240 July 2013 - Magic City Blues Society

M A G i C
C i T Y
B L U ES NE WS
JULY 2013
iSSUE# 240
BiRMiNGHAM,
ALABAMA
For Your Listening Pleasure
Alabama’s Best Blues Acts
The Greatest Bout
of All Time!
BoBB 2013
July 21 • Iron City • 1pm
‘Europe’s #1 Bluesman’ Ian Siegal comes to WorkPlay p4
from the prez
Well, the Battle of the Blues Bands
is almost upon us. There is an article in
this newsletter, so no need for me to say
more. Except perhaps that this is the
first official MCBS event at Iron City. This
is a great venue and a great addition to
Birmingham’s music scene. They have
been supporting national bands as well
as local bands. Great to have them here
in town and a great beer selection as
well.
This month’s electric jam is July
12th at Ranelli’s Deli (1225 S. 20th St.),
7:30pm till the last one goes home, or
Rick kicks us out. All are welcome; PA,
drums and backline are provided. All
skill levels are welcome. These jams are
an opportunity to hone your skills, meet
other musicians, and even build your
confidence. If you are new to these
jams, please find and introduce yourself
to Rick or Frank Ranelli or Paul Walters.
They will make sure you get introduced
around and get time to play a little. You
don’t need to be a musician to come on
out to enjoy the music and a cold beer.
Thank you to those who came out
to see Iron Mike Norton on June 20 at
Good People Brewing. We had about
20 members who suffered high heat
and humidity and poor acoustics. The
brewery had their own pretty large
crowd there, I’d guess close to 100
people. They staff at the brewery were
gracious; grateful Iron Mike was there
and gave him and his drummer a nice
tip. Mike enjoyed his first gig in Birmingham and said he’d be back on a regular
basis. I’d certainly like to see here him
again in a cooler setting with good
sound. Love his swamp style blues. I’ll
be back to visit Good People Brewing,
but hopefully when it’s a little cooler
and less humid. Like the fall!
On July 21st the MCBS is teaming up
with Workplay and Cathead Vodka to
Bring Europe’s #1 bluesman Ian Siegal
to town. Our friend and 2013 IBC winner Little G Weevil with full band will
also perform. See full article and note
on how to get reserved seating.
A reminder to bands, please let
Carolyn Pocus (pocusm@bellsouth.
net) know about your gig’s and band
changes. She will arrange to list you in
the band directory, calendar and Bluemail. The cutoff date is the 15th of the
month so mark your calendar.
Thank you to members and volunteers for supporting the Magic City
Blues Society.
Roger Stephenson
meet a musici an
MAGiC CiTY BLUES SOCiETY
P.O. Box 55895
Birmingham, AL 35255
EXECUTiVE BOARD MEMBERS
President: Roger Stephenson
mcbsprez@bellsouth.net
Vice President: Joan Hilner
jhilner@gmail.com
Treasurer: John Wiles
jwiles1992@aol.com
Secretary: Wendy Walters
mcbseditor@gmail.com
Board at Large:
Patti Langan
pattilangan@yahoo.com
Elizabeth Hooks
elizhooks@gmail.com
Jamey McMahon
jameymcmahon67@gmail.com
Webmaster: Tim Day
timjday@charter.net
Librarian: Mark Giorgi
markgiorgi@allaroundtowncatering.com
www.MAGiCCiTYBLUES.org
JULY MEETING:
OPEN ELECTRIC JAM
JULY 12, 7:30PM
RANELLI’S DELI
Jubal John
blu e mail
Born in Texas, raised in Tennessee
and living in Alabama for the last twenty
years, Jubal John’s life has always revolved around music.
Jubal began taking guitar lessons
from his songwriting father at age seven
and spent his teenage years immersed in
the Nashville music scene. Going off to
college at Memphis University, he fronted his first of many bands and has played
in many genres including Blues, rock,
country and even reggae and can play
up to six different musical instruments.
He has written songs for and worked
with such local artists as Kendra Sutton
and Erin Mitchell. When not performing
Continued on page 11
2
Magic City Blues News july 2013
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Roger Stephenson
Jubal John
From our memphis correspondent
June 26, 2013 — Your correspondent
is sitting here wondering why Memphis
doesn’t have a Blues Festival. At least
that is the question many Memphis
Blues musicians raise. The answer may
be that Memphis has so much Blues
going on that any Festival that didn’t
resurrect Howlin’ Wolf and Jackie
Bentsen and Furry Lewis and Sleepy
John Estes all in one place wouldn’t
really rise above the ambient joyous
noise that is Memphis. In these columns
there has been mention of not only the
many acts but various festivals, such
as the Blues Tent at Memphis in May’s
Beale Street Festival or the Center for
Southern Folklore’s Music and Heritage
Festival. These however, are not real
Blues festivals and your correspondent,
in the next paragraph, will demonstrate
this with list of the performers that
played at a sure enough Blues Festival
held at the Overton Park (now Levitt)
Shell over three days in June 1969.
Johnny Winter, Canned Heat, Bukka
White, Carla and Rufus Thomas, Fred
McDowell and Johnny Woods (his harp
player), Sun Smith and the Beale St.
Five, Elder Lonnie, Sleepy John Estes,
Albert King, the BarKays, Furry Lewis,
Slim Harpo, Rev. Robert Wilkins, John
Fahey, Jo Anne Kelley, Southern Fife
and Drum Corps, Booker T and the MGs,
and Wild Child Butler.
