Tombstone Blues

 By Larry Widen

"Tombstone Blues" contains in-depth interviews with Hubert Sumlin, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Honeyboy Edwards, Roger Glover (Deep Purple), Gregg Allman, Johnny Van Zant (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Jonny Lang,  Bonnie Raitt, Robert Cray, Corky Siegel, Edgar Winter, Johnny Winter, Pinetop Perkins,  Graham Parker, Bob Margolin and Kim Simmonds (Savoy Brown).

Excerpts from the Book:

From the interview with BUDDY GUY:

"That polka-dot Stratocaster has been with you a long time."

"That's Fender's Buddy Guy signature model.  When I left Louisiana in 1957, I told my mother I was going to Chicago, gonna make a lot of money, and come back and buy her a polka-dot Cadillac. Then later she had a stroke, so I never did get a chance to give her that car.  Those polka-dots on my guitar are for her."

From the interview with ROBERT CRAY 

"One of the best numbers in the movie "Lightening in a Bottle" is your duet with Shemekia Copeland."

"Thank you. I loved being a part of that whole weekend. Just being in the wings watching the performers or being in the dressing room and being able to pay respects to musicians I admired was an honor. I had the chance to talk with Honeyboy [Edwards], Solomon Burke, Ruth Brown, Hubert Sumlin.  It was just awesome."

From the interview with JOHNNY WINTER

"You sat in with B.B. King when you were 18 years old."

"Actually, I think I was 17. That was such a great night.  He was playing at a club in Beaumont called the Raven, which had a predominantly black audience then. I asked him to let me sit in with him, but he wouldnt. Other people kept asking him, and finally he just decided that it would be OK. So I played and it was really great. They gave me a standing ovation. I was really excited."

From the interview with BB KING

"What inspired you to become a musician?"

"I was poor! We never had anything when I was growing up, never had our own home. I picked cotton for a dollar a day, I baled hay by hand, planted corn and soybeans. Then I was offered $3 a day to drive a tractor. But once I got better on the guitar, I could stand on Church Street in Indianola (Miss.) and make $50 or $60 in one evening. Now, why would I want to keep driving that tractor?"

"Tombstone Blues" is softbound, 150-pages with 50 black-and-white photos.  It can be ordered for $15 directly from: www.lulu.com/larrywiden

"Please let all your blues friends know about this book and how to order it.  Thank you." 

Larry Widen, author, "Tombstone Blues."

Blues Revue/BluesWax Launches

Blues Cable Channel:

Visionation, the Des Moines, Iowa-based publisher of Blues Revue and BluesWax, the two largest Blues subscription based publications in the world, have announced the launch of The Blues Channel, BluesWax2, the first cable channel dedicated to Blues music. Visionation has partnered with the Venice, Florida-based Southern Entertainment Television (SET) for the venture.

The Blues Channel will offer commercial-free Blues programming 24 hours a day. The channel will be a premium subscription-based channel. BluesWax2 is currently in the testing phase of production and is currently in negotiations with the major cable providers in the U.S., Europe, and the Caribbean who will provide the service to consumer households later this year.

Visionation head Chip Eagle said, "We are simply thrilled to be able to provide Blues programming to cable television. Blues fans are always searching out Blues programming all over, but now they will have a place to go where they know they can get their Blues bone satisfied."

The Southern Entertainment Television currently produces the Southern Gospel Channel, the Black Gospel Channel, and the Bluegrass channel.

For more information about The SET and BluesWax2, The Blues Channel, contact The SET at 1 (941) 485-5500 or hb@TheSET.net.

And the 2006 Blues Music Awards Go To....

On Thursday May 11, 2006 at a star-studded and fun fun evening, the 2006 Blues Music Awards were given out in 25 categories. The evening's most honored nominee was the late Little Milton. His widow Pat was on hand to accept the four awards he received as a result of the votes cast by Blues Foundation members. The four awards are: Soul Blues Male Artist; Soul Blues Album for Think of Me; Song of the Year for "Think of Me" and Album of the Year, also for Think of Me. There were two other multiple winners. Legendary guitarist Hubert Sumlin took home two awards for--Best Guitarist and for Traditional Blues Album for About Them Shoes. First-time winner Paul Oscher was selected as the Acoustic Artist of the Year and his Down in the Delta was chosen as the Acoustic Album of the Year.

