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Hey Blues fans,

IllinoisBlues.com brings more great new Blues content! We have added more Blues CD reviews, Blues videos,  Audio Blues interviews, and pictures from the seasons Blues fests

 New to the Blues Blast and IllinoisBlues.com?

Use IllinoisBlues.com to plan all your summer Blues travels. For a complete list of Live blues music see the very bottom of this email newsletter or CLICK HERE to go directly to the IllinoisBlues.com list of Live Blues Music.

Click a link for more Blues content from IllinoisBlues.com!   Reviews  Links  Audio Interviews  Photos Videos  Blues Radio   To advertise your blues shows or event on IllinoisBlues.com for FREE,  Click HERE!

  Blues Basics

 NEW to the Blues? Sometimes it is hard for those new to the Blues to explore this journey called the Blues! IllinoisBlues.com 's weekly artist spotlight introduces (or reminds experienced Blues fans) about a Blues artist or subject worth knowing about.

This week we spotlight contemporary Blues. If you are interested in hearing the best selling contemporary Blues artists you will appreciate our link this week. It is a link to Living Blues Magazines Top 50 Blues CD releases for 2006. This list will provide a beginning place if you are looking for contemporary Blues CDs for your collection.  Of course there are MANY great 2006 Blues CDs NOT on this list. CLICK HERE to see the list.

ALSO......

Sometimes it helps to understand your subject matter so this week we also include an excerpt from the book MOANIN’ AT MIDNIGHT – The Life and Times of Howlin’ Wolf  by James Segrest and Mark Hoffman. (A review of this book from James "Sky Dobro" Walker is included below - SCROLL DOWN!)

This excerpt is about the origin and definition of “The Blues” - Shortest and best found anywhere! From page 17 of the book:

“Delta Sharecroppers all too often felt the blues, born of hard times and injustice.  Blues songs spread from work songs, field hollers, and spirituals, with roots that stretched back to the rhythms and melodic scales of Africa and the harmonic and lyric structures of Europe. Born in the early 20^th century (1900s), the standard blues song evolved into a series of twelve-bar musical phrases based on three chords and an A-A-B rhyme pattern. Simple and evocative, the blues was infinitely adaptable for expressing deep emotion. The blues dealt with the day-to-day travails of poor folks just barely getting by. The best Blues, like Country & Western, its light skinned twin, are concise, powerful and aphoristic: three chords and the truth.”

All Music Guide has GREAT information and a complete discography of Howlin' Wolf!  CLICK HERE to read more about him at their site.

Featured Blues Events

Saturday August 11th, 2007
Riverfront Park, East Peoria, Illinois

Gate opens at Noon

Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, Bob Margolin, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith and Bob Stroger

5:40 pm Judy Page with Preston Jackson & friends

3:50 pm Rooster Alley

2:30 pm The Greg Glick Band

1:30 pm Low Down Blues Band

CLICK HERE for more information

Presented by:

7th Annual

August 23-25, 2007

The Longbranch, Winton, MN - DIRECTIONS

Thursday, August 23

7:00 Both Barrels

9:00 PM Scottie Miller and the Re-Uptake Inhibitors

Friday, August 24

3:00 PM  Scottie Miller and the Re-Uptake Inhibitors

5:00 PM Reverend Raven and the Chain Smokin' Alter Boys

7:00 PM Jason Ricci & New Blood

9:00 PM Shawn Kellerman

Saturday, August 25

1:00 PM Lisa Wenger

3:00 PM  Johnny Rawls

5:00 PM  Diunna Greenleaf and Blue Mercy

7:00 PM Paul Mayasich With Benderheads

9:00 PM Anthony Gomes

For more information call 218 365-2440     www.elyblues.com

Downtown Springfield & The Illinois Central Blues Club presents
Old Capitol Blues & BBQ

August 25, 2007 Noon to Midnight
Fifth & Washington Streets - Downtown Springfield, IL
Admission is just $5

Featuring
Sonny Landreth

Cephas & Wiggins

Little Rachel & the Rhythm Busters

Zac Harmon

Bill Lupkin & the Chicago Blues Coalition
 w/ Willie "Big Eyes" Smith

Illinois Central Blues Challenge - 9 Bands competing

Glenn Kaiser

Christian Blues
August 31st, 2007 7:00p.m
Glen Oak Park Pavilion - 2200 Prospect Peoria, IL
Sponsored by Peoria Outreach Center Church

For more information call 309 676-1100

All roads lead to Sun Prairie for the 1st Annual

Sun Prairie Blues Fest

Angell Park, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

Saturday, September 8, 2007 Noon to 10:00 p.m.