A recent visitor to Memphis
noted that the town is all
nostalgia. He was mostly
wrong. In Memphis, nostalgia,
like Faulkner’s past that
wasn’t even past, isn’t even
nostalgia. It’s still happening.
The late Sid Selvedge, who called
several on the list out of what many
thought was the grave, but he knew
was only retirement, organized all this.
His line-up cannot be repeated today
for the obvious reason that most of
those listed are no longer with us. A
recent visitor to Memphis noted that
the town is all nostalgia, all the time.
He was mostly wrong. In Memphis,
nostalgia, like Faulkner’s past that
wasn’t even past, isn’t even nostalgia.
It’s still happening. Especially if one
takes the broad view, promulgated in
this space, that Memphis is a region, that
only begins in the lobby of the Peabody
magic city blues news
is the official publication of the Magic City Blues Society,
a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. The Society is not responsible for the views and opinions expressed in Magic City Blues News
by individuals, who are solely responsible for their views.
WENDY WALTERS, Editor
mcbseditor@gmail.com
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hotel, not a mere municipality. Just look
around!!!
Concluding just before press time,
Kenny Brown’s North Mississippi Hill
Country Picnic, somewhere off Route 7
south of Holly Springs, features Robert
Belfour, T-Model Ford, numerous
Burnsides and Kimbrough progeny,
Rev. Robert Wilkins (son of the man
who wrote Prodigal Son), the Rising
Star Fife and Drum Band (led by the
granddaughter of Othar Turner) and
two students of the aforementioned
Burnside and Kimbrough grandparents,
RL and Junior respectively, the
North Mississippi Allstars and Alvin
Youngblood Hart. That’s only those
in the lineup with direct connections
to the 1969 concert. Bobby Rush also
plays, but he hadn’t cut his first hit until
1970.
July and August are not easy months
in Greater Memphis. Levitt Shell shuts
down for the heat to pass. But Blues
does shut down. In fact it goes crazy.
July 3 – The BB King Museum
in Indianola hosts the BB King
Homecoming Festival
Continued on page 11
sponsors
We want to thank the following businesses
and individuals that help support the MCBS:
Bob Sykes BBQ
Cathead Vodka
Dreamland
FAR Distribution
Space reservations,
production requirements, etc.:
Wendy Walters, mcbseditor@gmail.com
or Roger Stephenson, mcbsprez@bellsouth.net
James McMahon
Billing inquiries:
John Wiles, jwiles1992@aol.com
Ranelli’s Deli
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Workplay
Iron City
july 2013 Magic City Blues News
3
I an Siegal
Europe’s #1 Bluesman
comes to Workpl ay
When: Sunday July 28, 8pm
How Much: $17 advance,
$20 day of show
Where: Workplay, 500 23rd
Street S.
This is a don’t miss show,
by one of my fellow countrymen!! Ian Siegal was the only
artist outside North America
to be nominated in the 2013
Blues Music Awards. Opening
for Ian Siegal will be 2013 IBC
winner Little G Weevil with
his full band.
Siegal’s nominations
include:
Contemporary Blues
Album of the Year – BLUES
MUSIC AWARDS NOMINATION 2012 & 2013
Male Vocalist of the Year
– BRITISH BLUES AWARDS
2011
Blues Band of the Year
– BRITISH BLUES AWARDS
2010
Blues Album of the Year –
MOJO magazine ‘09
When Ian Siegal received
the accolade of MOJO Blues
Album of The Year (’09) for
his Broadside album, it was
the first time for a nonAmerican artist; and when his
2011 album The Skinny was
nominated for a Blues Music
Award in the contemporary
album category, it was the
first time ever for a British artist in this category. The Blues
Music Awards – held annually in Memphis, TN – are the
Blues Grammys.
It has been said that had
Siegal been around in the
sixties he would today be
accorded the same reverence
as artists like Van Morrison
4
Magic City Blues News july 2013
and Joe Cocker. Instead, he is
a child of the seventies who
dropped out of Art College
in the late eighties to go
busking in Germany. From
the streets of Berlin, Siegal
in 2003-04 with two successive European tours as
the opening act for exRolling Stone Bill Wyman’s
Rhythm Kings (Wyman also
invited Ian to record with
the Rhythm Kings). This was
followed by UK tours as a
duo with Big Bill Morganfield
(son of Muddy Waters). During this time Siegal was also
capturing the hearts of audiences in Holland, Belgium,
Austria and Hungary. In 2005
he topped the Soul/Blues/
Jazz charts in Holland.
His 2005 album Meat &
Potatoes has been universally
Courtesy Nugene Records
Ian Siegal
progressed to clubs around
Nottingham in the UK, then
to London and ultimately to
major stages around Europe.
Siegal’s forte is playing to
an audience. He takes command of the stage in a way
very few artists alive today
can match. Sweat, passion,
humor, balls-to-the-wind
slide guitar and a soulinfused voice big enough to
fell trees! It has won him an
ever-growing following of
fans and a horde of female
admirers.