Other first time honorees included: Eddie Shaw, Al Kooper, Mookie Brill, Janiva Magness, Tab Benoit and Zac Harmon. The B.B. King Entertainer of the Year award went to Buddy Guy and the Band of the Year is Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers.

• Acoustic Album of the Year - Down In The Delta - Paul Oscher
• Acoustic Artist of the Year - Paul Oscher
• Album of the Year Think of Me - Little Milton
• B.B. King Entertainer of the Year - Buddy Guy
• Band of the Year - Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers
• Best New Artist Debut Zac Harmon - The Blues According to Zacariah
• Comeback Album of the Year Black Coffee - Al Kooper
• Contemporary Blues Album of the Year Fever For The Bayou - Tab Benoit
• Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year - Janiva Magness
• Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year - Kim Wilson
• Historical Album of the Year - Hoochie Coochie Man: Complete Chess Recordings, Volume 2, 1952-1958 - Muddy Waters, (Chess/Hip-O Select)
• Instrumentalist-Bass - Mookie Brill
• Instrumentalist-Drums - Willie "Big Eyes" Smith
• Instrumentalist-Guitar Hubert Sumlin
• Instrumentalist-Harmonica - Charlie Musselwhite
• Instrumentalist-Horn - Eddie Shaw
• Instrumentalist-Other - Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown - Fiddle
• Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year - Marcia Ball
• Song of the Year - "Think Of Me", written by Jon Tiven, Milton Campbell, Pete Shoulder, performed by Little Milton, Think Of Me
• Soul Blues Album of the Year - Think of Me - Little Milton
• Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year - Mavis Staples
• Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year - Little Milton
• Traditional Album of the Year - About Them Shoes - Hubert Sumlin
• Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year - Etta James
• Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year - B.B. King

On March 16 - 18, 2006, the first annual Bangkok Blues Festival was held at Tokyo Joes Blues Bar & Restaurant with 12 bands playing over three nights. The live music began each night at 8.00 pm and featured a wide variety of blues bands from Bangkok and beyond.

The Bangkok Blues Festival 2006 kicked off with Showtime, a group fronted by the newest female talent on the local scene, playing R&B, Soul and a sprinkling of blues. Showtime was followed by the Georgia Blues Band and featured Georgia on vocals and Pong, widely regarded as one of the top blues guitarists in Bangkok, on his trusty old Tele. Blue on Blue, featuring "Pepper" Mint on vocals and scorching guitar were up next. A band that regularly appears at the top live music venues in Bangkok, Blue on Blue are not to be missed. Thursday night headliners, The Blues Machine traveled to Bangkok from their home at The Blues Factory in Pattaya and delivered the knock out punch of the evening. Featuring a band of seasoned musicians fronted by the versatile Mary on vocals and the award-winning veteran Ken 'the Snowman' Minahan on guitar, Bangkok blues fans got a real treat.

Friday, the 17th, St. Patricks Day kicked off with Blues Junior, a band with an average age of 22, who play a regular gig at Tokyo Joes every Friday night. Hoochie Coochie featured the talented Ped on guitar and vocals, as well as Bangkoks only blues violinist doing double duty on both piano and violin. Cannonball, Bangkok's favorite groove blues band were up next with the fiery Keith EZY Nolan on keyboards and vocals delivering a set of finely-crafted originals. The Friday headliner was Glenn Patrik who was joining the Bangkok Blues Festival from LA where he had just completed work on a forthcoming album. With a resume of gigs that looks like the whos who of blues, Glenn was backed by some of Bangkoks favorite players.

Saturday saw Bangkok's own Doctor Blues strike the first note of his signature groove to start off the evening. The good Doctor was followed by diverse solo artist Adam Ryan, who recently released the CD "Play 2 B". For the blues festival, Adam featured many of his more blues-based compositions from his earlier live CD. Full House, a five piece band fronted by the lovely and talented Hanni, took over next. Full House features the only two Japanese blues men in Bangkok with Jay on bass and Takashi on some of the cleanest blues guitar you will ever be privileged to hear. Last but not least, Soi Dog Blues Band had the pleasure of delivering the final performance of the first annual Bangkok Blues Festival. SDBB is fronted by Jeff T on vocals and guitar and boasts one of Bangkoks hottest young blues guitarists, Dang.

The Bangkok Blues Festival was partially sponsored by Phuket Beer, Thera Vitae and local Fender and Gibson dealer Music Concept.

For more information: http://www.bangkokbluesfestival.com