Blues Society Newsletter

State of the

Connecticut Blues SocietyA non-profit organizationP.O. Box 651Higganum, CT 06441www.ctblues.orgMISSION STATEMENTThe Connecticut Blues Society is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the Blues as a unique music form in the State of Connecticut. Founded in 1993, CTBS is a non-profit organiza-tion and an affiliated member of the Blues Foundation, a worldwide network of 50 Blues Societies with an international membership in 12 countries. (The Foundation produces the annual W.C. Handy Awards, the Lifetime Achievement Award, the International Blues Talent Competition, and the nationally syndicated Blues radio show, Beale Street Caravan).CTBS is a great way to cultivate one’s love for the Blues and make friends that share this interest. Members receive State of the Blues, our newsletter, which provides information on the local and national Blues scene, along with reviews of CDs and other Blues products.

T he West Hartford Hannon-Hatch VFW post will host the 2006 CT Blues Society Challenge Final

Saturday September 9 from 2 to 7 p.m. Don’t miss a fun afternoon that provides local bands with the opportunity to hit the big time. One band will be selected to represent Connecticut at the International Blues Challenge (IBC), in Memphis, TN in February. The list of blues greats that have competed in and come out of the IBC over the years is impressive indeed including Slick Ballinger, Michael Burks, Tommy Castro, Albert Cummings, Delta Moon, Larry Garner, and Susan Tedeschi.

Over 30 blues bands from all over the state signed up for this year’s Challenge, necessitating an expansion from the traditional five-week preliminary process. Each Thursday night for six weeks throughout June and half of July five bands rocked crowds at Black-eyed Sally’s. With a number of high quality acts each night, judges had difficulty narrowing the 30 preliminary bands down to six finalists.

Participating musicians deserve kudos. Of course they wanted to win but especially this year, bands supported each other with a high level of camaraderie. Ten bands were new to the Challenge; two of the new bands, one from Waterbury and the other from Fairfield, won slots in the Final.

The band that won the first night’s preliminary, Fade to Blue, will open Sat.’s Final, playing from 2 — 2:30 p.m. Eran Troy Danner & Hot Dallas, which got the most points from the judges on the second night of preliminaries, will perform from

2:45 – 3:15 p.m. The Mike Crandall Band took the third night and will entertain from 3:30 – 4 p.m. The Johnny Boots Band, as winner of the fourth night, will be on stage from 4:15 – 4:45 p.m. Ryan Hartt & The Blue Hearts, who took the 5th preliminary, will play from 5 – 5:30 p.m., and the winner of the sixth preliminary evening, The Mojomatics, will take the stage from 5:45 – 6:15 p.m.

Just as in the preliminaries, blues-knowledgeable judges will use IBC guidelines to rank each band, using blues content, talent, originality, and stage presence as criteria. Tom Retano, entertainment chairman of the Berlin Blues Festival, will continue the engaging Master of Ceremonies services he provided throughout the preliminaries. Retano also organized impromptu jams of attending musicians at the end of each preliminary to keep excitement high while the judges’ votes were tallied.

The Final winner will be awarded a slot in the 2007 Berlin Blues Festival, a number of other quality gigs around Connecticut, and a cash prize to offset travel expenses for the Memphis trip. Last year’s winner, Jr. Krauss & The Shakes, won $1,500. The IBC winner in Memphis will win $1,000 of studio time, an appearance on the Legendary Blues Cruise, and an opportunity to open for the Blues Awards, and the King Biscuit Festival.

The Hannon-Hatch VFW is located at 83 South St., West Hartford, CT. Admission is $5. Coolers are not

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BLUESBLUESHear Connecticut’s Best Blues Bands at Challenge Final by Kent Kirkland

The officialpublicationof theConnecticutBlues SocietySUMMER 2006

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LS: You’ve been described as, “The best female blues harmonica player, ever.” And, “One of the best harp players around, period.” Which do you like better?AR: I’d rather be described as a top player—really there are no women I could compare myself to in terms of wanting to grow as a harmonica player. LS: W “James Cotton, Jr.?”AR: Oh, I love that! It’s one of the coolest things. I had the pleasure of playing with him on several occasions.LS: Your blues influences included Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Big Walter Horton. Where did you get the ambition to make it not only in a man’s world but playing a man’s instrument?

AR: My mother was part of the feminist movement of the late ’60s. She decided to become an artist when I was born, to inspire me to do what I wanted to do by setting an example. She gave me an alternate set of life tools to work with, teaching me not to worry about fitting in with the mainstream. The harmonica gave me a voice.