His career got under way
praised and gained a maximum four star (excellent)
rating in the Penguin Book
of Blues Recordings – Ian is
one of only two living British
Blues artists to gain this distinction. Meat & Potatoes has
since been re-released as a
double disc packed together
with a DVD of his stunning
performance at the North
Sea Jazz Festival, where he
played the main stage as one
of three UK artists (the others
being Jamie Cullum and Joss
Stone).
That was followed by
Swagger, his 2007 release,
which again received universal praise, “No less of a
testament to the talents of
one of the most innovative,
gifted and engaging blues
performers on the planet today.” MOJO magazine ranked
Swagger as their no.2 Blues
album of 2007.
Siegal is equally accomplished as a soloist as
he is fronting his band. In
response to fans’ requests
for an acoustic album, The
Dust was released at the end
of 2008. A collection of new
songs and some old favorites (with noted pedal steel
guitarist B.J.Cole appearing on a few tracks), the CD
quickly entered HMV’s roots
chart, and again made No.2
in MOJO magazine’s Blues
album chart – this time for
2008. His Oct 2009 release
Broadside, an album that is
selling in more than 20 countries, finally gave Ian the top
spot in MOJO’s annual Blues
album chart.
Siegal’s May 2011 release The Skinny is an album
recorded in north Mississippi, produced by Grammy
nominee Cody Dickinson of
the North Mississippi Allstars.
A band was assembled from
musicians in the area including Gary Burnside, Robert
Kimbrough and Rodd Bland,
all offspring of notable bluesmen. This album gave Ian
his first Blues Music Awards
nomination (for Contemporary Album of the Year).
In the summer of 2011
Cody Dickinson and his
North Mississippi Allstars
partner and brother Luther,
joined Ian for a festival performance in Belgium. Such
was the chemistry that it was
immediately decided that
they would cut an album. Ian
returned to north Mississippi
in May 2012 to collaborate
with a dream-team of local
legends that he collectively
coined The Mississippi Mudbloods. Joining Ian, Cody and
Luther on the recording is
Alvin Youngblood Hart. Ian
first met Alvin during The
Skinny sessions, when the
Grammy-winning guitarist
swung by the studio and
ended up tracking some guitar and backing vocals. The
end result of this second visit
to the Zebra Ranch Studio is
Candy Store Kid which was
released in October 2012 and
quickly reached no.1 in the
iTunes UK Blues chart and
gained a nomination for Best
Contemporary Album in the
2013 Blues Music Awards.
While recording Candy
Store Kid, Ian interrupted
recording to head into
Memphis for the Blues Music
Awards, where as a nominee for Best Contemporary
Blues Album (The Skinny) he
performed a set for some
1,500 guests at the awards
ceremony.
Ian has become established in Europe as one of the
most natural, exciting and
vibrant talents on the scene
today. Each year the stages
get bigger, but what sticks
most in Ian’s mind is his
guest appearance with then
92-year-old Pinetop Perkins
and some of the other remaining members of Muddy
Waters’ band. This was at
London’s Jazz Café in 2005 to
a packed house. Then, later
at a festival in Norway in a
role reversal, these legends
of post-war Blues spontaneously joined Ian on stage for
what turned into a memorable hour-long set.
In a new twist to his
career, Ian performed for
several years with France’s
Orchestre National de Jazz
in a program of Billie Holiday
songs entitled “Broadway in
Satin.” Backed by a 12-piece
orchestra of young handpicked musicians and accompanied by the French singer,
Karen Lanaud, “Broadway
in Satin” has performed at
major festivals across France
and as far afield as South
America and east Africa.
Roger Stephenson
MCBS
Benefit
Tickets may be
purchased through
Workplay or directly
from the MCBS. MCBS
members buying
tickets up to July 21 can
receive reserved seating
by contacting Joan
Hilner no later than July
21. jhilner@gmail.com
or call (205) 936-6172.
Early birds will receive
the best seats!
CD reviews
Too Slim and the Taildraggers
Blue Heart
Underworld Records
We get back to hard-core guitar
centric Blues-rock with Too Slim and the
Taildraggers newest release, Blue Heart.
And let me tell you, if you like your
Blues loud and gritty, ZZ Top style, this
release is for you.
Too Slim, aka, Tim Langford, is a veteran Blues singer, songwriter and guitar
player originally from Washington State,
but since 2012 residing in Nashville. On
this release, several members of Delbert
McClinton’s band, Reese Wynans of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s band, and Jimmy Hall
of Wet Willie fame join him. I’ll confess
to being a little apprehensive when I
saw Tom Hambridge as the producer –
he’s done a bunch of work with Buddy
Guy and it has usually sounded a bit too
polished for my ears – but that is not
the case here. There is nothing polished
at all on these nine original and two
cover tracks.
From the opening riffs of “Wash My
Hands” to the Jimmy Hall vocal stylings
during “Good to See You Smiling Again”
to the last track, “Angels Are Back,”
where Too Slim breaks out the Dobro,
there is not a weak song here.
It’s not Chicago blues, or Texas blues,
or Delta blues but a mixture of all three.
RB Stone
Loosen Up!
Middle Mountain Music
Previous Magic City
BluesStages artist RB Stone
has released his newest CD,
Loosen Up!, on the Middle
Mountain Music label.
Unlike RB’s house concert,
this set of 10 original songs
features electric guitars and
a full band, so it’s a different
sound than what we heard
last year. RB plays the six
string, a cigar box guitar,
A solid 4/5 star rating.
and harmonica in addition
to handling all lead vocal
duties.
