botanical and City Gardens over January 6 and 7 to invoke a sumptuous soiree of summer delights.

Featuring: Yeah Yeah Yeah's (Usa); Moby (USA); Hilltop Hoods; Grizzly Bear (USA - First Ever Australian Shows); The Temper Trap; Xavier Rudd; Editors (UK); Sarah Blasko; Rodrigo Y Gabriela (Mexico); Seasick Steve (USA); Emiliana Torrini (Iceland); Kaki King (USA); Andrew Bird (USA); Yves Klein Blue; Lisa Mitchell; King Khan And The Shrines (Germany - First Ever Australian Shows); The John Steel Singers; Art Vs. Science And The Middle East. plus, loads more to be announced.


Woodford

The programme for this summer’s Woodford Folk Festival is now available.

Who’s on and where is a bit difficult no navigate but you can start looking here for the daily playing schedules, and here for the overall festival programme booklet in Real View format.

A quick look shows Fiona Boyes, Phil Manning, Dallas Frasca, Doc Spann, Mojo Webb, Mick Conway, Afro Dizzi Act, Grace Barbe, John Butler Trio, Blind Dog Donnie, Kaki King, Toni Childs, Bonjah, James Morrison, James Blundell, Mojo Juju, The Audreys and many others.

Festival tickets are available here

Festival Director Bill Hauritz was on the ABC TV and Radio this week (see link above), giving the festival fundraising campaign a plug.


Ragamuffin Festival

The festival is touring Australia and NZ, and passes through Brisbane on Sat 30 Jan:

Raggamuffin is a feast of the world's best reggae music - a day of live funk, dub, hip hop and soul.

Over the last two years, the overwhelming success of the reggae festival Raggamuffin, has enthralled fans across Australia and New Zealand.

For the third consecutive year, Raggamuffin is set to take summer stages by storm.

Free your gnarly dreadlocks and release your rasta spirit because Australia's biggest reggae music festival Raggamuffin is about to blaze its way through Rotorua, Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne!

This year continues to delight as Raggamuffin 2010 brings together reggae's finest for your enjoyment, including Wyclef Jean - Shaggy - Julian Marley -Blue King Brown - Sly & Robbie - Steel Pulse - Sean Kingston - House Of Shem

Tsunami mag has a good summary of the festival here.


The Blue Mountains Music Festival of Folk, Roots & Blues

March 12, 13, 14 2010 will see the Blue Mountains celebrate this internationally respected event for the fifteenth time. The years have been a huge parade of exceptional music. And now there’s a lot more to come.

In 2010 you will see Chris Smither, Uncle Earl, Josh White Jnr., John McCutcheon, The Pigram Brothers, Dougie McLean, Truckstop Honeymoon, Gregory Page, The White Top Mountaineers, Eleanor McEvoy, Kieran Halpin, Kerrianne Cox, The Kransky Sisters, Jeff Lang and Djan Djan, Bruce Mathiske, Emily Smith and Jamie McClennan, Michaelangelo and the Black Sea Gentlemen, Bob Malone, Kim Richey, Brian Kennedy, Genticorum, The Vince Jones Band, Glenn Cardier, Mojo Juju, Chris Wilson, The Blues Preachers, Gail Page Trio, Pat Drummond, Circus Solarus, Tom Richardson, The James Valentine Quartet, The Crooked Fiddle Band, Noriko Tadano, Nikki Madden, Kate Rowe, Claude Hay, Andrea Soler, Greg Borschmann’s Conversations and more to be confirmed.


Brunswick Music Festival

The 2010 Brunswick Music Festival (11-21 March) has again confirmed a top line up of international and Australian folk and roots artists. The international line up is truly as diverse and outstanding as we've ever had the pleasure to present. Now confirmed from the United States are Mary Gauthier, Uncle Earl, John McCutcheon, Chris Smither, Truckstop Honeymoon and The Whitetop Mountaineers; Canada is represented by Genticorum; from Scotland Eddi Reader, Emily Smith, Dougie Maclean; from just over the border the extraordinary Vin Garbutt, from Ireland Mairtin O'Connor Trio (with Cathal Hayden and Seamie O'Dowd), Paddy Keenan; from Athens we welcome back Brunswick favourites Apodimi Compania; and in a first for Brunswick, from Israel George Sam'an (oud and fiddle) Ensemble, traditional Arabic music and song from Galilee. And there are a few more in the pipeline.....