It allowed me to make a sound that I’d felt but I couldn’t produce. And the sound of a harmonica is similar to that of a woman who sings in the alto range.LS: What does your mother think, now ?AR: She hopes I’ll be able to make a living at it someday. Paul (Rishell) and I have been raising a daughter for the last ten years since her mother died and haven’t been able to get ahead financially.LS: Didn’t your partnership with Paul begin in ’92 at his wife’s suggestion? AR: Paul’s wife, Leslie, was his manager as well. She was adamant that we play together and she did everything she could to help the partnership grow, from booking gigs and making travel arrangements to haranguing club owners to pay us what we were owed. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in ’94 and died in ’96. Their daughter was nine. LS: How horrible. AR: We had to keep the most important things first, the family and the music, and the career would fall where it will. She’s 18 now, and has turned out so well.LS: You recorded on Paul’s Swear to Tell the Truth CD in ’93. You’d been playing harmonica at that point since you were 17, for eight years. Have you found your musical soulmate? AR: He’s my only living musical soulmate—there are several soulmates who died before I was born; Sonny Boy Williamson, Little Walter. They’re my inspiration—I feel very close to them. “Soulmate” is a Pollyanna concept; however I can say Paul and I share so many unspoken values that come out through our music. We listen and respond to each other. LS: What made you decide not to stick to singing, a far more traditional field for women musicians?AR: I felt very insecure about singing; didn’t consider that an option. I never sang publicly until ’95, when I sang a song I wrote called Got to Fly.LS: How did your initial experiences playing with Blues by Butch influence you?AR: Butch McClendon was an intense person and great teacher. I had a great rapport with him from the time I joined his band in 1988. He died in 1992 at the age of 39, and I started freelancing. I realized how rare it is to find such a connection with another musician. When I started

2 State of the Blues — Summer 2006

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BLUESBLUESThe official publication of the Connecticut Blues Society

An Interview with Annie Rainesby Lauren Davis Shea

Continued on Page 8

Photo by Alan OrlingPaul Rishell and Annie Raines have played together for 13 years and have been described as “the best blues duo in the world.”

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State of the Blues — Summer 2006 3

The 2006 Challenge Judges:

2005 Challenge Winner Jr. Krauss & Shakes band members Shawn Leonard, Bob Bequillard, Ben Boylan, Doug “Jr.” Krauss, and Andy McDonald; Blues Music Writers & Artists Mary Lou Sullivan, Lauren Shea, and Fran Drew; “Super Fans” Sue Meeker and Ed Stack; Blues DJs Ben Shaiken, Doug MacNeil, and “Ramblin’ Bert Rand (WHUS), “River City Slim” Peter Rost (WWUH); Blues musicians “XY Eli” Williams and Tony Lupia; and CD Producer Glenn Holley.

State of the BluesSummer • 2006

Connecticut Blues Society Board of DirectorsDAVE O’NEIL–president

SARAH SANDERS–treasurer DOM FORCELLA–past president TOM SANDERS–past president

VINNY CERVONI–director ED STACK–director

ZEKE STER–director DAVE JONES–webmaster

KENT KIRKLAND–director

LAUREN DAVIS SHEA–editor KENT KIRKLAND, ART TIPALDI, ART SIMAS

MARK ZARETSKY, PETE DOYLE, TOM SANDERS–writers FRANCES DREW–newsletter design

That’s what it costs the Connecticut Blues Society to produce, print and mail this summer edition of the newsletter. We mail an edition out every quarter, so that’s $4,000 every year that we spend to keep you informed about the Blues in and around Connecticut. It is your member-ship dues that we rely on to help defray this cost, as well as, the cost of our website, our event postcards, sending the Blues Challenge winners to Memphis and running the regular Blues events throughout the year. None of the volunteers in this organization are paid for their efforts, but we do need a steady stream of income to keep you informed about Blues in Connecticut and help promote this genre of music we love so much. Please take a moment after reading this newsletter to look at your mail-ing address. It should contain the Expiration Date of your Blues Society membership. If your membership has expired, please renew and help us continue to promote the Blues. Thank you for your continued support!

$$ 1,000 DOLLARS $$

The Participating Bands:Walter Lewis Blues Band, Don’t Tell Muddy, The Bluesmeisters, Ironwood, Fade to Blue, Blues Deluxe, Bryan James Gatten Band, Ms. Marci & The Lovesick Hounds, Eran Troy Danner & Hot Dallas, Cobalt Rhythm Kings, Bluzberry Pi, The Mike Crandall Band, Steve Polezonis & Free Chicken & Beer, D. Smith Blues Band, Wanted, Basically Blues Band, EZ Street, Gene Donaldson & The Stingrays, The Johnny Boots Band, Tinted Blue, Pete Scheips Band, Drew Blood Blues Band, Ryan Hartt & The Blue Hearts, The Pawnbrokers, Troy T. Blues Band, Bad Boys Blues Band, Blues on the Side, ED & The Bluepills, The Known Unknowns, Mojomatics.