The primary sound here is
roots rock, as exampled on
“High Horse,” the title track
“Loosen Up!,” “Texas Drunk
Tank Blues” and “She’s Too
Hot to Handle.” “Long Gone
Lonesome Blues” and “Gone
as Gone Can Be” sound like
1970’s Southern Rock with a
little Hank, Jr mixed in, while
“A Bad Case of Blues Goin’
Jamey McMahon
On” includes some nasty
Delta blues slide guitar.
“God Heals You When You
Cry” is a nice slow Blues with
some tasty solo Blues guitar
work, and RB closes out the
disc with “Harley Heart,”
where he demonstrates
some burning cigar box
guitar licks.
All in all, a CD like RB
Stone himself – straight
ahead and honest.
Jamey McMahon
july 2013 Magic City Blues News
5
2013
of the
B attle
Blues
B anDs
What: Battle of the Blues
Bands
When: Birmingham – Doors
open 1pm, competition at
2pm, July 21st, 2013
Memphis - Tuesday, January
21, concluding Saturday
January 25th, 2014
Where: Iron City, 513 22nd
St. S
Food: Yes, BBQ sandwich
and two sides, $8.
Time for all Blues
musicians from around the
state to enter our Battle
of the Blues Bands. The
winners will represent the
Magic City Blues Society at
the 30th International Blues
Challenge in Memphis
where artists from more
than 150 Blues societies
from around the world
will compete. The winner
of the IBC will get a lot of
6
Magic City Blues News july 2013
sponsorship opportunities
and will be booked for some
of the most prestigious Blues
festivals around the country.
Many artists have used this
competition to make the
national Blues scene. We
are looking for the best
Blues bands in Alabama to
compete in the 2013 Battle
of the Blues Bands contest.
There will be two first place
winners: one band and one
solo/duo act.
The winners will be
booked for paying gigs
at MCBS events. The first
place winner of the band
competition will have their
choice to headline the
October Phelan Park finale
or open up for Blues Ball
in December. The second
place winner will play the gig
that the first place winner
does not choose. The third
place winner will play for our
birthday party in January
2014. The solo/duo winner
will have the option to open
the October Phelan Park
finale or open up for the
March 2014 Junkyard Juke
show.
Additionally, the MCBS
will give a stipend to the
winners to assist with the
costs of attending the finals
in Memphis. We plan to give
the winning band $1500 and
the winning Solo/Duo $750.
The MCBS does reserve the
right to change this amount.
Here are the rules and
regulation you need to know:
• Members of the band
must all be residents of
the state of Alabama.
• You will be given a
20-minute set and will
be penalized for going
over your allotted time.
You will not be penalized
for playing less than 20
minutes. There will be a
timekeeper present who
will give you a one-minute
warning.
• You must check your
equipment with the
stage manager before the
competition begins.
• We will supply a high
quality drum kit and
bass rig for you. You can
change out the snare, kick
pedal and cymbals.
• The winning band is
expected to compete at
the IBC and with the same
members who play in our
competition. Any change
in band members needs
to be requested in writing.
Approval is at the sole
discretion of the MCBS
Board.
• An individual cannot play
in more than one act.
Below are the scoring
criteria directly from The
Blues Foundation’s website;
we follow in their footsteps
to make our competition
as close to their model as
possible.
1. Blues Content:
Everyone has his or
her own interpretation
of what is and is not
Blues. Thus, any given
five-judge panel will
include members with
varying opinions of Blues,
covering the spectrum of
Blues whenever possible,
from the most traditional
to soul/blues and rock/
blues. Bands should pick
material carefully. At the
Memphis semi-finals
and finals, the judges
are Blues professionals,
not a bar crowd, and are
likely to be unimpressed
with song selections that
are uninspired. (Call this
– with all due respect to
Sir Mack Rice and Wilson
Pickett – the “no Mustang
Sally rule.”)
2. Vocal talent: The act’s
vocal skills.
3. Instrumental Talent:
The act’s instrumental
skills.
4. Originality: Original
work is encouraged.
Cover tunes are allowed
but playing the recorded
rendition lick by lick is
discouraged; will not be
looked upon favorably
by the judges; and will be
reflected in scoring.
5. Stage Presence: Over
the years, the quality
of talent has risen so
dramatically that we no
longer consider this an
“amateur” competition.
Most contestants have
performed on stage
enough to know that they
are not simply playing
music, but putting on a
show. This category rates
how “sellable” a band may
be.
To reflect the relative
importance of each category
in the success of a band, a
band’s score in each category
is weighted. Raw scores for
2013 battle of the blues bands application
NOTE: Applications with payment must be received by MCBS no later than July 15, 2013
Band Name: ______________________________________________________________
Names of Members (with instruments):
____________________________________ ____________________________________
____________________________________ ____________________________________
____________________________________ ____________________________________
Category:
Solo/Duo
Band (3 or more people)
Contact Person: ___________________________________________________________
Phone: _______________________________ Cell: _______________________________
E-mail address: ____________________________________________________________
Is your band a MCBS member?
Yes
No
(At least one member of the band must be a current member of the Magic City Blues Society for the band to receive
the reduced $50 entry fee.) If your group purchases a band membership with the MCBS, your band will receive a free
1/4-page ad in the Magic City Blues News newsletter to be used within the next 12 months.