Featuring

Wayne Baker Brooks

Shari Davis & the Hootchy-Kootchy Band

Tate’s and the 008 Blues Band

Queenie and the Blue Cats

The Cashbox Kings

Paul Flipowicz Blues Band

Tickets: $10.00 in advance / $15.00 at the gate

For Complete Information and schedule CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE to visit Festival website!

500 N Campbell Ave  Springfield, MO

Friday, September 7, 2007

6:30PM  Aunt Kizzy'z Boyz

8:00PM  Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials

9:30PM Joe Bonamassa

Saturday, September 8, 2007

1:00PM The Cate Brothers (Reunion)

3:00PM Lara Price Band

5:00PM Anthony Gomes

7:00PM Leon Russell

9:00PM  North Mississippi All Stars

CLICK HERE for Ticket Info   * Map *

 Festival Website: http://www.greaterozarksbluesfest.com

 Blues Radio - Streaming Link of the Week

Secret Museum Of The Air 

http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/SM

World music from old 78s. This is not a streaming radio site but this site has lots of old blues records that are played on these recorded radio shows from WFMU.

You have to search a bit to find the Blues, but there is some great stuff on these recorded shows.

Check out other great Blues Music Streams Click HERE

 Other IMPORTANT News   Help Save the music! Click HERE to Keep Blues Net Radio Alive!

 Blues Links of the Week

Chicago Blues Beat

http://chicagobluesbeat.com

Bluesman Lordy from Chicago has a great little website that covers live Blues in Southwest Suburban Chicago. If you want to find a Blues bar in Chicago land this is a great place to start.

We are pleased to announce that Lordy has accepted an invitation to join the editorial team of IllinoisBlues.com. He will be providing weekly Blues news and reviews from Chicago starting next week. Welcome aboard Lordy!

For more Blues links  Click HERE to visit the IllinoisBlues.com Links Page

If you know of a COOL Blues link, please send it to

 Blues Reviews of the Week! 

This week we feature a review Blues book by James “Skyy Dobro” Walker , noted Blues writer and IllinoisBlues.com contributor.  James reviews the book MOANIN’ AT MIDNIGHT – The Life and Times of Howlin’ Wolf

MOANIN’ AT MIDNIGHT – The Life and Times of Howlin’ Wolf by James Segrest and Mark Hoffman

Review by James “Sky Dobro” Walker

 The book Moanin’ At Midnight – The Life and Times of Howlin’ Wolf is perfect for a history buff who is also a fan of American music. Howlin’ Wolf stands with Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker among the giants in the blues pantheon.

Born Chester Arthur Burnett in 1910 in White Station, Mississippi, Howlin’ Wolf was a giant of a man both physically and in his impact on the early foundations of Rock and Roll. “The Wolf” stood 6’3”, weighed nearly 300 pounds, and was a powerfully built man, but all that was small compared to his influence on the future Rock and Roll bands, especially those of the British Invasion in the 1960s.

A common theme for us Baby-boomers is coming to the Blues through the backdoor of Rock and Roll. When the Rolling Stones released their third American album (The Rolling Stones, Now!) in April 1965, I was a freshman in high school, green as a pool table and just as square. I listened to a cool song on the album, “Little Red Rooster,” with no idea it was a Howlin Wolf original, nor did I have much of an idea who Howlin’ Wolf was. We Boomers were listening to blues music before we knew it was the “Blues”.

Billed as the first full-length biography of Howlin' Wolf, this critically acclaimed book was first published in hardcover, and it was updated and revised and published in paperback.

IllinoisBlues.com also features a review by Blues Songwriter, Musician, DJ and Journalist, Ben Cox.

Los Lonely Boys - "Sacred"

Epic Records
2 out of 5 stars

Blues-iness
On their sophomore studio album, Los Lonely Boys have seemingly hit their stride in the popularity department with "Sacred." On the strength of their released single "Diamonds," a tune with hints much like their first mainstream success "Heaven," they look to be on their way. However, it seems that promotional purposes have marketed this Mexican Rock band as a blues album, which has, well...its repercussions.

The album kicks off with a Los Lobos-of-old flavored rocking number called "My Way" explaining the boys' ways of staying true to themselves and their music, answering any critics' notions of their selling their souls to the big label demons for commercial popularity. However, the real blood and guts of the album is highlighted about five tracks in on a flamenco-tinged, almost slow blues ballad called "I Never Met A Woman" which lends itself to another band of the Texican element called Tito and Tarantula. It has a slow burn feel to it, with just enough spice to definitely hint at the Stevie Ray Vaughan Texas roots of guitar player Henry Garza. The Garza Brothers, though lacking in lyrical content, don't lack in talent. Lush harmonies by all the brothers flourish throughout the disc, reminiscent of their Mexican roots from the mariachi tradition. The Garzas also call on their musical influences in the song "Outlaws" paying homage to Johnny Cash and the Texas Blues traditions. It is obviously that this fantastic band, especially in elder brother Henry's guitar playing, that these guys are rooted in blues but definitely do not produce a blues album.