Other:

CTBS Director Ed Stack assisted in balloting and in staffing the CTBS table; CTBS President Dave O’Neil staffed the CTBS table; CTBS Director Zeke Ster was the first in and last out, delivering, setting up, and breaking down the drum kit and bass; Terri Jones handled timekeeping; Ray Meeker tabulated ballots; and Kent Kirkland, CTBS Director, was photographer and Event Coordinator. Blue Moon Ale co-sponsored the preliminary process along with Black-eyed Sally’s.

2006 Blues Challenge Preliminaries

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I ’ve been going to the Chicago Blues Festival for 20 years as an expatriate Chicagoan, returning home to draw from the well. Generally when people

ask who’s playing I tell them, “It doesn’t matter; it’s about being there,”— in ‘the Home of the Blues,’ surrounded by 100,000 blues-lovin’ friends.

OK, so this year I was wrong. That’s because this year there was a new performer debuting on the Mississippi Juke Joint Stage. Me. That guy sitting in with Dave Specter and Aron Burton, bassist for Albert Collins’ Icebreakers – with four of my junior high buddies in the audience – was me; living out one of my longest-running blues fantasies. I’ve played blues harp for more than 20 years now and have fronted Connecticut blues band The Cobalt Rhythm Kings for 10. But my experience playing in Chicago generally was limited to appearances at relatives’ weddings and a few jams at Kingston Mines, a well- known Chicago blues club.

So when I heard this year that

organizers booked a “house band” led by Specter, who

happens to be a friend, and Burton, to run a “Jam Station” each evening, I e-mailed Specter. He told me to touch base when I arrived.

On opening day I stopped by to talk

before his show and

asked if a solid, not-so-famous harp player might sit in. He said Saturday was a “harp jam” and could work. On Friday, I met my four old friends at the fest. When I said I might play Saturday, my friend Dan—the guy who introduced me to Muddy Waters—said, “Whattaya mean play tomorrow? We’re here today!

As Specter got ready to go on I told him my crew was there and THEY wanted to know if I could play. “Catch my eye about an hour into the set,” Spector replied. Just a few minutes after I did that—immediately after an appearance by former Muddy Waters bassist Calvin “Fuzz” Jones—Spector called me up to join the band.

We played two songs, “Kiddio” and “Everyday I Have the Blues,” both songs I do with my own band. When Burton gave me “the look” and I took my first solo on “Kiddio” a couple of thousand people cheered, including my buddies. Actually, it was more like a roar. Inside, so did I.

The next day, I ran into another old blues buddy, Tony Mangiullo from Rosa’s Lounge, one of Chicago’s top blues joints. I told him about the previous evening’s excitement. “You never told me you played the blues!” Mangiullo said. Didn’t I?

He invited me to sit in at Rosa’s – with Lurrie Bell no less, one of my favorite Chicago guitarists and son of one of my harp heroes, Carey Bell. The next night there I was, playing “Messin’ With The Kid” with Lurrie – with Super Chikan’s bassist sitting in on guitar and Mangiullo himself on drums, piling one day’s fantasies-come-true on top of another.

Jammin’ in Chicago By Mark Zaretsky

Headliner Bettye Lavette performs on the main stage.

Mark Zaretsky, of CT’s Cobalt Rhythm Kings, solos while sitting in on the Mississippi Juke Joint Stage.

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A ll enthusiasts who want a genuine experience in Blues music, culture, and history need to go to the great Chicago Blues Festival. Four full days

of music with six different stages, all with different themes, keep music fans on the move. The Gibson Guitar Crossroads stage-where guitars were always jamming, and the Mississippi Juke Joint stage-with a more acoustic Delta sound, are at the ends of two streets. The Main Stage/Petrillo Music Shell starts at 5 each night, and runs to 9:30 p.m. sharp. No one complains about the lack of encores because, hey the whole festival is free admission!