Registration fee: Solo/Duo
Band
Members: $25.00
Members: $50.00
Fill out and return by July 14
with payment to:
MCBS / BOBB
P.O. Box 55895
Birmingham, AL 35255
Blues Content are multiplied
by four; Talent and Vocals
by three; and Originality and
Stage Presence by two.
The total in each category
represents the Weighted
Score for that category. The
total possible weighted score
is 140.
Penalty Points: A band
is penalized one point from
its Total Weighted Score (see
below) for each ten seconds
that it runs overtime. There
is no penalty for using less
Non-Members: $50.00
Non-Members: $75.00
Questions? Contact Roger Stephenson
MCBSPrez@bellsouth.net
(205) 215-0616
Battle of the Blues Bands 2013
July 21, 1 PM
CUT OUT
and
MAIL IN
Iron City
than the allotted time. At the
producing organization’s
discretion, a policy of penalty
for excessive time loading-in
and out will also be applied.
Bands must have one
member present and on time
for the band meeting prior to
the event. Penalty points will
be assessed if you are late.
SCORING SYSTEM FOR
JUDGES
Here is the scoring
procedure for Battle of Blue
Bands and the 2013 IBC.
1. All categories and
weightings are as
previously stated.
2. Each judge will indicate
his or her Raw Score (a
whole number between 1
and 10) in each category
and turn that information
over to the scorekeeper.
1-3: Typical of a beginning
blues band.
4-5: Typical of a local
weekend band.
6-7: Typical of an
advanced local band but
not yet ready to headline a
major blues club.
8-9: Typical of the quality
of blues artists who
headline major clubs.
10: Typical of those who
play the main stage at
major festivals such as
Chicago or Arkansas Blues
and Heritage.
3. The scorekeeper will
multiply the Raw Score
in each category by the
established multiplier to
Continued on page 13
july 2013 Magic City Blues News
7
ju nk
y ar d
juke
ph ot os by
roger st eph e
n
8
Magic City Blues News july 2013
so n
july 2013 Magic City Blues News
9
on a sad note
Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland
Bobby “Blue” Bland, one
of the original titans of the
Blues and Soul world, passed
away June 23rd after an ongoing illness. The “Lion of the
Blues” was a inducted into
the Blues Hall of Fame in
1981, the Rock and Roll Hall
of Fame in 1992 and received
a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997.
Born Robert Calvin Bland
in Millington, Tennessee,
just north of Memphis, in
1930, Bland’s first exposure
to music came via the church
and gospel music, like most
of his contemporaries. After
moving to Memphis in his
late teens, Bland began
performing on Beale Street
with a rotating cast of musicians, including Johnny Ace,
Roscoe Gordon, and BB King,
referred as the Beal Streeters.
He made a few rudimentary
recordings for the Duke label
during this time, but his
musical career was delayed
by his service in the United
States Army.
After his tour was up,
Bland returned to Memphis and joined with Junior
Parker, functioning as a
performer, valet and driver.
His first hit recording for
the Duke label, “It’s My Life,
Baby” hit the charts in 1955,
and was followed two years
later with “Further On Up the
Road” in 1957 and “Little Boy
Blue” in 1958. Bland’s most
commercial success occurred
in the early 1960’s with R&B
hits like “Cry Cry Cry,” “I Pity
the Fool,” and “Turn on Your
Love Light.” Bland’s band
mates during this time period, guitarist Wayne Bennett
and bandleader/arranger Joe
Scott, were vital partners,
considering Bland neither
wrote/composed music nor
played an instrument.
Throughout the 1960’s
and, for the most part, the
rest of career, Bland was a
major star on the “chitlin
circuit.” He never had the
commercial success on the
broader Billboard charts
that BB King or Ray Charles
enjoyed, but was a constant
and steady performer in the
R&B market. After a professional low point in the late
1960’s, Bland resurrected
his career in the early 1970’s
with several albums on the
ABC label, including His California Album and Dreamer. In
the mid 1980’s, Bland signed
with the Malaco Records
label, and continued to put
out recordings that sold well
to Bland’s core Southern
African American fan base.
He remained a strong live
attraction throughout his
Roger Stephenson
Bobby “Blue”Bland
career, performing many
tours with old friend BB King
and performing at blues and
soul festivals throughout the
world.
Bland’s influence can be
seen and heard in the works
of a wide variety of musi-
cians, from Otis Redding and
Wilson Pickett to the Allman
Brothers and Grateful Dead,
all the way to Van Morrison
and the rapper jay-Z, who
sampled Bland’s music in the
early 2000’s.
Jamey McMahon
Reward Yourself! DON’T be
The Magic City Blues Society has begun a Reward program
for our valued members. One reward point will be given for
every $10 worth of merchandise bought or admission fees.
Your membership card will be stamped at the time of purchase. When your membership card has 10 reward points
then you can trade it in for $20 worth of merchandise or
special show tickets (we will let you know which shows are
“Reward” shows). Come see us at the membership table and
get your points and more information.
Elizabeth “Izzy” Hooks
10
Magic City Blues News july 2013
LEFT
behi nd!
Check out the Calendar of the Blues each
and every month and make a point to
support your favorite artists!
