Author Archives: Mike

Generous servings of guitar, family-style blues help define 2012 Heritage BluesFest

Posted on August 24, 2012 by Mike

There was a whole lot of guitar-slinging in Wheeling a few weekends back, where the annual Heritage Music BluesFest took place – from the solo acoustic sounds of Samuel James and local act Adrian Niles to the triple threat of the Brooks … Continue reading →

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The original rollin’ stone, Muddy Waters jams with the Stones on Checkerboard Lounge DVD

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Mike

Muddy Waters and the Rolling Stones – Live at the Checkerboard Lounge Chicago 1981 (Eagle Rock Entertainment) You know that question you’re sometimes asked during job interviews about “If you could go back in history and meet anyone, who would it be?” … Continue reading →

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Spring/early summer can really hang you up the most; Quick Takes: new(ish) music from Johnny Rawls, Albert Castiglia, Liz Mandeville, and The Nighthawks

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Mike

Anyone who says the blues is dying probably ought to take a look at the stack of new blues releases we’ve managed to accumulate over the recent months, many of which we may never be able to even begin thinking … Continue reading →

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Help kickstart the blues! Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Roger “Hurricane” Wilson CD project

Posted on July 13, 2012 by Mike

More and more independent blues artists, it seems, are looking to fund some of the costs of their next (or first) albums through Kickstarter, a crowd funding website for all types of creative projects. One example of a successful blues … Continue reading →

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Blues Lyrics of the Week: Here I Am

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Mike

In celebration of British blues-rocker Oli Brown‘s mini-tour of the Northeast this month, here’s a closer look at the lyrics of the title track from Oli’s latest release, Here I Am. Both, we think you’ll find, are well worth checking … Continue reading →

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Quick takes: Tedeschi Trucks Band, Royal Southern Brotherhood offer great examples of blues power in numbers

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Mike

Recent events and travels have prevented us from writing about much of the great new music that has found its way to our doorstep lately, but here are a couple of the releases that have caught our ear in recent … Continue reading →

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My Cross to Bear: Gregg Allman memoir details come and go blues of Allman Brothers Band, addictions, and marriage

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Mike

Few can argue the fact that southern rocker and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Gregg Allman has lived a hard 64 years, from losing his older brother and Allman Brothers Band co-founder Duane Allman in a motorcycle accident more than … Continue reading →

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BMA winner Bonamassa keeps on driving with Driving Towards the Daylight

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Mike

It’s been some time since we last heard from blues-rocker Joe Bonamassa. If, that is, you consider a few weeks or months “some time,” with Bonamassa having just released his Live at Beacon Theatre DVD in March, not to mention … Continue reading →

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2012 Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival recap

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Mike

We told you earlier this week how the stars aligned to make this year’s Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival another truly terrific one, with superb performances from the likes of The Tedeschi Trucks Band, Janiva Magness, Lurrie Bell and Bernard Allison, Shemekia Copeland, and Philipp … Continue reading →

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Sun, stars shine bright at 2012 Chesapeake Bay Blues Fest

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Mike

Once again, the stars aligned nicely for the annual Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival, bringing beautiful weather and another superb mix of established and up-and-coming acts to Annapolis’ Sandy Point State Park this past weekend. We weren’t able to stick around long … Continue reading →

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