We saw Heather Luttrell and Possum Den at Darwin’s on Saturday August 26. I had not seen her in a while and had forgotten how good she really is! She was playing with Possum Den which consists of her daddy on guitar and a friend about her daddy’s age on bass. The woman has a great voice and she sings a mixture of blues, country and rock that really is Americana, a term that is not always used so accuratelyI got this one originally on FacebookLive and posting it here for you to enjoy. If there is no sound right click and “unmute.”
Month: August 2017
Barbecue Bob Festival Sept 9
Barbecue Bob is prominently featured in my Southern Crossroads: Georgia Blues book, and I am thrilled that he is getting his own festival and memorial! We need to remember the bluesmen of the past. And we need to ear barbecue, listen to goo music and have fun!
Congratulations Atlanta Blues Challenge Winners!
You really need to go to the InternationalBlues Challenge in Memphis January 16-20! It is anon-stop blues party on Beale Street! And when you go, you will see these talented people there, who just won the Atlanta Blues Challenge! The Challenge issponsored by the Atlanta Blues Society, of which I am a proud member. They also provided this information.
Youth Category:
1st Place – No Solution – they win $400 and will represent us in the Youth Showcase at the IBC in Memphis.
Solo/Duo Category:
1st Place – Dos Blues Guys – they win $300 and will represent us in the Solo/Duo competition at the IBC in Memphis
Band Category:
1st Place – Thunder Gypsy – they win $750 and will represent us in the Band competition at the IBC in Memphis
2nd Place – David T & Friends
3rd Place – Sole Travelers
People’s Choice – Dani Mac & Company – they win $250 and will play, along with the 1st place winners at our Holiday Party on Dec 3, 2017
Finnd out more about the IBC by clicking the image:
Cody Matlock in Marietta
We went to see Cody Matlock at “Wingstock” at the Wing Cafe in Marietta., with Daniel Harper and Jon Schwenke. The crowd was pretty small , mostly families with kids. I am not sure they knew they were watching two legendary musicians with that incredibly talented young man but the quality of the music was undeniable and it was a great show! Talking to Cody afterward, I was struck once again at what a thoroughly likeable young man he is. As one of the listeners told him while I was standing there, “You’re so bad on stage, man, and so good off it.” And it’s true. He and the band can play funk, soul and blues so amazingly well and still be friendly and fun to talk to. At least Cody and Daniel are, and I’m sure Jon is as well, although I’ve not had an opportunity to talk to him yet.
Friday is Cody’s first Friday night at Blind Willie’s in Atlanta. Go see him so you can say you knew him when when he gets big, like he is going to. and you can see him every Thursda night at Darwin’s in Sandy Springs!
Independent Blues Awards Winners 2017
As founder Richard L’Hommedieu says in the official awards announcement,
“The the real motivation behind the “Independent Blues Awards”
Honor the Past, Praise the Present and Empower the Future!
Congratulations to all the Independent Blues Awards members this year! All winners were chosen y the fans:
CD Awards
Best Independent Blues Acoustic CD – Keb Mo – LIVE-That Hot Pink Blues
Best Independent Blues Contemorary CD – Jeremiah Johnson – Blues Heart attack
Best Independent Blues Tradtional CD – Bobby Rush – Porcupine Meat
Best Independent Blues R&B/Soul CD – Johnny Rawls – Tiger in a Cage
Best Independent Blues Rock CD – Colin James – Blues Highway
Best Modern Roots CD – The Smoke Wagon Blues Band – Cigar store
Best Independent Blues LIVE CD – Joe Bonamassa – Live at the Greek Theater
Best Independent Blues New Artists CD – The Marcus King Band – The Marcus King Band
Artist Awards
Artist of the Year! – North Mississippi Allstars
Best Independent Male Blues Artist – John Mayal
Best Independent Female Blues Artist – Samantha Fish
Best Traditional Blues Band – Bobby Rush
Best Blues Rock Band – Joe Bonamassa
Best Modern Roots Band – North Mississippi Allstars
Best Contemporary Blues Band – Ben Harper
Best New Artist – The Smoke Wagon Blues Band
Independent Blues artist Gateway Award – Joe Bonamassa
Best Independent Blues Stage Performance – Joe Bonamassa
Road Warrior Award – Samantha Fish
Song Awards
Best Traditional Blues Song – Albert Castiglia – Let’s Make Love in the Morning
Best R&B/Soul Song – The Smoke Wagon Blues Band – Set me Free
Best Contemporary Blues Song – Joe Bonamassa – Livin Easy
Best Blues Rock Song – Mike Zito – Redbird
Best Modern Roots Song – Ben Harper – Call it What it is
Best Funk Song – Jeremiah Johnson – Sun Shine Through
Best Song for the Common Good – John Mayall – The Devil Must Be Laughing
Best Music Video – Bobby Rush – Porcupine Meat – Bu
On the Trail Of the Allman Brothers: Macon, GA, August 12, 2017
Saturday morning on a whim we decided to go to Macon, GA,about 2 hours from our house. We were mainly on the trail of Allman Brothers sites, and specifically wanting to see the graves of Duane. Berry Oakley, and Gregg. We stopped at the nearest rest stop to Macon, which had a visitor’s center with a very friendly, helpful young woman who told us how to get to Rose Hill Cemetery.
On the way, we saw a sign for the Otis Redding Museum and I was all excited because I love Otis Redding. Unfortunately, it was closed but we got a glimpse of some of his stage clothes and a few posters in the window. I was happy to know that museum was there.
Then we went to Rose Hill. It is a huge place and beautiful but not at all handicap accessible. I wanted to find Elizabeth Reeds grave but it was not possible in the heat and with the steep hills. We couldn’t find Gregg either in the time we had, but with the help of the sign on the office door we found Duane and Berry. I tried so hard to get to them but the hill they were on was too steep so my husband Ken went up and took these marvelous pictures while I took comfort in being very close. I now know that Gregg is buried just across the walkway so next time we will find it.
Next we headed to The Big House, where all the band lived at one time. It is now an Allman Brothers Band Museum. We knew we weren’t taking the tour because even though $15 each is very reasonable we hadn’t planned the trip and we didn’t have it. We figured we would just take a picture or two of the house and yard and go in the gift shop, which we imagined would be fairly small. But if you look at the photos, you’ll see that the gift shop itself has several rooms full of memorabilia. My favorite thing was that blue piano. I loved envisioning Gregg playing it. I really look forward to going back and doing the whole tour soon.
The friendly man in the gift sjhop gave us a great map, which I wish we had had earlier.It listed some oiher sites we could have visited, like the ban’s first houe and various apartments associated with members. Next time we will go there first, but it was getting late and we needed to head home. So we just drove to the locations where Duane and Berry had their accidents. We didn’t take pictures because they aren’t marked in any way, but it is one thing to read that they crashed their motorcycles at intersections 3 blocks apart,barely a year apart, but it is another thing entirely to see how close it really was. Butch Trucks was once quoted as saying he didn’t think Berry knew how to live in a world without Duane. It made me so glad they are buried so close together. I wish Gregg could have been buried there too but it is obviously not a big enough plot. At least his grave is very close.
Even unplanned and with no money, ,this was a very satisfying trip. I recommend it to any fan. Enjoy the pictures!
TheT