Memphis
continued from page 3
July 4 – Blues for a Cause
in Pine Bluff, AR
July 12-13 – Grassroots
Blues Festival in Duck Hill,
MS
July 18 – The Oxford (MS)
Blues Festival brings Johnny Winter and Big George
Brock, among others to
the Memphis region.
August 7-9 – The
Sunflower Blues Festival in
Clarksdale is surrounded
by a myriad of smaller
events, especially
welcome for those who
are in the VIP section at
the main stage.
August 16-17 – Jackson
Rhythm and Blues Festival,
with Betty Lavette, Dr.
John and Bobby Rush and
many more.
August 30 – For those
willing to get lost in
Senatobia, MS, August
brings Othar Turners
Family Picnic, hosted
in the late fife player’s
back yard by his
granddaughter, Sharde
Thomas. The picnic starts
in the afternoon but,
thankfully, most of the
music is at night.
August 30 – West Point
MS hosts the Howlin’ Wolf
Blues Festival
This space is too short to
list all the talent featured at
these festivals. The talent,
like the festivals, ranges
from small to fabulous. But,
all in all, it’s a remarkable
showing. So, to Memphians
who wonder where the
Memphis Blues Festival is,
the real answer may be, go
find it!
Jubal John
continued from page 2
his originals around Birmingham area nightclubs he can
be found working for and
administrating the Facebook
page for Charlemagne Record
Exchange, a thirty-five year
staple of the Birmingham
music scene. His guitar playing has been influenced by
his father Doug Dalzell, John
Lee Hooker and Jimmy Reed.
His vocals owe a debt to Allen
Toussaint, Elvis Costello with
a little Bob Dylan thrown in. A
walking human jukebox, Jubal can recall literally hundreds
of songs and is a fine songwriter in his own right. Jubal
Attention MCBS
bands! You too can
have a blurb that
features a story and
picture of your band.
This is an annual
benefit available only
to band members
who belong to MCBS.
Make sure your contact
information is correct
in the Band Directory.
To submit your band’s
story or any contact
changes, email
mcbseditor@gmail.com
is available for local gigs, see
his contact information in the
Blues Band Member Directory
in this issue.
Poppin’ Fresh tunes
each month!
Check out the MCBS Music Library
at our next event!
july 2013 Magic City Blues News
11
an
cli
w.magic
c
lues.org
d
i
b
ty
w
ow
ck on Memb
joi n us
e
rs
t
Not a member? No worries!
Join us today!
Visit www.magiccityblues.org and click on Membership
You can also fill out and mail in the form on the back of this newsletter or
e-mail: mcbsprez@bellsouth.net
Thanks to the following people for showing their support of the Blues by joining or
renewing their membership in the
Magic City Blues Society:
Tary Anderson
Betsy Anderson
Thomas Anderson
Molly Anderson
Reb Beck
Diane Beck
Blues Mill Band
Terry Riddlesperger
Joeseph Hare
Chip Riddlesperger
John Norton
Joe Cooley
Randy Boatright
Debbie Bond and the Trudats
Debbie Bond
Rick Asherson
Dave Crenshaw
Michael Cogan
Jonathan Blakney
Denny Brooks
Susie Brooks
Lefty Collins
Joe Derrington
Vickie Derrington
Robert Derrington
Samantha Derrington
Dan Dubois
Kathy Dubois
Gerry Durkin
Steve Ehrnst
David Brewer
Angela D. Hatchett
Dan Kerins
Cheryle Kerins
Sean Kerins
Hambone Kerins
Tim Kerins
J. Hal Lunsford
Continued on next page
hip
Go
A Birmingham Tradition
Since 1971
“Because you can’t beat quality”
1225 South 20th Street
933-6983 • M-F 11am-6pm
12
Magic City Blues News july 2013
Members
continued from page 12
Tom Pingry
Sandy Pingry
Abbey Pingry
Ben Pingry
Nick Pingry
Charles Roe
Battle
continued from page 7
get each judge’s Weighted
Score in each category for
each act.
4. The Weighted Scores
from each category for an
act are added together to
determine the acts’ Total
Weighted Score for each
judge.
5. Any penalty points
will then be deducted
to obtain the act’s Net
Weighted Score for each
judge.
It is at this point that
Christi Roe
Steve Schoonover
Alethia Schoonover
Jennifer Schoonover
Nicholas Schoonover
Stephen Schoonover
Jim Screven
Cindy Screven
David Shepherd
we determine our winner.
The act with the highest
number of points wins the
competition. The IBC uses
an advanced scoring system
from here that we are not
going to employ. We feel
that the system we are using
will suffice to pick the best
act.
The entry fee for BOBB is
Solo/Duo - $25 Member, $50
Non-Member or Bands - $50
Member, $75 Non-Member.
Obviously, we would like
you to become members
and help us with our mission
to promote the Blues, and
at the same time promote
yourself… what a sweet deal!
A full band membership
costs $60 ($50 pdf only),
with up to 5 members and
everybody will get the pdf
version of Blues News via
email every month. You also
get a quarter page ad in the
newsletter ($50 value) to
promote your band, whether
it be advertising a gig or just
doing a bio article to tell
people who you are. You
have 12 months to use it
before the offer expires.