It also obviously detracts from their previously released live disc which is just drenched and flooded with the influence of Los Lobos, Vaughan, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Tito & Tarantula, amongst others in the Texas Electric Roadhouse Blues tradition. With better marketing and experience on the road, the boys from Southwest Texas will make for a real good band blessed in the Texican spirit that they harmonize in the lyrics of the album. By Ben Cox

Click HERE for More reviews and interviews

 Featured Blues Advertisers

 Blues Society News

River City Blues Society - Volunteers for the Blues!

The River City Blues Society in Peoria, IL needs volunteers for the 2007 Luther Allison Memorial Blues Fest August 11, 2007 from 8:00am to 12 Midnight at East Peoria Riverfront Park in East Peoria, IL.

Volunteers are needed in all areas and for all shifts. Volunteer times and positions are filled on a first come, first served basis. VOLUNTEER EARLY!   Your 4 hour Blues shift will get you free festival admission and a festival t-shirt .      Please contact Nancy at vp@rivercityblues.com

Send your Society's BIG news or Press Release to: 

 Blues Fans & Friends Submissions

August 8 - December
Special exhibit in honor of the Sunflower Festival - Photos of contemporary Blues artists from around the USA by photographer/Blues writer: Gary Eckart.

A limited edition of these photographed, numbered and signed by the photographer will be for sale at:

Rock 'n Roll and Blues Museum
113 East 2nd St. Clarksdale Ms. 38104
901-605-8662
www.rockmuseum.biz

 Blues Want Ads

Blues writers, journalists and photographers wanted in most major markets

Write, edit or produce for a national music company. Recent grads and college students welcome. Low/no pay, long hours! (This is the Blues after all!) Advanced experience opportunities. Internship possibilities for for college students in media, radio & television, communication, marketing, public relations or music degree programs. Contact: 
 

 Place Your Blues Want Ad for Free

Place your WANT AD here for FREE. Buy or sell, musicians wanted, gigs wanted etc. Limit 500 words. One ad per week will be randomly selected to appear in the Blues Blast.

 Send your ad submission to

 Mojo Street Teams

Do you enjoy listening to Blues CD's and telling others about how great they were? Do you go to live Blues shows and want to share the great music you hear? Want to help "Keep The Blues Alive" in YOUR backyard?

IllinoisBlues.com is looking to find a few good Blues folk for our new Mojo Street Teams. We are seeking Blues news, reviews, photos, interviews, videos and commentary to share on our site with other Blues fans everywhere. Our  street teams will help promote Blues in YOUR backyard by letting the world know about events in YOUR area.

If you are a Blues fan, photo journalist, writer, musician or just a plain ole Joe, please email us today at  

Live Blues Calendar
 

 Performance dates were submitted by Musicians, Club Owners, Blues Societies and Blues festivals.

IllinoisBlues.com is not responsible for errors or omissions.

or click a state to see Blues shows by State

Alabama  Arkansas  Indiana  Illinois  Iowa  Kansas  Kentucky  Michigan 
Minnesota  Mississippi   Missouri  Okalahoma  Ohio  Pennsylvania  Tennessee  Texas  Wisconsin  Other

 Submit your blues performances for FREE at: http://www.illinoisblues.com/submitnews.htm

 Advertise with IllinoisBlues.com

Click Here to become A proud sponsor of IllinoisBlues.com                                  Advertise in the Blues with IllinoisBlues.com

llinoisBlues.com covers Blues all over the US - NOT just in Illinois!

You can post your festivals and performance dates on our website for FREE at:

http://www.illinoisblues.com/submitnews.htm

If you list your performance dates they will go to thousands of Blues fans in the next Blues Blast emails. They will also be listed on the Blues Shows page at http://www.illinoisblues.com/bluesshows.htm 

IllinoisBlues.com also offers paid/sponsored advertising for Festivals and Club Owners, Recording Companies and Performers selling their own music or performances. We can put your Blues advertisement on our homepage at: http://www.illinoisblues.com  either as a sponsored event or as a featured event, product, recording or merchandise .

We have a very large and growing email list of Blues Fans, Musicians, Club Owners, Blues Societies and Festival Promoters all over the Central US. We send out weekly Blues Blasts of Blues events and news. With paid advertising we can feature your event or product in these emails. Our website is new and is growing fast. We are getting an enormous amount of visitors and hits. Our rates are very reasonable.

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