A quick rundown of some shows: • Elvin Bishop and his old blues teacher, Smokey Smothers. They played an hour later than the scheduled time but no one cared. • Super Chikan from Clarksdale, Miss., and his all-female, high-energy band drew a huge crowd. He played guitars made from a ceiling fan, a gas can, and a cigar box! His adult-rated nursery rhymes had everyone more than amused. He ended every song with the phrase “somebody shoot that thang!” Presumably the chicken! • Duwayne Burnside and The Mississippi Mafia tore things up with hard-driving, down and dirty blues. Great music and I thought a good name for a band. • Eddie Bo and his

jazzy, good-time band had things jumping. His piano playing, party atmosphere was a true Bourbon Street show. • ’Lil Ray from Baton Rouge had great guitar work and two pianos. The six-man band jammed real hard for the very friendly crowd. • Catherine Russell from New York, clearly influenced by her bandleader father, gave a very good performance within a wide range of musical styles. • Henry Butler played piano and sang like Ray Charles. He and Vasti Jackson played smokin’ Chicago blues. • Eddie Shaw and the Wolfgang played many classic Wolf tunes with three side performers from the early days of Howlin’ Wolf. Real good stuff. • Zora Young has a powerful gospel-like voice and a solid band. Her guest, Koko Taylor, sang ‘Wang Dang Doodle.’ • The great Sam Lay sat in on the drums with the Siegel-Schwall Blues Band, and later received a lifetime achievement award. His contributions to blues through playing, writing, producing and the number of bands he helped start is truly amazing. Look him up. • Walter “Wolfman” Washington showcased his tight jazz fusion type band. • Bobby Blue Bland did his usual thing, although now confined to a wheelchair.

Thinking of going next year? Southwest flies from Bradley to Midway Airport direct. The Best Western and Congress Plaza Hotel are good /better places to stay. Take the Orange Line train to Grant Park for $2, where the festival is held. All you need to know is Michigan Ave., and two streets running parallel: Wabash and State. Buddy Guys’ Legends club is on Wabash. You can’t go wrong with Miller’s Pub. Everything you need is within walking distance.

Bluzin’ in Chicago By Pete Doyle

Headliner Elvin Bishop is joined by his mentor, “Little Smokey” Smothers on the main stage.

Closer Bobby “Blue” Bland performs on the main stage.

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REVIEWS By Art Tipaldi

Little Milton, His Last Concert, Live At The North Atlantic Blues Festival, (Camil Productions) One of the most devastating tragedies last year was the untimely death of Little Milton Campbell. Milton was the picture of health and energy. Every performance was a class act. Then, in August

2005, we suddenly lost him. His final performance was at the North Atlantic Blues Festival on July 9th and thank-fully, it was filmed by festival promoter Paul Benjamin. Benjamin approached Milton’s widow, Pat Campbell, about the possibility of releasing this to grieving fans of Little Milton around the world.

From the moment he took the stage singing “Still Some Meat Left On The Bone,” one thing was clear. Other then B.B. King, no one is as honored in the world of blues as Little Milton. Amid the pouring rain of the day, Benjamin accurately captured the essence of Milton’s greatness. His throaty tenor is one of the most recognizable in the blues. His eloquent single string guitar work was born from growing up deep in the Mississippi Delta. Like all the blues greats, Little Milton played and sang every song here with over a half century of musical history in every note.

On the second song, Milton talked and sang his way through the soul ballad, “Just One Moment.” Resplendent in green and gold, Milton delivered his pleadin’, age old, love song of need as only he could. The third song, “I Don’t Believe In Ghosts,” had Milton wondering about the strange happenings in his home, including being bitten by his own dog. During this song, Milton put the shiny, wood grained Gibson over his shoulder and ripped off some of that single string lead guitar he is known for.

Milton began his 20 minute soul blues medley with his signature thick toned guitar intro. The four tunes included in the medley are classic Milton. On “Catch You On The Way Down,” Milton offered a guitar primer for every guitarist watchin’. No string was left untouched, no tone unexplored by the master. Remember while you listen and

watch that on the chitlin’ circuit, Milton’s style and songs are as popular with audiences as B.B. King’s songs.

Once he began to sing, it was with a distinctive voice that blends Beale Street soul and Mississippi Delta real-ism in the stories he told. From there, he reprised another classic, “Annie Mae’s Cafe,” which transported these waterfront Maine blues fans back South to a backwoods Mississippi Bar-B-Q joint. His pictures and descriptions were so vivid that fans here were probably wantin’ some white lightnin’ with their lobster rolls. Follow that with “Walking The Backstreets Crying” and “A Possum In My Tree” and it’s easy to see why Little Milton connected so directly with his fans. His intimate storytelling augment-ed by his hanging, bent notes personalized every Little Milton experience.

Milton once told me about his sound. “I think my originality is control and power. I approach songs with power or softness, letting the voice start telling the story and gradually building into a climax-type thing. You can mimic me, but if you don’t feel it, it’s not gonna come out right.” This is evident in all the songs here. No Milton show would be complete without the international blues anthem, his world famous “Blues Is Alright.” After two mid tempo, slow blues songs, “Blues Is Alright” energeti-cally bathed blues over the Maine crowd like the sunshine that finally peaked through on this rainy day. First Milton soloed on his Gibson, then he put the guitar down and led the fans in a side to side sing-a-long.