We normally have around
12 acts competing, so it
will be an all day Blues
extravaganza. The cost to
Carol Singletary
Roger Spratlin
Debra Roger
Max Templin
Peter Walsh
Linda Vernon
Gary Williams
Roy Yarbrough
see this great competition
is only $8 and $5 for MCBS
members when you flash
your membership card. That
comes down to less than a
dollar per act whether you
are a member or not.
Let the Battle begin!
Please contact Roger
Stephenson at mcbsprez@
bellsouth.net or by phone at
(205) 215-0616 for complete
details and to answer any
questions you may have.
The Battle of Blues Bands
application can also be found
on our web site at www.
magiccityblues.org.
Roger Stephenson
MCBS blues b and MEMBER directory
ALTAMONT
Contact: bharrison@luckie.net
BIG DADDY’S NEW BAND
Contact: Frank Ranelli
205-785-4192
BIG PAPA
Contact: Greg “Big Papa” Franklin
205-222-3789 or gfranco81@yahoo.com
THE BLUE DEVILS
Contact: Leonard Watkins
205-329-1294
CAHABA DOGS
Contact: Ned West
205-746-8397 or ned.west@att.net
THE CHARLIE SOUL BAND
Contact: Rick Ranelli
205-933-6983
CHRISTIAN HERRING & TRUE BLUE
Contact : Chad Johnson
205-516-8288
DEBBIE BOND &
THE KOKOMO BLUES BAND
Contact: Rick Asherson
205-752-6263
FAT MOUTH BLUES BAND
Contact: Tom Thomas
205-422-2178
JOHN BULL BAND
Contact: John Bull
(334) 430-6284
johnbullblues@gmail.com
JUBAL JOHN
Contact: (205) 470-6328
jubal.dalzell@gmail.com
THE LEFTY COLLINS BAND
Contact: Lefty Collins
leftyblues13@att.net or
www.theleftycollinsband.com
MICROWAVE DAVE & THE NUKES
Contact: Dave Gallaher
256-519-9993 or micdave@hiwaay.net
MOE’S BLUES
Contact: Scott Lander
205-705-6775 or jscottlander@gmail.com
MOSE STOVALL & JOCK WEBB
& THE CONVICTION BAND
Contact: BEATS Entertainment, Carter Law
205-862-4723 or
carterlaw2005@hotmail.com
ROADHOUSE
Contact: 205-478-0580
SAM POINTER
Contact: 205-967-8453
Sassy Brown
Contact: Lauren Brown
615-948-9669 or lbrown1977@gmail.com
THICK AS THIEVES
Contact: Scott Lander
205-705-6775 or jscottlander@gmail.com
Thomas Henry Band
Contact: Mark Mizzell
205- 915-2735 or jwfmark@bellsouth.net
SOUL COLLISION
Contact: Greg Franklin
205-222-3789 or gfranco81@yahoo.com
WEEKEND HEAT
Contact: Stevo
205-405-0628
Please direct all additions & changes to: Carolyn Pocus (pocusm@ bellsouth.net).
july 2013 Magic City Blues News
13
calendar of the blues - july
Call clubs to confirm! Birmingham listings in BOLD face.
To be listed in MCBS calendar, contact Carolyn Pocus (pocusm@bellsouth.net).
Monday, 01
Microwave Dave
Mama Annie’s, Huntsville
Wednesday, 03
Mama Annie’s, Huntsville
Thursday, 18
Satterfield’s
Wednesday, 10
Microwave Dave
Brick Deli, Decatur
Regency Square Mall, Florence, 11am
Glen and Libba
Satterfield’s
Glen and Libba
Microwave Dave
Sam Pointer
Thursday, 11
Satterfield’s
Iron City
Microwave Dave & The Nukes
Lewter Hardware, Huntsville, 11am
Microwave Dave & The
Nukes, Mr. Gip, Clay Swafford
Bandito Southside, Huntsville
Studebaker John and
The Hawks
Capitol Oyster Bar, Montgomery
Rosie’s, Florence, 6pm
Little Lolly Alive with
Captain Yeah
Rosie’s Mexican Cantina, Florence
Thursday, 25
Microwave Dave &
The Nukes
Muscle Shoals Public Library,
Muscle Shoals, 10:30am
Pub 261
Debbie Bond
W.C. Handy Festival, Muscle Shoals
Thursday, 04
MCBS Electric Jam
Saturday, 20
Sam Pointer
Happy Lemmy
Debbie Bond &
Rick Asherson
Friday, 05
Jr. V and The LipSmackers
Daniel Day Gallery/
Dream Mecca Studio
Microwave Dave & The Nukes
w/Justin Johnson
Burritt Museum, Huntsville
Saturday, 06
Amacio Favor w/Ben Trexle
Daniel Day Gallery/
Dream Mecca Studio
Daniel Day Gallery/
Dream Mecca Studio
Microwave Dave & The Nukes
Pepper Place Market, 9am
Sassy Brown Band
Rue Bourbon, Gadsden
Gip’s Place
Saturday, 13
Swamper’s/Marriott Shoals, Florence
Diedra and
The Ruff Pro Band
Gip’s Place
Bonus Round
Ona’s Music Room
2Blu and The Lucky Stiffs
“Dead in 5 Heartbeats”
movie premiere
Debbie Bond and The TruDats
Daniel Day Gallery/
Dream Mecca Studio
Friday, 12
Oak Mt. State Park, 8am
Microwave Dave & The Nukes
Friday, 19
Bullpen Blues & BBQ Fest, Oakman
Ranelli’s Soul pit
Microwave Dave
Microwave Dave
Sunday, 21
MCBS Battle of the
Blues Bands
Iron City
Johnnie Nathan
Daniel Day Gallery/
Dream Mecca Studio
Microwave Dave
Microwave Dave & The Nukes
Ricatoni’s, Florence
Friday, 26
Kingfish
Dream Mecca Studio/
Daniel Day Gallery
Microwave Dave
Flo Bama, Florence, 11:30am
Microwave Dave & The Nukes
On The Rocks, Florence
Saturday, 27