The Australian line up is promising to be just as diverse and challenging.
Archie Roach will perform songs from the early part of his career, songs from 1988, recorded by ABC Music Deli in that year and recently released by ABC Records. Read what Archie says about this period in his life and the songs reflecting such- http://www.myspace.com/archieroach We'll be squeezing those fantastic Pigram Brothers onto the Brunswick Town hall stage again, while the East Brunswick Club will host excellent local Brunswick acts who will be out in force featured among Melbourne's best roots acts. Hot Bluegrass and old time country, Americana, blues and swing will be featured strongly, representing the huge recent increase in interest in these styles of music among Melbourne musicians and audiences.


Port Fairy Folk Festival

The 34th Port Fairy Folk Festival (March 5-8) will announce its line-up mid November and four day passes go on sale. There will be 20 international acts and 80 national acts plus a fringe of supports - over 500 artists on 20 stages for 4 days.

Tickets are sold from our Booking Office by direct mail and not through other outlets. A booking brochure is mailed out around mid November. To purchase tickets complete the booking form on the brochure and mail back. Booking vouchers can be downloaded from Nov 18th.

Australia's "world famous" independent music festival presents major international and national folk artists during a four day festival of folk, country, celtic, blues, jazz, bluegrass, traditions, contemporary, singers, songwriters, acoustic rock and world roots music.

There are also sessions, choirs, theme concerts, workshops, classes and theatre. The festival magically transforms the fishing village in a spirit of cultural celebration. This includes parades, fairs, markets, busking, children's events and street theatre in a Free Festival of the Streets along side five main concerts stages in the ticketed Arena.


And Finally…..

If you are in Chicago in mid Dec, you can catch a host of good bands at the Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival.


REGULAR STUFF AND GIG GUIDES

Palmwoods Got The Blues –at the Palmwoods Hotel


On Sat November 21, Palmwoods Got The Blues settles in for another heapin’ helping of world class Blues talent, cold beer, great steaks and free courtesy buses

Young guns No Problem make a keenly anticipated return and after some high profile gigs this year, these talented teenagers are the perfect appetizer for the world class talent to follow.

Pete Cornelius was one of the highlights of the 2009 East Coast Blues & Roots festival at Byron Bay over Easter. So popular in fact that its taken until now for his schedule to free up enough for Pete to get on the plane and get his Gretsch and his talented self up to the Sunshine Coast to bring the Palmwoods stage alive once again. A fixture on national festival stages since his early teens, Pete is now an elder statesman of Australian blues despite still only being in his mid 20’s. Five acclaimed CD releases and numerous overseas tours all testament to the talent the Tassie tyro unleashes with his guitar in hand.

To add to the gumbo, possibly the only Australian blues artist capable of giving Pete Cornelius a run for his money, Mojo Webb also returns with his crack band tuned like V8 supercar and ready and raring to go. A Palmwoods regular, Mojo like Pete spends more and more time on planes and trains these days, traversing the country playing festivals and high profile gigs to an ever increasing fan base of increasingly feverish fans. The last time was crazy man! And this November is just another in a long line of amazing lineups presented by the Palmwoods Hotel

So to summarize:

· Sat Nov 21
· Mojo Webb
· Pete Cornelius & The Devilles
· No Problem
· 5.30pm, Free entry

(Unfortunately, Sat 21 Nov is also the night Ry Cooder plays the Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, with Nick Lowe).