The CD recorded from the performance also has Milton’s seven minute encore “Shake, Rattle, And Roll.” The words of farewell from his widow, Pat Campbell tell the world the kind of man Milton Campbell was through-out his life. His love of all people and music lived right until his final days.

Milton’s unique voice, guitar, and soul will be greatly missed around the world. This CD and DVD are musi-cal treasures every fan of honest American music should own. This CD is available at http://www.littlemiltonsstore.com.

All proceeds from the CD go to Milton’s widow. The DVD is available at https://pour.midcoast.com/~bluesman/nabrecords.html and part of the proceeds from that sale will go to the Blues Foundation in Little Milton’s memory.

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Dan Stevens Road to Memphis (River Road Music) Dan Stevens is one of the best at playing traditional blues with personal passion. As he embarked on his jour-ney Stevens gave listeners a glimpse of what to expect when he reached his last stop. While the geographical des-

tination is Memphis, Tenn., I get the sense that Stevens isn’t concerned about where he ends up. It’s the journey that’s most important – the meetings, discoveries, and friends who happen to be on the same road.

With a mix of originals, tried and true standards, and a sprinkling of rusted nuggets, Stevens blends his unique talents with an understated reverence for the music. On the classic, “Drinkin’ Muddy Water,” the resonance of the National guitar seeps into your skin ever so slowly, like a man crawling, in search of himself. The gospel according to the Rev. Gary Davis shines on “Oh Glory,” a technical-ly difficult tune to carry, both with the fingers and vocally.

It’s interesting that “Oh Glory” precedes a cover of Memphis Minnie’s “Down in the Alley” who’s got to get her business “fixed all right.” As in most blues, the interpretation and meaning is wide open to the listener, depending upon where you’re at in your life.

REVIEWS By Art Simas

“Sleepin’ Alone” by Toby Walker recounts the famil-iar tale of travel on the road. On this one, Stevens allows himself some fun and cuts loose by finger dancing on the frets. Its corollary, Stevens’ original “Ramblin,’ ” moseys along without looking back because, “I’m like a dog that don’t remember his name.” This inevitably leads to the state of “Broke Down and Hungry,” another Stevens com-position. While none of us want to be there, we find our-selves in this predicament every now and then. There’s no fault or blame to be handed out. We’re just here; now we have to deal with it.

One of the most interesting songs is the combined “It Hurts Me Too” by Elmore James and “Come Into My Kitchen” by Robert Johnson. Stevens initially teases the listener with an all-too-short solo that captures the essence of the lament during the first song. But he recovers to make a sly midnight creep into the Johnson tune. With an elongated 6:36 minutes, the listener will get his or her full of “Kitchen.” A playful “That’s Alright” by Arthur Crudup emerges after a bit of reminiscing about a visit to Sun Studios in Memphis and the ghost of Elvis.

The CD finishes with the last original by Stevens, “Can’t Make Me Blue,” about meeting up with someone who did you wrong way back when. Divorcées and driv-ers and passengers on the boulevard of broken dreams take heart because, “You can’t make me blue no more … I’m done dealing with the pain I went through over you.” Now ain’t that the truth!

Jason Nocera provides all art work for The World s̓ Most Annoying CD, available at: http://www.prankplace.com/annoyCD.htm

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playing with Paul, I was in a position to appreciate it. LS: The bantering you and Paul engaged in when I saw you perform is genuine, funny, and politically incorrect. How do you manage that playfulness on stage?AR: I’m known as a loose cannon on stage. The crowd in Connecticut was so welcoming. We love playing listening rooms like Canton's Roaring Brook Nature Center.LS: More than playing at clubs?AR: We have a band that we bring with us for club dates. These are musicians with finesse; with patience and an ear for the idiom—there’s more to blues than three chords. We also love playing festivals—blues, or folk, or bluegrass, or roots. LS: How have you and Paul pulled off being such crossover artists?AR: Those classifications are born of convenience for record sellers. I’m a blues musician at heart. Some of my songs may remind others of folk or rock, but what people call “the blues” is really subjective anyway. Try comparing Stevie Ray Vaughan with Mississippi Fred McDowell. Which is blues?LS: Your CDs together have included ’96’s I Want You to Know, which was nominated for four Handy Awards; ’99’s Moving to the Country, which won the Handy for acoustic album of the year; and ’04’s Going Home. What has winning the Handy done for your career?AR: I was surprised how much it helped, getting us more press and bigger crowds. We were very gratified to win, as we always considered ourselves to be on the outside looking in.LS: What’s it like playing with people like Pinetop Perkins and Susan Tedeschi? AR: I’d been listening so hard for the harmonica when I heard Muddy Water’s music; when I played with Pinetop, I became more appreciative of the impact of his piano in creating the overall sound. Susan Tedeschi hired me in ’95 when she was just getting started playing clubs around Boston. She, Adrienne Hayes and I had a good energy together, but there was a lot of pressure to be a commercial “girl band,” playing grandstanding rock’n’roll—we were trying to play the blues. Susan was a big inspiration to me as a singer and as a musician, but I already knew where my heart was musically, and that was in playing with Paul. LS: What is your most memorable moment on stage?AR: Opening for Ray Charles. We get energized playing