Microwave Dave/Classical
Blues Cabaret
Zodiac Theater, Florence
Sunday, 28
Shakura S’aida
Ian Siegal / Little G Weevil
Todd Simpson & Mojo Child
Alabama Theatre
Capitol Oyster Bar, Montgomery
Microwave Dave
Microwave Dave & the Nukes
The Blue Devils
2Blu and The Lucky Stiffs
Below the Radar, Huntsville
City Hardware, Florence
Daniel Day Gallery/
Dream Mecca Studio
Debbie Bond and
Rick Asherson
Sunday, 14
Grayson Capps
Capitol Oyster Bar, Montgomery
George and the G-Men
Daniel Day Gallery/
Dream Mecca Studio
Monday, 22
Homemade Jamz Blues Band
Gip’s Place
Champy’s, Alabaster
Demopolis/Meridian Songwriters
Festival
Microwave Dave & The Nukes
JD Byrider / Veterans Benefit,
Huntsville
Sunday, 07
Earl Williams and the
Juke Band
Daniel Day Gallery/
Dream Mecca Studio
Monday, 08
Monday, 15
Microwave Dave
Florence Public Library, Florence, 10am
Microwave Dave
Sheffield Railroad Bridge, Sheffield,
6:30pm
Tuesday, 23
Wednesday, 17
Microwave Dave & The Nukes
Glen and Libba
Microwave Dave
Bandito Southside, Huntsville
Magic City Blues News july 2013
Microwave Dave
Microwave Dave
Rickie Castrillo & Friends
14
Garage Café , 6pm
Mama Annie’s, Huntsville
Satterfield’s
Garage Café -6pm
Rickie Castrillo & Friends
Microwave Dave
Sheffield Public Library, Sheffield,
10:30am
Legends, Florence
Wednesday, 24
Glen and Libba
Workplay
Capitol Oyster Bar, Montgomery
Monday, 29
Microwave Dave
Mama Annie’s, Huntsville
Wednesday, 31
Glen and Libba
Satterfield’s
Microwave Dave
Bandito Southside, Huntsville
library corner
There are some new CDs that have
come in this month that are part of your
perks of being a member of MCBS. At
most of our events, our ever energetic
Mark Giorgi drags out boxes and boxes
of Blues CD’s that have been donated to
our library. These are available to you,
dear member, just for being a part of
our organization. You check them out
of the library, give it a listen or twenty,
and return it. We are always looking
for volunteers to write a review of a CD
that they particularly enjoyed. This both
helps the artist and helps us get more
ads through record labels! We have had
this library for many years with implied
consent that you would be responsible
in your use of the music, but we are
going to add a new component to the
check-out process that will have you
sign the following consent:
MAGIC CITY BLUES SOCIETY
LIBRARY CHECKOUT ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I understand that any unauthorized
duplication or storing of any music on
CDs or other media I check out from
the MCBS lending library is a violation
of federal law and also violates the
agreements that MCBS has with the
artists and record labels that provide
these CDs. This includes burning any
copies of the CD or storing the music
in my computer or any mobile audio
device like an I-Pod. I agree not to
copy, duplicate or store or upload to file
sharing services any music contained on
CDs lent to me by the Magic City Blues
Society.
Cassie Taylor:
Out of My Mind
Yellow Dog Records
Hopefully you got out to the May
Phelan Park Music Series and caught
Cassie Taylor live in person. She put on
a great show that had everyone up and
dancing. Cassie’s just recently sent us
this CD, Out of My Mind, is described by
Premier Guitar Magazine: “Packed with
soulful singing and blazing 6-string,
Taylor’s new Out of My Mind is a mesmerizing, nuanced, and imaginatively
arranged collection of blues-inflected
originals.”
Big Al & the Heavyweights
Sunshine on Me
Produced by
Anders Osborne
This is the 5th album of original songs
put out by New Orleans-based hardworkin’ Big A & the Heavyweights. This
album is produced by one of my fav
NOLA muscians, who also sits in on a
couple of songs, as does slide guitarist Warren Haynes, who was one of the
founding members of this band. The CD
is truly an eclectic, great mix of rockers,
slinky Blues tunes, even Zydeco, complete with washboard! Check it out.
RB Stone
Loosen Up!
Middle Mountain Music
See Jamey McMahon’s review of this
CD in this issue.
Too Slim and the Taildraggers
Blue Heart
Underworld Records
See Jamey McMahon’s review of this
CD in this issue.
Wendy Walters
parti ng shot
july 2013 Magic City Blues News
15
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MAGIC CITY BLUES SOCIETY, INC
P.O. Box 55895 • Birmingham, Alabama 35255
You can find us ONLINE:
www.magiccityblues.org
“magic city blues society”
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