Mick Hadley’s R&B Rave-Up

After 45 years in the Brisbane Music Scene – Mick is taking his white sneakers, Zimmer frame and his harp to the beach and cruising on the Coastal groove



Venues have come and gone since the heady days of 1963 when he infiltrated the Impacts. Mick is going out with a bang! Although the spirit and the voice are willing, the plectrum of time has weathered the visage of this ageing front man and the snake hips (Go-Set 1965) are seizing up. Its now time to move on.

So, if you vaguely remember the Primitive, The Red Orb, Foco, Bishop Island, the Sound Machine, Uncles, Cloudland, Adam and Eaves, the Open Door, The Manly Hotel, The Lands Office, the Doghouse, the Castle Hotel, The Queens Arms, Festival Hall, The Aussie Nash, The Waterloo Hotel, the Boo, the Jubilee Hotel and the wonderful suburban dance halls that flourished in the 60s and 70s please join us for a farewell R&B rave up!

The Morningside Fats Blues Band will kick off the night and the rest of Mick’s bands will follow. The finale will be an all star line up of old friends. Those taking part so far are Craig Claxton, Glen Muirhead, Kevin Howard, Keith Megson, Steve Perry, ‘Wal’ Parker, Terry Eaves, Mark Doherty, Paul Renton, Karen Anderson, Bridget O'Donohue, Tim Gaze plus more to come!

This will be Mick’s last chance to say thanks to everyone who has grooved to The Impacts (1963 to 1964); The Purple Hearts (1964 to 1967); Coloured Balls (1967 to 1971); Leroy; Razzle; Monkey Business; The Shakers (1972 to 1983); The Last Shout (1984 to 1988); The Shakers II (1989 to 2001); and The Atomic Boogie Band(2003 to 2009).

Mick’s R&B Rave Up at the Jubilee Hotel 2nd Jan 2010 from 4pm. $10.00 at the Door ----- Old musos never die - they just go from bar to bar.


At the X&Y Bar

Fri 13 Nov Wagons (with Texas Tea) [support acts for Justin Townes Earle a few weeks ago]


At Joes Waterhole, Eumundi

Look out for:

· Fri 13 Nov Geoff Achison
· Sat 14 Nov Afro Dizzi Act plus The Toothfaeries
· Sat 28 Nov The Gin Club
· Sat 19 Dec Archie Roach


At The Zoo
· Sat 21 Nov G Love & Special Sauce (USA)
· Fri 27 Nov The Gin Club
· Thurs 3 Dec Afro Dizzi Act
· Fri 4 Dec Rock and Roll Burlesque Show
· Wed 9 Dec Heavy Trash (feat Jon Spencer)
· Sat 16 Jan Charlie Parr

And a wildcard pick, try Kitty, Daisy and Lewis on Sun 13 Dec


At The Soundlounge, Currumbin

Lots of good stuff ….

· 13 Nov: Afro Dizzi Act & Tijuana Cartel
· 20 Nov: Black Market Rhythm Co & Rapids
· 27 Nov: Simone White -USA & Georgia Potter
· 04 Dec: Bobby Flynn & Jenny Biddle
· 15 Jan: Charlie Parr


At The Hi Fi Bar

These all look good

· Wed 18 Nov G Love & Special Sauce (USA)
· Sat 21 Nov Blue King Brown
· Thurs 26 Nov Salmonella Dub (NZ)
· Thurs 3 Dec Tiki Taane (NZ)
· Fri 18 Dec Lucky Dube Celebration Tour


At The Tivoli

· Thurs 3 Dec Tim Finn
· Wed 9 Dec Royal Crown Revue – see here for an Undercover story
· Tues 12 Jan John Butler Trio


At The Powerhouse

· Thurs 26 Nov So Frenchy, So Chic
· Tue 19 - Wed 20 Jan Vieux Farka Touré


At The Judy

Fri 18 Dec Archie Roach


Lori Lee’s upcoming gigs:

· Sat Dec 5 (note new date) Rockabilly Xmas at the Holland Park Bowls Club

· West Texas Crude
· Men Into Space
· DJ Lori Lee
· plus the All Star Rockers with Dangerous Dan, Jon Flynn and Leapin' Lawrie