in front of so many people, especially such a hip crowd. It was such an honor to be part of his show.LS: You left Antioch College your first year to pursue music fulltime. Do you think about going back?AR: I’ve gone to Road U., but I always want to continue my musical education. I love learning new instruments and new styles. LS: You play piano, mandolin, mandolin harp, Hammond B-3 organ, percussion. How have you learned so many instruments?AR: I’ve played piano since I was a kid. Paul started me playing mandolin when he wanted to play guitar on Kansas City Blues. The mandolin has a certain resemblance to the harmonica in that it’s set up in fifths. I’d like to spend more time learning how to play. I’m also studying tap dance, because physicality is important in African and folk music. Dancing is percussive, and it will influence my playing.LS: How about songwriting? How does that happen for you?AR: That’s really my first love; I’ll get a few words or phases and then a melody comes to mind. Paul has inspired me as a songwriter. I respond to the stimulus of doing a lot of gigs. I want to do more. We played about 50 gigs last year and this year it looks like we’ll go back up to what we were doing before 9/11, about 100. LS: Why do you put so much time into teaching others how to play harmonica? AR: Teaching is learning. It forces you to examine more deeply the subtlety and motivation behind the technique. The secret delight is that you are communing with music when you share how to do it with another person who is appreciative.LS: Your website creates an inviting forum for interaction with fans. Why do you make the time to write there?AR: It’s exercise in playing with words—dusting off an unused part of my mind. Whenever you take the stage you occupy two roles, as guest and hopefully as gracious host. That’s something I always work on. We want our website to be a reflection of that—a nice place that we host where people can hang out. LS: Is there anything I haven’t asked that you’d like to talk about?AR: Ask me whatever it is that you were hesitant to ask about.LS: Are you and Paul married?AR: We’re planning to be. We went about this

Annie Raines cont'd from page 2

Continued on Page 10

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other blues musicians? I’m sure if you asked them you’d get many answers, but primarily in no particular order:

• They are busy; wife, kids, business, whatever. Just can’t find the time.

• They’re more interested in improving their own playing, so they play as much as they can. Can’t make the time.

• They’re just more interested in themselves, period. Couldn’t give a rat’s ass about supporting others.

• The driving thing with the DUI laws. Young guys don’t care as much—they will take more chances. But there aren’t many young people into blues, especially the women. Just look at the difference in the crowd at Hartford’s Sally’s and Pig’s Eye.

Need I say more! So maybe the answer is, too many old guys trying to hold onto a piece of their youth, still into the blues, and not enough young people giving a shit.

Next question.

“Ask The Blues Curmudgeon”(Tom Sanders is the Blues Curmudgeon. He is a founder and former president of the CTBS, winner of the 1996 Blues Challenge, for 15 years founder and bandleader of the Hornets—

and currently the Known Unknowns, and all around blues idea man.Hey Blues Curmudgeon,

With so few opportunities to hear live blues around Connecticut, why don’t the considerable numbers of local Blues musicians attend other blues bands’ gigs?

This is a great follow up to the question that I answered in the last newsletter about getting more people out to blues shows. It’s complex; I don’t claim to have the answer, but first here’s a little background on my perspective.

When I first got the blues fever I would go to hear any blues band I could find. This was the late ’70’s/early ’80’s when there were very few local blues bands although some big time artists like Muddy Waters passed through now and then. I’m sure I’ll be corrected on this, but Roomful of Blues, Sugar Ray and the Bluetones, Duke Robillard & The Pleasure Kings, Albert Otis, L.A. Jones, and Hash Brown are the only ones I remember playing blues locally on a regular basis. However, this was a great time to hear blues. All these guy’s were hitting it hard.

The venues close to me that had blues bands were Hartford’s Rocking Horse, New Britain’s Angelico’s and Rosie O’Grady’s and—the most unlikely—Middletown’s Elbow Room. In the mid-’80’s, Manchester’s Hungry Tiger and New London’s Bank St. Café also came on the scene.

The point I’m trying to make is that there were far fewer blues musicians, so much less competition for the gigs. Today, CT has about 60 blues bands looking for gigs every weekend. Most of these bands are average, and a few are a little better. Some are just not ready to play out and are a big part of why the crowds are not as big as they could be. Sorry, but it’s the truth. I’m not saying musicians shouldn’t keep at it; just don’t bring it out too soon.

Now, why don’t local blues musicians go out to hear

Blues, Booze, BBQ and a record label too!Check out Phil Guyʼs latest CD on Black Eyed

Records. Recorded at Paranoise Studios in Hartford, and mixed by Bert Teague

at Hidden Valley Studio in Granby, CT. Now Available at

350 Asylum St • Hartford, CT 06103 Phone: 860.278.7427 • Fax: 860.808.0149

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Musicians Looking For Bands47 year old harmonica player/entertainer looking to hook up with guitar or keyboard player to form duo and play small gigs. I also sing and play a little guitar. Very profesional. Blues, roots music, show-tunes, you name it I’ll play it. Hartford–Springfield area. Call Rich at 1–860 -413–9484 or e–mail : [email protected]

A 35 year old blues lead guitarist looking for band of like minded blues people. [email protected]

Send your classifieds to [email protected]

I’m a “mature” bass player currently in a classic rock band, but I’m looking for a blues side project (which is the music I love). Contact Ray at [email protected]

Bands Looking For Musicianswanted ........drummer for working blues trio, must be able to play twice a week. Mail me at [email protected]

Connecticut Blues Society Membership Form

___New ___ Renewal

Name________________________________________________________

Address______________________________________________________

Optional:I would like to be on the following committees

____Newsletter ____Events ____Membership

____Mailings ____Media ____AdvertisingPhone_________________________ E-mail________________________

$15 for membership renewal. Please make your check payable to: The Connecticut Blues Society

Mail To: P.O. Box 651, Higganum, CT 06441

Join the CTBS now for

$20 and receive the

“Local Flavor” CD.

relationship backward. It started out as business with me just being a hired gun. Then we were business partners. Then we had a daughter to raise, and then we became a couple. After we get married we’ll have a chance to date each other! In the last 10 years, some of the only time we have had alone together is on stage in front of an audience — we’re so into the music that we’re in our own universe,

and that still feels more like real life than houses and clothes and bills.

Annie Raines cont'd from page 2

permitted; there will be inexpensive drinks and food available. Bring your chair and wear your hat; this event features an outdoor stage and tent, with a hall in the event of rain.

Challenge Final cont'd from page 1

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State of the

BLUESBLUES


Blues Plate Special Weekly listings for blues on the tube . . .www.BluesTV.net

ADELPHIA-NORWICH Tuesday 9:00 PM, Ch. 14: Bozrah, Colchester, Franklin, Lisbon, Norwich, Preston, Sprague

ADELPHIA-OLD LYME Tuesday 9:00 PM, Ch. 27: East Haddam, Haddam, Lyme, Old Lyme, Salem

COMCAST-BOLTON Wednesday 8:00 PM, Ch. 5: Andover, Bolton, Ellington, Hebron, Marlborough, Tolland, Vernon

COMCAST-SIMSBURY Thursday 2:00 PM & 9:00 PM, Ch. 5: Simsbury

CABLEVISION-NORWALK Friday 7:00 PM, Ch. 77: Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford, Westport

CABLEVISION-SOUNDVIEW Wednesday 11:00 PM, Ch. 34: Bridgeport, Fairfield, Milford, Orange, Woodbridge

CHARTER-WINSTED Thursday 9:00 PM, Wednesday 3:00 PM, Ch. 13: Barkhamsted, Colebrook, Harwinton, New Hartford, West Hartland, Winchester, Winsted

CHARTER-WILLIMANTIC Thursday 4:00 PM, Ch. 14: Ashford, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Columbia, Coventry, Eastford, Hampton, Lebanon, Mansfield, Pomfret, Scotland, Thompson, Willimantic, Willington, Windham, Woodstock

COMCAST-CLINTON Thursday 8:00 PM, Ch. 19: Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Durham, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Old Saybrook, Westbrook

COMCAST-CROMWELL Thursday 10:00 PM, Ch. 3: Cromwell, East Hampton, Middlefield, Middletown, Portland

COMCAST-NEW HAVEN Tuesday 9:00 PM, Ch. 27: Hamden, New Haven, West Haven

COX-CHESHIRE Wednesday 9:30 PM, Ch. 15: Cheshire, Meriden, Southington

COX-ENFIELD Thursday 9:30 PM, Ch. 15: East Granby, East Windsor, Enfield, Granby, Hartland, Somers, Stafford, Suffield, Union, Windsor Locks

COX-MANCHESTER Wednesday 9:30 PM, Ch. 15: Glastonbury, Manchester, Newington, Rocky Hill, South Windsor, Wethersfield

COX-RHODE ISLAND Sunday Midnight, Ch. 13: All of Rhode Island except Warren & Block Island

COX-WARREN, RI Sunday Midnight, Ch. 49: Warren

EASTERN-NEW LONDON Sunday 9:00 PM, Ch. 24: East Lyme, Griswold, Killingly, Montville, New London, Plainfield, Putnam, Sterling, Waterford

TELE-MEDIA-SEYMOUR Wednesday 10:00 PM, Ch. 10: Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Naugatuck, Oxford, Seymour, Shelton

Tune in to the BluesA Directory of Blues Radio Shows in Connecticut WNHU 88.7 Sunday 11:00 pm – 2:00 am, Dr. Bill

Monday 8:00 – 11:00 pm, Miss Rusty J.

WESU 88.1 Thursday 10:00 am – Noon, Garson Fischer

WRTC 89.3 Saturday 5:00 – 7:00 pm, Chris/Dave

WPKN 89.5 Sunday 6:00 – 10:00 pm, Bill Nolan Thursday 6:00 – 10:00 pm, Bob Shapiro

WECS 90.1 Wednesday Noon – 2:00 pm, Don Denley Tuesday 8:00 11:00 pm Ramblin' Bert: Rockin the Blues

WCNI 91.1 Sunday 9:00 – Noon, Rocky Wagner: Sun. Morn. Blues Monday 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm, Kim Scott Red Hot Smokin’ Blues Monday 6:00 am – 9:00 am, Dan Loftus: Wicked Madam Blues Review Saturday 9:00 am – Noon, Dana Fargnoli: Out of the Blues Saturday 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Dan Sefton: Not So Blues

WWUH 91.3 Monday 3:00 – 6:00 am, River City Slim Monday 1:00 – 4:00 pm, Mike Marti: The Marti Party, Blues, R&B, Oldies Monday 9:00 pm – Midnight, Bart Bozzi: Blue Monday Thursday 6:00 – 9:00 am, River City Slim: Pine Grove Blues Friday 1:00 – 4:00 pm, Dwight Thurston: In The Weeds

WHUS 91.7 Sunday 2:00 – 4:00 pm, Ramblin’ Bert Rand: Bluesline Tuesday 5:00 – 7:00 am, Mac Thursday 1:00 – 3:00 pm, Ramblin’ Bert Rand Friday 2:00 – 5:00 am, Matt Talbot: Blues Before Sunrise Saturday 9:00 pm – Mid., Dave Carpenter: The Blues Bus

WEFX 95.9 Monday – Friday 10:00 pm, Lonesome Dave

WCCC 106.9 Sunday 6:00 pm – Midnight, Sunday Night Blues with Beef Stew

WFCS 107.7 Thursday 10:00 am – Noon, The Road Hog

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Connecticut Blues SocietyA non-profit organizationP.O. Box 651Higganum, CT 06441www.ctblues.org

Connecticut Blues Society 11th Annual Blues Challenge

DIRECTIONS: From I-84. Take the SOUTH MAIN STREET exit- EXIT 41- toward ELMWOOD. Turn onto CT-173/S MAIN ST towards Elmwood. Turn LEFT onto CT-173/CT-71/NEW BRITAIN AVE. Continue to follow CT-71/NEW BRITAIN AVE. Turn RIGHT onto SOUTH ST (after underpass). End at 83 South St, West Hartford, CT 06110-1922. Cannons and Flag in front.

Eran Troy Danner & Hot Dallas Mike Crandall Band • Johnny Boots Band

Ryan Hartt & the Blue Hearts Fade to Blue • Mojomatics

Shine Outdoors, Rain Inside

Music starts at 2 pm

Saturday, September 9th

Held in conjunction with West Hartford VFW Post 9929 83 South Street, W. Hartford, CT 06010

Benefits various VFW veterans’ projects, Blues4Vets, and CT Blues Society.

Doors Open at 1 pm

Music starts at 2 pm

Doors Open at 1:00 pm • Music starts at 2 pm • Admission $5 Bucks No coolers • Food and Drink Available

BSaugust2006.indd 12 8/11/06 4:23:52 PM

Blues Society Newsletter

Entertainment & Humor

Transcript of Blues Society Newsletter